TaylorMade is Going Back to the Future

Occasionally, a manufacturer introduces a club with visible tech that makes you stop and stare momentarily. The stopping and staring lasted a moment or two longer than was typical when TaylorMade released its r7 Quad driver in 2004.

Adjustability in golf clubs had been spoken of, certainly, but the extent to which it had been tried and found to be useful or appealing was very limited. The r7 Quad was conspicuous for a few reasons. First, the original was 400cc in size. That’s 15cc less than the 2004 version of Callaway’s Great Big Bertha, but enormous driver heads had only been around for a couple of years and people were still getting used to them (well, I know I was).

Second, the black, white, red, and gold lettering/graphics were quite fetching and, third, it had four weight ports from which the weights (two x 13 gram, and two x four gram, and an additional kit with eight weights gave you a total of 883 possible weight/CG combinations) could be removed and repositioned allowing you to shift the Center of Gravity (CG) backwards or forwards and/or effect a shot-shape bias.

The introduction of adjustability was a profoundly significant moment for golf equipment, and though it took a while for some players to become comfortable with it and take advantage of what it offered (change always comes with skepticism, of course), it wasn’t long before it had become universally accepted.

The r7 family of clubs grew in number, finally consisting of 400cc and 425cc models, the r7 425 TP (Tour-Preferred), the r7 Draw, the r7 CGB Max – a 460CC model, released in 2007, with a little offset and a triangular shape and which was designed more for the improver than the playerand, ultimately, the r7 SuperQuad (also 2007) which had a more traditional shape and whose main focus was on shot-shaping.

Eighteen years after the last version was launched, the r7 has reappeared and it has shrunk by 155cc. The new 305cc r7 Quad Mini which launched two weeks ago and will be available in stores starting tomorrow, continues TaylorMade’s theme of introducing mini drivers modeled on the company’s past models – Original One Mini, 300 Mini, Brnr Mini (and Brnr Mini copper), AeroBurner Mini, SLDR Mini…and has four weight ports just like the first r7.

In 2014, TaylorMade moved from weight ports to sliding weights, but the four-port configuration is back for the first time since the 2007 r7s (TaylorMade now calls the weight ports a ‘Trajectory Adjustment System’ or TAS, and put three ports in the Qi35LS and two in the Qi35). Move the weights around to find the shot-shape and trajectory you prefer (heavy weights to the back for best stability and forgiveness; heavy weights forward for low-spin and low-trajectory; heavy weights in the heel for max draw, heavy weights in the toe for max fade, and so on).

Additional tech includes a Speed Pocket to let the face flex when impact is made below the sweetspot which is great for shots from off the deck; the sleek Infinity Carbon Crown which was first seen on the Qi10 woods and which saves weight that TaylorMade engineers are able to use elsewhere in the club; and Twist Face which is designed to enhance the gear effect, brining off-center strikes back to the fairway.

Sizewise, the TaylorMade r7 Quad Mini is smaller than Callaway Elyte Mini (340cc), larger than Titleist’s GT280 (er, 280cc), and nearly the same as PXG’s Secret Weapon (300cc). At 305cc, it will mostly be used as an alternative to a driver, but off a perfect, tight lie in the fairway, it could come in very handy as a mightier version of your current fairway wood.

$480
Loft – 11.5˚  (RH and LH); 13.5˚  (RH only)
Shaft – Fujikura Speeder MD
Available in stores 5/1/25
taylormadegolf.com

We also wanted to alert you to Tour Edge’s new Xtreme LUX bags (cart and stand), which go on sale today. The features of the cart bag are:
– Five-way plush-feel top with two full-length dividers and putter well.
– Integrated top-cuff Handle
– Cart strap pass-through system
– Premium padded strap
– Nine external pockets, including five waterproof pockets, two magnetic quick-access pockets for golf balls and rangefinders, and dual insulated cooler sleeves.

$200
Colors – Matte Black, Matte Black/White, Matte Dark Grey, Matte Light Grey, and Matte Navy
Weight – 5.5lbs

And the stand bag:
– Five-way plush-feel top with two full-length dividers and putter well.
– Integrated Top-Cuff Handle for easy handling.
– Quick-Release stand
– Premium double strap
– Nine external pockets, including five waterproof-zippered pockets, two magnetic quick-access pockets for golf balls and rangefinders, an insulated cooler sleeve, and a built-in cell phone pocket.

$200
Colors – Matte Black, Matte Black/White, Matte Dark Grey, Matte Light Grey, and Matte Navy
Weight – 5.5lbs
touredge.com