TaylorMade SIM Max vs SIM 2 Max Drivers | Which is Better?

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I have read TaylorMade SIM Max vs SIM 2 Max reviews before, and they are all extremely helpful by offering the specs and improvements compared to prior generations. In this review, I want to offer something different for you.

I am sharing a golf story that will give you deeper insight into the TaylorMade SIM driver and why the SIM Max should be in your bag this season.

TaylorMade Driver Saves the Day

Bethpage Black Course
Bethpage Black Course

In the summer of 2021, I had the opportunity to play Bethpage Black Park Golf Course. You may know the course that was host to the 2019 PGA Championship where Brooks Koepka put on the best performance of his career. If you have not played the course yet, I highly recommend it.

I arrived the day before at 5 pm with two friends. We slept in our cars overnight and at 5:50 am a club shop worker arrived and gave us a card with the #3 on it. We had camped out for the 3rd tee time of the day. The feeling of nostalgia set in when we walked the halls of the Bethpage Golf Course Clubhouse.

We decided on taking caddies and proceeded to the 7:45 am tee time. We decided to play the tips on the grueling Bethpage Black Course. From the first tee shot, I knew I would need to kill the ball off the tee. After all, there is a Caution sign before you tee off at Bethpage Black stating that the course requires skilled long-hitting golfers.

At the time, I was playing a Cobra Speedzone Driver with a HZRDUS Smoke 70-gram X Stiff shaft. My driver was on that day which was a huge win considering I had long second shots in to the green. On the 4th hole, something no golfer ever wants to experience happens. I hit a phenomenal drive down the dog leg left par 5. Something didn’t sound right though. I looked at my driver and my shaft had a slight crack in it near where the driver head met the shaft. I was at a loss for words. My most needed club of the day was shot.

The caddie I had was awesome. After 5 minutes, a golf cart arrived with a replacement for the round. It was the caddies SIM 2 Max Driver. It has the same HZRDUS Smoke shaft.

I was apprehensive at first since I never hit the TaylorMade driver, but by the end of the round, I wanted to take the driver home with me. The sound was better than my Cobra King Speedzone, the ball speed appeared to be faster, the ball flight was more in the mid-range versus my high arching tee shots with the Speedzone, and my shots were way more online which was the biggest advantage. If you hit a ball in the rough at Bethpage, your golf ball may literally be eaten alive by the thick grass of the incredible golf course.

I walked away shooting 79 from the tips at Bethpage Black, and I know that if it wasn’t for that TaylorMade SIM 2 Max, I would not have been close.

The moral of the story is that if you have not hit a Taylormade driver, it may be time for you to try one out, or at a minimum consider buying one. I am going to lay out in the rest of this TaylorMade SIM Max vs SIM 2 Max Review all the reasons why the SIM line drivers offer maximum forgiveness and undeniable faster ball speeds than you probably are used to in your driver.

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TaylorMade SIM Max vs SIM Max 2 History

The TaylorMade SIM Max Driver was revealed in 2020. This was the largest reshape of a driver for TaylorMade in years. With a carbon fiber top with gray, white, and light blue accents the SIM Max is hard to miss on the golf course. It has a beautiful white topline for alignment when setting up at the tee and provides confidence for a golfer of any handicap or age.

The TaylorMade SIM 2 Max was revealed in 2021 and in my opinion, the look is a thousand times better than the original SIM Max Driver. The matte carbon fiber top is black with the same white topline for a more defined and premium look. TaylorMade also added an unbelievable back design in 2021 with an electric blue rear and underside with a glossy carbon underside.

This may be the most appealing driver I have ever seen regarding aesthetics. The Tungsten Inertia Generator is more subtle that the SIM Max driver, which received some complaints in 2020 due to a poor visual design from the back and underside.

TaylorMade SIM Max Driver Specs

SIM Max vs SIM 2 Max: showing the club head of the SIM Max in black and silver lettering on the green grass.
SIM Max vs SIM 2 Max

Improved Driver Shape

The TaylorMade SIM Max offers an improved driver shape from the TaylorMade M5 and M6. TaylorMade knew they needed to make a big jump in design to compete with other clubmakers, so they dramatized the inertia generator and asymmetric sole.

Asymmetric Sole & Inertia Generator

The purpose of the asymmetric sole increases club head speed and like an airplane enhances aerodynamics on the downswing to pick up speed and contact through the ball at impact. The inertia generator which can be seen in drastic measures from the rear of the driver includes weights as far back in a driver than ever driver before the SIM Max was created. This back weighted inertia generator increases forgiveness and keeps players shots more online while reducing drag on a player’s downswing. This gives a golfer the ability to be more stable throughout their entire swing.

Speed Injected Face

The max forgiveness in this club would be known just by the name of the driver, but what many golfers don’t know is that the speed injected face is at the closest possible legal limit of ball speed ever created. Low spin is the result with fast club head speed. The ball flies off the sweet spot on the SIM Max and even packs a punch of the ball is not struck dead on.

Twist Face Technology

The last spec worth noting is that the SIM Max encompasses corrective face angles to capture golfers’ bad habits or swing mishaps. Straighter shots is the object with the twist face technology and is certainly beneficial to golfers at a higher handicap or who are looking for more consistency.

TaylorMade SIM Max Driver | Stock Shaft Options

sim max club head with no shaft
Taylor Made SIM Max Driver: Deciding on Shafts

TaylorMade offers incredible stock shafts for their drivers. To buy they elsewhere would cost you hundreds of dollars, but you can get the Ventus Red 5 or Blue 6 with your SIM Max on a stock level.

Fujikara Ventus Red 5

If you need a mid-launch shaft to narrow your shots and increase ball speed on mishits than this shaft should go in your bag. This is a phenomenal shaft for senior golfers or high handicappers. Senior golfers may experience more roll after carrying the ball off the tee as well as more forgiveness when mishitting the sweet spot. The tip of this driver is designed to be very stiff to increase the clubhead performance and speed. You may call this a more bottom loaded driver shaft for energy transfer.

Fujikara Ventus Blue 6

The Ventus Blue 6 is also a mid-launch driver shaft but features new Velocure technology designed by Tour golfers. The object of the Velocure technology is like many shafts – more ball speed and an aim at improving clubhead technology. A straighter taper than the Ventus Red 5 makes this shaft feel heavier and stiffer throughout the swing.

TaylorMade SIM Max Driver Review Rating

Overall

In this TaylorMade SIM Max and SIM 2 Max Review I am going to give score on ball speed, swing speed, forgiveness, sound, look, and feel for both drivers with very brief explanations. I spent about 30 minutes testing both the SIM Max and SIM 2 Max driver in my Foresight Sports GC Hawk Golf Simulator.

Ball Speed

The ball speed was equitable to that of my old Speedzone driver, and many other drivers I have hit. The ball speed did not blow other drivers out of the water though.

Swing Speed

In my testing, my swing speed with this driver was equivalent to that of the new TaylorMade Stealth driver.

Forgiveness

Contrary to my Bethpage Black experience with the SIM 2 Max, I did not find this driver incredibly forgiving. This would not be appealing to golfers with higher handicaps.

Sound

I absolutely loved the deadened sound. The SIM Max sounds like a corked wood bat.

Feel

The feel was very nice. I attribute a lot of this to the Ventus Blue 6 shaft and inertia generator.

Aesthetic Look

I personally am not so fond of the SIM Max look. After the M5 and M6 which features read black and carbon accents, the SIM Max is bland and funky looking from the back.

TaylorMade SIM 2 Max Driver Specs

The TaylorMade SIM 2 Max Driver does not feature a drastic change from the original SIM. However, in my testing of the two drivers, I noticed one thing – I could swing away with the SIM 2 driver and absolutely hit the driver further than the original SIM. Here are the specs and why I believe TaylorMade made some large upgrades in the SIM 2.

Forged Ring Construction

The forged ring construction highlighted in electric blue is TaylorMade’s key for maximum distance. Made of aluminum, the forged ring is light weight with forged material for increased forgiveness. I would relate the forged ring construction to that of a wing on a Formula 1 car.

Higher Launch, Maximum Forgiveness

The SIM 2 Max offers a higher launch angle than the original SIM driver with more forgiveness. This has a lot to do with high MOI, or better known as moment of inertia. There is a 24g weight in the inertia generator which is almost twice as heavy from than the original SIM model. The SIM 2 Max also features added weight in the sole of the driver for higher launch and better spin rate which helps golfers looking for more distance.

Aerodynamic Shape

A carbon fiber sole offers an aerodynamic shape like an airplane wing. The shape was driven to drive faster swing speed which in turn delivers a faster ball speed.

SIM Inertia Generator

My largest complaint in the aesthetic appeal of the SIM Max was the inertia generator. It stuck out like a sore thumb even though there was a purpose. I believe TaylorMade got it right in the revamped SIM 2 Max due to the forged ring construction. It dampens the ugly design and offers better geometry which I turn offers a better look over the ball.

Speed Injected Twist Face

The speed injected twist face continues to be a powerful tool for TaylorMade. The SIM 2 Max is the 4th straight generation of drivers that uses this technology to reach a legal ball speed threshold.

Thru-Slot Speed Pocket and Split Mass Weighting

Maximum ball speed and added forgiveness is the purpose of the thru-slot speed pocket. With 16 grams of steel towards the rear of the SIM 2 Max as well as 24 gram in the inertia generator, the spin of the golf ball will be nothing short of what you are looking for off the tee.

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SIM 2 Max Driver Stock Shaft Options

TaylorMade made some changes in 2021 for their stock shaft options. The Sim 2 Max will come with either a Fujikara Ventus Blue 5S or a Kuro Kage Silver unless you order the driver with customs specs.

Fujikara Ventus Blue 5S

Fujikara Ventus Blue 5S shafts are black with silver lettering

The Fujikara Ventus Blue 5S is a fan favorite for the SIM 2 Max. This was one of the best shafts of 2021 in my opinion. The reason included advances stability. This is a driver for golfers who in the past have given up feel to increase their control of their drives. This driver shaft feels amazing and controls the ball with workability and more online shots. What I loved about this shaft is that it is offered in regular, senior, and stiff flex options. Go ahead and try the Ventus Blue 5S out with your new SIM 2 Max.

Kuro Kage Silver

The Kuro Kage Silver is another amazing option for golfers. I believe this shaft stands out for senior golfers due to the weights being offered come in 50 and 60 grams. The tip of this driver is softer compared to many other drivers with a stiffer section near the handle of the shaft. Golfers looking for higher ball flight and more distance may want to choose the Kuro Kage Silver as their shaft of choice.

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TaylorMade SIM Max 2 Driver Review Rating

Overall

Ball Speed

The golf ball jumps off the face of the SIM 2 Max driver. It is almost unrecognizable in the difference between TaylorMade’s newest Stealth driver, which features a carbon wood driver face.

Swing Speed

I love the speed I get with the SIM 2 Max. The club feels comfortable in my hand, and I know I can really bring the club back far and meet the ball in a split second for increased speed and distance.

Forgiveness

Forgiveness is what lacked in the original SIM Max driver. Thankfully, I experienced increased forgiveness in the SIM 2 Max driver. Bethpage Black revealed this to me as my drives were more online than usual.

Sound

Something you may not know about me is that I play Cobra golf clubs including their drivers. One complaint I have is that they do not sound nearly as good as the TaylorMade SIM 2. The Cobra Radspeed and Cobra LTDX Drivers lack the sound and look that the TaylorMade SIM 2 Max offers.

Feel

The TaylorMade SIM 2 Max Driver feels like a well-oiled machine from day 1.

Aesthetic Look

This was the biggest improvement from year to year. If the driver aesthetic look is important to you, the SIM 2 Max made the most significant jump I have ever seen upon improvement from a prior-generation golf club.

Final Thoughts and Decision | SIM Max vs SIM 2 Max 

I mentioned my experience earlier at Bethpage Black. The TaylorMade SIM 2 Max saved the day for me. After spending some time testing the original SIM Max and SIM 2 Max, I came to one conclusion. The SIM 2 Max looks better, feels better, and is longer than the SIM Max.

My last comparison of the drivers included a test of ten shots. I often do this when I compare two models. I focused on one thing this time: total distance. In my 10 shots with the SIM Max, the total distance was on average 294 yards. With the SIM 2 Max, I hit the ball on average 301 yards.

🏆 Final Verdict: The winner with the TaylorMade SIM 2 Max Driver.

If you need more distance and are in the market for a new driver, I highly recommend the SIM 2 Max. It offers enough forgiveness for a senior golfer, a mid-handicap player, or even a low handicap golfer. I believe you will walk away from a round or two having a story like I did about the SIM 2 Max.

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AUTHOR

David is a golf enthusiast, traveler, and part owner of a semi-private indoor club in New Jersey. His work week consists of working for an investment firm and golfing multiple times a week. He spends his extra time writing on topics involving golf courses, equipment, and golf trips that he has been fortunate to take. If he isn’t at his work office or on the golf course, he will be at the local coffee shop writing about his most recent golf purchase or reviewing his new favorite new course.

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