Last year I had the privilege of trying out the TaylorMade R9 Driver, and I gave it a very strong review. Since it was released it has become one of the most popular drivers on the market, finding its way into bags all around the world. Now, in an attempt to follow up the success of the R9 TaylorMade has released the all-new R9 460 Driver, which looks strikingly similar to the original R9. The main physical differences are subtle, but certainly exist, as the R9 460 has a larger head and a deeper clubface. The differences between the clubs performance was noticeable as well, but you'll have to read on to discover how the new version measured up to the original.
 MENS LH TAYLORMADE R9 460 10.5* DRIVER STIFF EXCELLENT $74.99 End Date: Friday Feb-10-2012 13:07:25 PST |
 MEN LH TAYLORMADE GOLF R9 460 10.5* DRIVER REGULAR GOOD $49.99 End Date: Friday Feb-10-2012 13:49:22 PST |
 LH TAYLORMADE GOLF R9 460 TP 10.5* DRIVER EXCELLENT $99.99 End Date: Friday Feb-10-2012 14:19:22 PST |
Street Price: $300
While the two clubs look remarkably similar, once you swing both you immediately begin to notice the distinctions. The head of the newer, 460 seemed heaver than the original R9, which turned out to be an advantage because of how it sped up my swing. The TaylorMade R9 460 also gives a little bit of a distance boost compared to its predecessor, which is something every golfing enthusiast will appreciate. However, while some small differences were noticed between the new and old version of the R9 drivers I am not sure if the 460 is that drastic an improvement over the original R9.
TaylorMade struck gold when they released the R9, and it is one of the most popular drivers on the planet. I did begin to feel that they were reaching with the release of the 460, as it really didn't give me that tremendous of an advantage over the original. While the added distance was indeed appreciated, it really wasn't as dramatic a difference as to warrant a club change. For any golfer looking to add a new driver to their bag, it is definitely worth considering. But for any golfer who already owns an original TaylorMade R9 there is really no need to make a change.
