About this review: This review is my honest opinion of the driver which I purchased with my own money in May of 2021.

My take

The TaylorMade SIM2 driver is a well-rounded beast off the tee, with exceptional distance and feel, while also offering a good amount of forgiveness and adjustability.

About the club I own

• Model: TaylorMade SIM2
• Loft setting: 9°
• Shaft type: Fujikura Ventus Black
• Shaft flex: Extra Stiff

About me

• Average score: 84
• Handicap: 8.9
• Experience: 13 years of golf
• Right/Left-Handed: Right-handed
• Typical ball flight: Straight or Slight Fade
• Golf ball used: Titleist Pro V1, TaylorMade TP5X, Vice Pro Plus
• Club swing speed: 115mph (driver)

Test conditions

• When I bought the club: May 2021
• Days tested: 30 days
• Where I’ve used it: Simulator and golf courses in Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio, as well as in South Carolina
• Weather and wind conditions: Every condition imaginable; clear, rainy, hot, cold, heavy winds, light winds

How it performs

What I was looking for

I was in the market for a new driver mainly because I had my current one for six years, and needed a better shaft with a stiffer flex to it than my current driver setup. So I wanted a driver that was going to give me some more distance and forgiveness, along with the correct flex.

Why I chose this club

I chose this driver because I had always loved the feel of TaylorMade woods, and this driver felt great, looked great, went far, and wasn’t hurting me on mishits towards the toe. I felt more comfortable swinging this driver as I felt that my driver head wasn’t going to be out of sync with my hands as much as my previous driver was.

I had really only considered a new TaylorMade M6 before I went to hit the SIM2. I had already limited my options based on what I preferred brand-wise, so I stuck with TaylorMade as I believed they have been making one of the best drivers on the market for years in a row now. Then, I went with the model that was giving me the best statistics across the board.

What I love about it

• Distance: Crazy long off the tee, whether that be off the center of the clubface, or even toe or heel strikes.
• Forgiveness: This driver offers great forgiveness on all hits. Shots struck on the toe side of the club face aren’t getting lost way to the right compared to other drivers on the market. The forgiveness aspect of this driver aims to help keep my shots in the fairway and in play.
• Feel: I love the feel of this driver. The golf ball just pops off the face compared to other drivers, and I don’t feel any vibrations up the shaft into my hands on a mishit.
• Sound: This is a sound that isn’t too loud and ringy in the ears. This is a great sound that is music to my ears when I hit a golf ball, whether it be off the center or a mishit.
• Workability: This driver does have the ability to be worked left to right or right to left, since its MOI (Moment of Inertia or, in other words, resistance to twisting) is more center of the head and not towards the heel.
• Adjustability: All TaylorMade drivers have an adjustable loft sleeve that is +/- 2 degrees either way, and the SIM2 comes loaded with it. Makes it great to lower or raise the loft depending on how I hit the ball.
• Shaft Feel/Performance: The stock shaft is a HZRDUS Smoke Green, which is a great combination with the SIM2 for players who are looking for a low spin driver that launches a little bit lower.
• Aesthetic Appeal: The look at address is fantastic, with the black carbon crown, paired with the blue, yellow, and white colors.
• Launch Angle: This driver has a great launch angle. It will vary from golfer to golfer, but mine launches at a great angle to where I am not hitting it too high or too low.
• Spin: This is a great low-spinning model by design, so this driver works great for me because I can naturally spin the ball like crazy. Pairing this head with a low-spin shaft gives me exactly what I need/am looking for.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Shaft Performance: This is more on me, but if I have an off-day and am not swinging as fast as usual, I tend to lose tee shots off to the right.
• Grip Feel: I think the grip has a soft feel, but definitely loses its texture and grip quickly over time

Best shot with this club

One of the best shots I’ve ever hit with this driver occurred last summer, while playing the ninth hole at the Ohio State University Course. Playing 418 yards to the pin, slightly uphill, I hit one of my best drives, and my longest drive, ever: a beauty off the middle of the face, down the middle of the fairway, a total of 341 yards, leaving me only 77 yards in to finish the front nine.

Value for the money vs. other options

This driver is so worth the money in my opinion. Although models that came out in the same year as the SIM2 line are cheaper right now, I’d choose this over the Callaway Epic and Cobra Radspeed line any day. The Callaway Epic line has too loud of a sound off the metal woods for my liking, as well as a feel that just feels too firm for me; it doesn’t feel like the golf ball flies off the clubface for me, the way it does with the SIM2.

Final verdict

Overall, this driver unlocks a beast off the tee with a fantastic combination of distance, good forgiveness, awesome feel and sound, and an appealing driver head to look at as well. I went with the regular SIM2 as I wanted the lower spinning model in the lineup in a preferred loft setting. I wouldn’t recommend this driver to a golfer whose swing speed is a little bit slower or to a double digit handicap; the SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max D drivers would be a better option, as they are are 8% and 16% larger in the club face, respectively, with more heel weighting for an increase in forgiveness.