TaylorMade Burner 2.0 Irons - Forum Testing Review

Guys, its been a while since I've chimed in but I love reading this thread, awesome job on the write ups and I love to see people enjoy these even half as much as I have and do mine.

Great pics showing the wear too, its something I really don't ever even think to look at anymore on mine because I'm so happy with the performance, perhaps I need to get the ole camera out too.
 
I dont use covers or any type of protection for bag chatter. For me it is just a part of the game and the 2.0's have held up quite nicely. Durabililty isn't an issue, the finish is still very attractive and I have had multiple comments on how sharp they look.
 
I'm the same as far as covers go. At first I was really paranoid, and wanted to get some nice club covers for them, but the finish has held up very nicely without them. The black finish looks very good, and hasn't even started fading yet. I too think it's just part of the game, and one shouldn't worry too much about it.
 
It's been a bit since I first received the Burner 2.0's to test from Taylormade. I thought now would be a good time to do an "After the Honeymoon" review with the 2.0's.

Initial impression

Every time I look at these irons I still marvel at how good they look. The dark grey/black satin finish combined with the light grey face and bright chrome skid plate is an awesome combination. At address, this club just screams "Punish the ball for it has been bad."

Looks/Wear

Upon initially receiving these irons, I felt as if the top line was much thinner than my previous iron set. I also was very worried that I would have problems connecting with the ball and felt like I was taking a step towards a serious players iron. After using these irons for a bit, the top line is very reassuring and lets me know I have plenty of forgiveness built into the head.

Onto the wear of the club. I was initially skeptical of the black finish, thinking that it would rub off easily and show the raw metal underneath. However, I have been pleasantly surprised and they have held up wonderfully! Honestly, these could pass easily as very lightly used even though they have seen thousands of strokes. I am seeing a bit of wear on the face and skid plate (as expected) and little to none on the black finish.

Rather than try to explain myself further on wear, I'll just show you. I borrowed my parents DSLR to get some good quality pictures.

Face before cleaning:
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Skidplate before cleaning:
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Face after cleaning:
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Skidplate after cleaning:
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Closeup of facial wear:
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Another angle of closeup:
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Performance

On to the most important part of the testing....the performance! Initially, I had a few problems with the irons. I had a few problems with pushing shots and then flip-flopped to hooking them. I also noticed that I was losing about 5-10 yards per club from my previous iron set. I made a simple fix (had to do with me not trusting the lie angle) and started hitting them beautifully and back to my normal distance. At this point, I can confidently say that my irons are the most reliable part of my game.

With the 2.0's, I have the ability to draw the ball on command as well as keep it low for those punch out of the trees shots. The ball on a normal swing flies high and straight and lands softly with one hop every single time. When I hit at the green, I never have to worry about the ball rolling off.

The feel with these irons was something I had to get used to. With my old set, I felt the ball when I hit the sweetspot. With the 2.0's, when I hit the sweetspot, it feels like I am just skimming the grass. They are what forged iron players call "buttery smooth". The sound that comes from a well struck shot is very short, bright and not obnoxiously loud.

Forgiveness was something I worried about after seeing the thinner top line. However, I have come to realize that the irons while very forgiving, will let you know when you mishit the ball. For instance, when I catch one off the toe, I get a subtle vibration in my hands that lets me know I missed the sweetspot. The irons forgive my mishit and still launch the ball straight and to 80% of the distance. With the irons telling me when I mishit the ball, I feel like I have become a better ball striker in general. I am striking the ball more consistently and quickly fixing myself when I catch one off the toe.


So....If you were to ask me: Would I recommend the Burner 2.0's?
The answer is simply, yes. Their looks combined with the outstanding performance have shown me that Taylormade really created a winner with these irons. Before testing, I was never a big Taylormade fan. Now I have some serious love for the 2.0's.

Now I'm off to start the 2nd honeymoon!!! :D
 
jefrazie, that is one heck of a post man, good job! I'm hitting the range tomorrow and again Saturday and Sunday in preparation for about 36 holes of golf the following weekend. I've noticed that I've lost it with the 4 iron so I need to gain my confidence back with that club before I leave the range tomorrow. Video and pictures to come!
 
I went to our local practice area last night to prep for a big round this weekend on a course with much more sand than I am used to. Knowing this, I wanted to compare how the Burner 2s performed out of the sand versus my CG Gold & Vokey combo.

First, I hit some greenside bunker shots with my B2 SW and my Vokey 56. The B2 SW has a much thicker sole than the Vokey and it did not cut through the sand as easily. Both wedges had similar sounds of the 'thud' you get on greenside bunker shots, but the B2 shots consistently came up short of the hole compared to the Vokey shots. I seem to think the wider sole was getting stuck through the sand a bit more than the Vokey. The trajectory was also a bit lower on the B2. While onsite, I figured a different bounce angle could be the difference, but I couldn’t find the bounce angle of the B2 SW anywhere on taylormade's site to confirm my suspicion.

Next I went to the fairway bunker because this was where I was the most interested in practicing and comparing. I started with a pretend 140 yard fairway bunker shot. My typical 140 yard club from the fairway is a PW, so I took out both 9 irons and dug in. The first few shots with my CGs ended up as I have come to expect with those clubs, decent but nothing great. I then dug in with my B2 9 iron and hit a few thin. I choked down a bit and begun hitting some nice high shots that flew pretty close to my pretend pin. I went back and forth with the 2 clubs and determined the B2s were better (for me) from the sand. The Burner 2 9 iron shots went further than the Cleveland 9 iron, but had a lower trajectory. Contrary to my greenside results, the thicker sole on the B2 seems to keep the club from digging into the sand prematurely when compared to the CG Gold.

My final comparison was a long range fairway bunker shot where I compared the Burner 2 4 iron to my Cleveland Mashie M3. I know I will not hit that many bunker shots with such low lofted clubs, but I wanted to compare the two. Both clubs have similar loft (21* & 20.5* respectfully) and I saw very similar results with the Burner 2 4 iron that I saw with the 9 iron. I needed to choke down a bit and the ball flew out of the bunker nicely. The dispersion on the Burner 2 4 iron was larger than the Burner 2 9 iron (as expected). The M3 got the ball out of the bunker nicely with a nice high trajectory (much higher than the 4 iron) with similar distance results on well struck shots. The Burner 2 did fly farther on poorly struck shots off the toe than the M3.

I have to say I was surprised the Burner 2s were so easy to hit from the fairway bunkers. Once I choked down a bit, I was making good contact and the club seemed to skim nicely through the impact zone without digging in too quickly. Well struck bunker shots with the B2s were just as ‘soft’ on the hands as well struck shots from the fairway. Shots off the toe did have a different (but not harsh) feel, similar to toe shots from the fairway. I didn’t see much too any difference in wear after all the bunker shots either. My CG Golds have a polished chrome look, so the sand does a number on that finish pretty easily; I didn’t see that with the black finish on the Burner 2s.
 
Has anyone else tried various punch shots out of the trees? I know initially I had some problems getting used to these clubs for those shots. I frequently topped the ball or dug underneath it.

Thoughts?
 
Has anyone else tried various punch shots out of the trees? I know initially I had some problems getting used to these clubs for those shots. I frequently topped the ball or dug underneath it.

Thoughts?

I did not notice a difference either positively or negatively with punch shots versus my CG Golds. I was playing mostly punch outs with a few low hook shots and didnt see much of a difference. For these shots, I just choked down like normal, put the ball back further in my stance and used a half swing finishing with the hands being low. I cant slice or fade a ball to save my life, so not that did not change with these either.
 
I did not notice a difference either positively or negatively with punch shots versus my CG Golds. I was playing mostly punch outs with a few low hook shots and didnt see much of a difference. For these shots, I just choked down like normal, put the ball back further in my stance and used a half swing finishing with the hands being low. I cant slice or fade a ball to save my life, so not that did not change with these either.

I cannot slice/fade a ball either. Every time I try it ends up being hit thin or a hosel rocket. The punch shots that I did connect with seemed to hook more often than not. This was something I had to get used to as my previous set, I could play a low straight ball with ease.
 
Has anyone else tried various punch shots out of the trees? I know initially I had some problems getting used to these clubs for those shots. I frequently topped the ball or dug underneath it.

Thoughts?

I did not notice a difference either positively or negatively with punch shots versus my CG Golds. I was playing mostly punch outs with a few low hook shots and didnt see much of a difference. For these shots, I just choked down like normal, put the ball back further in my stance and used a half swing finishing with the hands being low. I cant slice or fade a ball to save my life, so not that did not change with these either.

This has worked well for me too, because by moving the ball back in my stance, I also am closing the face down and keeping the shot low. What club are you using when trying to take a punch shot? I won't do it with anything lofted higher than say a 6 iron, and have not had any issues. As far as hitting a fade goes, I am available for lessons...hehehe. If you really need to hit a fade, just try opening the face a little bit. I have found I am able to hit a nice high, very slight, fade when I do this.
 
This has worked well for me too, because by moving the ball back in my stance, I also am closing the face down and keeping the shot low. What club are you using when trying to take a punch shot? I won't do it with anything lofted higher than say a 6 iron, and have not had any issues. As far as hitting a fade goes, I am available for lessons...hehehe. If you really need to hit a fade, just try opening the face a little bit. I have found I am able to hit a nice high, very slight, fade when I do this.

Normally to play my punch shots, I use a 7I. When I try these shots using a 5I, I frequently have problems hooking the ball.

My normal setup for a punch shot:
- Take a little bit narrower stance that's a bit open
- Move ball almost even with back foot
- Choke down a bit on the grip
- Forward press my hands to deloft the face (probably similar to 5 or 6 iron loft after)

This method seems to work pretty well with a 7I.
 
Normally to play my punch shots, I use a 7I. When I try these shots using a 5I, I frequently have problems hooking the ball.

My normal setup for a punch shot:
- Take a little bit narrower stance that's a bit open
- Move ball almost even with back foot
- Choke down a bit on the grip
- Forward press my hands to deloft the face (probably similar to 5 or 6 iron loft after)

This method seems to work pretty well with a 7I.

Try it with a 6 iron, and move the ball a little forward from where you are currently putting it. I think it will stop the hooks for you.
 
Played in my company schamble yesterday and came away very happy with the performance of the 2.0's. On the course I have been struggling with my swing quite a bit, but the work on the range really paid off. We didn't come close to winning, but I played very well (shot 74). It has been very dry here this month and the fairways are in really good condition. I was taking great, even divots that I could stick the turf right back like it was never gone. The sole of the 2.0 with a good swing has a great feel through the turf on these perfect fairways. For me it just exudes confidence. We used my ball off every par 3, which included a 7 iron from 177 that was about 4 feet, a PW from 140 that I nearly jarred but it rolled out (very hard, fast greens) to about 15 feet. I was a little dissapointed in the lack of spin though. Even though the greens were very hard, there were times that I just couldn't stop the ball even with 9 irons and PW's. They checked hard, but always rolled out a few feet. I was using a Z star which I can normally back up quite easily. I found myself later in the round really trying to come in steep to pinch the ball and try to get some zip on it with my short irons. Any others having a tough time spinning the 2.0's on the harder greens? I understand that the greens are harder at the end of the summer, but I usually have no issue stopping the ball. I am wondering if the lower ball flight with the heavier shaft is effecting spin?
 
Played in my company schamble yesterday and came away very happy with the performance of the 2.0's. On the course I have been struggling with my swing quite a bit, but the work on the range really paid off. We didn't come close to winning, but I played very well (shot 74). It has been very dry here this month and the fairways are in really good condition. I was taking great, even divots that I could stick the turf right back like it was never gone. The sole of the 2.0 with a good swing has a great feel through the turf on these perfect fairways. For me it just exudes confidence. We used my ball off every par 3, which included a 7 iron from 177 that was about 4 feet, a PW from 140 that I nearly jarred but it rolled out (very hard, fast greens) to about 15 feet. I was a little dissapointed in the lack of spin though. Even though the greens were very hard, there were times that I just couldn't stop the ball even with 9 irons and PW's. They checked hard, but always rolled out a few feet. I was using a Z star which I can normally back up quite easily. I found myself later in the round really trying to come in steep to pinch the ball and try to get some zip on it with my short irons. Any others having a tough time spinning the 2.0's on the harder greens? I understand that the greens are harder at the end of the summer, but I usually have no issue stopping the ball. I am wondering if the lower ball flight with the heavier shaft is effecting spin?

Nice write up.

I haven't noticed any problems with spin lately. I'm still having the one hop stop shots frequently. I will update if I notice any difference in spin.
 
Has anyone else tried various punch shots out of the trees? I know initially I had some problems getting used to these clubs for those shots. I frequently topped the ball or dug underneath it.

Thoughts?

I have been using my 4 iron for these type shots and had great success so far. I can hit a real low fade or straight with a 3/4 punch, but I don't even try to hook it. Just not comfortable with the low hooking punch shot. I am famous for topping that particular shot.
 
Normally to play my punch shots, I use a 7I. When I try these shots using a 5I, I frequently have problems hooking the ball.

My normal setup for a punch shot:
- Take a little bit narrower stance that's a bit open
- Move ball almost even with back foot
- Choke down a bit on the grip
- Forward press my hands to deloft the face (probably similar to 5 or 6 iron loft after)

This method seems to work pretty well with a 7I.

Did you NOT see these issues with your previous set and are just seeing them with your Burner 2s? Was your previous set standard length? I see your Burner 2s are longer, so the added length may force you to make a compensation.

I was a little dissapointed in the lack of spin though. Even though the greens were very hard, there were times that I just couldn't stop the ball even with 9 irons and PW's. They checked hard, but always rolled out a few feet. I was using a Z star which I can normally back up quite easily. I found myself later in the round really trying to come in steep to pinch the ball and try to get some zip on it with my short irons. Any others having a tough time spinning the 2.0's on the harder greens? I understand that the greens are harder at the end of the summer, but I usually have no issue stopping the ball. I am wondering if the lower ball flight with the heavier shaft is effecting spin?

I have not noticed lower spin issues with my Burner 2s compared to my CG Golds. I used to see some ballooning with the CG Gold flighted shafts, but I have not seen this with the PX in my Burner 2s. The only spin decrease I have seen is on greenside bunker shots where the ball comes out lower and rolls out farther.
 
Did you NOT see these issues with your previous set and are just seeing them with your Burner 2s? Was your previous set standard length? I see your Burner 2s are longer, so the added length may force you to make a compensation.



I have not noticed lower spin issues with my Burner 2s compared to my CG Golds. I used to see some ballooning with the CG Gold flighted shafts, but I have not seen this with the PX in my Burner 2s. The only spin decrease I have seen is on greenside bunker shots where the ball comes out lower and rolls out farther.

My old set was +1" and 2* upright, just like the burners. I didn't have problems with hooking.

One difference that I have noticed is that my previous iron set was offset quite a bit where the 2.0's aren't near as much (if hardly at all). Could this be a cause?
 
Played in my company schamble yesterday and came away very happy with the performance of the 2.0's. On the course I have been struggling with my swing quite a bit, but the work on the range really paid off. We didn't come close to winning, but I played very well (shot 74). It has been very dry here this month and the fairways are in really good condition. I was taking great, even divots that I could stick the turf right back like it was never gone. The sole of the 2.0 with a good swing has a great feel through the turf on these perfect fairways. For me it just exudes confidence. We used my ball off every par 3, which included a 7 iron from 177 that was about 4 feet, a PW from 140 that I nearly jarred but it rolled out (very hard, fast greens) to about 15 feet. I was a little dissapointed in the lack of spin though. Even though the greens were very hard, there were times that I just couldn't stop the ball even with 9 irons and PW's. They checked hard, but always rolled out a few feet. I was using a Z star which I can normally back up quite easily. I found myself later in the round really trying to come in steep to pinch the ball and try to get some zip on it with my short irons. Any others having a tough time spinning the 2.0's on the harder greens? I understand that the greens are harder at the end of the summer, but I usually have no issue stopping the ball. I am wondering if the lower ball flight with the heavier shaft is effecting spin?

I have not noticed any issues with spin, but, I am not a big spinner of the ball to start with. Usually just launch the ball very high, and get it to bounce once and stop, but never spin it back.
 
One difference that I have noticed is that my previous iron set was offset quite a bit where the 2.0's aren't near as much (if hardly at all). Could this be a cause?

The Burner 2s have about the same offset as my other irons. I always thought face offset was to increase trajectory and to help slicers close the face at impact. With the lack of offset, I would expect your miss to be a slice instead of a hook. Is it possible without the offset you are really closing the face more than normal when you do your forward press?
 
The Burner 2s have about the same offset as my other irons. I always thought face offset was to increase trajectory and to help slicers close the face at impact. With the lack of offset, I would expect your miss to be a slice instead of a hook. Is it possible without the offset you are really closing the face more than normal when you do your forward press?

That is very possible. I mentioned before though that now my shots are fine and perfectly straight. I think I was closing the face down when I was forward pressing.
 
Has anyone else tried various punch shots out of the trees? I know initially I had some problems getting used to these clubs for those shots. I frequently topped the ball or dug underneath it.

Thoughts?

For me, I haven't really had too much trouble with punch shots. I was topping the ball on a regular basis when I first received the irons, but it went away rather quickly.

On the range a while ago, I hit a decent amount of shots. I will say that the sound is still the same, pleasant sound I have always gotten. I was able to work the ball with ease, and the ball flight and distance I'm getting with this setup is just amazing. I think they are some of the easiest clubs to hit, and my accuracy is becoming very deadly with these irons. I was alone today, so no videos or pictures from the range, but I'll get some up this weekend for sure.

I know for me, the best way to hit these clubs is with a very smooth tempo swing. I also know that a lot of others have found this to be true for them as well. My question is, are you still seeing the same kind of distance, and is your accuracy better? I know a lot of this has been said already, but I'd like to see it again.
 
For me, I haven't really had too much trouble with punch shots. I was topping the ball on a regular basis when I first received the irons, but it went away rather quickly.

On the range a while ago, I hit a decent amount of shots. I will say that the sound is still the same, pleasant sound I have always gotten. I was able to work the ball with ease, and the ball flight and distance I'm getting with this setup is just amazing. I think they are some of the easiest clubs to hit, and my accuracy is becoming very deadly with these irons. I was alone today, so no videos or pictures from the range, but I'll get some up this weekend for sure.

I know for me, the best way to hit these clubs is with a very smooth tempo swing. I also know that a lot of others have found this to be true for them as well. My question is, are you still seeing the same kind of distance, and is your accuracy better? I know a lot of this has been said already, but I'd like to see it again.

You hit the nail on the head with the smooth tempo swing. When I swing smooth and don't try to force it, I make great contact and hit it just as far as my previous iron set.

Using my previous rounds with OOB and comparing my previous iron set to the 2.0's, my GIR has gone from 28.3% average to 37.7% average. I realize that's not all that impressive but its still improvement. That's a pretty big jump and seems to clearly point that I am more accurate with the 2.0's than my previous iron set.
 
You hit the nail on the head with the smooth tempo swing. When I swing smooth and don't try to force it, I make great contact and hit it just as far as my previous iron set.

Using my previous rounds with OOB and comparing my previous iron set to the 2.0's, my GIR has gone from 28.3% average to 37.7% average. I realize that's not all that impressive but its still improvement. That's a pretty big jump and seems to clearly point that I am more accurate with the 2.0's than my previous iron set.

I expected to see most people agreeing with me there. A slower, smoother swing is helping me hit the ball much better, which has a direct correlation to better accuracy IMO. It just goes to show that the harder you swing doesn't always mean exceptional distance. I went from about 98 on my 6 iron swing speed, down to 93 on average according to the Mizuno Shaft Optimizer. That's still pretty quick, but it feels slow to me, and the tempo is more important than speed anyway.
 
Question for the testers and other 2.0 owners....I have tried searching the tread and didnt see anything so I apologize if this is a skim post.

Have any of you noticed problems hitting your wedges from a tight lie? I ask this because yesterday I had a few shots one about 30 yds out from dead grass almost like I was hitting the ball off of concrete, I used my 58* cleveland wedge and had no problem getting it up in the air. A few holes later I had a similar lie but further out and had to use my AW. I bladed my first attempt and while I tried again and opened the face of the club up I just couldnt get under the ball with this wedge. Anyone else experiencing this problem? Or is it just mechanical error??
 
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