How to Confingure a TaylorMade r7 Driver to Help Your Game
Old golf drivers are like old cars. Most become antiquated and unsightly as decades pass, but a select few become classics that get better with age. The TaylorMade r7 quad driver was the first driver with Movable Weight Technology when it was released in 2004. With almost two decades to reflect, does the r7 quad driver make the cut as a classic?
TaylorMade r7 Driver Review
The original r7 quad driver gave players the ability maneuver weight in the club head to dial in their optimal launch and bias characteristics in 2004. A year later, TaylorMade doubled down on movable weights with the r7 425. TaylorMade engineers saved upwards of 40g of weight from the head, and moved it to the four adjustable weights. That offered players the ability to influence shot shape by up to 13 yards more than the previous edition.
History of TaylorMade Drivers Through the Years
Taylorade r7 quad Driver Specs
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Shopping |
Starting at $21 | CHECK CALLAWAY GOLF PREOWNED |
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r7 quad Models |
r7 quad, r7 quad TP, r7 quad HT |
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Head Size |
400cc |
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Length |
45 inches |
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Adjustable |
Movable Weight Technology (MWT) |
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Standout Feature |
MWT provides 6 sets of launch conditions and trajectories |
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Recommended For |
r7 quad TP: advanced players (0-5 HCP); r7 quad HT: slower swing speed players; r7 quad: moderate and above swing speed players seeking maximum forgiveness and versatility |
How to Change the Weights in a TaylorMade r7 Driver
TaylorMade r7 quad Driver settings
The TaylorMade r7 driver has four weights in the heel that let you optimize your trajectory and shot bias. The four movable weights (two 2g, two 10g) give you six different launch and bias settings.
To simplify these settings, we’re going to refer to the four weight ports as Ports 1-4. If you’re looking at the sole of the club head with the butt of the grip on the ground, we’ll start at the top and move clockwise. Port 1 is the forward toe port, Port 2 is the forward heel port, Port 3 is in the rear heel, and Port 4 is the rear toe.
The high-level version of this is that the more weight you shift towards the heel, the more draw bias you create, and vice versa. For maximum draw bias, drop both 10g (red) weights in the heel side, or to soften that bias, swap the rear weights so the second 10g rear weight is just on the toe side. If you want a straight bias, use the weights to create a high or low launch profile. More weight in the rear (both red weights) results in a higher launch. Moving both red weights to the front will give you a lower-launching driver.
Here’s exactly how to adjust the weights to promote your desired ball flight.
Draw Setting
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Port 1 (Forward-Toe) |
Yellow |
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Port 2 (Forward-Heel) |
Red |
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Port 3 (Rear-Heel) |
Yellow |
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Port 4 (Rear-Toe) |
Red |
The standard draw setting on the TaylorMade r7 quad driver will help straighten out a slice or push tendency, and promote a draw bias that, in addition to helping you find more fairways, can also increase distance and roll.
To set your r7 quad to the standard draw setting, move one red (10g) weight to the front-heel port, and the other 10g weight to the rear toe-side port. Use the yellow weights in the two remaining ports.
Maximum Draw Setting
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Port 1 (Forward-Toe) |
Yellow |
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Port 2 (Forward-Heel) |
Red |
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Port 3 (Rear-Heel) |
Red |
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Port 4 (Rear-Toe) |
Yellow |
If you need all the help you can get to correct a slice, you’re not alone, and the r7 quad is here to help. Dropping both 10g (red) weights into the heel side of the driver will help you hit straighter shots and say goodbye to that pesky push or slice.
Fade Setting
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Port 1 (Forward-Toe) |
Red |
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Port 2 (Forward-Heel) |
Yellow |
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Port 3 (Rear-Heel) |
Red |
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Port 4 (Rear-Toe) |
Yellow |
To promote a fade or fight a hook, configure the adjustable weights with one 10g weight in the front toe, and the other in the rear heel-side port, dropping the two 2g weights in the two remaining ports.
Maximum Fade Setting
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Port 1 (Forward-Toe) |
Red |
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Port 2 (Forward-Heel) |
Yellow |
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Port 3 (Rear-Heel) |
Yellow |
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Port 4 (Rear-Toe) |
Red |
For maximum fade, shift both heavy weights into the toe-side ports, and put the lighter 2g weights in the heel side of the driver head.
High Launch
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Port 1 (Forward-Toe) |
Yellow |
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Port 2 (Forward-Heel) |
Yellow |
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Port 3 (Rear-Heel) |
Red |
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Port 4 (Rear-Toe) |
Red |
To forego a shot shape bias, you can shift the center of gravity either forward towards the club face, or back towards the rear. For higher launch and more forgiveness, move the heavier red weights into the rear ports, and the yellow weights into the two front ports.
Low Launch
|
Port 1 (Forward-Toe) |
Red |
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Port 2 (Forward-Heel) |
Red |
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Port 3 (Rear-Heel) |
Yellow |
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Port 4 (Rear-Toe) |
Yellow |
If you want a lower-launching driver, you can move the club’s CG closer to the club face by positioning the 10g (red) weights in the front toe and heel ports, and using both yellow weights in the rear ports. If you use this setting, you may also notice a drop in forgiveness on off-center strikes, but may get the longest maximum distance from sweet-spot strikes.
A Classic Indeed
The 20-year anniversary of the TaylorMade r7 quad driver is coming up in 2024, and the breakthrough technology it brought to the market has become commonplace among the best drivers today. It’s safe to say that the r7 quad changed the way drivers were made for the better, and it has earned its place among the classic golf clubs of yesteryear.
In recent years, TaylorMade has paid tribute to some of its most iconic historic clubs, including a salute to the original Burner driver with its 2023 release of the BRNR mini driver. Perhaps there’s a nod to the r7 quad in the works to help ring in the 20-year anniversary in 2024.