More than any big stick out there, the follow up to the TaylorMade SIM had more anticipation than anything coming to the market in 2021. SIM was such an overwhelming favorite in reviews, hitting bays, and on tour. So, anything short of Thor’s Hammer in End Game was always going to be a disappointment.

This, to me, is where the story gets interesting. SIM2 didn’t promise anything extravagant. What it did promise is that TaylorMade listened to the feedback (good and bad) from SIM and made the switches necessary to make it playable. That was the biggest critique of SIM on and off tour—the foul balls could be quite penalizing and a wide right shot at high speeds with no spin can be quite jarring.

I like how TM attacked this problem in a nuanced way—SIM was already plenty long, now the goal was to make the adjustments necessary to make it forgiving, add some spin and stability to spots on the face, and give players a golf course driver—for everyone.

We are now four weeks into SIM2/Max out on tour, and I wanted to get a sense of the early feedback on the SIM2 metal woods, so I went back to my buddy Adrian Rietveld, TaylorMade’s Senior Manager – Tour, and this is what he had to say.

JW: What is the most notable improvement you see thus far among players on tour who have switched into SIM2?

AR: From day 1 at the Floridian, forgiveness was the hot point across the board. With SIM, we had a part that gave us everything we could ever want from a speed and launch perspective. If there was one element we needed to address it was at times, it could be a bit punishing on mis-hits. SIM2 gave us everything SIM had and added a very playable face giving our players even more opportunities for speed. If you have trust that your equipment won’t penalize you, it frees you up to be more aggressive, and that’s exactly what happened here.

The nice little touch I would add is the look of the golf club. Subtle tweaks to paint lines, face angles etc. once again inspire just a bit more confidence to hit th shots our players visualize in their heads. SIM2 is just the next step to create that perfect harmony between athlete and equipment.

JW: Looking back at the mighty SIM, in your opinion, what did it do well and where did it have deficiencies?

AR: It was like a race horse, almost. It’s fun when you are flying down the track in a straight line, but if you need to move around a bit, things can get challenging. SIM had that profile. Ultimate speed and low spin product, but what it lacked was a bit of flexibility, workability and finesse. It was basically a missile launcher. Make no mistake, the best players in the world loved this head, but with SIM2, you add a softness to the head that gives players some shot shaping capabilities and a bit of love out of the toe and heel. That’s big on tour.

JW: For a player like Rory, where did SIM2 improve his numbers? 

Rory McIlroy SIM2

AR: Rory has put a ton of time and effort into building his body for speed and stability. He pounded SIM, but as I mentioned before, it could be a bit unruly on an off day. With SIM2, his launch improved a touch, speed went up three mph, and most importantly, it freed him up to hit shots with little concern of a serious foul ball. You give Rory freedom with the driver, and he’s almost unbeatable.

 JW: Do you think you have discovered exactly what this driver can do yet or is there still plenty of room to grow?

AR: Ask me after the U.S. Open (laughs). It’s still early days. I have my ideas to crack this thing open but still need time to experiment and test with players. Lots of feedback to receive, and obviously, the performance on tour in the first few months is a very valuable tool to make any adjustments. In short, yes, I’m sure this is a part I will learn something new about every day. As a fitter, you can’t ask for more.

JW: SIM2 vs SIM2 Max on tour—In a general sense, what’s the trade-off for players going from one to the other?

Matthew Wolff in a SIM2 Max 10.5

AR: Pretty easy. The trade-off is very little. SIM2 Max is a high MOI head but with a “lower spin” profile. If I had to break them down, I would say faders and anti-lefters will love SIM2 and your draw player will feel at home with SIM2 Max.

JW: In regards to the fairway woods, where have you seen improvements versus SIM?

AR: The speed is unmatched on SIM and SIM2. Our work in the fairway wood department over the past couple of years has been second to none. The difference in ball speed between driver and 3-wood has never been this close—3-wood is creeping ever closer to the driver. Hence, you are seeing guys like DJ going to higher lofted parts because the speed off of the SIM fairway family is insane.