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.
This week, we have our Tour Photographer, Greg Moore, on the ground at the OccuNet Classic at Tascosa Golf Club in Amarillo, Texas, for the 14th event of the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour season. With that, we see some great things in the Lead Tape Report as we roll into Amarillo.
Joel Thelen
Monday Qualifier, Joel Thelen is in the field this week. He has played on the Korn Ferry Tour for a full season in 2023, and he is back in action this week. A couple of clubs caught my eye this week in his bag.
First off: His trusted Titleist 816 H2 hybrid. This club came out in October of 2015, and it still remains strong in the bag. Also, take a look at this Odyssey White Hot OG 7, putting a capital S in the 7S model. This custom neck has some impressive lean for an arm-lock-style putter. The bottom of the putter is covered in tape for optimal weighting.
Mitchell Meissner
Taking a look at Mitchell Meissner’s bag this week, we have some great lead tape coverage. Top to bottom working from fairway metals, irons, and wedges. We can see on the short irons and wedges that there is tape at the base of the grip, adding a little counterbalance. Along with that, some tape on the short irons and wedges as well. Moving to his putter, he rolls the Odyssey 7 Bird putter. Meissner putts left-handed and strikes the ball right-handed.
Bud Cauley had >14 clubs in his bag when photographed prior to the Memorial Tournament.
Driver: Titleist GTS2 (8 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: Titleist GTS3 (15 degrees, B1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei 1K Pro Red 70 TX
7-wood: Titleist GTS3 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei 1K Pro Red 80 TX
Irons: Titleist U505 (3), Titleist 620 MB (4-9)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 8 X, True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F), WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putters: Scotty Cameron Tour Prototype, Scotty Cameron GOLO 6.3 Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Align
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
In our forums, one user has offered up a prompt for the true sickos, inviting fellow forum members to share every set of irons they’ve ever owned. As to be expected, this is a lengthy forum topic.
@Lamosteve began:
Can you name every set of irons you’ve owned? Here’s mine
Spalding Dots
Spalding Eclipse
Ram Lazer FX
Lynx Parallax
Mizuno EZ Comp
Ben Hogans
Cleveland CG Red
Taylor Made R9s
PING i20
PING iE1
Taylor Made M6
Our members in the forum have been offering up their own collections. Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- macedan: “Started with a hand-me-down Golden Bear set from my brother when I was in high school, never really played more than once a year or got into the game until about summer of 2017. First purchased a set of Cleveland CG4’s (I actually really miss this set sometimes, soft & not terribly large for a GI iron), moved into Nike Vapor Fly’s by the end of the year. Those lasted until spring of 18 when I decided I wanted new, so I traded them in for TM Rbladez. Honestly, although I liked the Rbladez, poor decision on my part, I think this was really about the only time so far that after a week or two I was kicking myself for not staying with what I had. Rbladez stayed with me until late last summer when I switched to P790’s and (knock on wood) I am hoping this will be my longest lasting set.”
- JimmyC59: “MacGregor Jack Nicklaus Triple Crown. Palmer The Standard. Still play these.”
- jgrzask: “Tommy Armour 845u
Mizuno MP-32
Mizuno MP-33 (2 sets)
Bridgestone J33cb – still own
Srixon i-302 (2 sets) – still own
Tourstage X-Blades – still own
Mizuno Hot Metal – still own
Nike Forged Blades – still own
Titleist 714 AP1 – still own
Cobra Forged SS – still own”
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Bud Cauley WITB 2026 (June)
Bud Cauley had >14 clubs in his bag when photographed prior to the Memorial Tournament. Driver: Titleist GTS2 (8 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura...
Hannah Green WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Titleist GTS3 (10 degrees, D4 SureFit setting) Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Diamana RB 53 S 3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees,...
Asterisk Talley WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (9 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 S 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (16.5 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue...
Brianna Do WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (9 degrees) Shaft: KBS PGW 3-wood: Callaway Elyte Titanium (15 degrees) Shaft: KBS PGW 5-wood:...
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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…