thehackingmurse
@mursesunited
Someone once compared taylormade to apple in that they take old technology and make it look "sexy" and pawn it off as something revolutionary. TM has done this with these irons. Old school wilson reflex irons revamped.
TaylorMade RocketBladez - Review Thread
giorgiokaan
Active member
I have burner 2.0s, would it benefit me enough to spend on these or is the difference negligible?
giorgiokaan
Active member
I had the sam thoughts, that and they also release new products every 4 months and create tons of hype on every new product.
- Staff
- #254
I plan on addressing this very thing when I get mine in hand, I was along time lover of the 2.0's an I'm openly very curious/intrigued about these. Especially with Jake, Hawk, and Kmac's early feedback.
Straightened things out with FedEx Home yesterday, I hope I have them in hand today, if not it'll be Tuesday for sure.
Looking forward to your thoughts as you were a fan of previous TM Irons.
I'm stuck on the r7 TPs but early reviews seem to be pushing me towards the RocketBladez
- Thread starter
- Staff
- #256
Spent two hours just httting irons and wedges on a shorter course I use for practice. Will have some thoughts soon.
Wanted to put the AW to some use and learned a lot about it. Not bad at all.
Posted via tapatalk.
Wanted to put the AW to some use and learned a lot about it. Not bad at all.
Posted via tapatalk.
- Thread starter
- Staff
- #257
I did hit a 2.0 6 iron at the same time as the RBladez this week. I don't really like to make conclusions after one session though. 2.0 seemed a little harsher on mishits. Distance appeared to be comparable, but I didn't take any averages or anything. Really no clue regarding forgiveness at this point, but my gut tells me they won't be that different.
I'd say you're probably going to be the only one that can truly answer that question. I'm not a huge believer in changing things that are working.
- Staff
- #259
Well, without further ado....RocketBladez have made it to Oklahoma for some testing!
After a round and round with FedEx they just dropped them off and I had enough daylight to rip the box open and take some pic's, better ones tomorrow in full sunlight. I was sent 4-AW like the other testers and went with KBS Tour's in S and REL 3Gen mid's on mine. The irons are also bent 1* flat to spec for me.
The Group:
4i:
8i:
AW:
So, these REALLY do look better in hand to me as far as overall size of the clubhead and offsets are concerned. Not to mention, to my eye, the topline isn't bad at all. I know Kmac has already taken some i20 comparisons but I'll grab some more in the daylight outside tomorrow for my own mind more than anything. I like the combo of satin and chrome on them and the slots are much better looking in hand as well. All told I'm excited to get them out on Monday now, might be able to sneak a couple buckets tomorrow early though I hope. More pic's in WAY better light tomorrow, I promise.
After a round and round with FedEx they just dropped them off and I had enough daylight to rip the box open and take some pic's, better ones tomorrow in full sunlight. I was sent 4-AW like the other testers and went with KBS Tour's in S and REL 3Gen mid's on mine. The irons are also bent 1* flat to spec for me.
The Group:
4i:
8i:
AW:
So, these REALLY do look better in hand to me as far as overall size of the clubhead and offsets are concerned. Not to mention, to my eye, the topline isn't bad at all. I know Kmac has already taken some i20 comparisons but I'll grab some more in the daylight outside tomorrow for my own mind more than anything. I like the combo of satin and chrome on them and the slots are much better looking in hand as well. All told I'm excited to get them out on Monday now, might be able to sneak a couple buckets tomorrow early though I hope. More pic's in WAY better light tomorrow, I promise.
I'm anxious to try these and compare threm to my RocketBallz.
Puttin4Bird
Say what again mf'er!
I'm glad you got your irons Jman. I can't wait for you to get out and hit them and hear what you think.
I got to play a round plus a few extra holes today. I hit SO many good shots with the RBladez. Shot a pretty nice 76 (+4) today. I really tried to just focus on the round and try to shoot a score rather than experiment with a bunch of different shots. I was very happy with the way I hit the ball with these today. I caught more than my share of shots fat and bit out toward the toe but the forgiveness of these irons shined through time and time again. I hit at least 4 or 5 iron shots that were so crisp and solid I just stood there and posed over the ball. I love shots like that. The first real real good iron shot came on hole 7, after a good drive on a very difficult hole I was 140 out, hit the 9 iron and the second I hit it I knew it was money. My ball mark was about a yard from the pin, with a nice check up and little roll out I had a 10 footer for birdie....made it. This hole on this course has chewed me up and spit me out so many times, I don't know if I have ever birdied it before today. I was super excited. On the 198 yard par 3 (big drop from tee to green) I hit a 7 iron that just about brought tears to my eyes I hit it so well. It never left the flag the entire time, it came up a bit short of the pin but on the green and lead to an easy par. I hit several very good irons shots from here but another that sticks out was on 18, dead into a 20+ mph wind I had 85 yards left on this short finishing hole. I choked up on a PW, put it back in my stance and swing smooth. I had this gorgeous ball flight that climbed but never got too high, it held it's line perfectly and as Freddie would say, landed like a butterfly with sore feet about 7 feet from the hole. Birdie to finish!
On the couple extra holes we played I again hit some terrific iron shots. On the final hole we played my dad, who knows my game better than anyone, tells me I'm a fool if I stop playing these irons. I should listen to my dad, you never want to have dad think you're a fool!
I got to play a round plus a few extra holes today. I hit SO many good shots with the RBladez. Shot a pretty nice 76 (+4) today. I really tried to just focus on the round and try to shoot a score rather than experiment with a bunch of different shots. I was very happy with the way I hit the ball with these today. I caught more than my share of shots fat and bit out toward the toe but the forgiveness of these irons shined through time and time again. I hit at least 4 or 5 iron shots that were so crisp and solid I just stood there and posed over the ball. I love shots like that. The first real real good iron shot came on hole 7, after a good drive on a very difficult hole I was 140 out, hit the 9 iron and the second I hit it I knew it was money. My ball mark was about a yard from the pin, with a nice check up and little roll out I had a 10 footer for birdie....made it. This hole on this course has chewed me up and spit me out so many times, I don't know if I have ever birdied it before today. I was super excited. On the 198 yard par 3 (big drop from tee to green) I hit a 7 iron that just about brought tears to my eyes I hit it so well. It never left the flag the entire time, it came up a bit short of the pin but on the green and lead to an easy par. I hit several very good irons shots from here but another that sticks out was on 18, dead into a 20+ mph wind I had 85 yards left on this short finishing hole. I choked up on a PW, put it back in my stance and swing smooth. I had this gorgeous ball flight that climbed but never got too high, it held it's line perfectly and as Freddie would say, landed like a butterfly with sore feet about 7 feet from the hole. Birdie to finish!
On the couple extra holes we played I again hit some terrific iron shots. On the final hole we played my dad, who knows my game better than anyone, tells me I'm a fool if I stop playing these irons. I should listen to my dad, you never want to have dad think you're a fool!
arydolphin
GTHC!
Words to live by!
Jman, one question: why didn't you go with your trusty C-Taper shafts in these irons?
I had thought the Tour version of these irons would interest me more when they were first announced, but seeing the in-hand pictures of these irons has me interested in the "regular" version as well.
Jjmorris
Will Post for Thanks
Glad to hear the success jake!
- Staff
- #266
I simply told them I'd like either the C-Tapers or the KBS Tours, didn't know what would be in there when I opened the box. I've been fit to both of them at one point and have gamed both so it takes the shaft out of the equation for me and now I can JUST focus on the heads, I like that!
Ary, I'm with you on your thoughts, I thought Tour's all the way when I first saw these, but in hand and next to my i20's...its changing my thoughts. Course time will tell the truth though.
- Thread starter
- Staff
- #268
As mentioned, I spent two hours at a short course by my house for some testing and practice today. Par 4's range from 280 to 380 yards. Aside from two holes, I teed off with an iron. I hit multiple balls off the tee on each hole and from varying distances in the fairway in rough. Didn't even pull out the putter today. Just there to hit balls.
I forgot the 4 iron, so the iron I used the 5 iron off the tee on the par 4's. Results were decent enough considering I haven't carried a 5 iron for almost 6 months now. Clean strikes were mostly mid to high push draws that had pretty exceptional distance. Had one giant push that was high and right, but still had the yards. Mis-hit were mini chunks that had some hooking action. Not off the course or anything, just not where I wanted them. On one hole I hit the M5 and then followed up with RBladez 5 iron. M5 was a nice shot - high draw back to center. Rbladez was a little chunky and the ball ended up 12 yards short of the M5 and still in the fairway. Not a bad miss at all and I was surprised that it ended up as close the the M5 shot as it did. What I like about the 5 iron is that I can hit it in the air. Sounds funny I guess, but being able to put the ball as high as I do with the other irons is nice.
I think I hit every iron at some point. I always favor the 7 iron since it's my lesson club, so I probably hit it the most. Very happy with what I saw there from the tee (on a par 3) and from the the fairway. Performance from the rough was ok, but nothing I'd consider great for me. Something very nice about the way these irons sound when you hit them well. Again, ballflight ranged from mid to very high depending on the quality of my swing.
AW
The AW was a club that I really wanted to spend some time with. In all honesty, I just don't use a 50° wedge that often. For the most part, it's a club I use for specific distances. It's not really a club I use for chipping. Regardless, I decided to use it in spots I normally wouldn't for testings sake.
The distance I would normally use this wedge for is a 90 yard pitch and it did pretty well there. I think I still prefer my 588 to be honest, but it wasn't bad in any way. First few shots dug a little more than I expected. The result of that was a shot that went a lot shorter than expected. User error or just a matter of getting adjusted I guess, but they weren't what I'd consider good. Didn't take long to get used to it though and results got a lot better. I can certainly keep the ball low or high by adjusting ball position. Spin was hard to gauge. It's fall and conditions aren't really ripe for spin. That being said, the distance control was pretty decent. Well struck pitches were in the 90 yard range as I'd expect them to be. If you asked me to choose today, I'd stick with my 588 for this shot - just based off comfort and past results.
Chips were good from a variety of lies. Like I said, a 50° wedge isn't my club of choice in this situation, but it was pretty easy to get a feel for distance after a dozen tries or so. I'm not a big spinner of the ball with chip shots. Usually just try to keep the ball low and let it roll and the AW did fine with it.
Best performance for me came from the rough, both greenside and for pitch shots. Surprisingly good results here and almost good enough to make me consider keeping it the bag for this purpose alone. I really have no clue why, but the wedge really seemed to handle these shots nicely.
On a whim, I tried to open the face and hit some shots. Mainly did this since I'd read that the ATV excelled in this type of situation. Didn't work for me at all. The club bounced to much. Didn't blade any, but contact wasn't good and I don't intend to try that shot again.
I'm sure more will come to me over time. Hoping to play tomorrow as well.
I forgot the 4 iron, so the iron I used the 5 iron off the tee on the par 4's. Results were decent enough considering I haven't carried a 5 iron for almost 6 months now. Clean strikes were mostly mid to high push draws that had pretty exceptional distance. Had one giant push that was high and right, but still had the yards. Mis-hit were mini chunks that had some hooking action. Not off the course or anything, just not where I wanted them. On one hole I hit the M5 and then followed up with RBladez 5 iron. M5 was a nice shot - high draw back to center. Rbladez was a little chunky and the ball ended up 12 yards short of the M5 and still in the fairway. Not a bad miss at all and I was surprised that it ended up as close the the M5 shot as it did. What I like about the 5 iron is that I can hit it in the air. Sounds funny I guess, but being able to put the ball as high as I do with the other irons is nice.
I think I hit every iron at some point. I always favor the 7 iron since it's my lesson club, so I probably hit it the most. Very happy with what I saw there from the tee (on a par 3) and from the the fairway. Performance from the rough was ok, but nothing I'd consider great for me. Something very nice about the way these irons sound when you hit them well. Again, ballflight ranged from mid to very high depending on the quality of my swing.
AW
The AW was a club that I really wanted to spend some time with. In all honesty, I just don't use a 50° wedge that often. For the most part, it's a club I use for specific distances. It's not really a club I use for chipping. Regardless, I decided to use it in spots I normally wouldn't for testings sake.
The distance I would normally use this wedge for is a 90 yard pitch and it did pretty well there. I think I still prefer my 588 to be honest, but it wasn't bad in any way. First few shots dug a little more than I expected. The result of that was a shot that went a lot shorter than expected. User error or just a matter of getting adjusted I guess, but they weren't what I'd consider good. Didn't take long to get used to it though and results got a lot better. I can certainly keep the ball low or high by adjusting ball position. Spin was hard to gauge. It's fall and conditions aren't really ripe for spin. That being said, the distance control was pretty decent. Well struck pitches were in the 90 yard range as I'd expect them to be. If you asked me to choose today, I'd stick with my 588 for this shot - just based off comfort and past results.
Chips were good from a variety of lies. Like I said, a 50° wedge isn't my club of choice in this situation, but it was pretty easy to get a feel for distance after a dozen tries or so. I'm not a big spinner of the ball with chip shots. Usually just try to keep the ball low and let it roll and the AW did fine with it.
Best performance for me came from the rough, both greenside and for pitch shots. Surprisingly good results here and almost good enough to make me consider keeping it the bag for this purpose alone. I really have no clue why, but the wedge really seemed to handle these shots nicely.
On a whim, I tried to open the face and hit some shots. Mainly did this since I'd read that the ATV excelled in this type of situation. Didn't work for me at all. The club bounced to much. Didn't blade any, but contact wasn't good and I don't intend to try that shot again.
I'm sure more will come to me over time. Hoping to play tomorrow as well.
- Admin
- #269
Hawk,
Can you discuss what you are seeing ball flight wise with your irons?
Can you discuss what you are seeing ball flight wise with your irons?
- Thread starter
- Staff
- #270
For sure.
If I hit the ball in the center of the face it's definitely higher than the 588's. I'm not a super high ball hitter - mainly due to a flat swing and a drawing shot shape I assume? Either way, some balls are what I'd consider very high for me, but probably normal high for guys like you. I hope that makes sense.
Mis-hits are lower, but again, higher than comparable misses with my 588's.
With the AW, my stock pitch shot would probably be best described as knockdown-ish, though I know that's sort of an overused term. Compared to your pitch shots, it's lower by a long shot. I keep the ball pretty far back though. If I move it up closer to center, it's still lower than yours, but high enough to have an arcing ball flight.
I'm very happy with the ball flight. I definitely can use a little height, so I've been pleased with the results so far.
Puttin4Bird
Say what again mf'er!
Great info Hawk! One more thing about I like about these irons are the 8,9,PW bump and run shots from around the greens. Because of the way the ball pops off the club face you're really able to just swing nice and smooth and the ball gets up on the green nicely and rolls out very well. I had 3 of these shots today and each of them I never even had to putt it was so close. One of them nearly dropped in the cup.
I also found myself using the AW quite a bit, it isn't quite as versatile as my 52 degree J40 wedge but it still works well for a variety of different shots. I see myself using this club a lot in the future. I can't express enough how impressed I am with TaylorMade for opting for this wedge in the set like they have. My dad plays Burner 2.0 and all day he was drooling over the AW (as well as the rest of the irons in the set) too bad he's a lefty and he couldn't even try them. We compared the irons side by side quite a bit and they're not real far off size wise but to me the RBladez are a nicer looking iron and just by looking at them you can see they have a lot more going for them in terms of technology and forgiveness.
Best guess so far is that I'm about a club to a club and a half longer with these than I am with my J40 CB's that I've been playing most of this season. That's by consciencely swinging smooth and making good solid contact, never once did I try to really go after a ball with the RBladez, I just don't see the need and it paid off for me today.
I also found myself using the AW quite a bit, it isn't quite as versatile as my 52 degree J40 wedge but it still works well for a variety of different shots. I see myself using this club a lot in the future. I can't express enough how impressed I am with TaylorMade for opting for this wedge in the set like they have. My dad plays Burner 2.0 and all day he was drooling over the AW (as well as the rest of the irons in the set) too bad he's a lefty and he couldn't even try them. We compared the irons side by side quite a bit and they're not real far off size wise but to me the RBladez are a nicer looking iron and just by looking at them you can see they have a lot more going for them in terms of technology and forgiveness.
Best guess so far is that I'm about a club to a club and a half longer with these than I am with my J40 CB's that I've been playing most of this season. That's by consciencely swinging smooth and making good solid contact, never once did I try to really go after a ball with the RBladez, I just don't see the need and it paid off for me today.
- Staff
- #272
I've sat here looking these over and comparing to my i20's and I must say, from a build standpoint I'm much more impressed than I was in pictures. While there is a touch more offset in them the head width and length is pretty much spot on the the i20's (8i to 8i). Also the topline at my measuring (sorry, no calipers) is actually the same size as the i20's! The only difference is they are more square and non-rounded so it can look bigger at first glance. These factors intrigue me.
I need to hit them ASAP. Especially after reading Jake and Hawks feedback.
I need to hit them ASAP. Especially after reading Jake and Hawks feedback.
- Thread starter
- Staff
- #273
Yea man, that AW is interesting. Have you used it greenside from the rough? I really thought that was the best thing it had going for it. Other than that, I'm fine with what I have going on with my normal wedge.
I'm playing these a full club longer than I do my 588's at the moment and it seems to be working fine so far. I'd kill for an 80° windless day to really nail down some stock on-course yardages.
- Thread starter
- Staff
- #274
Get yourself out there tomorrow buddy!
- Staff
- #275
I certainly think a bucket or two is in order at least.