Black is the new black! TaylorMade launched the new R1 Black Driver today and it is, well, unbelievably cool. The R1, released earlier in 2013, introduced us to the concept of an adjustable driver that can be fine tuned to fit anyone’s game. From Tour pro to beginner, the R1 offered one club head that could be adjusted to everyone’s swing. The R1 instantly became the number one driver on the PGA Tour and found its way to millions of amateur’s bags, as well. So what’s new with the R1 Black Driver, you ask? Technically speaking, nothing at all… except the finish--it’s black. And contrary to what you might think, that is a very big deal.

There are countless golfers around the world who feel a driver ought to be black, not white. There is genuine science behind the white phenomenon; that being the optical illusion created by the contrast between white crown and black face that makes the club head appear huge, inspiring confidence. Fair enough, but for those among us who want the aggressive look of all black, then who cares what the science says. Black is back—and it has some upgrades with this new R1 Driver. The glossy finish is truly beautiful and TM incorporated the R1 alignment graphics on the crown, but with a significant difference. Whereas the “face paint” graphics are almost overwhelming on the original R1’s white matte finish, they are subtlety done on the R1 Black, offering a distinctive look that adds to the uniqueness of the club. The graphics are, in a word, cool. And so is this driver.

You can pre-order the TaylorMade R1 Black Driver at DGW today.