Equipment
TaylorMade goes back to black with R1
Since TaylorMade launched its R11 driver in 2011, golf fans have associated its drivers with white-painted crowns. But the company’s decision to release a black-painted version of its R1 driver reveals that TaylorMade may be moving away from the color in the future.
According to Tom Kroll, TaylorMade’s global product manager, the company has decided to release a limited amount of black R1 drivers in an attempt to connect with whom he called “authentic golfers.”
“The [TaylorMade] brand has always spoken to the zero-to-four handicap,” Kroll said. “Some of those guys screamed loud and clear that they wanted a black driver, so we decided to give it to them.”
Click here to read out Editor Review of TaylorMade’s R1 Driver.
The black version of the R1 is identical to the white version in nearly every way — it’s still 460 cubic centimeters, with the same center of gravity, adjustable loft sleeve and face angle adjuster. It also has the same stock shaft — an Aldila RIP Phenom — and the same grip. But the driver’s crown, which was originally released in a matte white color with an orange-and-gray racing stripe, has been painted black. Underneath the glossy black paint is a black-and-gray racing stripe that has the same design. But because of the color change, the racing stripe is much less noticeable at address.
The black paint also makes the driver appear smaller at address, about 10 percent according to Kroll.
“Some of the guys on tour liked the white head because it looked bigger, so they felt like they could swing it harder,” Kroll said. “But there will be guys switching into the black head because they’ll like the way it looks.”
The driver will make its debut on the PGA Tour next week in Memphis at the PGA Tour’s FedEx St. Jude Classic at TPC South Wind. It will be available for purchase on June 10 for the same price as the white R1 driver, $399.
Kroll would not comment on how many limited-edition drivers would be released, or what percentage of R1 heads will be painted black. But he did say that it will be a “small percentage,” and that “it’s going to be an interesting launch for us in terms of watching the numbers.”
Click here to read what members are saying about the black R1 in the forums.
Click here to read what members are saying about the black R1 in the forums.
Cameron Young’s WITB from his win at the 2025 Wyndham Championship. Cameron is a Titleist staff player but his bag is definitely filled with some unique clubs. Here are the clubs he used to secure his first PGA Tour win!
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus HB Black VeloCore+ 10 X
Irons: Titleist T200 (4), Titleist T100 (5), Titleist 631.CY Prototype (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F @57), WedgeWorks (60-K* @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom 9.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Prototype
- Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (10 degrees, C2 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Project X Denali Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 7 X
7-wood: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 8 X
Irons: Titleist T150 (4, 5), Titleist T100 (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper AMT Tour White X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F, 56-08M @57, 60-04T @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Fastback 1.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Yellow
We’re proud to once again partner with 2nd Swing Golf to bring you GolfWRX Members Choice 2025! 2nd Swing has more than 150,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.
What is the best driver in 2025? At GolfWRX, we take great pride in our online community and the cumulative knowledge and experience of our members. When it comes to the best driver of 2025, we want to know what our forum faithful think.
Since our founding in 2005, the bedrock of GolfWRX.com has been the community of passionate and knowledgeable golfers in our forums, and we put endless trust in the opinions of our GolfWRX members — the most knowledgeable community of golfers on the internet. No other group of golfers in the world tests golf clubs as frequently or as extensively, nor is armed with such in-depth information about the latest technology.
Below are the results of GolfWRX member voting for the 2025 best driver, along with the vote percentage for each club.
Best driver of 2025: The top 5
5. Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond: 6.02%
Callaway’s pitch: “For golfers looking for a fast, forgiving, yet workable driver, the Elyte Triple Diamond features a tour-inspired shape and is the preferred model by most Callaway tour players.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond here.
4. Ping G440 Max: 6.86%
Ping’s pitch: “The most forgiving G440 model, MAX has a hotter face to generate speed and distance, and a lighter overall system weight with a longer shaft (46″) for faster clubhead speed, higher launch and longer carries. The Free Hosel and Carbonfly Wrap crown save weight to create our lowest CG ever and increase forgiveness while contributing to a more muted, pleasing sound.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 Max here.
3. Ping G440 LST: 9.53%
Ping’s pitch: “LST is an especially good fit for faster swings, offering less spin and more control with a penetrating trajectory. A hotter face, lighter overall system weight and longer shaft (46″) deliver more speed and distance while maintaining tight dispersion.”
@phizzy30: “Not a fan of Ping drivers in general, but 440 LST takes the cake. It’s super forgiving across the face for a low spin head, looks and sounds good and the ability to make it play neutral or slightly fade biased through the hosel settings is very appealing.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 LST here.
2. Titleist GT3: 16.55%
Titleist’s pitch: “The GT3 Driver offers Titleist’s boldest combination of power and personalization through adjustable performance. Dial in the CG Track to your frequent contact location to make your biggest drives even bigger while taking total control over flight and shaping.”
@mrmikeac: “I’ve been Anti-Titleist for years and years and years (outside of Vokey, of course). With that being said, HOLY BEGEEZUS the GT3 driver is an absolute NUCLEAR MONSTER! This thing blew my G430 10K Max out of the water in every single category. Forgiveness is the biggest thing that stands out of me, the 3 model has always been one of the less forgiving models in the past but this GT3 can take bad shot after bad shot and still end up in the fairway, I think a ton of that has to do with the adjustability, it’s actually effective. Feel and sound is perfect, that solid crack is so addicting to hear and when you hit it out the screws this thing can absolutely bomb it. Titleist, I’m sorry for doubting you. You have converted me.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT3 here.
1. Titleist GT2: 22.91%
Titleist’s pitch: “Delivering impressive distance from any impact point, the Titleist GT2 Driver extracts maximum performance through a forgiving design. Get the stability and added confidence of a high-MOI driver without sacrificing speed.”
@DTorres: “The Titleist GT2 has proven to be the best driver of the year. Packaged in a classic profile, GT2 perfectly balances performance and forgiveness while consistently being a high performer across all categories.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT2 here.
Other drivers receiving >2% of the vote
| Driver | Vote percentage (%) |
|---|---|
| Cobra DS Adapt Max K | 4.85% |
| Ping G430 Max 10K | 3.85% |
| Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond | 3.68% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 | 3.51% |
| Callaway Elyte | 3.18% |
| Cobra DS Adapt X | 2.34% |
| Cobra DS Adapt LS | 2.17% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 LS | 2.17% |
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Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
Barry
Nov 30, 2013 at 4:27 pm
Just purchased the R1 Black……love the look but love the added distance (12 to 15 yds. more than my old Cleveland. Just hope I consistently hit it as straight.
mississaugua monster
Aug 14, 2013 at 8:39 pm
will wait for 400cc black R1
460 too big and white………….ru kidding me
mark
Jul 2, 2013 at 3:37 am
I have just purchased this club “wow” is all a can say. Go out now and buy this u won’t regret it.
Ben
Jun 16, 2013 at 9:55 pm
And in a couple years they will bust out the white again. It’s all marketing.
Shad
Jun 4, 2013 at 11:44 am
The funny thing is that some people think TaylorMade is contradicting their initial claim that white “instills confidence and is easier to align”. Releasing a black version is just a desperate misguided attempt to increase lagging sales that are 100% due to the fact that they decided to put those stupid graphics on the crown of the R1! TaylorMade and all other club manufactures let me set you straight once and for all – Put all the graphics you want on the bottom of the club and the head cover, but THE TOP OF THE CLUB, WHETHER IT BE WHITE, BLACK, GREY, PINK, ETC. SHOULD BE CLEAN AND FREE OF GRAPHICS OTHER THAN A SINGLE MIDDLE ALIGNMENT AID, PERIOD! TaylorMade should have just released a white version without the graphics. The white heads are a much better club. That said, I know there are some mental cases that “just can’t get used to the white club head” so a black version should have probably always have been an option. Don’t get too excited folks, the new black R1 is just a temporary stop-gap fix to spur some better retail numbers this year. The next completely new version will be white.
KCCO
May 31, 2013 at 9:56 pm
Should have done reverse…..crown flat, lettering gloss…..but beggars can’t be..ya know
G
Jun 1, 2013 at 12:01 am
No, it’s good that it’s shiny. Shiny makes you focus more. Matt does not. Flat or matt is just blah.
Curt
Jun 1, 2013 at 9:26 am
Agreed, flat black is boring. TM got it right, going stealth black!!
IceDave
May 31, 2013 at 9:17 am
I think I’ve just won a bet! Great looking driver.
Matt
May 31, 2013 at 5:53 am
Two years ago Sean Toulon said that TMAG would make the black driver obsolete, and they would not consider making a driver in any color other than white until 2016. Taylor Made marketing at its best.
Roger
May 31, 2013 at 3:18 am
Brad B……..thats what i was thinking…….Ozzy Ozzy Ozzy
But hopefully with Gals in School Uniforms….
WoodButcher
Feb 5, 2014 at 11:07 am
Ozzy is Black Sabbath, not AC/DC. You ment Angus Young I’m sure.
Curt
May 30, 2013 at 10:41 pm
Thank you TM, please stay black and end that white crap!!!
The black looks so goooood!!!!!!!
Brad B
May 30, 2013 at 9:08 pm
So they use AC/DC “Back in Black” for the 30 second commercial???? It’d work.
bob
May 30, 2013 at 8:34 pm
doesn’t anyone else think this is hypocritical? i mean TM was talking crap about how black drives affect your aim and all that and know they release a black driver? stupid imo
Weavs
May 31, 2013 at 8:51 am
It’s called marketing to a broader market… Alot of people didn’t like the white version, so they made a black version. Alot of drivers come in different colors these days. I guess if they didn’t like making more money it would be stupid.
Jeff
May 31, 2013 at 12:03 pm
the benefits of having a white driver–particularly, lining it up correctly–still exist. there are just some people (*achem* members of this board *achem*) who, no matter how beneficial it is, they will never buy a white driver head. many of these players begged TM to come out with a black driver head that included the same technological advances as the white one (moveable weights, loft sleeve, sole plate–well, maybe not so much the sole plate, but still). Kudos to TM for listening.
Josh
Jul 13, 2013 at 10:01 am
If you can’t line up a driver correctly you should probably be spending your money on some lessons and not a new driver.
John F
May 30, 2013 at 4:12 pm
I also saw this here and was able to pre-order. Can’t wait for this puppy to arrive!
JChoj
May 30, 2013 at 3:00 pm
The golf community is funny. Why does it matter what color it is? If a driver hit dead straight 350 yards on every drive it could be Neon Pink and Purple. I’d still use it.
John
May 30, 2013 at 3:59 pm
Because when you pay $400+ it’s nice to get what you want.
Steve
May 30, 2013 at 1:40 pm
Wow. Their sales must not be anywhere near what they were expecting thus far… The black looks great though! I can see this flying off the shelf
BC
May 30, 2013 at 12:29 pm
Not sure how this is a Fail. Black finish, subtle graphics, adjustability…Yes, I will be back on the TM wagon with this. Give me some woods in the same make-up and my bag will be set!!
Matt
May 30, 2013 at 12:23 pm
Now you’re talking. Looks great!
Big5Hole
May 30, 2013 at 11:32 am
Must…. Resist…..
Who am I kidding; I’m going to put a deposit on one this afternoon if I can.
Nike Loyalist
May 30, 2013 at 11:10 am
FAIL.
John
May 30, 2013 at 1:02 pm
Seriously? I don’t care for taylormade even and that thing looks sexy!
oban wan-kanobi
May 30, 2013 at 11:09 am
About time this happens.!! I really hope they go matte black for retail; the shiny black is so 10 years ago.
Don
May 30, 2013 at 7:23 pm
Only problem with matte is that any marks show more in my opinion. Traditional finish is easier to touchup or keep looking good with a light wax or Scratch X or such if needed.
paul
May 31, 2013 at 12:51 am
I really like my shiny black driver head 🙁 Should i buy a new one in matte… Maybe ping I20…? Catch up with the times 🙂 Oh wait, that will be replaced with an I25 in 7 months. I will never catch up :'(
KCCO
May 31, 2013 at 9:59 pm
Not matte….
Jeff
Jun 1, 2013 at 5:00 am
If you sky your driver, you shouldn’t be buying a $300+ golf club yet.
Jeff
Jun 1, 2013 at 5:01 am
My bad, reading comprehension…