Fairway metal: TaylorMade R9 Ti

Dial in the look, the lie and the loft

Bob Warters
Thu, 15 Oct 2009
Fairway metal: TaylorMade R9 Ti

fairway
TaylorMade R9 Ti 3-wood

TaylorMade Golf will introduced its latest R9 Ti fairway woods from October 26 featuring the brand's innovative Flight Control Technology (FCT) enabling the golfer to adjust the head characteristics – face angle, loft and lie.   

FCT in the R9 Ti fairway woods, says TaylorMade promotes a side-to-side trajectory change of up to 35 yards, helping players to dial in straighter, longer shots. It also allows them to dial in the look they prefer at address, with the face angle either square, slightly closed or slightly open.

Now TaylorMade offers two R9 fairway woods - the original R9 with FCT and steel head construction and the new R9 Ti with FCT and titanium head construction. Compared to the R9, the R9 Ti head is larger (190 cc v 165 cc) and the centre of gravity is lower and deeper to make it easier to launch the ball higher and longer, say the makers.

The TaylorMade R9 Ti also claims to incorporate more draw-promoting characteristics and the shafts measure one-half inch longer to promote more clubhead speed and distance.

"It's great to have options," said Tom Olsavsky, TaylorMade's senior director of metalwood creation. "Many players will prefer the compact head and more penetrating trajectory of the R9 fairway, while others may prefer the greater forgiveness, distance and draw features of the R9 Ti fairway."

TaylorMade R9 Ti fairway woods are equipped with a REAX 60-gram Aldila graphite shafts and loft options include: 3-wood (15 degrees), 5-wood (18) and 7-wood (21) in S, R, M and L flex shafts in right hand only.