The TaylorMade R540 XD driver has been around for some time, since 2003 to be exact. Since its release, there have been plenty of equipment rule changes. So many wonder, is this club still legal to use? To figure out whether or not this club is illegal to use, I took a look at both the USGA and R&A conforming club information.
Is the TaylorMade R540 XD driver illegal? According to the USGA and R&A, all versions of the TaylorMade R540 XD driver are legal to use in any casual, high-level amateur, and professional tournaments. This includes the XD, XD (LH), XD Tour, XD Tour (LH), XD TP. In other words, all versions of this driver are allowed to be used on any level of golf.
For reference, the USGA and R&A are considered governing bodies for professional golf. Any piece of equipment that is deemed legal by both of these agencies are considered legal for professional golf and any lower level of golf.
R&A Conforming Club Database: Legality Of TaylorMade R540 XD
One great resource that anyone can use to check whether or not a club is legal is the R&A’s conforming club database. This database has every conforming club’s information. So, if a club is listed within this database, then it is considered legal.
To see whether or not the TaylorMade R540 XD was legal or not, I entered in the name of the club, then filtered for ‘conforming drivers’ then I clicked enter. There were about 5 different versions of this club that were included in this search. Below is a screenshot of the database search.
What makes this database even more helpful is that each club has a ‘more details’ option which lets you take a look at further details on each club. This includes the available lofts, sole information, hosel details, etc. So, if you are more interested in the nitty gritty of each club, try looking at this database.
USGA Conforming Club List: TaylorMade R540 XD
Another alternative resource to see whether or not a club is legal is the USGA’s conforming club list. This is very similar to the R&A’s database, however this isn’t a database. This list is a frequently updated PDF with every single conforming club. I did a quick search for the TaylorMade R540 XD and found the same 5 versions of the club.
Similar to the database, you can see all the available lofts and identification markings that each club has. So, if you are in fact interested in learning more about each type of R540 XD, then either one of these resources will be of extreme use to you.
Final Thoughts: Is The TaylorMade R540 XD Illegal?
So, if you were wondering if this club was illegal, you can not rest assured that it is totally legal. Whether you were looking to purchase it, or just considering putting this club in your bag, you can feel free to do either. It is always good to check and see if the club you have is legal or not. Although, it is likely not a huge deal unless you are competing in some type of tournament. In other words, most casual players shouldn’t feel too obligated to check every single club that they have.