TaylorMade R11 Driver Review – Good for High Handicappers & Forgiving?

The TaylorMade R11 is a bit of a blast from the past and it harkens back to the era when white driver heads were all the rage. But upon retesting the TaylorMade R11 driver, we found that it is about a lot more than just gimmicks.

The TaylorMade R11 driver is also reminiscent of the era when  the company was seemingly pumping out drivers with adjustable weights left and right. They were trying to appeal to as many golfers as possible and frankly, we kind of miss those days.

There are a number of adjustable features that are working in concert with this driver but despite its versatility, does it have anything to offer high handicappers? Let’s take a look.

The TaylorMade R11 Driver Family

You should also know that there is also a TaylorMade R11S driver that may be even more congenial to high handicappers.

Why? Well first of all, it has an even bigger head than the original TaylorMade R11 driver. It features the same mate white finish but it’s even more adjustable than the original TaylorMade R11.

While the face angle of the original TaylorMade R11 driver can be set in three different positions, the TaylorMade R11S’s face can be adjusted to 5 different positions.

Is it Good for High Handicappers?

The TaylorMade R11 driver would be good for high handicappers with all kinds of shot biases.

That’s because it comes with two tunable weight ports. You can move weights from the toe side to the heel side and vice versa to tweak the CG. So whether you tend to fade or draw the ball from the tee, the TaylorMade R11 can certainly work with you.

Other than that, the TaylorMade R11 has the good old inverted face technology so you get a more expansive sweet spot. Shots made closer to the toe are especially improved in terms of velocity and accuracy.

You can also adjust the loft and lie of this driver. The loft sleeve can be set in 8 different positions so overall, you get a ton of wiggle room in terms of shot shapeability. Even our mid and low handicap testers were having fun with this driver.

Is it Forgiving?

Much to our surprise, the matte white finish of this driver actually turned out to be a pretty cool feature.

In 2022, white club heads are kind of tacky in our humble opinion. But the matte white finish of the TaylorMade R11 driver actually helps to make it more noticeable in your peripheral vision on your downswing.

This was an unforeseen forgiveness feature and our high handicap testers’ striking accuracy and impact positions were improved as a result. While the adjustable sole plate doesn’t really do anything for performance, you can use it to get a more congenial look at address.

It can be put in a closed, open or neutral position depending on what you prefer to see at address. While this may make some players feel a bit more comfortable it really doesn’t have any actual bearing on your swing.

The TaylorMade R11 excels at producing straight and long shots – so long as you take a bit of time to dial in all the adjustable parts to your liking.

Difference Between the TaylorMade R11 and Stealth Drivers

We went and compared old against new in the TaylorMade Stealth and R11 drivers.

The Stealth driver features one of the most innovative design elements we have seen in years: a carbon fiber face wrap. Energy transfer is incredibly efficient with this driver so it would probably be a better choice for fast swing speed players.

It has extreme rear weighting but there are no adjustable weights. So while it’s moderately forgiving, we would say the TaylorMade R11 is better for high handicappers.

Available Shafts

• Fujikura Blur 60 graphite shaft
• Fujikura Blur 65 graphite shaft

Is the TaylorMade R11 Driver Worth it?

These days, the TaylorMade R11 driver can be had for just over $100.

So yes, based on the price and forgiveness features alone, we would say that the TaylorMade R11 is worth it. It doesn’t have the most modern features but it’s got it where it counts for beginners and high handicappers.