TaylorMade RBZ Stage 2 Fairway Review Thread

[#Cookie]

afwcardinal: great hole by hole recap from last night man. These numbers MUST be approaching your R9 driver distances in some cases which is just crazy to think of. We need to play 18 soon as I want to witness this beast in person from you man. Love the pic of 3 laptops and a beer, too dang funny. Keep up the great work!

 

[mikedean441]

Great hole by hole recap AWF. Those are some crazy insane distances. Nice work on using it off the tee for testing purposes. Looking forward to this weekend's recap on the off the deck attempts

 

[TheCrest4]

Great work AWF! Awesome pics and write ups! Keep it up man. I really liked how you got some feedback from the club off the tee but I am interested in if you had any miss hits and what did you notice about the club? Did they still go quite a bit further than your gamer 3 wood? Were they extremely erratic? Any of the testers please feel free to chime in here

For myself I know I need to get out on the course and really get a chance to see how this club performs off the deck for me. My current club I feel very comfortable off the deck with and I am hoping that I can use some of this confidence with the RBZ. My testing review was mainly off of the tee and I had very inconsistent and erratic results.

I really am hoping to get out this weekend to give it some more testing, this week has sucked so far work has been horrible just trying to keep my head above water and all I really want to do is play golf and test this club ( yeah probably should have put that in the rant thread but I feel a little better after typing that).

Great job everyone looking forward to reading more a little later.

 

[pdgoblue25]

SHARP looking

SHARP looking

I'm really excited about this club, I'm overdue for a new fairway wood.

 

[afwcardinal]

Great work AWF! Awesome pics and write ups! Keep it up man. I really liked how you got some feedback from the club off the tee but I am interested in if you had any miss hits and what did you notice about the club? Did they still go quite a bit further than your gamer 3 wood? Were they extremely erratic? Any of the testers please feel free to chime in here

For myself I know I need to get out on the course and really get a chance to see how this club performs off the deck for me. My current club I feel very comfortable off the deck with and I am hoping that I can use some of this confidence with the RBZ. My testing review was mainly off of the tee and I had very inconsistent and erratic results.

I really am hoping to get out this weekend to give it some more testing, this week has sucked so far work has been horrible just trying to keep my head above water and all I really want to do is play golf and test this club ( yeah probably should have put that in the rant thread but I feel a little better after typing that).

Great job everyone looking forward to reading more a little later.

As far as miss hits, I only hit this club 10 times yesterday and they were all ok. 6 of the 10 were in fairway 1 was on the green and one was just off the fairway to the right, which is exactly were I as aimed. Lets do this by hole.
Hole 1. I hit 2 first tee balls. I was very tight to start with and no warm up so i thought it was called for. Both balls were in the fairway, about 10yds apart. Can't complain there.
Hole 3. First teee shot was a beautiful shot with a slight draw and finishes in the middle of the fairway. The second shot I was trying to jump on it and I hooked it. Same ditance, but right of the fairway about 20yds, yet playable and actually with a very good look at the green and with less yardage to the hole. Could not be upet with this one either. This was the one hole that you don't want to be right of the fairway.
Holes 5 and 6 I only teed up the one ball.
Hole 8. I could not see the first ball because I was hitting directly into the sun, so I teed up a second and tryed to flight it low and hoped that I could track it. Tis shot came off great, but it was the only shot that I did not produce a draw flight on. It was dead straight at where I was aiming. It came to rest behind a tree on the right. The one good thing was I was hitting into the winter green vs the summer. I could actually see the winter green.
And finally hole 9. I hit a nice mid high with a slight draw down the center. With the second tee shot I really wanted to try and drive it hard and get the roll out with the winter grass. Again, I hooked it like I did on #3. In play but no chance to get to the green.
It played out similar to what my 3W sould have, but the distances were much greater than I hd imagined and the easy of hitting this club was amazing.
There is plenty more work to do with this club, being this is my firt time on course with it, but it is looking very good after 1, 9 hole round. I'm verypleased and surprised at this time. Looking forward to Sundays round. I am just disappointed that I will not b able to swing this one for a few days. Between weather and work, I wont touch the club again until possibly Saturday.

 

[Jeff Spicoli]

Good stuff so far afw, you are rocking this testing so far.

What has impressed me so far as well has been how easy to hit the Stage 2. I have not had a chance to take it to the course yet, but from my first swing, there was no big adjustment period like my other 3 woods. I am hoping to get out for nine tomorrow morning but if I can't play tomorrow I'm playing on Saturday and Sunday for on the course testing.

Crest--I feel your pain--I can't wait to get out on the course with the Stage 2.

 

[cocheese]

I am not a part of the official testing crew, but I thought I'd echo AFW's impressions. I have been playing about a year and the club that I struggle with the most has always been my 3 wood. I've tried the Titleist 910F, Ping G15 (4-wood), i20, TEE XCG6, and currently play the RBZ Stage 2 Tour 14.5*. I have to say that I think it will be in the bag for a while. After several rounds with it, it seems to have the best blend of feel, distance, accuracy, and look. I know that some do not care for the white/yellow/grey, but honestly I forget about it. It's a non-issue for me anyway. I am NOT a long hitter by any means, but I am beginning to get closer to reaching on par 5's and the club can be used from lies that were once hybrid-only shots. I need to spend more time with the adjustment feature, as there may be some advantages there that I have not tapped into yet. Thus far, I am very impressed with this club. It feels very solid off the face and has a penetrating flight when struck well. It is also more forgiving than most of the other 3 woods I've tried. I give it two thumbs up at this point.

 

[afwcardinal]

Very nice cocheese. I agree about this club being easy to hit and forgiving. I am liking the results so far.

 

[Brianbigoats]

I have been testing the Stage 2 Tour over the last couple weeks and found similar results. I love the face and adjustability but the Rocket Fuel shaft felt flimsy. What made you decide on the RIP? Did you try anything shafts?

I have a rip Alpha in my back up driver and i like it so i decided to give the beta a try it is a mid/low flight that i was looking for i thought about a RUL but the flight was higher than I wanted so i put the Rul in my 5 wood

 

[StanTheCaddy]

Finally caught up on this thread. Great stuff guys. Seems like the Stage 2 would be an upgrade over my RBZ 3 wood. This thread has me in full ponder mode...

 

[J4U]

Where: Plum Creek Golf Club
When: February 19th
Time: 10AM
Temps: 18*-39* (Felt Warmer but had 4 layers on)
Wind: Very minimal 3-7*

I was a bit worried when I arrived at the course and the doors were locked. But a vehicle showed up around 9:30 and I went to the Pro Shop. Tom opened the door and to make a long story short...he let me go on out even though they were going to close. He gave me some pointers since I've never played here before and I asked him if it would be an issue to video my round and explained to him the reason. He kind of laughed and said the course is yours...I bolted. I found out on the turn that he had let a regular go off the front and we were the ONLY two on the course...never saw the other guy.

I was pretty stiff most of the morning...duhh...it's cold outside. But the clubs didn't seem to care, as long as I could get a half way descent swing on them. I decided again for this round that I would leave my driver covered up for the whole round. Probably better anyway...you don't get much to work with on this course compared to others I've played.

Instead of a descriptive by hole, I've picked a couple that possibly gives you an idea of what I'm seeing.

HOLE 15:
Par 5 496 yds

This hole plays straight away with a good drive landing towards the left middle. The other side of the crest will roll down and to the right towards the hole. I had no idea going into it what to expect, but attempted to put both drives towards the left side since I couldn't see over the crest. The AMP ended up doing so, the RBZ took off straight with a little fade and just cleared the crest, but in the thicker stuff...so not much roll out opportunity for the RBZ. Both drives netted the same number on the score card.

Most of the flags were similar to this one, but when reviewing the videos from yesterday you would have thought I would have learned. Nope kept trying to pull the flag as if it was July.


HOLE 8:
Par 5 537 yds

This hole plays also plays straight away, but a good drive should be focused towards the right side of the fairway as it slopes to the left slightly. There is a sand bunker that starts at around 300 on the left side and then water after that, but you can't see any of this from the tee box. Fortunately between my app and the V2, I could guess my way around the course where I couldn't see.

The AMP was victorious more so than the RBZ on the front 9 (or off the back today), but the RBZ was coming through towards the end. The RBZ gave me that feeling some of us have mentioned testing on this drive and it showed...wow. The AMP...well let's just say the video says it all. I guess I was trying to give the RBZ a run for it's money and duffed it. I let the RBZ take over from the deck and this was actually the only hole that I hit a FW off the deck. It performed beautifully! Take a look:

Ok, so I stink at dubbing audio. Also forgot to mention the flag was broken and all you could do was just lay in next to the hole.

Fairways Hit: 6/14
I was not severely punished by either of the FW's when not in the fairway. I was able to hit my next shot to the green as it is winter. If it had been summer:

4/8 of the offline shots would have been playable without much issue.
2/8 would have been short irons to get out of the tall stuff
2/8 would have probably been lost. Again, it was the Indian and not the arrow.

​

I was really happy with the performance of both FW's given me and the fairways. Was a lot of fun, but was kind of nervous on some of them with houses being right alongside you. Water and hazards...not so much...just a lost ball if that happens, but hate seeing those "Warning" signs all along the cart path.

Distances Seen Yesterday (NOT normal):
The app I use to track my rounds provides me with distances for each club selected. It also gives you a google 3D map of your round, including your walking path. Within the spoiler is a snapshot of Hole #8 that is also within this review to compare the AMP Cell. You can see within the picture the little dots and blue track as my path dictates and cart path only. I only logged the RBZ on this round, but my path shows me going to hit the flubbed AMP Cell drive off the deck as an example. Obviously I didn't end the punch shot and it tracked me to hole 9 before finishing the hole on the app.

Spoiler

Just notice that when I take a pic within the app, it is uploaded as a background on the website...pretty cool but I digress.

I verified with my V2 that it is accurate to within 4yds as possible variance taking that the V2 is accurate as well. Again, I'm going to preface that these are NOT normal distances for me and by no means representative of the capability of the club, or myself. You have to remember that this round was played in temps ranging from 18* to 38* and the ground was frozen. My app shows my average dating back to last year as 257yds for my old AMP 3W. I will say that both the RBZ and the AMP Cell have the capability to increase this average down the road. Even thought these numbers reflect playing on a hockey rink...it was very fun. Started off on the back and hole 10 is narrow with houses going up both sides and then doglegs left...are you kidding me!

Hole 1 - 277
Hole 3 - 246
Hole 4 - 284
Hole 5 - 292
Hole 6 - 312
Hole 8 - 317
Hole 9 - 256
Hole 10 - 212
Hole 11 - 243
Hole 13 - 5I used
Hole 14 - 236
Hole 15 - 288
Hole 16 - 315
Hole 18 - 258
​

Conclusion:
The RBZ performed well today and the thought still hold's true to this thing wanting to get out there. Off the tee or off the Deck, it is really easy to set up and just let it do the talking. Like I said early, was a bit nervous with the smaller fairways, but both the RBZ and Cell were up to the challenge of helping me keep it in play. The AMP Cell kept pace and had some equally good frozen tundra numbers, but not putting anything to the distances seen today for either of them. I still hold to my personal thought of liking the AMP Cell Fujikura Fuel a little better. Just something about the Matrix RocketFuel that seems a bit off for me. I think the next time I go out, I will only take the RBZ cover off and give myself some alone time without the Cell. Maybe switching between the two is causing an injustice. Especially as lucky as I've been lately being able to hit both most every time.

Doesn't look promising with warming up and the white stuff is falling now. Have some work coming up, so it looks like next week is the first chance I'll have to get the RBZ back out on a course.

 

[sleuth]

Conclusion:
The RBZ performed well today and the thought still hold's true to this thing wanting to get out there. Off the tee or off the Deck, it is really easy to set up and just let it do the talking. Like I said early, was a bit nervous with the smaller fairways, but both the RBZ and Cell were up to the challenge of helping me keep it in play. The AMP Cell kept pace and had some equally good frozen tundra numbers, but not putting anything to the distances seen today for either of them. I still hold to my personal thought of liking the AMP Cell Fujikura Fuel a little better. Just something about the Matrix RocketFuel that seems a bit off for me. I think the next time I go out, I will only take the RBZ cover off and give myself some alone time without the Cell. Maybe switching between the two is causing an injustice. Especially as lucky as I've been lately being able to hit both most every time.

Doesn't look promising with warming up and the white stuff is falling now. Have some work coming up, so it looks like next week is the first chance I'll have to get the RBZ back out on a course.

Great review. Can't believe you're playing in freezing temps haha. I agree a lot with that part. I just couldn't find the right RBZ stock fit for me. I went through different weights, and actually found the R flex worked best for me. I haven't hit the Cell FW but if the Fuel shaft performs anywhere as good as it did for me in the driver, I'll be happy.

 

[War Eagle]

J4U, that update was incredible. Wow, that was really well done.

I see you mentioning shaft preference between the Amp and the RBZ, something seems off, any idea what it might be? Weight, not catching up with your swing?

Those distances are incredible as well, frozen tundra or not!

 

[J4U]

Great review. Can't believe you're playing in freezing temps haha. I agree a lot with that part. I just couldn't find the right RBZ stock fit for me. I went through different weights, and actually found the R flex worked best for me. I haven't hit the Cell FW but if the Fuel shaft performs anywhere as good as it did for me in the driver, I'll be happy.

Thanks man, even though the temp numbers were low...the "real feel" was a bit higher and little wind and big time sun really helped. Believe me, I'm not one to get out when it feels like those temps!

J4U, that update was incredible. Wow, that was really well done.

I see you mentioning shaft preference between the Amp and the RBZ, something seems off, any idea what it might be? Weight, not catching up with your swing?

Those distances are incredible as well, frozen tundra or not!

Appreciate it, but there was a lot of roll on those big ones!

I'm not really sure yet, but I can sure feel a difference and could it be the swing weight, maybe. If in fact it is what their website's say it is. It's not as bad at the range and could be because I'm not holding back or nervous to bring back the third base pull as I am on the course (especially the one I just played). I am going to try and go to a shop tomorrow and have them measured and possibly try a few different shafts in the RBZ (If they have any others besides stock offerings).

Hope that made sense.

 

[War Eagle]

Thanks man, even though the temp numbers were low...the "real feel" was a bit higher and little wind and big time sun really helped. Believe me, I'm not one to get out when it feels like those temps!


Appreciate it, but there was a lot of roll on those big ones!

I'm not really sure yet, but I can sure feel a difference and could it be the swing weight, maybe. If in fact it is what their website's say it is. It's not as bad at the range and could be because I'm not holding back or nervous to bring back the third base pull as I am on the course (especially the one I just played). I am going to try and go to a shop tomorrow and have them measured and possibly try a few different shafts in the RBZ (If they have any others besides stock offerings).

Hope that made sense.

Made perfect sense to me. Thanks.

 

[#Cookie]

Phenomenal writeup from last night J4U! Love the fact that you have another 2013 "hot model" FW to compare it to head to head. Are you playing both of them at 14.5* right now?

LOL at the audio dubbing! When you go to the shop, are you measuring loft? Would be curious as that seems to be a hot topic with these FW's and how accurate they are.

 

[Tadashi70]

J4U sounds like the amp cell is the club for you. I wonder over time and alone time with the RBZ you grow to like it. The distances that you were left into the holes with RBZ, were they exceptable to you? Or are you looking for more? Also do you think the freezing temps may have aided in the distance lose?

 

[J4U]

Phenomenal writeup from last night J4U! Love the fact that you have another 2013 "hot model" FW to compare it to head to head. Are you playing both of them at 14.5* right now?

LOL at the audio dubbing! When you go to the shop, are you measuring loft? Would be curious as that seems to be a hot topic with these FW's and how accurate they are.

I already had them both measured and the RBZ is at 14.5 and the Cell is at 15. Playing them at those lofts right now, the Cell jumps to 14 so didn't want to move it lower than the RBZ and don't like the draw bias setting. Took me a while to get that audio to fit right...was fun trying and laughing while I was doing it. Was hoping other would find it comical.

Edit: Going to have the swing weights measured, sorry forgot to answer that one.

J4U sounds like the amp cell is the club for you. I wonder over time and alone time with the RBZ you grow to like it. The distances that you were left into the holes with RBZ, were they exceptable to you? Or are you looking for more? Also do you think the freezing temps may have aided in the distance lose?

I'm not making that call yet as the Cell only has a few range session's and one round over the RBZ, just saying it has a better "feel" at the moment and going to try and figure out what is making up that "feel" by utilizing some different shafts in the RBZ today and see if that's it. Love the look and contact I'm getting with the RBZ it's just from point A to B. PM me if you have some thoughts, would be awesome to get feedback from you Freddie!

The distances with the RBZ are very acceptable and not looking for more out of it.

I was using the Wilson Elite 50/50 during the round because temps were so low and seeing some great distances with the low compression. I actually used a TF V2 Tour on a Par three and it fell a little shorter than I was expecting due to weather and that was the only hole I used a higher compression ball on.

 

[Jeff Spicoli]

I already had them both measured and the RBZ is at 14.5 and the Cell is at 15. Playing them at those lofts right now, the Cell jumps to 14 so didn't want to move it lower than the RBZ and don't like the draw bias setting. Took me a while to get that audio to fit right...was fun trying and laughing while I was doing it. Was hoping other would find it comical.

Edit: Going to have the swing weights measured, sorry forgot to answer that one.


I'm not making that call yet as the Cell only has a few range session's and one round over the RBZ, just saying it has a better "feel" at the moment and going to try and figure out what is making up that "feel" by utilizing some different shafts in the RBZ today and see if that's it. Love the look and contact I'm getting with the RBZ it's just from point A to B. PM me if you have some thoughts, would be awesome to get feedback from you Freddie!

The distances with the RBZ are very acceptable and not looking for more out of it.

I was using the Wilson Elite 50/50 during the round because temps were so low and seeing some great distances with the low compression. I actually used a TF V2 Tour on a Par three and it fell a little shorter than I was expecting due to weather and that was the only hole I used a higher compression ball on.

Great post, man! Love the dubbing. It is indeed hammer time.

As far as the shaft goes, while I don't mind the lighter weight of the Stage 2 Rocketfuel, compared to what I have in my Ping and RBZ, after hitting the range the other day, I think I prefer the relative heaviness of the shafts in the Ping and RBZ. I am not sure if it is the weight of the Rocketfuel or what, but it does sometimes I can't feel the club head as well on my downswing.

 

[JeffReedMO]

Great post, man! Love the dubbing. It is indeed hammer time.

As far as the shaft goes, while I don't mind the lighter weight of the Stage 2 Rocketfuel, compared to what I have in my Ping and RBZ, after hitting the range the other day, I think I prefer the relative heaviness of the shafts in the Ping and RBZ. I am not sure if it is the weight of the Rocketfuel or what, but it does sometimes I can't feel the club head as well on my downswing.

I believe that is the unconnected feeling I was talking about in my initial write up and why I felt I was having so many issues pushing everything. I felt fine, until I started down, then I just felt like the club head was way behind me, when it shouldn't be.

 

[J4U]

Great post, man! Love the dubbing. It is indeed hammer time.

As far as the shaft goes, while I don't mind the lighter weight of the Stage 2 Rocketfuel, compared to what I have in my Ping and RBZ, after hitting the range the other day, I think I prefer the relative heaviness of the shafts in the Ping and RBZ. I am not sure if it is the weight of the Rocketfuel or what, but it does sometimes I can't feel the club head as well on my downswing.

I believe that is the unconnected feeling I was talking about in my initial write up and why I felt I was having so many issues pushing everything. I felt fine, until I started down, then I just felt like the club head was way behind me, when it shouldn't be.

That is part of the "feeling" I've been talking about, not something totally off...just odd at this point. I just think I need more time with it, about to head out and see what other shafts feel like with it.

Edit: confirmed swing weight is as stated on website D5.

 

[Jeff Spicoli]

I believe that is the unconnected feeling I was talking about in my initial write up and why I felt I was having so many issues pushing everything. I felt fine, until I started down, then I just felt like the club head was way behind me, when it shouldn't be.

I think I'm starting to feel it now or notice it more. My results so far aren't any worse as far as accuracy goes as my Ping. It is something I am going to watch though throughout my testing.

 

[afwcardinal]

I will probably get back out to the range Saturday. I am going to observe capt.dru do an iron fitting and will break out the Stage 2 then and hit a few. Then I have a round scheduled for Sunday. I hope the results are good as Tuesdays. Accurate and long. What more could I ask for? I should get a chance to hit it from the fairway a time or two and see what kind of results I can get. Looking forward to that.

 

[War Eagle]

I will probably get back out to the range Saturday. I am going to observe capt.dru do an iron fitting and will break out the Stage 2 then and hit a few. Then I have a round scheduled for Sunday. I hope the results are good as Tuesdays. Accurate and long. What more could I ask for? I should get a chance to hit it from the fairway a time or two and see what kind of results I can get. Looking forward to that.

Im playing tomorrow and Saturday, range time before both rounds. Fortunate enough that the round on Saturday is with a big group of THPers and a Launch Monitor will be present. Hoping to get some hard data.

 

[Jeff Spicoli]

2/21/13 Range Testing: RBZ Stage 2 15* Rocketfuel 60g Stiff Shaft


While I still haven't been able to get out to test the Stage 2 for some on the course testing, this was my fourth opportunity to take the Stage 2 out for a spin. I am getting a better feel for what to expect out of the Stage 2 and there are a few things that are starting to stand out to me.

I started my range session by warming up with wedges and then moved to full swings with my mid irons. After feeling loose, I broke out the Stage 2. The first few shots were pretty good--mid to high trajectory and pretty much straight or a slight draw. After that, my swing felt pretty shaky--a club can only do so much. I hit a few thin; blocked a few; pulled a few. For as bad as I felt like I was swinging, the results weren't that bad. I had brought my original RBZ Tour and Ping with me, so I decided to see if I could hit those any better. I hit a few with my RBZ and it was awful--low, short, ugly, and left. My swing didn't feel any more off than with the Stage 2, but the results were noticeable worse and this was with the ball on the tee, where I typically hit the RBZ better than off the deck.

I took a few swings with my i20 and saw some good results. I was hitting my preferred shot--high draw with pretty good command. I went back to work with the Stage 2 and while I wasn't hitting it quite as pure as the Ping, I was seeing good results and on mishits, and seeing minimal distance loss. Most shots were within what I would call an acceptable distance from my target or dead on it.

I won't bore everyone with details of my misadventures on the range, so I will try to sum up my thoughts on the Stage 2 so far:

Forgiveness. Compared (at least for me) to last year's version, the Stage 2 is much more forgiving on mishits. I think the true test will be how the Stage 2 performs on the course, but on the range at least, the Stage is just easier to hit.

Distance. On the launch monitor, I was seeing a few more carry yards and a little bit more ball speed compared to last years version and my Ping i20, even though the backspin was higher than I would prefer to have it. More distance isn't the end all be all, but I'm not complaining with a few more yards.

Versatility. Much easier to hit off the deck for me than the original. I feel as confident from hitting my Ping from the fairway as off the tee. The Stage 2 has the potential to work as well.

Ball Flight. I am seeing a higher launch angle and higher ball flight which will hopefully aid when going par 5s in two.

What I am not sold on yet is the Rocketfuel shaft. It doesn't feel as solid or as stable as I would like it to. That being said, the results I am seeing so far are pretty good.

Overall, I'm still liking what I am seeing out of the Stage 2. Whether or not it earns a place in my bag, remains to be seen.