TaylorMade is based in Carlsbad; California is a U.S. headquartered subsidiary of the German based Adidas Group. TaylorMade was started in 1979 by Gary Adams, the inventor of the metalwood, and the company has continued to maintain a consistent presence at the top of golf product innovation since that time.
TaylorMade was independently owned until 1984 when Salomon S.A. acquired the company. At the time, the union was strategically compatible for both companies which were innovators in their industries. Salomon wanted to diversify and made the decision to enter a "three-season" market, and TaylorMade benefited from the world-wide resources of Salomon. TaylorMade remained a part of Salomon until Adidas bought Salomon in 1997.
The image and focus of the company was redirected shortly after the Adidas acquisition to take over the driver market; the company succeeded in achieving this goal in late 2005 when it officially became the No. 1 driver in golf. TaylorMade-adidas Golf had its first $1 billion revenue year in 2006, marking only the second time a golf brand has achieved this in industry history.
The company markets
TaylorMade Drivers,
Fairway Woods and
Hybrids,
Irons,
Wedges, and
Golf Balls. TaylorMade's
Putter offerings are sold under the Rossa brand. Early in 2008, TaylorMade-adidas sold its Maxfli brand to Dick's Sporting Goods, an exclusive vendor of some TaylorMade economy lines. TaylorMade however retained the rights to the '
Noodle' golf balls that Maxfli had developed. Adidas Golf has also rapidly grown to become one of the leading golf apparel companies in the industry, thanks to technologies such as the performance fabric '
ClimaCool' and '
3D Fit Foam' in their shoes. It is claimed that more PGA Tour Professionals play TaylorMade Drivers
than Callaway, Cleveland, Cobra, Nike and Ping combined.
Adjustable Sole Plate (ASP)
Adjustable Sole Plate (ASP) technology allows you to set the face in a square position or open or close the face angle by 2 degrees. After the loft of is set with Flight Control Technology, change the look at address by rotating the Adjustable Sole Plate. An advantage of ASP is that it allows you to independently tune face angle without changing loft, which before were not possible to do with golf clubs.
Moveable Weight Technology (MWT)
TaylorMade’s Movable Weight Technology (MWT) allows you to tune the driver's center of gravity to promote a draw or neutral ball flight. This has been part of their line of drivers since the revolutionary r7 Quad driver, which had 4 weight ports allowing for a change on flight and creating either a draw or fade bias and this technology has carried on in the r9 drivers and in the new white r11 driver. Putting the 10-gram weight in the heel and the 1-gram weight in the toe moves the CG closer to the heel to give the R11 a draw-bias, which promotes a right-to-left ball flight. Putting the 1-gram weight is in the heel and the 10-gram weight is in the toe moves the CG toward the toe, making the R11 neutral to promote a neutral or straight ball flight.
Flight Control Technology (FCT)
Flight Control Technology (FCT) allows you to adjust your launch angle by increasing or decreasing the
R11 Driver's loft by 1 degree higher or 1 degree lower. Eight FCT positions allow you to adjust the loft in small and precise increments.
Advanced Aerodynamics
Aero Shaped for Faster Speed.The advanced aerodynamics of the clubhead allows wind to flow more quickly and smoothly over the crown to reduce drag and increase head speed.
Inverted Cone Technology
Expanded Sweetspot. TaylorMade's Inverted Cone Technology was developed to expand the COR zone of TaylorMade drivers. The Inverted Cone is CNC-milled directly into the inner side of the clubface to exacting dimensions and results in a drastic variation in face thickness-from 3.1 to 1.6 mm. Inverted Cone Technology radically changes the way the clubface behaves at impact, resulting in an expanded COR zone that promotes faster ball speed and longer distance on off-center hits.
Ultra Thin-Wall Technology
Ultra-Thin Wall Technology is a casting process that allows for clubhead walls measuring a mere .6mm thick, which is 40% thinner than the walls of most competitive drivers. This saves weight and allows TaylorMade engineers to strategically position the saved weight in order to precisely position the CG in a location that optimizes performance.
The Science of White
The contrast between the white crown and black clubface makes it easy to align the
Burner SuperFast 2.0 accurately at address. The matte white finish eliminates hot spots and glare to promote improved focus. The white head looks larger to promote more confidence and a fast, free swing speed.
Inverted Cone Technology (Irons)
TaylorMade's Inverted Cone Technology was developed to expand the COR zone of TaylorMade drivers. It has a similar effect in irons, resulting in more ball speed and distance on off-center hits.
Precision Weighting Port (Irons)
A weight port permanently positioned in the center of the back of an iron head during assembly, the Precision Weighting Port assures that each iron in the set is of uniform swingweight while also ensuring that the CG location is precisely and optimally positioned in the center of the face between the toe and heel. In the past, clubmakers have installed cartridges of varying weight in the hosel to adjust swingweight, and by doing so have pulled the CG closer to the heel to varying degrees, resulting in a set of irons consistent in swingweight but inconsistent in CG location.
6-Step Forging Process (Forged Irons)
To elevate the consistency standards of our forged irons, we developed a 6-Step Forging Process, a simplified explanation of which follows:
- Bend the cylindrical metal rod to define face and hosel angle.
- Compress the metal into a rough shape of the face and hosel.
- Forge the rough head features which strengthens the grain structure.
- Form critical edge radii and position the seam left where the two molds met rearward, away from the clubface.
- Define and form all radii to precise dimensions.
- Final forging to solidify the grain structure, flatten the face and establish precise weight.
Tour Sole Design
Minimizes turf interaction at impact for increased speed. A uniquely shaped sole enhances playability by reducing the amount of the sole that interacts with the turf. This gives the performance of a much smaller, more blade-like iron in a larger more forgiving head.
Thin Fast Face
Ultra-Thin, fast faces generate more ball speed. The thinner the face, the more spring like effect the face can have. This helps to produce more ball speed and ultimately distance.
Sound Management Badge
Material inserted into cavity of iron head to dampen vibrations from impact and tune feel. The innovative badge and constrained layer between the face and badge dampens the sound and improves feel.
Multi Functional Sole
A beveled sole to increase playability. TaylorMade's Multi-Functional Sole is beveled at the back to make it perform like a much thinner sole, which increases playability from a variety of lies. Yet it also features a low and deeper center of gravity that makes it easy to launch the ball on a powerful and penetrating flight.
Exchangeable Face Technology (Wedge)
A technology that allows you to quickly and easily exchange an old, worn wedge face with a brand new one. The xFT face is held in place with two screws located on the back of the clubhead that can be loosened and tightened with a TaylorMade torque wrench. The xFT face is backed with a thin layer of Poron®, which is a soft, urethane, microcellular foam to facilitate a tight fit within the clubhead and to cushion the face from metal-on-metal contact, and which also promotes superior feel. The clubhead and particularly the wedge face and the pocket the face fits into are precision-milled to fit snugly and securely together. The tolerances in terms of length, width and depth, are extremely tight to ensure a tight fit, so that the TP xFT wedge feels the same, sounds the same and performs the same as a traditional one-piece clubhead. Each TP xFT Wedge face is forged from soft 304 stainless steel, then completed with a four-step CNC precision-milling process.
Pure Roll Titallium Insert (Putter)
The Titallium insert engineered into every Ghost Series putter incorporates PURE ROLL to promote forward roll, accuracy and control. The result is better performance on the greens.
Easy To See Alignment
High contrast alignment lines from black and white color scheme. Three black, easy to see alignment lines contrast sharply and pleasingly with the white crown to make it easy to align the putter face accurately down your intended line.
Movable Weight Technology
Movable weights that can be moved to tune feel. Movable Weight Technology allows you to tune the head weight and feel by unscrewing and exchanging the weights that came with the putter with lighter or heavier weights that can purchased separately. This allows you to get the exact feel you want.
High MOI
Unique shape and weight distributing adds to forgiveness. A wire-frame head design, and strategic weight distribution contribute to high MOI. Which means the putter head resists twisting when putts are not hit in the center of the face – making it harder to keep putts on the intended line. This unique shape help make putters more forgiving and produces more consistent distances putt after putt.
Adjustable Weight Technology
Adjustable Weight Technology allows you to customize feel by installing heavier or lighter weights. Adjustable Weight Technology is discretionary clubhead weight that you can easily change, allowing you to customize the feel by installing either heavier or lighter weights. Additional weights are available for purchase separately.
Cast Urethane
Cast Urethane uses a chemical reaction where A + B = C. Components are mixed and create a cross-linked, fully cured urethane that cannot be reversed once cured. This creates a very soft and extremely durable material to cast thin, soft covers for your golf ball. The thin, soft cover increases spin and feel around the greens and doesn’t sacrifice durability for extended play.
Five-Layer Construction
Extra soft urethane cover promotes higher than average spin on partial wedge shots, especially from 30 yards. Firm and fast outer mantle promotes optimal short-iron spin to stop the ball fast without excess "spin-back". Semi-firm middle-mantle promotes mid launch and mid spin off the middle irons for optimal control and distance. Soft inner-mantle promotes high launch and high spin off the long-irons for maximum distance. Small, low-compression core promotes high launch and low spin off the driver for maximum distance
Low-Drag Performance
LDP Technology utilizes golf ball aerodynamics promoting improved distance on the most common mis-hits with a driver - which occur on the top portion of the clubface.
Iothane
Iothane is an exceptionally soft and thin yet durable and shear-resistant cover material. Iothane helps produce speed for greater distance and a soft feel for touch around the greens.