Have A Look at How TaylorMade R1 Performs in Johnson's Hands

Dustin Johnson got the new TaylorMade R1 driver off to a flying start by clinching the PGA Tour's season-opening Tournament of Champions by four shots over defending champion Steve Stricker. Johnson, who is the first player since Tiger Woods to come straight out of college and win in his first six seasons on the PGA Tour, said: "This win gives me a lot of confidence going into this year."

So as many of you already know, the Taylormade R11s Driver is being replaced by the Taylormade R1. The R1 features what TaylorMade is calling Loft Sleeve Technology. TaylorMade R1 Driver gives the golfer 12 loft-sleeve settings and 7 face-angle positions, as well as two movable shot-shape weights. It also allows loft and face angle to be adjusted independently of each other - a critical benefit, which will prove a welcome addition to the golfer seeking their desired ball flight.

Johnson, who headed to the Plantation Course at Kapalua to play six rounds in advance of the tournament, employed his R1 at 10-degree with a higher loft sleeve, neutral face angle, and with an 8-gram shot shape weight in the toe and 2-gram in the heel.

Sporting the TaylorMade R1 driver for the first time in competitive play, the seven-time champion unsurprisingly topped the driving distance for the week on 289 yards - somewhat reduced due to the brutal conditions during the opening two rounds. The South Carolina star also performed admirably with his new TaylorMade RocketBladez irons by finding 89% of the greens in regulation and follows Sergio Garcia as the second player to win using the clubs.
Ads by Google

The R1 is one driver for everyone – an idea borne out of the company's research with 800 everyday golfers. Results revealed 80% of players were playing the wrong loft and that 24% had the incorrect loft by at least 2-degrees. TaylorMade R1 Driver crown graphic design also helps the golfer to square the face to the ball accurately at address. The new R1 continues TaylorMade's mastery of adjustable drivers by offering the greatest range of adjustability of any driver in the brand's history.

The settings on the new face plate will allow you to adjust the club either 3-degree opened or 3-degree closed. The crown features a white matte finish to eliminate glare, while a black, orange and grey graphic helps frame the remaining white area, producing a V-shape to aid alignment. The "V" shape of the preserved white space behind the leading edge provides a frame to position the ball against, helping to heighten focus.