TaylorMade RBZ Irons Review - Forum Testing

[MWard]

Testing date: 3/23/2012
Location: Grand Cypress South and East

Played 18 with Tadashi and War Eagle today. Ball striking was meh. Had a couple good wedge shots but nothing great to really write home about. Hit 4i twice, one was a high block, the other was a high cut that just turned over a little more than I thought. Swing just wasn't feeling all that great, wasn't really hitting down and through the shots so everything was very weakly hit and with poor compression. Ball was getting tossed around in the wind on irons and fairway woods. I took these to the range after my round and fixed that, hopefully I can keep that swing thought going if I wind up playing tomorrow or Monday like possible.

For those going to the outing in May.. Ohh man, we're gonna get eaten alive on some of the holes.

 

[War Eagle]

Testing date: 3/23/2012
Location: Grand Cypress South and East

Played 18 with Tadashi and War Eagle today. Ball striking was meh. Had a couple good wedge shots but nothing great to really write home about. Hit 4i twice, one was a high block, the other was a high cut that just turned over a little more than I thought. Swing just wasn't feeling all that great, wasn't really hitting down and through the shots so everything was very weakly hit and with poor compression. Ball was getting tossed around in the wind on irons and fairway woods. I took these to the range after my round and fixed that, hopefully I can keep that swing thought going if I wind up playing tomorrow or Monday like possible.

For those going to the outing in May.. Ohh man, we're gonna get eaten alive on some of the holes.

Was wondering how the range treated you after the round, glad it worked out well for you.

 

[Szczypr]

It's great that you work at a store where you can try stuff out.

It can be nice, wasting time trying different putters. But the club selection can be limited so I got lucky I like the RBZ irons so much.

What sort of new irons did you test, to compare with the RBZ irons? I agree about the grips on the RBZ irons, as they were rough on my hands . I put the Golf Pride Midsize Tour Wrap grips on mine and love em!

I have been loyal to Taylormade irons my last three sets and the RBZ irons where the first I tried because of this but I also hit the R11's quite a bit and the CB's. But not really knowing what I wanted I hit most of what we had on the shelves at work and I really liked the Cobra AMP Irons also. The AMP Irons have a very nice profile and are smaller at address but still long and forgiving. The CB's I just couldn't hit consistent enough for my liking, and the AMP Irons look really nice and I actually really liked the look more at address than the RBZ but the RBZ just won out. When it came down to it I just liked the feel of the them and that the RBZ irons are forgiving but I can still work them enough when I have to. I also love long irons and I could swing at the 4i like a driver and smoke it. I almost got a 3-pw instead of 4-aw but with the decreased lofts and me already having a two iron I went with 4-aw.

 

[Ibistony]

RBZ Irons

RBZ Irons

I just got the RBZ Irons 5thru Awedge I compared then to my old Irons and they definitely go a lot further. The 5iron looks a little like a Hybrid. Tony

 

[bahester]

I just got the RBZ Irons 5thru Awedge I compared then to my old Irons and they definitely go a lot further. The 5iron looks a little like a Hybrid. Tony

What did you hit before Tony?

 

[bahester]

Also, I don't know if this is the case for you guys, but these irons still look to be in almost new condition, and I've been putting them through the works pretty good. Like seriously, there are only a few scratches on each face that are very minimal. I'm very surprised, as my previous irons showed wear pretty quick. The 7 iron still looks like I've only hit it for one range session when it's really been hit somewhere around probably 15+ sessions. Weird point to make, but I was just looking at my clubs sitting there and its something that popped out to me. I'm also very good about cleaning my clubs after every round or range session too, but I don't think that would have much to do with how the metal holds up.

 

[Nate]

Played Friday with mcook77 and bigtex. Played a decent front 9 and fell apart on the back 9. Hit a 9i pin high to green about 30ft to pin on 1. Hit a terrible 6i on the par 3 5th hole and actually went OB. Hit the 6i again from the tee and knocked it pin high about 20ft to the pin. Missed putt. Hit an 8i 2nd shot about 165 just left of the green on the par 5 6th hole that had to go over trees. Hit a semi fat 6i on the par 3 7th that actually almost made it to the green (about 5ft short). Hit the 6i on the par 5 10th hole (had a terrible drive and even worse punch out shot) that was about 190yds out and hit the green, just under the hole for about a 15ft putt. Missed it but that was probably my shot of the day with the RBZ's. Hit a 9i short right on the 11th hole and was just short of the green. Hit a 8i on 12th hole that went a bit long and just over the green right. Hit the AW on the 14th hole and tried to get 110% out of the club. Result, pulled it right of the green, just off but left me a good 45ft putt. 3 putted. Nuked a 6i on the par 3 16th that probably went 195yds when it stopped. The pin was about 180yds and I had a 40ft putt back down to the pin. 3 putted. Hit in the trees on 17 but used a little gap in the trees and punched the AW to just short of the green (about 5ft from front).

I would say it wasn't a great round with the RBZ's but it wasn't bad. Just no mojo. I missed my share of putts and just couldn't get anything positive going to build on. I tend to be a streaky player and just never got on any kind of streak Friday. It was a Meeeh round for me. Ended with an 84 and it could/should of been a whole lot better. Will get 'em next time!

S

 

[Nate]

Also, I don't know if this is the case for you guys, but these irons still look to be in almost new condition, and I've been putting them through the works pretty good. Like seriously, there are only a few scratches on each face that are very minimal. I'm very surprised, as my previous irons showed wear pretty quick. The 7 iron still looks like I've only hit it for one range session when it's really been hit somewhere around probably 15+ sessions. Weird point to make, but I was just looking at my clubs sitting there and its something that popped out to me. I'm also very good about cleaning my clubs after every round or range session too, but I don't think that would have much to do with how the metal holds up.

The clubface does seem to take a good beating and still look pretty darn good. Might also be because of the darker finish does a good job in hiding the wear but I agree, they clean up real nice.

 

[bahester]

The clubface does seem to take a good beating and still look pretty darn good. Might also be because of the darker finish does a good job in hiding the wear but I agree, they clean up real nice.

Good point about the darker finish. I think that might be it. I'm just impressed with how well they are holding up. I've hit them quite a bit out of really crappy stuff at the range and they don't show much wear at all.

 

[Nate]

It's great that you work at a store where you can try stuff out. What sort of new irons did you test, to compare with the RBZ irons? I agree about the grips on the RBZ irons, as they were rough on my hands . I put the Golf Pride Midsize Tour Wrap grips on mine and love em!

Still using the PURE off white grips and really like them so far!

 

[gage.grady]

I had these clubs fitted on Monday at Golfsmith and finally got them back this morning and had the chance to play this afternoon. For those in the north Texas area, I played at Texas Star in Euless. It's a par 71 course and I shot a 41-40 (81). Having them fitted made all of the difference with my ball striking; I easily doubled my solid shots. I made 2 birdies and 7 pars, both of which are personal bests and also had more GIRs. I wasn't able to beat my best overall score because I had three blow up holes where I had double bogeys. But that will happen. I can't wait to go out and play again. I've said it before, but these irons are just fun to hit. On a 479 yard par 5, I hit the 5 iron on the second shot onto the green to within about 30 feet. I two-putted and was able to make birdie. All my friend could say was, "where did this come from?" All I did was smile.

 

[v.man]

I had these clubs fitted on Monday at Golfsmith and finally got them back this morning and had the chance to play this afternoon. For those in the north Texas area, I played at Texas Star in Euless. It's a par 71 course and I shot a 41-40 (81). Having them fitted made all of the difference with my ball striking; I easily doubled my solid shots. I made 2 birdies and 7 pars, both of which are personal bests and also had more GIRs. I wasn't able to beat my best overall score because I had three blow up holes where I had double bogeys. But that will happen. I can't wait to go out and play again. I've said it before, but these irons are just fun to hit. On a 479 yard par 5, I hit the 5 iron on the second shot onto the green to within about 30 feet. I two-putted and was able to make birdie. All my friend could say was, "where did this come from?" All I did was smile.

Gage, when you say you had them fitted, what is it that you had done. Lie change? Shaft change?

 

[gage.grady]

Gage, when you say you had them fitted, what is it that you had done. Lie change? Shaft change?

They ended up cutting about 3/4" off of the shafts and also added lead tape to the bottom of the shafts to help get the correct weight.

 

[Ole Gray]

They ended up cutting about 3/4" off of the shafts and also added lead tape to the bottom of the shafts to help get the correct weight.

Good point Gage! I think some of the posts on here have been about these being too long etc. Having them fit for your personal game, allows for better success with these irons and more consistent ball striking.

 

[Sooner21]

I just got the RBZ Irons 5thru Awedge I compared then to my old Irons and they definitely go a lot further. The 5iron looks a little like a Hybrid. Tony

Congrats on the new sticks Tony!

Also, I don't know if this is the case for you guys, but these irons still look to be in almost new condition, and I've been putting them through the works pretty good. Like seriously, there are only a few scratches on each face that are very minimal. I'm very surprised, as my previous irons showed wear pretty quick. The 7 iron still looks like I've only hit it for one range session when it's really been hit somewhere around probably 15+ sessions. Weird point to make, but I was just looking at my clubs sitting there and its something that popped out to me. I'm also very good about cleaning my clubs after every round or range session too, but I don't think that would have much to do with how the metal holds up.

I was going to comment on this today before I saw your post. I got 2 rounds in this weekend and noticed they look like they have 1 or 2 rounds total on them yesterday when I unloaded them. I wipe my clubs after most shots and this helps, but I think it's just a durable club with a durable finish.

Played Friday with mcook77 and bigtex. Played a decent front 9 and fell apart on the back 9. Hit a 9i pin high to green about 30ft to pin on 1. Hit a terrible 6i on the par 3 5th hole and actually went OB. Hit the 6i again from the tee and knocked it pin high about 20ft to the pin. Missed putt. Hit an 8i 2nd shot about 165 just left of the green on the par 5 6th hole that had to go over trees. Hit a semi fat 6i on the par 3 7th that actually almost made it to the green (about 5ft short). Hit the 6i on the par 5 10th hole (had a terrible drive and even worse punch out shot) that was about 190yds out and hit the green, just under the hole for about a 15ft putt. Missed it but that was probably my shot of the day with the RBZ's. Hit a 9i short right on the 11th hole and was just short of the green. Hit a 8i on 12th hole that went a bit long and just over the green right. Hit the AW on the 14th hole and tried to get 110% out of the club. Result, pulled it right of the green, just off but left me a good 45ft putt. 3 putted. Nuked a 6i on the par 3 16th that probably went 195yds when it stopped. The pin was about 180yds and I had a 40ft putt back down to the pin. 3 putted. Hit in the trees on 17 but used a little gap in the trees and punched the AW to just short of the green (about 5ft from front).

I would say it wasn't a great round with the RBZ's but it wasn't bad. Just no mojo. I missed my share of putts and just couldn't get anything positive going to build on. I tend to be a streaky player and just never got on any kind of streak Friday. It was a Meeeh round for me. Ended with an 84 and it could/should of been a whole lot better. Will get 'em next time!

S

Did Cookie take you to OG's woodshed?

I had these clubs fitted on Monday at Golfsmith and finally got them back this morning and had the chance to play this afternoon. For those in the north Texas area, I played at Texas Star in Euless. It's a par 71 course and I shot a 41-40 (81). Having them fitted made all of the difference with my ball striking; I easily doubled my solid shots. I made 2 birdies and 7 pars, both of which are personal bests and also had more GIRs. I wasn't able to beat my best overall score because I had three blow up holes where I had double bogeys. But that will happen. I can't wait to go out and play again. I've said it before, but these irons are just fun to hit. On a 479 yard par 5, I hit the 5 iron on the second shot onto the green to within about 30 feet. I two-putted and was able to make birdie. All my friend could say was, "where did this come from?" All I did was smile.

Nice! Getting the clubs fit to you will make a huge difference. This is the only thing I wish were different for this testing. If the testers were able to get fit for the clubs I think more success and consistency would be seen from everyone here, except for OG who seems to be a pretty good match for his.

 

[Nate]

Did Cookie take you to OG's woodshed?

Ha-Ha......No.

 

[gage.grady]

Good point Gage! I think some of the posts on here have been about these being too long etc. Having them fit for your personal game, allows for better success with these irons and more consistent ball striking.

Nice! Getting the clubs fit to you will make a huge difference. This is the only thing I wish were different for this testing. If the testers were able to get fit for the clubs I think more success and consistency would be seen from everyone here, except for OG who seems to be a pretty good match for his.

Exactly. If anyone is pondering having these fitted, I would definitely recommend it.

 

[FrankA]

Range Session:
Off the mats
Weather: 70* with a slight wind at my back.

I've really been working on my release and it's been paying off and I have been getting some distance back. I have been doing very well with clubs up until my 6i, but have to say that the longer ones have been giving me issues. I went to the range with the sole purpose of working some of this out. I spent a lot of time with my driver and hybrid, but prior to that put some time in with my RBZ irons.

6, 7, and 8 irons. They really did a great job with these irons. They set up well. The length of these clubs is not overwhelming, neither is the offset. They are solid performers all 3 and a joy to hit. Great feed back on the shots as usual. Plus I was seeing the 8i at about 150 yards and so on. This was great to get back. Slight draw, just a few feet and shots were very consistent.

4 and 5 irons. They have been giving me fits. The swing I put on these clubs have just been different, and not effective. However, my work has been paying off and I was dropping balls all over the 180 flag. The ball flight with the 5 iron was higher and more along the lines of the 6 iron. The 4 iron is getting much better as well. The ball flight is lower but I'm making great contact. I really do applaud Taylormade for attempting to make these clubs easier to hit and increase length but I still find them to be a near miss. Ordering this set I would probably much prefer a true hybrid at the 4 iron position. 3h/4h then 5-pw may be a better set up in these clubs, IMO.

These clubs definitely earn a passing grade. Looks B/C, given the longer irons and a lot of offset. Feel B/C, not awful feedback, not buttery soft either. Performance A, I've never hit irons farther. Durability B: They are holding up fairly well.

Overall: Would I have bought these irons, maybe. I would have definitely hit them and probably initially been impressed given the distance. Are there several others I would consider, most definitely, and I don't know what clubs I would have left with. I did just buy a different set of irons that I am sacrificing maybe a 1/2 club to full club distance but I feel I just swing them better and I am willing to sacrifice that for what I think will ultimately perform better. Different strokes for different folks.

 

[Nate]

To those that say the 4/5 irons are still giving you issues, what was your consistency with your old 4/5 irons before RBZ's?

In a typical range session, how many out of 10 would you hit like you wanted to (old irons).

On the course, how many times would the old 4/5 irons perform for you?

What was your confidence (low, med or high) when hitting these clubs on the course?

Just trying to get an overall feel from everyone on how their relationship was with their old 4/5 before the testing.

 

[Szczypr]

Just saying I don't have the irons yet bought I have bought them and I'm waiting for them to come therefore I have not played on the course yet with them but I have hit them extensively during the buying the decision.

With that being said, I love long irons, I love being able to hit high or low, straight or curved. The irons I'm getting rid of, some old Rac TP's allow me to do anything I want with the ball but if I miss it just a fraction I know about with lost distance and control. Because of this I never felt like I could get aggressive with them on the course and never really tried to hit them full distance because I was afraid of missing it. But on the range could often hit more shot well than I did poorly with the irons.

But one of the things that sold me on the RocketBallz was how aggressive I could get with the 4i off the tee or off the ground but when I needed to I could choke down down some put a smooth swing on it and hit a controlled fade or my stock draw. I know I haven't played on the course yet with them but feel confident with my choice and hope that I will find it to be the same way on the course.

 

[FrankZ]

I really was not in the market for new irons but after reading all this stuff I started getting interested. I did by the RBZ 3w when it came out and love it (hardly hit driver anymore). So, when I was poking around at the Golfsmith and saw a used 4-AW set that looked brand new, I grabbed them and hit for awhile in the bay. After a few minutes, it wasn't a question of whether or not I'd buy them but how quick I could sell my old irons to offset the cost.

So, I had a business meeting up in the N.GA mountains today and decided to get in a round up there after. It was not a good test of how much distance gained with these clubs because the courses I usually play, while not flat, seem that way in comparison to the mountain course I played today with wild elevation changes, elevated tee boxes and many big uphill shots. But, I could tell that I love these clubs!

This course had several holes that required a 4 iron off the tee and I was blown away. Now, I normally hit hybrids for my 3, 4 & 5, but I wanted to try these out so I left the hybrids at home. My first such shot, was from an elevated tee so I expected my shot to be longer than normal, but for me a normal 4 would be 185 or so, maybe 190 when I flush it. Again, I was hitting downhill, but I striped it down the middle and the shot measured out at 247 yds. That's a decent driver for me on a flat course! I followed that up a couple of holes later with another 4i at 239yds. I also noticed that the AW was giving me 10 more yds than my old GW and that was on uphill shots. I only had a couple of 4irons off the deck and didn't really hit them clean, but got decent results anyway. On one, I was about 190ys out on a par 5 and had the toe kind of dig in so the shot stayed low and faded on me, but it ended up only a few feet off the green, pin high and I got up & down for a birdie. That would never have happend with my old set if I'd mishit it like that.

The rest of the irons I hit well but because I was always hitting either way up or way downhill, it was impossible to make any comparison to my old irons. Looking forward to hitting these at the range and in a couple of days at one of my regular courses so I can get a better comparison done. Very happy so far, though.

 

[MWard]

Also, I don't know if this is the case for you guys, but these irons still look to be in almost new condition, and I've been putting them through the works pretty good. Like seriously, there are only a few scratches on each face that are very minimal. I'm very surprised, as my previous irons showed wear pretty quick. The 7 iron still looks like I've only hit it for one range session when it's really been hit somewhere around probably 15+ sessions. Weird point to make, but I was just looking at my clubs sitting there and its something that popped out to me. I'm also very good about cleaning my clubs after every round or range session too, but I don't think that would have much to do with how the metal holds up.

The most amount of wear is near the toes, where they keep getting dinged from my bag falling over onto pavement. It's a terrible terrible sound watching them fall down.

To those that say the 4/5 irons are still giving you issues, what was your consistency with your old 4/5 irons before RBZ's?

In a typical range session, how many out of 10 would you hit like you wanted to (old irons).

On the course, how many times would the old 4/5 irons perform for you?

What was your confidence (low, med or high) when hitting these clubs on the course?

Just trying to get an overall feel from everyone on how their relationship was with their old 4/5 before the testing.

My Mp-60 5i I was pretty good with. Didn't carry a 4i, but a 4h that was around 190 in distance. Seems like that's the RBZ 5i, 190-195 on avg.

Contact with these has been erratic as of late. Really annoying to stripe a drive and then screw up the iron shot. Playing now on Friday it seems, will see if I can fix.

 

[gage.grady]

The most amount of wear is near the toes, where they keep getting dinged from my bag falling over onto pavement. It's a terrible terrible sound watching them fall down.

I'm glad I'm not the only person this is happening to. A little bit of me dies inside everytime my bag falls over and I hear the irons hitting the ground. On a side note for those who don't prefer the grips, I had the Winn Dri-Tac Lite grips put on when I had the irons fitted. These might be the best grips I have ever played. I play with a glove when I use my driver and hybrids, but I actually prefer not using a glove when I hit the irons now. They are so soft and still have enough tack that my hands don't slip. Definitely recommended!

 

[Sooner21]

I've never had a problem hitting my 4 and 5-irons in the past and have always had confidence in them to the point where I've never pondered a hybrid. I hit these 4 and 5-irons about the same distance and same consistency as my old ones. If I were able to swing more than halfway without fear of spraying the ball in any and every direction I would probably be picking up some good yardage with the RBZ's.

To those that say the 4/5 irons are still giving you issues, what was your consistency with your old 4/5 irons before RBZ's?

In a typical range session, how many out of 10 would you hit like you wanted to (old irons).

On the course, how many times would the old 4/5 irons perform for you?

What was your confidence (low, med or high) when hitting these clubs on the course?

Just trying to get an overall feel from everyone on how their relationship was with their old 4/5 before the testing.

 

[Sooner21]

Saturday March 24 and Sunday March 25
Ball: Bridgestone B330-RX
Weather: 80 and sunny both days
1 round in Dallas and 1 round in Wimberley

The first 5 holes on Saturday I struggled big time with my irons again and frustration was setting in quickly. After that I took 2 clubs over what I normally would for the distance and swung really slow, and my round improved immediately. The ball was going exactly where I was aiming and for the most part, perfectly straight. My ball-striking was great after that, but I had to tell myself every shot to keep my swing slow. I had my 50* SCOR wedge like I do most rounds to compare to the 50* AW in the RBZ set, and I was able to swing that normally, which was going a good 15 yards farther than the RBZ AW, and where I was aiming. My round on Sunday I did the same thing with the RBZ irons, swinging really slow, and my results were very good. I'm not really excited about changing my swing to fit the clubs, but when I do the results are there. I was hitting my FW and all my wedges great both days, so it's not my swing that's way off - it's the combo of my swing and the shafts in the RBZ's that do NOT get along at all. Both my rounds turned out pretty good considering I had to change my swing for my iron shots. On Saturday I ended up with a 91, but that's due to being 10 over after the first 5 holes. On Sunday I had an 85 when I remembered to keep my swing slow all day. I'm really looking forward to hitting these with different shafts in the next few weeks.