Equipment
TaylorMade to release SLDR 430 driver
TaylorMade has announced the release of a 30-cubic-centimeter smaller version of its popular SLDR driver, the SLDR 430.
The much-anticipated driver, available on Dec. 20 for $399, will be offered in three lofts: 9.5, 10.5 and 12 degrees.
The SLDR 430 has the same 20-gram sliding weight as the SLDR 460, placing the center of gravity of the head in a low, forward position that Taylormade says reduces distance-robbing spin and adds ball speed. According to early testing results from club fitters, the SLDR 430 is even lower spinning than the already low-spin SLDR 460, which will likely position it as the lowest-spinning driver head on the market in 2014.
The knock on the SLDR 460, which has gained wide-spread usage on the PGA Tour since is launch in July, has been its low moment of inertia, a measure of a club’s forgiveness. Because of its smaller size, the SLDR 430 will likely prove to be even less forgiving, but that shouldn’t be an issue for its target audience: high-speed, high-spin golfers who want to maximize distance on center strikes.
The SLDR 430 has the same 12-position loft sleeve as the SLDR 460, giving it a 3-degree range of adjustability (1.5 degrees up or down). It also features the same charcoal grey crown, and comes stock with a Fujikura Speeder 67 graphite shaft. The TP model, which has a more robust Fujikura’s Speeder Tour Spec 7.3, shaft, will sell for $499.
Click here to see what members are saying about TaylorMade’s SLDR 430 driver.
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...
Rob
Apr 30, 2014 at 12:43 am
I wanted to like the SLDR460,I purchase a couple different ones with there stock shaft they offered from R to S and lofts from 9.5 to 12. I could not hit it. This time I tried 430 with the Stiff flex and 10.5 loft. It wants to go straight and long. My problem was the shaft options. The speedeer 57 was too lite. The stock shaft on the 430 is 73 grams. I dont have a fast swing speed, The heavier shaft helped alot. The look the sound and feel is necter.
Mateo
Dec 26, 2013 at 1:53 am
Who cares. They’ll have another POS out next week.
Carlos Carvalho
Dec 22, 2013 at 2:49 pm
So, someone goes to a fitting session with SLDR 460 and tell to the club fitter : Hey, I want a less forgiving head!!!
I simply just do not understand.
aj
Jun 4, 2014 at 9:57 am
For me the smaller head allows me to rotate the club easier.
nik d
Dec 21, 2013 at 4:31 pm
remember, these clubs are made for high handicapper weekend warriors, and the tour players are paid to play them, those guys could use any club and probably have similar results. sure, driving distance for pros has gone up in the last two decades, but look at other technologies such as premium shafts and balls. I know I would prefer a rather 400 cc or under sized club head, makes you concentrate more. instead of grippin and rippin
Brandon A.
Dec 21, 2013 at 7:22 am
i hit the 430 about 2 weeks ago at a taylormade demo day at my job. i currently have the sldr 460 and once i hit the 430 i immediately had buyers remorse, kind of, since i didn’t pay for the sldr. but now i have the 430 coming also. i have a very moderate swing speed which suprised me because my numbers on trackman were better with the 430 than the 460. needless to say the 430 is SWEET!!!
Floyderick
Dec 20, 2013 at 9:54 pm
Revolutionary driver! A must buy! A+++
Mateo
Dec 26, 2013 at 1:51 am
LOL. Ok.
DS
Dec 19, 2013 at 8:02 pm
Why are they making another one of these? Good lord. All the 460 head did was break… Trust me, I went through 3 of them. So now they’re making a smaller “player” head? Good call. Maybe next time don’t try an idea that a company already went through and failed… Cough cough… Mizuno already did this… Cough cough…
NG
Dec 19, 2013 at 10:49 pm
I think you should get your facts correct first…hint, timing of patents
nik d
Dec 21, 2013 at 4:34 pm
whats your clubhead speed ? I believe you man, I know a 70 year old man with slow swingspeed that cracked a burner 2.0 . did the faces cave in or the welds crack? that’s the only thing keeping me from buying another tm wood. or iron due to the fact that they look stupid
Jay
Dec 18, 2013 at 10:54 pm
A little confused, the GolfWRX editor review of the 460 says it has more forgiveness, while this article says the knock with the 460 is that it has less forgiveness.
It makes sense to me that because of the more forward CG you would have less forgiveness but the review says the opposite. I actually got a 460, to some degree based on the editor review and the statement about more forgiveness.
Ryan
Dec 19, 2013 at 12:06 am
The article says the 430 is even lees forgiving. As the 460 is already pretty low MOI.
Westphi
Dec 19, 2013 at 4:55 pm
The SLDR 460 is less forgiving than many other 460 drivers, because of the SLDR’s low/forward CG, and will reduce spin considerably. The SLDR 430 will have even less forgiveness than the SLDR 460, and have even less spin than the SLDR 460. Hope that clarifies it for you…
No Thanks!
Dec 18, 2013 at 3:38 pm
If they offered the better JDM version…. Maybe.
Correction…. I said better…. I meant both paint jobs.
No thanks!
the.landshark
Dec 18, 2013 at 2:40 pm
Bummer that the TP version isn’t coming in black, nor with the Speeder 757 shaft like the Japan model. That combo had a *really* good chance of being the 1st Taylormade club in my bag ever! Oh well… then again, perhaps it’ll become a ‘special limited edition’ in a few months time 🙂
Van BTs
Dec 18, 2013 at 2:19 pm
R1 must have flopped pretty hard lol. This is going to be a good sell though, mostly to people that don’t have the game for it.
Chum
Dec 20, 2013 at 11:11 am
The white did flop, but not the black.
Chris W
Dec 20, 2013 at 12:26 pm
The white R1 was the best selling driver of 2013 and one of the fastest selling drivers of all time. The black was limited edition and, yes, it did sell well, but significantly less than the white.
Stephen Lee
Dec 18, 2013 at 1:46 pm
i say taylormade is trying different marketing strategy this time. taylormade made 430cc version of the new driver first and then 460cc version saying its longer and more forgiving over the last few years. like the r9 and then r9s, the r11 and then r11s. now the other way around? 460cc first and 430cc for better players? i dont get that taylormade were saying 460cc is longer because of the size of the head is bigger than 430cc making it more forgiving and longer. now they are saying 430cc is longer because of reduced spin rate. does anyone know what is the bigger factor in the driving distance? spin rate or head size? or am i thinking wrong way? even though the most important thing is smash factor given the head speed produced by individuals but im still curious.
Conrad
Dec 18, 2013 at 12:54 pm
love it how taylormade is going back to trying to market to all audiences…