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In this review, I’ll take a close look at the TaylorMade SIM2 driver.
The SIM2 is the natural successor to the SIM driver, which introduced a new asymmetric sole designed to increase speed. The SIM2 takes this to another level, completely rebuilding the driver from the ground up to deliver big distance, low spin, and high MOI.
The SIM2 driver claims to give you unprecedented amounts of speed, power and forgiveness. But how does it actually stack up relative to previous TaylorMade models and similar modern driver offerings from other equipment manufacturers?
Here’s what I’m going to be covering in this review:
- Ratings
- Features & Technologies
- Performance
- Look, Sound & Feel
- Where To Buy This Driver Online
- Conclusion
Read on to find out what you need to know to make an informed purchase.
Note: Unless otherwise stated, stock shafts and stock grips are used when evaluating this club. In most cases, the golf clubs reviewed on Golfstead are acquired temporarily for testing purposes and are not purchased. The review that follows is based on the personal experience and research of the author. Because everyone’s swing and body are different, results with a particular club may differ from person to person.
What are the reviews like?
The reception of the SIM2 driver has been on the same level as the SIM was after its release, indicating that it indeed set a new bar in performance.
It has very positive professional and consumer ratings, with average customer scores of 4.75/5 on Global Golf and 4.8/5 (over 340 reviews) on the official TM store. It also earned a gold medal on the 2021 Golf Digest Hot List.
The SIM2 driver has also been used by high-profile Tour players like Dustin Johnson, John Rahm, and Rory McIlroy.
What People Like
- sets up square at address
- mis-hits stay in the fairway
- explosive distance is unmatched for a TM driver
- outclasses the original SIM
- very satisfying feel
What People Don’t Like
- performance may be less than optimal without a fitting
- lower spin and launch won’t suit many
What are the features?
What separates the SIM2 driver from its predecessor, the SIM, is something called the Forged Ring Construction.
This technology uses a high-strength, precision-milled, forged, lightweight aluminum ring to combine four critical components of the driver into one singular force: a large rear weight, crown, carbon sole, and milled back cup face.
This allows for substantial weight savings that can be repositioned to improve stability and forgiveness. The end result is more consistent ball speeds across the face with higher MOI.
Beyond this, the SIM2 carries forward many of TaylorMade’s previous driver technologies, including:
Asymmetric Inertia Generator
The Inertia Generator of the SIM2 driver has all-new design formed by a nine-layer carbon sole, redistributing mass and bringing the CG deeper for enhanced stability.
The lightweight panel creates asymmetry and is angled strategically to maximize aerodynamics and club head speed at the most critical stage of the swing.
Positioned on the Inertia Generator is a 16g steel weight; this is part of a split mass weighting design that improves spin and forgiveness and enables precise custom swing weights for any customer that demands it.
This split weighting is rounded out by a front TPS weight that promotes lower spin and an optimal launch.
Speed-Injected Twist Face
The SIM2 driver makes use of Speed Injections in the Twist Face to bring the COR right up to the legal limit of 0.83. A special resin is injected into the face, stiffening it and creating the conditions for maximum energy transfer to the ball.
Helping further increase ball speeds is the Thru-Slot Speed Pocket, which increases sole flexibility, ball speed and forgiveness low on the face.
With all the technology packed into the SIM2 driver, it’s important to note that there’s no adjustable sliding weight as there was in previous models. This was done to save additional mass and increase MOI.
Stock Info
The SIM2 driver is available in 8°, 9°, and 10.5° standard lofts at 460CC.
Included is a loft sleeve that allows you to adjust loft, lie and face angle. There are 12 possible sleeve variations that can increase or decrease the loft and lie angle by ±2°, and the face angle by ±4°.
The stock shafts available with the SIM2 are the TENSEI AV RAW Blue (mid launch) and Project X HZRDUS Smoke RDX (low launch). The stock grip is the TM Z600.
If you’re interested, full information on the driver, shafts, grips, their specs, and any custom shaft options can be found here.
Below are the specs of the SIM2 driver. Click or zoom to enlarge.
How does the driver perform?
Distance
First off, it’s important to note that the SIM2 driver is designed to be low-spinning with a mid launch.
That means that slower swingers or golfers who normally have trouble getting their tee shots up in the air are already fighting an uphill battle to have good results with it. So, distance results with the SIM2 driver will vary considerably from golfer to golfer.
In terms of distance potential (meaning ball speed across the face), the SIM2 is at the top of its class. In particular, I found that it squeezed out 1-3 more mph of ball speed compared to the original SIM. It also competes with the best drivers from other manufacturers, such as the Epic Speed from Callaway.
So, if you can generate enough speed through the swing, you will likely be very happy with the distance compared to your previous gamer. If you don’t swing quite fast enough, you may find that you’re not getting enough flight to realize the full potential of the driver, and in that case, using the loft sleeve may help.
Forgiveness
Is the SIM2 more forgiving than the SIM? Absolutely. There’s a very noticeable improvement there, which is a big win on TaylorMade’s part. The Forged Ring Construction really seems to make a major difference.
Having said that, it shouldn’t be the first choice for golfers looking for an ultra-forgiving driver. Results can still be fairly inconsistent if you don’t make a solid enough strike, both in terms of distance and direction.
For example, during my tests, my poor strikes tended to be low, hooky, and 20-30 yards shorter than my best strikes.
In you’re skilled enough to where you can make consistent solid contact with the ball, chances are you’ll be very satisfied with the level of forgiveness offered. Otherwise, you should look to something like the SIM2 Max.
Playability/Trajectory
I found the SIM2 driver to have a pretty neutral ball flight, and playing the TENSEI stock shaft with a stiff flex, I was getting a comfortable mid trajectory.
While the shape tendencies will be similar for everyone, the height of your ball flight will mostly depend on your swing speed. Although there isn’t as much room to experiment given the lack of a sliding weight, you can still use the loft sleeve or change your shaft if you’re not satisfied with your trajectory.
The SIM2 is also very workable and controllable, which you would expect given that it’s a Tour-calibre driver. Whether you’re trying to get around a dogleg or hit a low runner down the fairway, you can flight the driver practically any way you want.
What about look, sound & feel?
The Look
Despite the fact that TaylorMade has done away with the slidable weight found on the original SIM, there’s still quite a lot going on in the head visuals-wise.
Compared to the SIM, the shape of the SIM2 is quite similar, as is the size and position of the Inertia Generator. But this time, there’s a 16g weight on the end that is clearly visible.
Where the weight track would have been is a fixed weight that contributes to lower spin and high MOI. Instead of the speed injections being on the face, there is one port on the toe of the driver.
Perhaps the most striking and unique visual feature of the SIM2 driver is the vivid blue aluminum ring, which can be seen from just about every angle. This helps to keep all the important components of the driver working as one.
The SIM2 has a different colour scheme compared to the SIM; the bright blue colour is featured much more prominently, and there is even a splash of yellow thrown in as well. The position of the SIM logo has been moved off the Inertia Generator.
I really like the look personally, but I can’t help but think the increased focus on blue colours instead of silver will have a narrower aesthetic appeal. Fortunately, TM allows you to customize the look through their MySIM2 offering.
The Sound & Feel
I praised the feel of the original SIM as being a lot better than I expected, given the fact that I’ve been unimpressed with the feel of many TaylorMade driver models in the past.
I’m happy to say that the SIM2 manages to improve on the feel of the SIM even more. In particular, I’m impressed by how solid and powerful mis-hits feel. But I almost wonder if this is a “it’s so good it’s bad” situation, because mis-hits feel so much like sweet-spot strikes that it doesn’t provide much of an incentive for you to make better ball contact.
Having said this, better mis-hit feel is not a surprise given how the SIM2 is meant to have next-level forgiveness. And it certainly delivers on that.
Sweet-spot strikes feel and sound very similar to the SIM, except that impact with the SIM2 is more crisp and even a little more explosive. The sound is more audible, with a nicely balanced “crack”.
A consequence of all this is reduced feedback. You can certainly tell through your hands and through sound where you make contact with the face, but the feedback doesn’t seem to be as distinct as you would expect for a “players” driver. How much of a positive or negative this fact is will depend on your perspective.
Where should you buy the SIM2 driver online?
There are a couple places I recommend aside from the official TaylorMade store, which only offers the newest equipment models.
One is Global Golf, which is the certified pre-owned source of TaylorMade golf clubs (new condition is also available). They offer many attractive policies and deals including club trade-ins and Utry, a try-before-you-buy program.
The other is eBay. They are a fantastic source for golf equipment, both new and used.
Conclusion
It’s definitely worth upgrading to TaylorMade’s SIM2 driver, which is essentially a better SIM with more forgiveness. This is especially true if you prefer drivers that have a lower launch and produce less spin.
Distance, workability, looks and feel are all terrific, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a low-spin “players” driver with this much forgiveness.
The lack of an adjustable sole weight takes away some of the ability to experiment, but this would mostly be a non-issue if you did your homework beforehand or if you’ve never really benefitted from slidable weights in the past.
Are you interested in the SIM2 driver? Have you played it? What’s your experience? Let us know in the comments below.
