Nick Taylor is a bit of a stickler when it comes to golf clubs, but when TaylorMade released the SIM2 driver in 2021, it was time for a change.
Taylor, a two-time winner on the PGA TOUR, was still gaming a TaylorMade M2, a product released in 2017, when he received a SIM2 to test in his native Vancouver. He was home for the Christmas holidays in December 2020 and it was playable (enough) on the West Coast for him to try out TaylorMade’s new stick.
“I went out there and it was great. I loved it,” Taylor told TSN’s Golf Talk Canada in February. “I gained probably 2-3 miles per hour of ball speed, and that’s a big boost for me.”
Nick Taylor, PGA Tour Player
Taylor, who has played TaylorMade clubs his whole career, is not alone in his excitement for TaylorMade’s new line for 2021. The TaylorMade SIM2 is one of three new drivers (the TaylorMade SIM2 Max and Max-D are the others), along with the TaylorMade SIM2 hybrids, fairway woods, and TaylorMade SIM2 irons.
Read on to learn more about each, and to see if you, like Nick Taylor, are in need of a switch.
The TaylorMade SIM2 driver comes in three versions, the SIM2, SIM2 Max, and SIM2 Max-D. TaylorMade focused on reshaping the driver to deliver maximum speed during those critical milliseconds right before face-hits-ball. TaylorMade’s design team had a laser-like focus on forgiveness when it came to building out the TaylorMade SIM2 line.
TaylorMade SIM 2 Driver
“Forgiveness equals confidence,” said Tomo Bystedt, TaylorMade’s Senior Director of Product Creation. “In 2020, we built a driver that was aerodynamic, promoted favorable launch properties and had one of the hottest faces in golf. By increasing forgiveness with SIM2, SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max-D, we’ve truly engineered a driver that has no trade-offs.
“Golfers can step to the tee box and have the freedom to swing with confidence every time. Knowing they have a driver that checks all the boxes: Forgiveness, speed and distance with a beautifully-crafted aesthetic.”
The defining component of the TaylorMade SIM2 drivers is the forged aluminum ring. Its one of four crucial elements of the construction including the carbon sole, milled back face cup, and carbon crown.
The TaylorMade SIM2 is the most traditional of the line with a 16-gram steel weight helping to deliver high MOI. The TaylorMade SIM2 Max, has a heavier 24-gram tungsten weight installed in the Inertia Generator to help with stability and forgiveness. The TaylorMade SIM2-Max takes that Inertia Generator and repositions it closer to the heel and is designed to be the most forgiving face in the SIM2 line.
Building off the TaylorMade SIM2 driver lineup is the SIM2 fairway woods.
For 2021, TaylorMade refined the breakthrough technology that was wrapped in 2020’s release of the TaylorMade SIM and the return of the V-Steel. Again, TaylorMade focused on forgiveness with the SIM2 Titanium, SIM2 Max, and SIM2 Max-D fairways. All of them are powered by the V-Steel design which promotes playability from various lies plus improved weight distribution.
TaylorMade SIM 2 Fairway Wood
The SIM2 Titanium has a Tour-inspired look (helping to combine forgiveness and playability) while the SIM2 Max is about 20 cc’s larger in size and boasts refined weighting designed for higher launch and forgiveness and the SIM2 Max-D has an even larger head and face area.
Nick Taylor decided to add a TaylorMade SIM2 hybrid to his bag for 2021, and that club selection builds off the big-time success of the TaylorMade SIM rescues from 2020 (Rory McIlroy popped one in for the first time and Dustin Johnson used two en route to winning the 2020 Travelers Championship). With insights from McIlroy, Johnson, and more, TaylorMade has expanded its hybrid offering with SIM2 Rescue and SIM2 Max Rescue. Highlights of the SIM2 Rescue include a new leading edge design and optimized CG placement. The TaylorMade SIM2 Max Rescue boasts weight that’s been redistributed to help increase forgiveness.
TaylorMade SIM 2 MAX Hybrid
TaylorMade SIM 2 Hybrid
TaylorMade, after charting thousands of shots from players of all skill levels, leveraged the data to pinpoint where it needed to install performance enhancements where golfers needed it the most.
Enter the new TaylorMade SIM2 Max and TaylorMade SIM2 Max OS irons.
TaylorMade SIM 2 MAX Irons
TaylorMade SIM 2 MAX OS Irons
The TaylorMade SIM2 Max line of irons boast a super flexible insert that stretches from heel to toe which contributes to a forged-like feel and increased face flex – it’s a top-tier combination of distance and forgiveness.
Additionally, the TaylorMade SIM2 Max OS irons are the most stable, and longest iron in the TaylorMade family thanks to a wide sole and stronger lofts.
Written and intended to the GlobalGolf.ca audience by Adam Stanley