Taylormade R9 Irons

[SeeMoreGuy]

Well I went into my local golf store to hit the R9 again. This time I took my Adams A4 7 iron to compare. The Adams are a forged club. I also had my rep pull the Burner 7 iron and compared all three. I warmed up for about 10 minutes and then hit the simulator.

Duirng this testing I hit approximately 10-12 shots with each ball.The results were interesting: I hit both the Burner and R9 very well, good shot grouping and mostly in the center of club with my shots about 7 yards off center F/W. I hit both about 140 to 145 yds carry; the swing speed was only 1 mile difference between the clubs; ball speed was about 3 miles difference on average; launch angle on both ranged from 19 to 20 degrees. The Adams A4 was struck very well also (more on that in a sec). Note: I was fitted for the Adams (1/2 longer and 1* upright). I hit the ball 148 carry; swing speed was same; launch angle was 20 to 21 degrees; ball speed was a bit lower than the TM's.

I explained that I was inconsistent with the Adams on the golf course and when I hit it square the ball really traveled (duh).. but my problem was that I hit it that way about half the time. The sales person said the Adams should be the best fit and I should be more successful because I was fitted for them. Well the test proved me exactly right. With both TM's my shots were really good with two bad shots out of the 10 for each iron. The R9 may have had 3 bad ones. With the Adams, 6 of the 12 were bad shots which were typically off the toe. Now some of this may be fatigue setting in and the sales rep said he wanted me to come back and next time hit the Adams first and compare again.

We discussed which of these might be better suited for my game which right now is at about a 21 handicapp. I am becoming more consistent and shooting in the low to mid 90's. He advised that the Burners would probably give me more forgiveness because of the more definded weighting along with the way the clubs are designed because each one is different and having more forgiveness in the longer irons could benefit me. He also said that a lot of lower handicappers like the to have all of their rions look similar in size and shape which is why they may prefer the R9's over the Burners.

We discussed the KBS shafts and he explained that they are thicker than most towards the club head to provide more MOI which helps stablize the head somewhat and prevent twisting or torque (I dont recall which he said). I think he mean the thickness was inside the shaft (if that makes sense) This was one of the reasons the R9 felt so good and I was keeping the club on plane with straight shots. I asked if the KBS shafts could be installed on the Burner and he is checking with TM on that tomorrow. He seemed to think that having the Burner Irons and KBS shaft might be a good set up for me; sort of the best of both worlds for my swing.

Both TM's felt great but based on his feedback I am now leaning towards the Burners with KBS shafts. I hope that can work. I will be making a final decision and trading in or selling the Adams. I really loved the way the Adams clubs look, but realize they may still be a bit much for this stage of my game. I hope to get back in the store and repeat this testing before the weekend and if it goes like this again I will be getting fully measured and fitted this weekend for new sticks.

Sorry for the length but wanted to recap todays events and how our testing went.

Keith

 

[JB]

Awesome stuff Keith. Solid detail and glad you might have found your irons.

 

[Harry Longshanks]

TaylorMade R9 Irons - Long Term Review

TaylorMade R9 Irons - Long Term Review

As JB mentioned a few days ago, TaylorMade offered THP the opportunity to do a long term review of its new R9 irons. I was lucky enough to be the one selected to do the testing.

In the past, I have declined offers to do iron reviews because I am so partial to my current irons (PING i5). I spent six months testing and demoing irons before I picked them out and I have been very happy with the feel and performance. Every time I go out, I am confident that any problems with my ball flight are the result of my swing and not my equipment.

With regard to TaylorMade specifically, in the past, I haven't really been drawn to TaylorMade's offerings. That's not a knock on TaylorMade or their equipment; their clubs just never seemed suit me when I demo'd them.

However, that all started to change earlier this year when I demo'd the R9 driver. JB asked me to hit a demo day and try the R9 just to see what I thought. I was extremely impressed. More recently, I read JB's review of the R9 irons and JB's feelings about previous TM irons was the same as mine. The fact that he liked the new R9s was more than enough to pique my interest. Additionally, the R9s seemed to have the exact characteristics that I like in an iron - medium sole, medium topline, and medium offset. And it didn't hurt that the R9s struck me as the best looking game improvement irons that TaylorMade has released in years. So, when the opportunity to test the R9 irons over an extended period, I jumped at it.

And today, there was a long cardboard box waiting for me on the front porch care of the kind folks at TaylorMade Golf.

So, without further delay, here are the unboxing photos:

 

[JB]

Awesome pictures Harry. Looking forward to your feedback. This thread will serve as another opportunity for THP readers to have questions answered about these specific irons from another tester.

 

[GolferGal]

Awesome pictures!! I can't wait to hear your thoughts on these irons, especially considering how particular you are to your current set.

 

[Smallville]

Nice looking clubs. I'm looking forward to the review.

 

[JTJIII]

whats the note say?

 

[Harry Longshanks]

Nice looking clubs. I'm looking forward to the review.

Smallie, there won't be a formal review like the ones I normally do. Since this is a long term test, I'm going to post my feelings about the irons in this thread on an ongoing basis. I will start by taking them to the range along with my current set and get some initial impressions - both comparisons to what I am used to, and what I have observed from TaylorMade in prior irons.

whats the note say?

It's just a letter welcoming me to the TaylorMade panel test for the R9s and thanking me for my participation.

 

[zsmithku]

We just got these in the shop this week, so I am anxious to read your feedback. Since weather in the PNW is a nice mix of snow and rain at the moment, golfing has come to a nice stand-still in our region.

My only initial out-of-the-box cosmetic critique is that from address the club head seems to have a longer than average toe. Definitely noticeable when compared to Callaway's X-22 or Mizuno's MX-200s. Solid club feel though from hitting on the launch monitor.

 

[mchepp]

This is a great idea. Often the review is during the "honeymoon" period of getting new clubs. I like that we get to hear for a longer period of time all of Harry's thoughts.

 

[Craig Mac]

Congrats on the new irons.....

 

[JB]

We have received over a dozen PM's asking "why did Harry get chosen and how can I enter for future irons".

This was a choice by Taylormade Golf not by THP. We approached them about a different matter and they informed us about this testing program. They based it on quality of posts, number of posts, tenure at THP, etc...

 

[thedue]

Nice pic's Harry, let the fun begin!

 

[bogeyme]

We have received over a dozen PM's asking "why did Harry get chosen and how can I enter for future irons".

This was a choice by Taylormade Golf not by THP. We approached them about a different matter and they informed us about this testing program. They based it on quality of posts, number of posts, tenure at THP, etc...

Am I jealous? Of course but I really couldn't think of a better person on here to have review like this. This is very cool for TM to offer this to "us". I look forward to hearing Harry's take on these irons and to see if he'll be trading in those Pings for the R9's.

 

[SethO]

That is awesome Mr. Longshanks! I am very interested to hear how these irons work for you. I love Taylormade stuff, but then if you look at my bag, you can probably see that.

 

[JB]

We are hoping to be able to do quite a few more things like this with our forum members. First was Penta Balls. Now R9 irons. we hope to do quite a bit with some different companies coming up this year and let the companies pick who they would like to do the long term reviews.

 

[JB]

Harry,
When do you get your first testing in with these?

 

[Smallville]

We have received over a dozen PM's asking "why did Harry get chosen and how can I enter for future irons".

This was a choice by Taylormade Golf not by THP. We approached them about a different matter and they informed us about this testing program. They based it on quality of posts, number of posts, tenure at THP, etc...

He's also on the staff and an integral part of the website. It would be nice to be chosen to just test equipment, but there are other things the staff deals with behind the scenes that aren't as exciting and fun as testing.

Looking forward to your ongoing report Harry.

 

[JB]

They should be appearing in stores all over the place for people to start testing them out as of this weekend. Some stores got them in and out on Wednesday.

 

[Harry Longshanks]

Range Session #1

Range Session #1

[SIZE=-1]This morning I gave the R9s a whirl for the first time. I took them to the range with my regular bag.

Methodology: I generally have two variations on my normal full-swing practice routine. Both start with a SW warm up. I then either move all the way through my bag, hitting every club or, if I am working on specific swing mechanics, I only hit my PW, 7, and 5 before moving on to hybrids and woods. I usually finish by hitting several LW shots and then a few more PW shots.

Because I wanted to split time between my current clubs and the R9s, I opted for a PW/7/5 routine today. That is, after my SW warms up, I hit my current PW, followed by the R9 PW. I then did the same with the 7 irons and 5 irons, hitting several balls with each before moving on the the next club.

Apples to Apples: I am 6'3" and I don't play play clubs off the rack (i.e. standard length/lie angle). Instead, my i5s are +1/2" in length and 3° upright, with +1/32 size grips (i.e., Ping 703 "gold" grips). Because different companies have different "standard" lengths and lie angles, the equivalent specs for the R9s are +1/4" length, 2° upright, and standard grips with 1 wrap of buildup tape. TaylorMade was gracious enough to provide the R9s in my specs so I could compare "apples to apples." A visual "[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]side-by-side"[/SIZE][SIZE=-1] inspection of the two sets of irons showed that they are nearly identical in length and lie angle.

The only variance between the two sets is in grip diameter. The R9s come with Tour Velvet grip, which I find to be thinner in diameter than most grips. As a result, one extra wrap wasn't sufficient to bring the grips to my size preference. I'm going to attempt to remove the grips and add an extra wrap of build-up tape. Tour Velvets have never been my favorite, so if I were to regrip, I would probably go with TaylorMade Burner or Arrow grip.

Lofts on the R9s are approximately 1[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]° stronger than my current irons (which I had made 1[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]° stronger than standard[/SIZE] - therefore, the standard R9 loft is 2[SIZE=-1]° stronger than the standard i5 loft.)[/SIZE]

Offset on the R9s is slightly less than the i5s (i.e., 0.5mm difference for the 7 iron)
[SIZE=-1]
Initial Impressions:
[/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]Appearance: [/SIZE]There is no [SIZE=-1]question that the R9s are sexy. I mean, who doesn't like black and chrome together? The black insert in the cavity may sometimes appear cheap and stickerish in some photos, but in person it has a nice solid look. Beyond the superficial, the R9s have a medium topline to inspire confidence without looking too clunky. The sole is approximately the same size as my i5s, but the leading edge on the R9 is beveled to give it a thinner appearance.

Feel in Hand: The R9s felt significantly lighter in hand than my current irons. This perplexed me a little because the swingweight of the R9s is D1, while my i5s have a swingweight of D0. I'm going to try to track down shaft weight information to see if this could be the cause.

Feel Through Swing: The lighter feel of the R9s required some acclimation time. At first it was disconcerting, but after several swings I got used to the different feel.

At impact on solid strikes, the R9s give noticeably different feedback compared with my current irons. While my i5s give a deeper, clunkier thwack that feels almost like the metal in the face of the club is compressing, the R9s give a higher pitched, clickier thwack sound/feel that feels more like the ball is compressing. Here is sort of a graphical representation:
[/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]-- thwick![/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]|[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]| <--R9 irons[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]| [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]|[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]-- thwack![/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]|[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]| <--Ping i5 irons[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]|[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]|[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]-- thwunk![/SIZE]
​

[SIZE=-1]One isn't necessarily better than the other; it's just personal preference. For what it is worth, the i5 sound/feel felt to me like the result of the metal, while the R9 sound/feel felt like the result of technology. At first, I wasn't fond of the R9 sound/feel, but I quickly got used to it. I chalked it up to simply being comfortable with the sound and feel of my own irons (which I've played for three years) and knowing what each sound and feel meant.

Feedback: Both irons give appropriate feedback, albeit in different ways. The R9s are considerably more "gentle" feeling. It's obvious there is some technological dampening going on. Pure strikes have almost no feedback at all - almost like hitting a cotton ball. Mishits are still soft, but give some vibration. It is usually easy to determine the nature of the mishit (i.e. bladed, toed, etc.) from the feel of the club.

Ball Flight: Ball flight is remarkably similar to my current irons. However, I would have to say that the R9s produce slightly less sidespin and slightly more distance. Dispersion of mishits was a bit tighter with the R9s. Trajectory was a tad more penetrating, but still with excellent height. I can't explain why, but I felt as though I could be more precise with the R9s. However, that may simply be the result of the lighter, clickier feel.

Specials Mention: The 3-6 irons in the R9 set are designed differently from the 7-PW. TaylorMade calls the technology a "Velocity Control Chamber" (VCC). Rather than try to explain it, I'm just going to post an image from TaylorMade's website:
[/SIZE]

​

The irons with VCC are worthy of special mention because I found them significantly easier to hit than my current longer irons. Right now, the longest iron I carry is a 5-iron. With the R9s, I would consider replacing my highest lofted hybrid with an R9 4-iron. For lack of a better explanation, I would say that the R9 irons with VCC felt like irons with a bit of hybrid-club technology.
​

Initial Conclusions: Make no mistake, the R9s are the real deal. Without question, they are the best game-improvement iron that TaylorMade has released in years. They have a semi-player's look and feel without sacrificing forgiveness.

Let's be clear, these are no miracle sticks. They are not going to compensate for a bad swing. Sliced and hooked balls are not magically going to go straight. And the feel/sound is a tad on the artificial/clicky side (mostly likely attributable to the vibration dampening technology and the attempt to give a game-improvement club more of a player's club feel through inserts, etc.), but it is easy to adjust to it.

Honestly, if I demo'd my current irons side-by-side with the R9 irons today for the first time, I'm not sure which ones I would bag.


More to come . . .

 

[Harry Longshanks]

Harry,
When do you get your first testing in with these?

Oops, sorry I didn't answer JB. I was actually writing my observations from the first test when you posted this.

 

[ClairefromClare]

Wow, Harry. The attention you have to detail and the way you write it up is just amazing. Thank you.

 

[bogeyme]

Thanks for your first observations. I'll be interested to see how you actually play them on the course.

 

[JB]

Unbelievably thorough and explains why TM picked you. You have loved your irons forever and I never thought that these would get so high remarks despite that I have been playing them for almost 2 months now and absolutely love them.

I do not get the same clicky feel that you are getting. The sound I get is a little clicky, but the feel I get is soft and smooth. (Technology like you said).

I am thoroughly looking forward to your future info on this thread and as you get to game them on the course. The sidespin thing is one of the biggest things I am noticing. It reminds me a lot of the first time I gamed an E6 golf ball and realized how it looks ball flight wise.

Great stuff Harry.

 

[coyna1]

Great initial review! Mostly I appreciate the objectiveness and details of your review. Makes it easier to apply my own experience with these clubs in comparison with what your thoughts were. Enjoyed it and am really looking forward to your future reviews of the R9's.