What a horrible driver. I was considering a new driver so I rented the R7 at my golf shop. First, the driver is heavy as hell, even with the cheap stock shaft. Swing speed was down 10 mph from 95 mph with my R540XD. Second, the face has no feel whatsoever. It's like hitting metal against metal. Way too "Pingy" sounding. Last, the face on the R7 is way too deep. TM should have made it wider and more shallow, like the R500's and Titleist 983's. Unless you hit in the exact center every swing, do not even consider. The R7 has no increase in distance at all. Total hook-monster. All hype. Now I know why Todd Hamilton kept his 540XD for the British Open.

Similar Products Used:

Taylor Made R540XD; MacGregor V-Foil Eye-O-Matic M42; Cobra 400 SZ

This is the longest most accurate driver I have ever hit and I've had alot - 983K, Cleveland Launcher 400 and 330, Orlimar HipTi, Ping, and TM 360. I hit it where I aim it with a high flat trajectory. I can work it both ways with the weights in the neutral position. This driver has added lot of confidence to my game. The 983K is as long but it is harder to control. I would definitely demo the R7 if possible. I think this driver will dominate in sales. Bought it on Ebay for 411.00.

I'm a firm believer in the quote "there are horses for courses", and in that vein... Taylormade is not the horse for my course. Over the years I have consistently tried Taylormade products and have yet to find one that I could place in my bag. I like `em when I look at them and pick `em up, but when I swing `em all love is lost. The latest is the R-7. Taylormade has a great website and interactive fitting exercise for the R-7 that I went through. Set a demo R-7 (recommended shaft and loft) exactly as recommended played "one round", hit several flush (which I thought were perfect) and ended up 10-20 yards back of my normal drives. Recommeded trajectory was good. The loss in distance I can ill afford as I am and always have been relatively short with the Driver (215-225 with an occasional one sneaking in around 240). I came away from the demo very disappointed as I thought this would be the Taylormade that I would really like and be able to add to my bag. Went back to my Titleist 983K with a stock regular shaft the next day and picked up the distance I was missing the day before. Rating is based on my own use as quality and cosmetics are superior, but not built for this swing.

Customer Service

If the R-7 interactive fitting website is any indication, Taylormade has to really be good, but have not used so can't say.

Similar Products Used:

Titleist 983K and Mac Powersphere.

I don't think this club is meant to be built as the longest nor most forgiving. This one is rather hard to hit, at first time. That's why most people who tried only a few times at a golf shop or demo cannot justify its proper value. (Actually I don't really understand why people write reviews after trying only a day or two.) This club can be described in a word. "Authoritative" When you make your best swing, hitting the ball at the very center of club head's sweetspot, ball just explodes. And it's easy to shape the trajectory. I have very consistently straight shot, so I haven't tried tweaking the screws. I don't know if it works or not. Bottom line: This club is for a player with very consistent and long drives. I won't recommend to a person who's expecting forgiveness and more distance.

Customer Service

Haven't tried yet.

Similar Products Used:

Cleveland Launcher 460, TaylorMade R580 XD, TaylorMade R540, Honma TwinMarks 400 series

I bought the R7 and tried the stock shaft and found it a little soft even in the stiff flex. I found a Speeder 757 stiff shaft on the internet and had it freq'd and spined and put on. This club with this shaft is an absolute rocket. I was hitting about 250-260 range with previous driver. Now hitting 270-290 range. I am using an opened up lob wedge on some par 4's. I use it in the neutral position but have experimented with other positions and it works the ball as advertised. This is a phenomenal product. I do believe that I have reached my physical limits of driver distance with this club.

What a horrible piece of junk. Admittedly I only tried the R7 out in my golf shop on the simulator but hit alternate shots with my lead tape adjusted TM 540 for comparison. It hit 20-30 yards shorter and regardless of any weight adjustment hooked severely. The head has an awful offset and visually at set up looks as bad as it hits. Sorry but if I need a 400cc head I would rather pay a lot less for a TM R540 XD and $2.25 for a roll of lead tape. The only good thing about the R7 is Taylor Made's online weight adjustment calculator that I used to guesstimate the lead tape weight & position on my 540.

Customer Service

Not used

Similar Products Used:

TM R540 driver. TM R580 3, 5 & 7.

This thing legal? Seriously, this club is super-hot. Even without the weighting system this is the longest driver I've hit. The club has the "to die for" trajectory of launching high but flattening out and carrying long due to a very low spin rate. The weighting system seems to do what it says as I tended to draw it from the "draw" position and fade it (my natural shot with a driver) from the "low neutral" position. The M.A.S. shaft is not my favorite (I'll probably upgrade to the Speeder at some point) but I can live with it -- it tends to give the club a higher trajectory than the one stated on the head and it's a bit twisty for higher swing speeds. But all things considered, after just one round I've already concluded that this is probably the best (longest and straightest) driver I've ever hit. Great job Taylormade!

Customer Service

Not great -- I had some technical questions about the shaft and face angle and it took forever to get someone on the line. Takes even longer to them to answer an Email -- you'd think with all their success they could hire some more consumer relations people.

Similar Products Used:

Titleist 983K & 983E

It's not just marketing hype. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up. I have eliminated my slice off the tee. There's nothing more satisfying than consistently hitting that high draw off the tee. It's worth the money if you're having problems off the tee.

Similar Products Used:

Redline, Zevo Compressor

Being left handed I was looking for a driver in a 8.5 degree but as it goes, theres not much to choose from. I decided to try the taylor made r7 in a 9.5 stiff shaft, WOW, you have to try this driver, I was playing a nicklaus airmax 360 which I hit pretty well( average about 270), with the r7 I'm around 290 with a very straight ball flight. I haven't played with the weights yet but I'll let you know if they really do.The price is alittle steep @ 499. but I think it's worth it to be in the middle of the every time.

Similar Products Used:

Callaway big bertha II, Nicklaus air max 360.

This time for the firt in my life I went to a TM demo day in my club before making any decision. I was plating with a TM580 with a Grafalloy blue stiff shaft for the last 8 months, and it was working very good, but I wanted to try the hype. I took two r7, one with a regular shaft and the other with a stiff one, my normal shaft. What a surprise, the ball was coming hot of the face, reaching the 200 meter mark at the range every time, with the crappy balls of my range. Surprisingly, the regular shaft was working better as well for me. As soon as it hit the market I goy mine, and I had been playing for three weeks with it, I am hitting it very straight, normally I have a draw, and long, 10-15 meters more than with my R580. I change the TLC positions from low natural to high once in a while and it effectively changes the loft. It is a great club, and I love the sound it makes at contact, very similar to a 983K.

Customer Service

Have not used it yet.

Similar Products Used:

TM 580