Equipment
2020 TaylorMade SIM and SIM Max fairway woods: “Shape in Motion”
The new 2020 Taylormade SIM fairway woods: V Steel is back in a beefed-up package.
It was 2001 when TaylorMade Golf launched the V Steel fairway woods, and over the past 19 years, it’s not uncommon to see one occupying a spot in a player’s bag. It was that snowflake fairway wood that launched high with low spin, it looked great, and it basically stood the test of time. It’s now 2020, and TaylorMade is bringing back the V Steel spirit in a package that is beefed up in every way.
The new 2020 TaylorMade SIM and SIM Max fairway woods offer a very popular sole from the past (V Steel) with some aesthetic upgrades from the previous package that add up to a club that is high launch, low spin and very forgiving. Themes we are used to with all the OEMs. Fairway wood technology has made quite the leap in the past decade with carbon, titanium, and clever weight placement to make them into mini drivers. It’s been a very fun ride for golfers everywhere.
95 percent of the fairways that hit the market go a mile in the air with no spin and fly forever. Like the drivers, gains for the season to season switcher won’t be huge, we just don’t live in that world anymore. What we are looking at now is trust across the face, for me it’s the gains I get when I hit it center thin. With my current fairway (off the ground) its the difference between a shot that carries 265 (flush) or a shot that carries 240 (thin). Personally I’m looking for that bottom number to get closer to 250 knowing the top number won’t move much, and I don’t want it to.
Let’s see whats going on with these things…
2020 Taylormade SIM fairway woods: The tech
SIM fairway
With a 180cc Zatech titanium face, and an even heavier (than M5) 80g steel sole weight, keep in mind that the sole weight is now fixed—unlike the M5 that could be moved for left or right preferences. It was very uncommon for players to manipulate that weight, so it was decided that its a better golf glub locking it in place. I agree with that choice.
The new 2020 SIM fairway is the Mercedes Benz AMG of fairway woods, and I’m not saying that to stroke anyone either: it’s the best of everything a player would want. It feels very heavy-headed, has a ton of playability, and it looks like a TaylorMade fairway wood should. For those who like the real granular info, Zatech titanium is a high-end, small-batch titanium that more or less gives TaylorMade the ability to tune up the face to be hot as well as forgiving across the hitting area.
SIM Max
I am a huge fan of the M6…huge. Especially if you get it dialed in, for me it was really easy to hit, very versatile, forgiving, went far enough, and you could hit little knee-high fastballs if you needed to. A living unicorn. The new 2020 SIM is basically the same fairway wood with V Steel tech and some small optical tweaks. At 185cc and a familiar bonded hosel (I love that part), the SIM Max has already caught the eye of Dustin Johnson who had it in play at Kapalua, and if I was going to guess, Rory and Fleetwood (non-staffer) will have it in play as well. Try ’em both, but definitely don’t make a decision until you have given this one the business.
SIM Max-D
190cc chassis in a draw-biased package that will be a hit with the players that long to hit that soft high draw. Simple enough.
Overall looks
At Address: SIM (Pictured Left) and SIM Max (Pictured Right)
As you can see in the picture, the lines of the New 2020 SIM fairways woods are softer from top to bottom. The goal was to give the V Steel technology some harmony to work with and with the rounded leading edges that allow the club to glide a bit easier into the turf, they accomplished that. For players that like to beat down on it, sweep it, or anything in between, the new 2020 SIM fairway woods have the tech to please any of them. What I noticed (especially in the SIM) was that thin strikes not only flew a bit farther but felt closer to flush than in the past. I spoke with a mini-tour player buddy of mine and he reminded me of what made the V Steel really work…
“Off the tee it was awesome because outta the top of the face it was REALLY hot but what made it magical was it felt really solid outta the bottom for fairway shots, for the tournament players that’s a big weapon to have.” -Anonymous WRX member
Overall feel
This is where TaylorMade really gets it right, and it’s been a pattern with the M Series and now bleeding into the new 2020 SIM Fairways Woods. They feel solid. Not soft, smooth, bouncy but hammer-like solid. That experience got better across the face when Twist Face was introduced. If you like a heavy hit, you’ll get it here. And let’s be honest, there are a lot of OEMs chasing this feeling, it’s awesome, but TaylorMade has been doing it well for years now so gotta give credit where credit is due.
Overall opinion
It’s fairly obvious in my writeup that the new 2020 SIM fairway woods are a winner, and yes I am a bit biased. I have been playing TaylorMade woods for a long time. However, in a job that gives me a look at everything, it becomes less about what’s best and more on what the experience is. Allll the OEMs make great stuff: it’s a fact. There are very few lemons out there anymore.
What I’m hoping you get from any writeup I do is a sense of what you might feel when you hit a particular club. In this day and age, that’s the first selling point: the experience, and after that with a solid fitter, the math of it all can be solved. Enjoy the hit first, find a fitter, get the launch math done and go with God. In TaylorMade’s case, they do what they always do, they made another awesome fairway wood line that has something for everyone. Can’t argue with that.
TaylorMade SIM MAX fairway
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TaylorMade SIM Ti fairway
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Specifications, Availability & Pricing (Per TaylorMade Golf)
SIM, SIM Max, and SIM Max-D fairways will be available for preorder on January 10 and at retail on February 7, 2020.
SIM has an MSRP of $399.99 USD and will be offered in Rocket 3/14 degrees, 3/15 degrees and 5/19 degrees. It will be offered in the Mitsubishi Diamana FW Limited 75 stock shaft, with numerous additional shaft options available at no additional cost. It comes stock with the new Golf Pride Z-
Grip (47g).
SIM Max and Max-D have an MSRP of $299.99 USD. SIM Max will be offered in lofts of Rocket 3/14 degrees, 3/15 degrees, 5/18 degrees, 7/21 degrees and 9/24 degrees. Shaft offerings include Fujikura Ventus Blue FW 5 (R and A flexes) and Ventus Blue FW 6 (S and X flexes), with additional custom shaft options available at no additional cost.
SIM Max-D will be offered in lofts of 3/16 degrees, 5/19 degrees, and 7/22 degrees. UST Mamiya’s Helium FW is the stock shaft offering with numerous custom options available at no additional cost. Both models also come stock with the new Golf Pride Z-Grip (47g). Women’s offerings for SIM Max and SIM Max-D fairways include the Aldila NV Ladies 45 shaft and the Lamkin Ladies Sonar grip (38g).
Additional TaylorMade SIM features
Twist Face (Per TaylorMade Golf): TaylorMade introduced Twist Face to its fairway metal lineup in 2019 and has carried the revolutionary technology into each SIM offering.
Speed Pocket (Per TaylorMade Golf): The Speed Pocket in SIM fairways has been engineered to provide increased ball speed to the entire face while improving forgiveness on low-face impacts. A slot insert has also been designed to sit flush with the sole to improve sole interaction and eliminate turf drag from the Speed Pocket, aligning with the performance goals of V Steel.
Loft Sleeve (SIM Only): 2-degree Loft Sleeve allows for the adjustment of the loft, lie angle, and face angle of the 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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JD
Jan 14, 2020 at 10:43 am
The 5 wood sim max is the most inviting fairway wood i’ve even seen in my life. It is the perfect size. Now if only fitting carts had stiff 5 wood shafts in them… 5 woods are not just for old folks anymore! Half the tour uses them!
John
Jan 6, 2020 at 11:05 am
Yawn