CARLSBAD, Calif. (May 13, 2009)– In February, TaylorMade Golf introduced the R9™ driver, which today is the No. 1 driver model on the PGA Tour. Now, TaylorMade is introducing the R9 460 driver, which combines TaylorMade's renowned Flight Control Technology (FCT) with the forgiveness and power of a 460cc titanium clubhead and the speed-promoting properties of a longer length and extremely lightweight graphite shaft. All at the remarkable street price of $299.
FCT gives the golfer the power to easily change the club's face angle, loft and lie angle simply by loosening a bolt in the sole, rotating the shaft into the designated position, then tightening the bolt. FCT makes it so easy to adjust the angle of the clubface into a position that suits your eye and your swing, helping you hit the ball straighter and longer. It also promotes a side-to-side change in trajectory of up to 40 yards, helping golfers to promote a draw or fade, or diminish a hook or slice. The R9 460 includes a white FCT wrench that delivers the 40 inch-pounds of torque necessary to adequately tighten the FCT bolt.
"FCT proved itself to be a major, major metalwood innovation immediately after we launched the R9 driver earlier this year," said Sean Toulon, TaylorMade executive vice president of innovation. "Tour pros took to it right away, and it quickly became the No. 1 driver model on the PGA Tour. Amateur golfers also embraced it quickly, as sales have been fantastic around the world, especially in the United States, Europe and Japan."
Compared to the R9 driver, the R9 460 driver has a larger head, deeper clubface and lower and deeper-back center of gravity (CG), qualities that deliver a higher MOI for greater forgiveness and a higher spin-rate, helping low-spin players keep the ball in the air longer for increased carry and distance.
Powerful 460cc Clubhead featuring TaylorMade's New Classic Shape
"In addition to the advantages of FCT in a 460cc clubhead, the R9 460 also delivers the kind of shape, feel and sound that TaylorMade drivers are famous for, and which our competitors can't come close to matching," said Harry Arnett, TaylorMade senior category director for metalwoods. The shape is what TaylorMade calls "new classic" because it is at once modern and traditional. The R9 460's new classic shape offers three distinct advantages: 1) it allows for a deep back, far-from-the-face CG location that makes it easier to launch the ball; 2) it contributes to a higher MOI for greater stability on off-center hits; 3) it allows for an exceptionally low CG location.
The R9 460's clubhead is constructed with the aid of TaylorMade's Ultra-Thin Wall (UTW) technology, which allows for clubhead walls measuring as thin as 0.6 millimeters, with the saved weight redistributed to help make the low and-deep-back CG possible.
Longer Club-length; Aldila RE*AX® 60-gram tip-soft shaft
The R9 460 driver is long in length – 45.75" – and equipped with an Aldila RE*AX® 60-gram tip-soft shaft, available in L, M, R, S and X flexes. The characteristics of the shaft and the club's added length together promote increased clubhead speed and distance. "Players who put a premium on distance are going to want to put the R9 460 in play," said Arnett. "It features a variety of characteristics designed to work together to promote faster ball speed and distance-enhancing launch conditions, while FCT technology will help them achieve the shot-shape they want to help keep the ball in the short grass."
Inverted Cone Technology
The R9 460 driver also incorporates TaylorMade's renowned Inverted Cone clubface technology, which expands the area of the clubface that delivers high ball speed. Characterized by an inverted cone that's milled directly onto the inner side of the clubface, Inverted Cone Technology increases the club's forgiveness on mis-hits. Together, the combination of the R9 460's Inverted Cone Technology, high MOI and exceedingly low CG makes it incredibly easy to hit.
On Tour
"Tour pros always want their drivers bent in some way, usually to change the face angle or to add or subtract loft," said Keith Sbarbaro, TaylorMade vice president of tour operations. It's so easy to do that with FCT. Instead of taking the club to our tour trailer and putting it in a bending block, we can adjust it quickly and cleanly, right on the spot, either at the practice range or the first tee. And now all golfers have the option to adjust their face angle, loft and lie angle, like tour pros do."
Tour professionals who have put the R9 driver in play include Sean O'Hair, Kenny Perry, Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose, Darren Clark and Andres Romero. The R9 460 is expected to attract similar interest among tour pros. "A lot of tour pros have been asking if we could incorporate FCT into a driver with a 460cc head, so we're expecting a lot of R9 460 drivers to go into play, which will further increase R9 dominance on tour."
R9 460 TP
For tour pros and skilled players, the R9 460 TP is also being introduced. It features the same identical clubhead as the R9 460, but is equipped with a Fujikura Motore F1 65 graphite shaft with a .335" tip. The R9 460 TP is also available with the following custom shaft offerings in X, S and R flexes: Fujikura Motore F1 75, Fujikura Motore F1 85, Fujikura Motore F1 55, Aldila® Voodoo VS6, Aldila Voodoo NV6, Mitsubishi® Fubuki 63, Mitsubishi Fubuki 73, Matrix Ozik X-CON 5 and Matrix HD 6.
Availability
Available lofts for the R9 460 and R9 460 TP drivers include 8.5°, 9.5°, 10.5° and 11.5° in right-handed, 9.5° and 10.5° in left-handed. Availability at retail begins May 16.
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