For months, there has been speculation in our forums about the revival of TaylorMade’s TP (Tour Preferred) line of clubs, the company’s famed lineup of tour-inspired designs that target better golfers.

Finally, a photo of a TaylorMade SLDR 430 driver with a TP logo hit the forums (thanks member ZJohnson), the first real indication that TaylorMade is likely to launch at least one TP-branded club in 2014.







Recent drivers such as TaylorMade’s R11, R11S, R1 and SLDR models have been offered in a TP version, but that has only indicated a change in shaft, not a change in the design of the head. The last time golfers saw a TP-branded driver that had a different club head design was in 2011, when the company launched the Burner SuperFast 2.0 TP driver.

A TP driver is the least anticipated of TaylorMade’s rumored TP releases, however, as the company’s adjustable hosel system has removed much of the need for a special TP driver head.

While the original TaylorMade R510 TP driver had a distinct head design, later glued-hosel drivers had an identical head design, with the exception of a more opened face angle at address. TaylorMade’s latest adjustable hosel system on its SLDR 460 driver, called “Loft Sleeve,” allows golfers to set the face as much as 2-degrees closed or 6-degrees open, with several different variations in between.

The biggest hope from most members of our forums is that TaylorMade will release a new line of forged irons in 2013 with the TP logo. Although TaylorMade’s 2010 line of forged irons carried the “Tour Preferred” name, they did not include a TP badge like TaylorMade’s R9 TP and R7 TP irons.







Above: TaylorMade’s 2008 RAC TP Smoke irons.

The R7 TP and R9 TP irons were both cast, however, which is why they are not held in the same regard as TaylorMade’s RAC TP 2005 irons and the RAC MB Smoke 2008 irons, which were both forged and carried TP badging.