If you're an average golfer - sometimes drives well, sometimes doesn't - then take a look at this club. Granted - so many other things contribute to the drive other than just the driver - but this is what you'll get from this one. Forgiveness, Distance, Control, Feel and more importantly CONFIDENCE. The setup is deceptive, as you don't feel or see the 450cc. When you hit this club (of course, with the right shaft), you'll notice that an effortless swing gets great results - time after time. However I have to say that for novice golfers, the visual aspects of this club are great if you have trouble visualizing the path of the club through the impact zone - which will make you more consistent in your setup and more confident in the drive. And what else can be said about Taylor Made technology - they own the tee box. Yes, it'll most likely add distance (I've added around 45 yds - but not just the technology, the club has helped me learn to make better contact – so if you drive pretty well now, you probably won’t see as much a change as I did – hitting about 260-280 consistently [I’ve even broken 300 with this one]), and yes, it's forgiving (I'm hitting 10 out of 12 par 4/5 fairways). The other aspect of this club that you don’t always find in other large head drivers (400cc+) is a great feel for the sweet spot as well as mis-hits. As other reviews have stated, working this club to the left is much easier than working to the right (or vice-versa if you’re a southpaw) – however it is possible to fade it on those dog-leg rights. One big point – make sure you have the right shaft. Stock shafts hit much different than the “exotic” shafts offered by TM. Go to a launch monitor (outside preferably – and same is true for all clubs) and see what your specs are and what you should be hitting. I ended up with the Aldila shaft – which I love. I was using a Graph Blue on my R580 and it felt great as well. But so far, I’m not disappointed with the Aldila. Great club – may not be for everyone – others may benefit more from the R7 or the Ping G2 …. But definitely worth trying out – especially since the prices on them have come down and you can get great deals on eBay.

Customer Service

Never needed to use

Similar Products Used:

Wilson Dep Red II Ping Si3 Callaway Great Big Bertha Taylor Made R580

This is a fantastic driver at a reasonable price. Forget the bells and whistles with the R7, the R5 is just as good for the non-professional golfer. My typical miss with the driver was an open face push to the right. Now with the draw bias and closed face of the R5 D, I'm blasting long straight drives with an occasional draw. The head size is perfect, 450cc, big but with the shape of this club head it doesn't feel as big as the Cleveland Launcher or Cobra Comp. I have gained 15-25 yards off of the tee and have never hit drives as straight as this. The standard TM shaft is mid-torque with a soft tip, perfect for mid swing speeds. Faster swing speeds can experiment with the other shafts offered in the driver. If you are in the market for a new driver you MUST try the R5 D or N.

Customer Service

Never used TM customer service deparment

Similar Products Used:

Cleveland Launcher 460, Cobra Comp, Titleist 983K, Taylor Made 580XD, Big Bertha Titanium

What can I say, just a wonderful driver. If you don't have the time to fool around with the R7, the R5 is the way to go. I purchased the "D" model after having my swing tested. My misses used to be "duck-hooks" to the left, so I was very concerned about buying the "D". I've been pleasantly suprised that the "D" is producing gentle draws with driving distances of 250+ with easy swings. I find moving the ball to the left is very easy and predictable, while moving the ball to the right is a bit more difficult.

Customer Service

Haven't used

Similar Products Used:

R7, Ping G2, Cleveland Launcher, Callaway 454

Purchased from GOLF CHOP on EBAY for $228 brand new in factory wrapping. This Ebay seller has the best products and the absoult best customer service ever. This is best driver I have ever used, very long and very straight. The factory M.A.S. shaft in stiff flex is very forgiving and fast.

Customer Service

Have not had to use

Similar Products Used:

SMT, Taylormade R580xd, Interga, Tommy Armour

I bought this driver based on positive feedback on several golf forums. I picked-up a 9.5* with stock reg. flex shaft. First outing I realized the shaft would not work. I reshafted with a Grafalloy Pro Launch 55g and am very happy with the results. Club head sets-up very nice and dosen't look big (450cc) from address. Nice easy swings produce a consistant straight drive down the middle time after time. Compared to my 580XD with NV shaft the R5 feels much great and hits the ball straighter and longer. Overall I think this is a great driver and will be keeping it in the bag.

Customer Service

Have not needed.

Similar Products Used:

Taylor Made 580 XD, Bang 450, Cobra 380, Taylor Made 420, Golfsmith Hi-Cor, Adams 363.

Initially I bought the R5 with the stock red shaft (stiff) I really liked the ease to hit and square face, the shaft was a bit soft for me (swing 100 MPH) and switched to a Ping G2 with Aldila NV, really like it and was hoping to stay with it. About three weeks later, my brother purchased the new R5 with the 757 shaft, and I compared it to my Ping G2. The TM was about 15 yards longer and with a more solid feel than the G2 which I loved. I switched back to TM and I could not be happier! This one is a keeper.

Customer Service

Not needed.

Similar Products Used:

Most recently; Ping G2 Taylor Made R5 stock red/gray shaft Cleveland 460 Cleveland 400

I was not even pulling a driver out of the bag until I got this driver. It is long and straight off the tee. I am hitting it over 220 and right down the middle, the other day I only missed one fairway and shot a 95 (I'm still a rookie golfer, and there was quite a bit of ice on the ground.) If you have a slice this is the club for you, it just exudes confidence.

Customer Service

None needed

Similar Products Used:

Callaway Big Bertha Titanium 11 degree

I know this driver is best suited for my swing based on an outdoor launch monitor fitting session. Just because this is good for me does not mean it's going to work for you, everyone should get fitted before just buying a club based on reviews. I gained conservatively 25+ carry yards with this driver over my current driver, Cobra SS 380 (carry=250yds). Ironically I didn't like the Cobra because of the closed face, but when I saw what I could do with the closed face R5 D, I got used to the look pretty quick. My misses are typically hooks, and I wanted to be able to fade the ball off the tee. The R5 N may seem like a more logical choice, but when I hit the same loft N version I lost yardage. The combination of head and shaft did not fit my swing. I was able to Draw AND Fade the ball at will with this driver (R5 D). You probably won't be able to produce big benders to the right with the club, but when I wanted a 5-10 yard fade, I could get it. Also, my fear of losing one to the left was gone while hitting this club. So in summary, with the help of a launch monitor, I hit every driver available and came down to the R5 Dual D and a Mizuno Mp-001. I chose the R5 based on the shot dispersion and look and feel. I consistantly carried the ball 275+, took a couple of drives out to a carry of 290+ yds, and that's all it took for me to see. And yes, they were all in the fairway. I did hit the Mizuno with similar distances, but I was all over the place. Intrestingly enough, when I hit the same heads with different shafts (not the TM), some of the differences in distances were staggering, the same Mizuno that took me out to carry distances of 270+, went as low as 246 with a different shaft, everything else the same. I write this to those who might not give this club a look because they're afraid to hook the ball and won't be able to fade it. I found that I didn't have to worry about the hook (or at least it felt like it) and I could still fade the ball at will. It feels extremely stable at impact. On toe hits that I thought would lose distance didn't penalize me very much at all.

I made this club 47 inches long and get about15 more yards! The club is very very forgiving and produces dead straight shots.I am 80 years old and still get over 200 yards most of the time. I have the "M" shaft which is for seniors.This is one great club !

Similar Products Used:

My last driver was an Orlimar 420cc club and I hit it very well but this one is a bit longer.

I bought a TM R5 "D" driver about a month ago and have waited to write a review until I had played some rounds and hit enough practice balls to get a good feel for the club. First, the club performs exactly as TM describes; that is, it is very forgiving and solidly struck balls have a nice medium trajectory with nice draw action. Second, you do not want to over-swing with this club; just swing smoothly with a good tempo and the ball just explodes off the clubface. So far the stock Fujikura staff is performing well, but I might replace it next spring. (I was previously using a TM R540 and had switched out the stock shaft with a Penley Stealth 70 and got really good results, so I might switch shafts with this club.) There are no slices in this club, as slices tend to be turned into "push fades". Distance wise this club is longer than my TM R540 and I attribute this to the draw bias, as the draw gets an amazing amount of roll. An example of the distance I generally get, I was playing a medium length par 5 the other day, one with a dogleg left. I drove to the middle of the fairway and drew the ball around the dogleg and had about 200 yards to the green. I would recommend this driver to anyone looking for a "baby" version of the R7, someone not wanting to spend the money for the R7. I carry a 9.3 handicap and have fallen in love with this club.

Customer Service

Haven't had to use.

Similar Products Used:

Taylor Made R540, Calloway Big Bertha, Titliest, Cleveland