TaylorMade Burner 2.0 Irons - Forum Testing Review

[yorkem]

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This is an interesting idea. If you are really having problems that day with ball contact, I don't see a reason that this wouldn't be a viable option. Yeah, you may lose 15 yards of distance, but you still have control of the ball and are getting more distance than a fat shot.

That's exactly what I was thinking. It is not going to take over for my game every day by any means, but on those off days I think I could save quite a few strokes, and with the distance I am getting with the 2.0's, the loss won't be that big of a deal.

 

[TC]

I think you do what you have to in order to start hitting the ball solidly, and it sounds like it was just what the doctor ordered.

I often think back to these irons and one thing that always stood out to me was the feedback. It was alway very easy to tell where you were striking the golf ball due to what you felt. I wonder if that was a shaft thing to an extent? For those of you playing the nonstock shafts, how's the feeback when you miss?

 

[yorkem]

I think you do what you have to in order to start hitting the ball solidly, and it sounds like it was just what the doctor ordered.

I often think back to these irons and one thing that always stood out to me was the feedback. It was alway very easy to tell where you were striking the golf ball due to what you felt. I wonder if that was a shaft thing to an extent? For those of you playing the nonstock shafts, how's the feeback when you miss?

I realize this is directed at those playing non-stock shafts, but, I just wanted to say that I agree completely with this. I can always tell if I am a little out on the toe, or a little close to the heel, immediately with the feedback through the stock shaft.

 

[tomahawk18]

I think you do what you have to in order to start hitting the ball solidly, and it sounds like it was just what the doctor ordered.

I often think back to these irons and one thing that always stood out to me was the feedback. It was alway very easy to tell where you were striking the golf ball due to what you felt. I wonder if that was a shaft thing to an extent? For those of you playing the nonstock shafts, how's the feeback when you miss?

I love the feel and feedback of the 2.0's with the KBS Tour TC. If I hit it of the toe, thin, etc., I know immediately in my hands, but it doesn't vibrate to the point of pain. My minor misses, (still decent results), are usually on the toe and I know immediately when I do it. I know when the ball is in the air that it will be a few yards shorter than planned, even if it looks great.

 

[jefrazie]

After reading dubbledxu's review, I thought I would post a similar "thoughts" review with my opinions and ratings (5 is the best).

My specs:
4 - PW, SW
Stock Burner 2.0 Superfast 85 stiff (steel)
2* upright 1" longer than Burner 2.0 standard
Stock Taylormade grips

Feel / Playability - 4.5
This is a great aspect of the 2.0's. When I hit a great shot, I know it as soon as the club hits the ball. The feedback is instant. On well struck shots, the ball launches off of the face with a slight "rising" trajectory. The ball lands soft and one hop - stops every time. When I hit a less than perfect shot, the club lets me know instantly where I hit the ball so I can fix the problem for the next swing. This is something different than my previous set of irons as they would just mask where I hit the ball. Initially, it was something that I had to get used to but now I couldn't live without. No more questions of why the ball was short when I hit it off the toe!

Turf interaction with these irons is another big plus. I am a typical digger and these clubs have no problem at all cutting through the dirt to give me a nice clean divot.

The only reason for the half point deduction is that I just can't seem to like the SW in the set. Out of the sand I have had a few problems opening the face and hitting shanks. Off of the turf, I feel like the SW bounces a bit too much and far prefer the feel of my forged wedges to the CB SW.

Forgiveness - 4
Comparing these to my old irons, these are a bit less forgiving. While with the previous set, a toe shot would still go the normal distance, I am seeing about a 10-15 yard penalty on toe shots with the 2.0's. Heel shots tend to be a bit harsher and usually result in a 15-20 yard loss in distance. These are not bad things at all though. Because of the obvious lost distance, I feel like it has forced me to become a better ball striker and really focus on hitting the sweet spot. But given that the are not quite as "forgiving" on mishits, I docked a point here.

Accuracy - 5
This again is where the 2.0's shine. Since gaming the 2.0's, I have begun firing at pins vs just aiming for the green. I more regularly land the ball inside 15 feet of the pin than I did with my previous irons. I feel comfortable going for sucker pins knowing that the ball will go exactly where I aimed and stop within one hop. I can't stress how much these irons have improved my accuracy.

Distance - 2
I was a bit harsh on this aspect. The 2.0's were marketed as being longer. From TM's website, "Every new Burner 2.0 iron has been engineered to be long. http://www.taylormadegolf.com/burner/performance.aspx"

This is where the 2.0's just don't stand up to the marketing. I have not gained ANY distance at all. If anything, I may have lost a few yards. Now, I'm not saying I went from hitting 180 yard 7I's to now hitting them 150. But when the primary marketing of an item is its distance and how you will gain distance using these irons, I am not seeing any gain. I still use my previous iron distances and they perform perfectly fine.

Looks / Sound - 5
The look is another win for the burners. The colors mesh together well and create something that is aesthetically pleasing to the eye. The progressive topline's give you the feel of a players club with the short irons, and forgiveness on the long irons. When I look down at the iron at address, it inspires confidence and I feel like I am going to put the ball within 2 feet of the hole. One other small thing I have noticed about the CB, is that at address, I am unable to see the flange of the CB even on the 4I.

The sound of these irons is a bit quieter than I was used to in the beginning. Since playing with them for a while, I have grown accustomed to the subtle click that you receive on a well struck shot.

Durability - 5
This was a category that I had questions about. After seeing that they were a "blackish?" color (adjectives escape me), I was worried that this color would fade off the face and possibly rust underneath. That fear has been completely alleviated. After somewhere around 20 rounds, the irons still look brand new. The black color hasn't worn a bit. The face has very slight wear from hitting the ball (as expected) but the wear is well hidden by the lighter face color. Since I ride most of the time, bag chatter isn't really an issue for me.


Final overall rating - 4.5 :clapp:

The irons both look and perform well, albeit the distance marketing isn't justified. These irons would work well for anyone from a 25 HC down to a scratch golfer. They are accurate, forgiving and look downright awesome. I've liked the irons so much that I want to add a 3I to my set to possibly replace my hybrid.

Let me know if anyone has any questions about the clubs or my ratings!

 

[TC]

Thanks guys. It's exactly how felt about these irons. Anyone having any issues with wear on the black portion of the club head?

 

[yorkem]

Nice overall review, but I have to say that you may be in the minority on the distance issue. I know I have gained quite a bit, and it seems to be the consensus. I have no idea why you did not see it. Were your old irons lofted stronger than these?

 

[GrantD]

Nice review jefrazie. What iron set do you consider a 5 out there?

 

[tomahawk18]

Thanks guys. It's exactly how felt about these irons. Anyone having any issues with wear on the black portion of the club head?

Not really TC. The have minor scratching, but have held up really well! These pics are from last week after a range session.

 

[jefrazie]

Nice overall review, but I have to say that you may be in the minority on the distance issue. I know I have gained quite a bit, and it seems to be the consensus. I have no idea why you did not see it. Were your old irons lofted stronger than these?

Diablo edge iron specs:

Club 3	Loft 19º	Lie Angle 60.5º	Bounce 1.0	Hand RH / LH	Length 39	Swing Weight D2
4	22º	61.0º	1.0	RH / LH	38.5	D2
5	25º	61.5º	1.0	RH / LH	38	D2
6	28º	62.0º	2.0	RH / LH	37.5	D2
7	32º	62.5º	3.0	RH / LH	37	D2
8	36º	63.0º	5.0	RH / LH	36.5	D2
9	40º	64.0º	7.0	RH / LH	36	D2
PW	44º	65.0º	11.0	RH / LH	35.5	D2
AW	49º	65.0º	12.0	RH / LH	35.5	D2
SW	54º	65.0º	17.0	RH / LH	35.25	D4
LW	59º	65.0º	15.0	RH Only	35	D4

Burner 2.0 iron specs

3	19º	60.75º		RH / LH	39.5	D3.5
4	21º	61.5º		RH / LH	38.875	D3.5
5	24º	62º		RH / LH	38.25	D3.5
6	27º	62.5º		RH / LH	37.625	D3.5
7	31º	63º		RH / LH	37	D3.5
8	35º	63.5º		RH / LH	36.5	D3.5
9	40º	64.0º		RH / LH	36	D3.5
PW	45º	64.5º		RH / LH	35.5	D3.5
AW	50º	64.5º		RH / LH	35.5	D3.5
SW	55º	64.5º		RH / LH	35.25	D5
LW	60º	64.5º		RH Only	35	D5

 

[jefrazie]

Nice review jefrazie. What iron set do you consider a 5 out there?

That's a really good question. Honestly, the burners should be a 5 but I can't get past the marketing of distance that TM claims.

Only other iron that I would rate a 5 (from what I have tried) is the TM CB. I loved those things and they are downright sexy.

 

[yorkem]

Thanks guys. It's exactly how felt about these irons. Anyone having any issues with wear on the black portion of the club head?

None on the sole of the club, but a little with misses way out on the toe, but that is to be expected. Did you find similar results TC? I have attached a couple of pictures below showing what I am talking about.

 

[tomahawk18]

That's a really good question. Honestly, the burners should be a 5 but I can't get past the marketing of distance that TM claims.

Only other iron that I would rate a 5 (from what I have tried) is the TM CB. I loved those things and they are downright sexy.

Are you talking about distance? The CB's look great, but they lack distance especially on mis hits. They are not in the same league distance wise to the 2.0's. They were shorter than my R9's by quite a bit (and weaker lofted). I know that people's games are different, but we had a group of 5 or 6 guys that hit the CB's and all said the major issue was length when compared to most of the GI irons.

Frankly I am shocked at your 2 out of 5 rating for distance for the 2.0's. From my perspective it just doesn't make sense. Even if you gained no distance, you were playing another notoriously long strong lofted (Diablo's) iron before the 2.0's, which had to be much longer than your previous set (before Diablo's). So even if they were equal, they are out perfoming a large amount of irons out the in the distance category, right?

I am not questioning you as much as I am trying to understand the logic?

 

[TC]

Yorkem, I did notice some wear on the face of the club, especially if I hit a ball out of the fairway bunker. You're right though, it should be expected.

 

[mdbuschsr]

I went to the range last night to work on my ball striking because I have just been hitting a ton of shots fat lately, and had an aha moment. First off, let me say that my ankle (if you have been following this thread you know I sprained it Saturday) was just starting to feel better. Still couldn't put all of my weight on it, but it was so nice out after work yesterday that I just had to hit the range at least. I juts grabbed 7, 8, 9, and PW and got a small bucket. Lossening up, I could tell follow through was going to be a problem, but not so much that I thought I couldn't get through the bucket working on what I wanted to work on.

I start hitting shots with the 7 iron and sure enough on the 5th swing I hit one fat. This is not a club issue, it is definitely a swing issue, and has been my miss for a while now. I lose a ton of distance when I hit it fat, although not as much as in the past because the turf interaction with these irons is so good, especially for a GI iron, it allows me to power through it. After the fat shot I take a nice 3/4 swing which basically resets me and gets me a nice clean and crisp contact with the ball, and then go back to full shots.

I do this throughout the bucket, and as I am walking off of the range thinking about my session it hits me. I don't lose that much distance on my 3/4 swings, and I always strike the ball well when doing it because it is a much more controlled swing for me. I grab another small bucket and go through the entire bucket doing nothing but 3/4 swings. I hit 2 thin, and 1 fat. The rest are struck crisply and cleanly.

I am obviously losing some distance, but not as much as when I hit one fat, and, if I am playing for it.....AHA! I will have to dial in distances, but if I do, and I am struggling on the course, and know I can go to this type of shot, why not. What is more impressive, crushing an iron and having people say "you hit that with what?" or, "you shot what?" I think I am going to go with option 2.

What do you guys think? I would love some feedback on this.

It is a great thought process, and one that I resort to occasionally. The only problem with it, for me, is that I find I start taking tentative shots, rather than aggressive swings. Tentative shots lead to poor results for me, and it takes me a while to remember to swing aggressively even on 3/4 swings. Glad you found something that works, and hope the ankle keeps healing up.

 

[mdbuschsr]

I think you do what you have to in order to start hitting the ball solidly, and it sounds like it was just what the doctor ordered.

I often think back to these irons and one thing that always stood out to me was the feedback. It was alway very easy to tell where you were striking the golf ball due to what you felt. I wonder if that was a shaft thing to an extent? For those of you playing the nonstock shafts, how's the feeback when you miss?

I have the stock graphite shafts in mine. The feedback on mishits is really telling on bigger mishits. If I miss slightly inside or outside, I cannot pick it up without looking at the club face. With shots more towards the extreme edges of the club I can tell immediately and without having to look.

 

[tomahawk18]

I have the stock graphite shafts in mine. The feedback on mishits is really telling on bigger mishits. If I miss slightly inside or outside, I cannot pick it up without looking at the club face. With shots more towards the extreme edges of the club I can tell immediately and without having to look.

Does the lack of feedback bother you? Or do the graphite shaft benefits outweigh the negatives?

 

[jefrazie]

Are you talking about distance? The CB's look great, but they lack distance especially on mis hits. They are not in the same league distance wise to the 2.0's. They were shorter than my R9's by quite a bit (and weaker lofted). I know that people's games are different, but we had a group of 5 or 6 guys that hit the CB's and all said the major issue was length when compared to most of the GI irons.

Frankly I am shocked at your 2 out of 5 rating for distance for the 2.0's. From my perspective it just doesn't make sense. Even if you gained no distance, you were playing another notoriously long strong lofted (Diablo's) iron before the 2.0's, which had to be much longer than your previous set (before Diablo's). So even if they were equal, they are out perfoming a large amount of irons out the in the distance category, right?

I am not questioning you as much as I am trying to understand the logic?

The TM CB's were not marketed as being the longest where the 2.0's were. The CBs were designed to give the player a forged iron feel with some forgiveness and I believe that is exactly what they deliver and deliver very well. I feel like they are the perfect players CB.

I probably was a little harsh on the distance rating but personally, I hate all the marketing that says "Bigger, faster, longest ever!" From an outside point of view (how I tried to address the distance) these irons just don't live up to the hype. Regarding the diablo vs the 2.0's, yes they are both strong lofted irons. But on TM's site, it says that in their testing, they were seeing 7.8 yards longer with the 2.0's vs the Edge's. Like I said before, if anything, the Diablo's are longer. The burners are wonderful irons that are still plenty long and I have no intentions of returning to the edge's. Hopefully this explained my logic for the rating a bit better. :act-up:

 

[Jman]

The TM CB's were not marketed as being the longest where the 2.0's were. The CBs were designed to give the player a forged iron feel with some forgiveness and I believe that is exactly what they deliver and deliver very well. I feel like they are the perfect players CB.

I probably was a little harsh on the distance rating but personally, I hate all the marketing that says "Bigger, faster, longest ever!" From an outside point of view (how I tried to address the distance) these irons just don't live up to the hype. Regarding the diablo vs the 2.0's, yes they are both strong lofted irons. But on TM's site, it says that in their testing, they were seeing 7.8 yards longer with the 2.0's vs the Edge's. Like I said before, if anything, the Diablo's are longer. The burners are wonderful irons that are still plenty long and I have no intentions of returning to the edge's. Hopefully this explained my logic for the rating a bit better. :act-up:

Well put Jef. In the end its like anything else with equipment, some see the gains the claims put up and some don't. I did, you didn't. Nothing wrong with that, we all agree they are very good irons either way I think.

 

[tomahawk18]

The TM CB's were not marketed as being the longest where the 2.0's were. The CBs were designed to give the player a forged iron feel with some forgiveness and I believe that is exactly what they deliver and deliver very well. I feel like they are the perfect players CB.

I probably was a little harsh on the distance rating but personally, I hate all the marketing that says "Bigger, faster, longest ever!" From an outside point of view (how I tried to address the distance) these irons just don't live up to the hype. Regarding the diablo vs the 2.0's, yes they are both strong lofted irons. But on TM's site, it says that in their testing, they were seeing 7.8 yards longer with the 2.0's vs the Edge's. Like I said before, if anything, the Diablo's are longer. The burners are wonderful irons that are still plenty long and I have no intentions of returning to the edge's. Hopefully this explained my logic for the rating a bit better. :act-up:

Thanks jef. I more understand your logic. I disagree, but understand. I am still surprised you are not seeing the distance increases though.

 

[mdbuschsr]

Does the lack of feedback bother you? Or do the graphite shaft benefits outweigh the negatives?

The benefits of the graphite shaft FAR outweighs the negative. My previous set of X18r irons had the uniflex steel shaft in them. After a long range session or 36 holes my right elbow and wrists were hurtin'. I'm a digger, so having the extra dampening from the graphite went from something nice to a must have going forward. I suspect that my inconsistent swing makes it more difficult for me to feel slight mishits. If I'm 1/4-1/2" left or right of center, I still call it a good swing. The other large benefit for me was an additional 8mph of club head speed. Since I am no long baller, the additional speed was welcomed.

 

[tomahawk18]

The benefits of the graphite shaft FAR outweighs the negative. My previous set of X18r irons had the uniflex steel shaft in them. After a long range session or 36 holes my right elbow and wrists were hurtin'. I'm a digger, so having the extra dampening from the graphite went from something nice to a must have going forward. I suspect that my inconsistent swing makes it more difficult for me to feel slight mishits. If I'm 1/4-1/2" left or right of center, I still call it a good swing. The other large benefit for me was an additional 8mph of club head speed. Since I am no long baller, the additional speed was welcomed.

Thanks md. That is a really cool setup. I have not played graphite sharfts in irons yet, but the idea is intriguing. 8 mph is a great increase!

 

[Josh_Ross]

I think you do what you have to in order to start hitting the ball solidly, and it sounds like it was just what the doctor ordered.

I often think back to these irons and one thing that always stood out to me was the feedback. It was alway very easy to tell where you were striking the golf ball due to what you felt. I wonder if that was a shaft thing to an extent? For those of you playing the nonstock shafts, how's the feeback when you miss?

I feel the same way you described it here. I don't even have to look at the club face, and I can pretty much guarantee that I can point out where the ball was struck. I wasn't quite sure how to word that, and I actually didn't even realize this was a quality of the club until you mentioned it and I thought about it. Definitely feel it more so than I ever have.

Thanks guys. It's exactly how felt about these irons. Anyone having any issues with wear on the black portion of the club head?

My clubs are still looking spectacular, and I am very surprised about this. It's unreal how well it holds up.

 

[ddxu]

I often think back to these irons and one thing that always stood out to me was the feedback. It was alway very easy to tell where you were striking the golf ball due to what you felt. I wonder if that was a shaft thing to an extent? For those of you playing the nonstock shafts, how's the feeback when you miss?

It is very easy for me to tell where on the face I make contact during a mishit with the PX 5.5. Fortunately for me, my misses are almost always on the toe, but I've found I'm getting better and better differentiating a regular toe miss to a high toe miss.

Thanks guys. It's exactly how felt about these irons. Anyone having any issues with wear on the black portion of the club head?

I am seeing some chatter wear on the back of the shorter clubs, but its really only noticeable if you really look for it. I carry my bag, so the wedges get a bit more bag jostling and rattling than others may see.

Nice overall review, but I have to say that you may be in the minority on the distance issue. I know I have gained quite a bit, and it seems to be the consensus. I have no idea why you did not see it. Were your old irons lofted stronger than these?

Not sure if this was directed to me, but my Cleveland CG Golds do have similar lofts. The Clevelands also have a much lighter shaft, so I am sure the weight difference in shafts (PX being heavier) will account for some of the difference. Luckily I still have enough distance where I dont feel like I am losing anything with the heavier shafts. The heavier shafts do seem to slow me down and make my swing more controlled, which I always need.

 

[tomahawk18]

It is very easy for me to tell where on the face I make contact during a mishit with the PX 5.5. Fortunately for me, my misses are almost always on the toe, but I've found I'm getting better and better differentiating a regular toe miss to a high toe miss.



I am seeing some chatter wear on the back of the shorter clubs, but its really only noticeable if you really look for it. I carry my bag, so the wedges get a bit more bag jostling and rattling than others may see.




Not sure if this was directed to me, but my Cleveland CG Golds do have similar lofts. The Clevelands also have a much lighter shaft, so I am sure the weight difference in shafts (PX being heavier) will account for some of the difference. Luckily I still have enough distance where I dont feel like I am losing anything with the heavier shafts. The heavier shafts do seem to slow me down and make my swing more controlled, which I always need.

I have found the same. The heavier shaft has a much better feel for me and I can more easily control the club. The 90 gram shaft on R9's felt whippy to me and just too light. I didn't notice it as much until I used the heavier shaft, but I am not sure I could go back to a lighter shaft now. It is amazing how good clubs spec'd and fitted for your game feel!!