Perkins Rooster
Active member
Jman has a point there about launch but also consider the length of the shafts as well. That's another way OEM's can get distance advantages.
TaylorMade RocketBladez - Review Thread
Jman has a point there about launch but also consider the length of the shafts as well. That's another way OEM's can get distance advantages.
- Admin
- #352
I am not sure I understand the flip side. How do people really think iron numbers should be determined? Of course it is done by launch as that would be the only way for it to make sense and possibly work.
Seamus MacDuff
Chipper
I think the constant loft change and disparity among companies has become an unnecessarily confusing aspect of the game, and I'm not sure you'd find this in any other sport.
Combine that with the mix of angles on woods, hybrids and these fat long irons that fit neither category, and I seriously wonder whether the better answer would be to simply put the degrees on the irons, like currently exists on many wedges, hybrids and woods.
This chart shows the creep getting worse and worse. With my RBZs I'll be hitting a p-wedge from near 150 in the summer, that's getting silly in my opinion and now I am carrying 5 wedges. When should it stop?
Combine that with the mix of angles on woods, hybrids and these fat long irons that fit neither category, and I seriously wonder whether the better answer would be to simply put the degrees on the irons, like currently exists on many wedges, hybrids and woods.
This chart shows the creep getting worse and worse. With my RBZs I'll be hitting a p-wedge from near 150 in the summer, that's getting silly in my opinion and now I am carrying 5 wedges. When should it stop?
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- Staff
- #354
Regarding shaft length - I was sort of curious about this since it's always sort of passed as fact.
Compared to your i20's the RBladez are 1/4 inch longer from 6-PW. 3-5 irons are in the 1/2 range. Honestly, you could choke down 1/4 and probably not even realize you did it. It's a very small difference and I don't think it could make that much difference in distance or playability. Maybe in the long irons, but even then I'm not sold that 1/2 inch is that huge of a contributor towards distnace.
I guess my answer to that would be that it will end when people quit buying clubs that hit the ball far. I'm a big believer that variety is good and people should just play what they want. I'm not sure I see how lofts have a negative effect on the game.
I've hit a demo 6 iron and really liked it. Taylormade should be focusing more on how big the sweet spot is and not on how far they go. Yardage wise they're about the same as my g20's, maybe a fraction longer. But misses with the RBDZ's seem to be much better than my usual misses with the G20's. Can't wait for my shop to get the fitting cart in so i can try different shafts.
Perkins Rooster
Active member
Good point Hawk, thanks for looking into that. 1/4 inch is pretty marginal.
Jjmorris
Will Post for Thanks
Excuse my skim JMan but how do you feel these compare to your i20s in term of feel, accuracy, distance, and forgiveness?
- Staff
- #358
Hahaha, I plan on addressing this in the morning buddy, gonna let it all stew over night.
Quick, EXTREMELY EARLY, and dirty though? Very accurate (13 GIR's! Ha!), longer in the long irons for sure and not decided in the 8-PW, and they were pleasantly forgiving off the toe AND heel today.
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Puttin4Bird
Say what again mf'er!
Great teaser dude! Can't wait to hear more.
Ole Gray
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Good combo of forgiveness. May be the Mother of all Forgiveness
. I'm looking forward to seeing your thoughts on the down and dirty :thumb:
Jjmorris
Will Post for Thanks
Sounds good man
- Admin
- #362
taccwil
Active member
Good info. Can't wait to try them out.
Stevens24
Active member
Many who do are just players who think a 6 iron should be X loft and a wedge should be 48 degrees, and anything else is marketing hype. Most of these folks play some sort of "players club". As I have said before I am loyal to one thing, the number on the card. And they don't want some "hack" hitting a 6 iron farther so they complain that it "isn't really a six it's a five"
- Staff
- #367
REFERENCE LINKS:
PRE-ROUND THOUGHTS:
Like I talked about in my last review post there has been alot swirling around in my head about these after finally getting to see them in hand, hit them a little bit, and reading all the other thoughts on them. More than anything, I had a lot of mental doubt about if they would live up to any of the claims really, although I figured coming in that even if they were just a modified 2.0 then my previous love of those irons would carry me. With a round, I could finally put all that to the test.
I would like to add in again that I think far too many people are hung up on loft and length. As Hawk pointed out they are only 1/4' longer than i20's (in fact, I got my 120's +1/4" to play like the 2.0's did) and not new to TM as far a as a length they have used before. To me 1/4" is negligible. As for the lofts, like TM even said in the radio show with THP, the number on the club is determined by LAUNCH rather than the loft, for me, when I can hit a 26.5 lofted club the same flight as a 30 loft club then that makes me happy, we MUST realize that technology has changed the launch capabilities of irons today and what irons could do back then has been passed up. Launch is more important that loft.
ROUND PERFORMANCE:
I was eager and antsy headed into this opening round since it would be my first opportunity to actually hit the RocketBladez in golf onditions and to see as well as mark off actual distances. In all, there was some interesting things. I figure the easiest way to go about this will be to break it down into categories like before: 4-7 (w/ slot), 8-PW (w/o slot), and AW (ATV sole). Cleaner and easier to read/follow IMO.
4-7 (w/ slot):
Why not jump right in with the slotted clubs? I mean, THESE are the ones that everyone is truly curious about with the hype of the slot technology that TM has pushed and praised from the moment we found out about them. Well, I hit them in my round as much as I could, if it was close to a proper distance to try one of the slotted clubs, I was pulling it and swinging away just to see.
Now, I'm going to say it immediately and full well knowingly that some will simply say/think "well of course he's going to say that", but I speak in nothing but truths I see about equipment....the 4-7 irons really are long. I played some off the tee, out of the sand, off the fairway, out of the rough, and even punch shots with extra balls just for grins. They were long for me, yes, first round out I can say that 4-7 the 4-6 are for sure longer than my i20's and I'm still up in the air about the 7.
I got an early start with these on the third hole, a par 5, where I was 188 to the middle of the green according to my SGX. I pulled 5i and figured, why not? Rhythmic swing not trying to jump on it as I simply wanted to focus on clean contact and clean divots in the round and the ball was off the face and soaring, I'm talking a PRETTY and high flight (which honestly took me aback) the ball actually landed on the very back edge of the green (193 yard SGX measurement) and one hopped off and through the fringe. I cleared it essentially, not like it was a "jumper", it was just long and true.
A couple holes further on, on a 370 yard par 4 I tee'd up the 4-iron to see what it could do. This is without a doubt the most anticipated iron of the set for me, with the i20's I fell in love with the 4i again and it became a weapon for me. Now, I even had to text Hawk after this one, I actually had my buddy go down the fairway so he could stand on the mark where it landed and I could use my SGX to get a carry and roll out reading. Smooth tempo on the swing and a sound that just made me feel like I crushed it (more on the sound later) and a HIGH flight for a 4i, I mean high, pretty, and up in a hurry. To the mark where it landed it was 209 carry, after rollout on the fairway it was 237 yards. No, I'm not kidding. In fact, I hit the 4i 4 more times off the tee in the round and on three that I hit in the middle of the face I was 205+ carry on each and the one that I heel'd the SNOT out of (I mean mm from being a hosel rocket) thought here was a big fade to it I still ended up 206 final distance (190 carry).
Other interesting notes/experiences I jotted down from the round were a 4i from the fairway bunker on a par 5 that was a beautiful ball which made it all the way to the green-side bunker leaving me a eagle sand-shot. On another par 5 after my tee shot I also had 190 downhill into the green on my second shot and actually landed it on the back edge of the green with a 6i and wound up just off on the fringe.
So, early thoughts? Long is certainly one of them. Obviously I want to get more time/rounds in with them to decide just how long, but judging by the fact that these were consistently long and not just a "hot" shot here and there like you would see with the 2.0's it seems promising. As for the sound (feel) on these, I mentioned lower pitched clickiness on my first encounter, on the course on a calm day with no wind swirling in my ears however it doesn't seem as harsh as I remembered it. There is certainly a different sound to them, but its nothing ridiculous to my ears and that leads them to "feel" great on contact where the ball just gets off the face as quickly and as high as possible.
I need to get a better feel for them all but especially the 7i, in fact, I really want to get on a proper range to see my gaps as soon as I can.
8-PW (no slot):
I stand by comparing these to the 2.0's of my past. All shots sound pleasant to the earl which leads to a nice "feel" of the ball getting off of the face very quickly. This is a case where I had no issues of confidence pulling any of these irons and going after a shot. Pertaining to distance, I can't really say that they are longer than my i20's yet but I'd lean toward being maybe 1-2 yards longer for me, but that could be alot about the shaft change.
So far I've seen great toe forgiveness though not as forgiving off the heel in the 8-PW as I saw the 4-7 being for me on the course yesterday. Add to it they seem to just WANT to go straight for me, I like that fact, I'm a believer that there is NO reason to complicate the game if you can just bang it out there straight. I will tinker with flights more later as well as actually trying to work them a bit.
AW (ATV sole):
I only hit this one 4 times on the round, twice out of the fairway from 130 out and twice out of the sand.
Out of the sand the ATV sole and the AW in general was a pleasant surprise. In fact, I was 2/2 on sand outs and both were within 3 feet of the hole. In all honesty it really reminded me of the old PING iWedge and how easy they were to get up and out of the sand without much fuss or muss.
From the turf in the fairway, I shanked one hard off the heel as I was too close to the ball and the other was a high and tight dart form 129 that I stuck to 1 foot and would make the birdie. Not enough use to really read too much into the ATV yet, I need to bust it out around the green to see what I think about it there. I was pleased for sure with the turf/sand interaction though in the little bit I did use it. The jury remains out on this one for sure though due to the lack of use.
POST ROUND THOUGHTS:
On the round I actually went 36 + 39 = 75 with 13/18 GIR's...a solid outing to say the least that would undoubtedly excite anyone and make them incredibly happy with the clubs. With that I'm trying to keep myself at distance form that for the purpose of the testing and with it being only my first round on the RocketBladez.
In all, I came away most impressed with the turf interaction I was seeing in all honesty, I never dug and I never came out thin because of bounce, just good solid path and divots all day on swings that weren't wonky. Initially I will say my intrigue has stepped up even further on the slots in the 4-7 because of the glimpses I was seeing on the course. I'll also just throw in, with the KBS Tour's the feel of the swing was impeccable all day and the flight was high and tight when I wanted it to be and I even backed up an 8i 2-feet on a par 3 (astounding for me).
It is early though, but I want to get back out as soon as I can to try and figure these things out some more. If you've got any questions, feel free to ask and I'll do my absolute best to answer!
Spoiler
PRE-ROUND THOUGHTS:
Like I talked about in my last review post there has been alot swirling around in my head about these after finally getting to see them in hand, hit them a little bit, and reading all the other thoughts on them. More than anything, I had a lot of mental doubt about if they would live up to any of the claims really, although I figured coming in that even if they were just a modified 2.0 then my previous love of those irons would carry me. With a round, I could finally put all that to the test.
I would like to add in again that I think far too many people are hung up on loft and length. As Hawk pointed out they are only 1/4' longer than i20's (in fact, I got my 120's +1/4" to play like the 2.0's did) and not new to TM as far a as a length they have used before. To me 1/4" is negligible. As for the lofts, like TM even said in the radio show with THP, the number on the club is determined by LAUNCH rather than the loft, for me, when I can hit a 26.5 lofted club the same flight as a 30 loft club then that makes me happy, we MUST realize that technology has changed the launch capabilities of irons today and what irons could do back then has been passed up. Launch is more important that loft.
ROUND PERFORMANCE:
I was eager and antsy headed into this opening round since it would be my first opportunity to actually hit the RocketBladez in golf onditions and to see as well as mark off actual distances. In all, there was some interesting things. I figure the easiest way to go about this will be to break it down into categories like before: 4-7 (w/ slot), 8-PW (w/o slot), and AW (ATV sole). Cleaner and easier to read/follow IMO.
4-7 (w/ slot):
Why not jump right in with the slotted clubs? I mean, THESE are the ones that everyone is truly curious about with the hype of the slot technology that TM has pushed and praised from the moment we found out about them. Well, I hit them in my round as much as I could, if it was close to a proper distance to try one of the slotted clubs, I was pulling it and swinging away just to see.
Now, I'm going to say it immediately and full well knowingly that some will simply say/think "well of course he's going to say that", but I speak in nothing but truths I see about equipment....the 4-7 irons really are long. I played some off the tee, out of the sand, off the fairway, out of the rough, and even punch shots with extra balls just for grins. They were long for me, yes, first round out I can say that 4-7 the 4-6 are for sure longer than my i20's and I'm still up in the air about the 7.
I got an early start with these on the third hole, a par 5, where I was 188 to the middle of the green according to my SGX. I pulled 5i and figured, why not? Rhythmic swing not trying to jump on it as I simply wanted to focus on clean contact and clean divots in the round and the ball was off the face and soaring, I'm talking a PRETTY and high flight (which honestly took me aback) the ball actually landed on the very back edge of the green (193 yard SGX measurement) and one hopped off and through the fringe. I cleared it essentially, not like it was a "jumper", it was just long and true.
A couple holes further on, on a 370 yard par 4 I tee'd up the 4-iron to see what it could do. This is without a doubt the most anticipated iron of the set for me, with the i20's I fell in love with the 4i again and it became a weapon for me. Now, I even had to text Hawk after this one, I actually had my buddy go down the fairway so he could stand on the mark where it landed and I could use my SGX to get a carry and roll out reading. Smooth tempo on the swing and a sound that just made me feel like I crushed it (more on the sound later) and a HIGH flight for a 4i, I mean high, pretty, and up in a hurry. To the mark where it landed it was 209 carry, after rollout on the fairway it was 237 yards. No, I'm not kidding. In fact, I hit the 4i 4 more times off the tee in the round and on three that I hit in the middle of the face I was 205+ carry on each and the one that I heel'd the SNOT out of (I mean mm from being a hosel rocket) thought here was a big fade to it I still ended up 206 final distance (190 carry).
Other interesting notes/experiences I jotted down from the round were a 4i from the fairway bunker on a par 5 that was a beautiful ball which made it all the way to the green-side bunker leaving me a eagle sand-shot. On another par 5 after my tee shot I also had 190 downhill into the green on my second shot and actually landed it on the back edge of the green with a 6i and wound up just off on the fringe.
So, early thoughts? Long is certainly one of them. Obviously I want to get more time/rounds in with them to decide just how long, but judging by the fact that these were consistently long and not just a "hot" shot here and there like you would see with the 2.0's it seems promising. As for the sound (feel) on these, I mentioned lower pitched clickiness on my first encounter, on the course on a calm day with no wind swirling in my ears however it doesn't seem as harsh as I remembered it. There is certainly a different sound to them, but its nothing ridiculous to my ears and that leads them to "feel" great on contact where the ball just gets off the face as quickly and as high as possible.
I need to get a better feel for them all but especially the 7i, in fact, I really want to get on a proper range to see my gaps as soon as I can.
8-PW (no slot):
I stand by comparing these to the 2.0's of my past. All shots sound pleasant to the earl which leads to a nice "feel" of the ball getting off of the face very quickly. This is a case where I had no issues of confidence pulling any of these irons and going after a shot. Pertaining to distance, I can't really say that they are longer than my i20's yet but I'd lean toward being maybe 1-2 yards longer for me, but that could be alot about the shaft change.
So far I've seen great toe forgiveness though not as forgiving off the heel in the 8-PW as I saw the 4-7 being for me on the course yesterday. Add to it they seem to just WANT to go straight for me, I like that fact, I'm a believer that there is NO reason to complicate the game if you can just bang it out there straight. I will tinker with flights more later as well as actually trying to work them a bit.
AW (ATV sole):
I only hit this one 4 times on the round, twice out of the fairway from 130 out and twice out of the sand.
Out of the sand the ATV sole and the AW in general was a pleasant surprise. In fact, I was 2/2 on sand outs and both were within 3 feet of the hole. In all honesty it really reminded me of the old PING iWedge and how easy they were to get up and out of the sand without much fuss or muss.
From the turf in the fairway, I shanked one hard off the heel as I was too close to the ball and the other was a high and tight dart form 129 that I stuck to 1 foot and would make the birdie. Not enough use to really read too much into the ATV yet, I need to bust it out around the green to see what I think about it there. I was pleased for sure with the turf/sand interaction though in the little bit I did use it. The jury remains out on this one for sure though due to the lack of use.
POST ROUND THOUGHTS:
On the round I actually went 36 + 39 = 75 with 13/18 GIR's...a solid outing to say the least that would undoubtedly excite anyone and make them incredibly happy with the clubs. With that I'm trying to keep myself at distance form that for the purpose of the testing and with it being only my first round on the RocketBladez.
In all, I came away most impressed with the turf interaction I was seeing in all honesty, I never dug and I never came out thin because of bounce, just good solid path and divots all day on swings that weren't wonky. Initially I will say my intrigue has stepped up even further on the slots in the 4-7 because of the glimpses I was seeing on the course. I'll also just throw in, with the KBS Tour's the feel of the swing was impeccable all day and the flight was high and tight when I wanted it to be and I even backed up an 8i 2-feet on a par 3 (astounding for me).
It is early though, but I want to get back out as soon as I can to try and figure these things out some more. If you've got any questions, feel free to ask and I'll do my absolute best to answer!
Last edited:
Puttin4Bird
Say what again mf'er!
As always that is some superb feedback Jman. I thought I was a 4 iron beast by getting one out there 227, you just bomb that thing! I'm with you on the 1/4" longer length dude, I don't even notice! These are some of the best long irons I've hit, but you really have to just put a smooth swing on it to get the job done. On Sunday I had 210 left to the pin on a par 5 after a great drive, dead center of the fw. I pulled 4 iron, we had a left to right and slightly hurting wind so I tried to jump on the 4 iron. Bad mistake. I hit it like crap. I know if I would have just put a smooth swing on it the club would have done its part and I would have found the putting surface in 2.
I'm very intrigued to try out your RocketBladez with the KBS Tour shaft dude.
Oh and you bomb that AW too, 129 to a foot? Jeez bro, you're a bomber!
How about any bump and runs with those short irons? Sounds like you were too busy hitting greens to even have the need to try it!
Great feedback buddy, you rock!
I'm very intrigued to try out your RocketBladez with the KBS Tour shaft dude.
Oh and you bomb that AW too, 129 to a foot? Jeez bro, you're a bomber!
How about any bump and runs with those short irons? Sounds like you were too busy hitting greens to even have the need to try it!
Great feedback buddy, you rock!
Great info Jman! That 4-iron is super long and very forgiving by the sounds of things.
I'd be interested to see if a lot of consumers go with a combo set with the 4i-7i in the Rocketbladez and 8-W with a different set that they liked a bit more. Sounds like the slot technology is definitely a keeper for TM.
I'd be interested to see if a lot of consumers go with a combo set with the 4i-7i in the Rocketbladez and 8-W with a different set that they liked a bit more. Sounds like the slot technology is definitely a keeper for TM.
- Staff
- #370
The 4i has me all out of sorts, I sent Hawk a message right after the first tee shot telling him everyone was going to think I was nuts when I talked about it off the tee. Yes, I got alot of roll but 209 CARRY for me is a lot. I really really wish I had a 3i to try now, I won't lie. Smooth swings all day and down on the ball were my only thoughts and they paid off. I got a little inside and outside on a few but the penalty was minimal to what I expected. Just as forgiving off the toe as my i20's are for me but off the heel was what was REALLY nice to see.
I took the KBS challenge in IOWA and that's what I picked hands down, the flight and feel I got with the combo was eye opening. Lower isn't always better I'm beginning to realize more and more.
The AW was a "I'm afraid to hit a PW here because it might be too much so lets jump on the AW" instance. Just sliced through the turf. I'm still not sold ont he ATV sole but its an intriguing set wedge compared to what we traditionally see, that's for sure.
No bumpers yesterday, I couldn't make myself pull the trigger on the couple chances I had because of working with the 588 CB too, soon though. I'm actually ready to be in trouble under limbs and have to bust out the punch shot, those are the ones that will tell the stories for me on these irons. One of my favorite shots lately.
- Thread starter
- Staff
- #371
I figure I have to put that 4 iron in the bag next time out lol. Just to see if I can use it off the tee a few times at least. I'm really not surprised to hear it honestly. What I'd like to hear about some time down the road is how it holds a green for you. From what I took from your right up, the height was there.
- Staff
- #372
I'm curious about that VERY thing. That was always an issue with my i20 3i/4i, I'd have to get down HARD on the ball to get them up enough to hold. With what I saw yesterday it'll be intriguing to see how it will hold on a green for sure. Playing three rounds tomorrow so worst case I'll drop some extras about 205-210 out and let it rip and see.
- Thread starter
- Staff
- #373
Here's a question for Jman and Jake, though I think I know the answer.
How comfortable are you with a 4 iron in general and what are your thoughts on how easy this one is to hit comparared to others? Also, how do you feel your control/accuracy compares?
How comfortable are you with a 4 iron in general and what are your thoughts on how easy this one is to hit comparared to others? Also, how do you feel your control/accuracy compares?
- Staff
- #374
Coming into these the i20 4i was the first 4i I could truly use and use well...and alot. I know its really really early here with the RocketBladez but yesterday I saw better shots with its 4i from the tee and the sand than I did with the i20 4i at any point. When I just put a swing with good tempo on it then it was a bullet. I had one that I did heel rather badly off the tee and still ended up with a hard but playable fade. I haven't even tried to "jump on one" yet because I'm not so sure its needed at all. So to me, it wants to go straight so far and the ball flight height might be what has me the most excited. To hit a 4i that gets up QUICKLY is a big/strange deal to me.
- Thread starter
- Staff
- #375
I like it.
Regarding sand play, I was very impressed with a fairway bunker shot I hit the first time I took them out. Probably most impressed because I don't think I hit it as cleanly as I should have, but still had a very nice result.
Regarding sand play, I was very impressed with a fairway bunker shot I hit the first time I took them out. Probably most impressed because I don't think I hit it as cleanly as I should have, but still had a very nice result.