TaylorMade SpeedBlade Irons Review Thread

[DevRickus]

The TaylorMade SpeedBlade irons. I'll go into detail, and I'll probably get wordy, but i think the best advice I can give those looking at these irons, is that you really shouldn't go into a fitting with them (or swing them) without an open mind. They just aren't going to do what historical irons of the same ilk would tell you they will do.

I am a high launch, high spin player. I've 'swung my swing' for years, and attempts to adjust it lead to higher scores, so for the most part, I look for equipment that helps to reduce spin and in many cases launch as a secondary (because you'd think high launch = high spin). In my bag prior to this weekend were a set of Bridgestone j33 cavity back irons, very much a player style iron that can be very punishing on poorly struck shots.

At the demo/fitting portion of the event this past weekend, I was lucky enough to get on the monitor second, allowing me to go in with a completely open mind regarding the irons, the shafts, and the overall fitting process. Bob Vansweden was offering the fitting for us, having us hit our own irons against the SpeedBlade irons, along with a 5 year old TaylorMade iron to compare to them, due to the belief that irons have about a five year cycle for the average golfer (clearly not the average THPer hahaha)!

After hitting the three irons on the monitor, Bob offered me some interesting feedback and numbers on the irons, noting that the SpeedBlade 7 iron outperformed my gamer 7 iron in both distance, reduced spin numbers, and slightly higher launch. Swinging at just a shaft over 100mph (clearly these irons help to increase swing speed with the lighter shafts and head design) he encouraged me to play something along the lines of the PXi 6.5 or C-Taper Lite iron shaft. I was lucky to have THP filming, so feel free to check it out on the first post or here:



While on the range enjoying the other testings, I did hit the 4 iron a bit to see if the speed pocket made a strange noise for me, but the adjustments there may be one of the best designs on the irons. It's very much more of a 'thwack' but it's of a lower audible level, so you really have to catch it flush to get it. Quite frankly, I heard it a few times this weekend on course, and I enjoyed it. It might even add to the feedback of knowing I've really hit one well.

I also spent just a bit of time with the AW because bridging that gap between my wedges and set of irons is something I find incredibly important. It's nice that TaylorMade has designed it to be 50* because that is what I normally play, so I didn't bother playing my own 50* all weekend on course. The slightly larger face certainly was noticeable on the wedge on the first couple swings, but that quickly went away and the contact was good.


ON COURSE

With two rounds of golf to play, the SpeedBlade irons took center stage, and for the most part, I was pleasantly surprised. Most of the weekend for me was about taking a smoother swing to accommodate the stock stiff shafts, and while that changed my normal game plan a bit, it was really nice to have an iron that was receptive on most strikes. Also, I have seen a lot of concern surrounding the lower irons bridging the gap well into the wedges based on the lofts of the set, but I really think if you play this set normally (and not try to kill every shot) the distance blends nicely. The ability to take a 3/4 swing with a 9 or PW based on the conditions and lie should allow most people actually concerned about that differential in loft to flight or adjust easily. I did.

I believe the irons that really played well for me were the longer irons. 4/5/6 were exceptionally easy to hit, accurate to my target line, and really not dealing with the annoying left tail after some good flight which was something I often saw with the Burner 2.0 irons. I'll admit, the only club I really felt the need to step on was the 4 iron, and even doing that for the most part created a powerful arch with maybe a bit of a sweeping draw, but for the most part, these irons just seem to be inclined to go straight. Speaking on the 4 a bit more, I used it as a driver replacement on a few par 4s this weekend and even a par 5, and the consistency and distance I was seeing were fantastic. For those who play shorter distance and enjoy conservative golf, this iron will really speak to you.

I did struggle a bit to get my distances right with the wind, but I would not attribute that to the irons directly. They have pretty clear numbers once you've swung them a couple times, and are certainly receptive to laying off for 5% less total yardage, especially in the shorter irons.

Speed Pocket

As I had mentioned before, the speed pocket has been much improved, and it blends well in the set between the 7 and 8 iron. It's almost a subtle combo set, but the distances to this point between the two are not noticeably larger in gap to me. I would love to see what kind of distance and accuracy could be generated with a 3 iron, designed to play at 17* of loft. That could easily replace my hybrid if it was anywhere close to as consistent as my 4 iron.

Turf Interaction

People will still struggle when striking the ball fat or heavy (behind the ball) but I saw very little face turn when myself of one of my foursome hit it like that. Certainly reduced distance, but nothing turning hard one way or the other due to that strike. I think most of that can be attributed to the sole design.

Speaking about the sole design, I have spoken out about reduced turf interaction with some of the more forgiving irons on the market, but I did not get that sense with these. It's pretty easy to take a monster pelt of grass, and I didn't feel like my swing needed to be modified to get heavier into it to generate that dig. It's quite natural.

Forgiveness as an Issue

One of the major concerns I have with this style of a head is where the forgiveness actually makes the iron less predictable, and I didn't feel like i fought that too much this weekend. I was able to line up just right of a target and have the expectations of a slight draw on the ball, without fear of an unexplained straight short or a real sweeping draw that I have seen on GI or SGI irons I've demoed. Arguably my most accurate shots of the weekend came on par 3s that played in the range of 165-185 yards, and in multiple cases I found myself within 10-15 feet of the hole.

Playability

For those asking about playability based on handicap, I don't know that I can really give you a solid answer. Irons are such a personal thing that you really just need to hit them and decide for yourself. I took it upon myself to hit every ball this weekend as smooth and as straight as possible (which is basically a baby draw) and I accomplished it. At no point did I consider the irons to be a crutch.

Workability

To those in search of workability, I can tell you that I can flight them at my leisure and turn them both ways, however I maintain that these irons are best suited to go straight. For most golfers, I don't really get or see the need to work a ball (with the exception of flighting), so yes, I think these could easily be suited for a more effective swinger of the golf club.

Grips

For the most part they were not bad, but it was very humid and hot for most of the weekend, so noticeable sweat and condensation was building up after a while. I have to think as far as grips go, that must be one of the more harsh conditions to test in, but aside from some wiping down, I never dealt with any direct slippage.

Conclusion

I think TaylorMade has found a very unique set of irons. A great blend of distance and playability, with a mind towards reduced spin and increased launch. I am glad I was able to enter the weekend with an open mind, because even with shafts that might not be geared directly towards my style of golf, they were very much an easy plug and play.

I'll be happy to answer any questions and look forward to offering some updates.

Awesome dude. Just awesome. Answered all my questions so I dont even have to ask them.

 

[golf4life]

Are the shafts in these irons really light? I know very little about shafts but when I look at my irons shafts the spec sheet says 130g and these are 75g. What problems/benefits could arise from such a change in shaft weight?

The stock stiff are actually 85 grams. I think the biggest difference with the lighter shafts is that it definitely makes the irons feel head heavy. So although the irons are actually lighter than what you would be used to, they won't necessarily feel lighter, certainly when feeling the club head in your swing.

The benefit of the lighter shaft though is the ability to generate a little more club head speed which should translate to a little more distance.

Great stuff guys. Love how much people are loving these.

Here is my concern about this iron. You guys are talking about not having issues holding greens, but with what irons? I'm concerned about the long to mid irons on long Par 3's, for example. Are you still able to generate enough spin that it won't release? A few Par 3's come to mind with forced carries. If it's a front pin is there enough carry and spin to stay close to the flag?

Didn't get to use a lot of long irons to hold greens this weekend, the one I remember was a 5 iron that released a little less than 10 feet, and I had purposely hit that one low into the wind. I don't think it will be an issue for you. For the record, I was using urethane covered balls which definitely help with holding greens.

Awesome stuff right there G4L..glad to hear you're a fan of the irons. It's good to hear that these can be delighted down when they're designed to be hit higher

I was also delighted I could flight them down :bashful:

Fantastic info G4L! Much appreciated as you touched on items I was very curious about being an Altitude guy like you.

No problem Cookie. Not convinced these are going to kick the Tudes out of the bag yet!

 

[Hawk]

Brett, the head weight thing is interesting. I still find that I greatly prefer that head weight and miss it with other irons. It made testing the G25's really difficult for me at first.

 

[JonD]

Great stuff so far guys.

 

[amsmith61]

Having gamed the R7s for 4 years right up until this spring, I was really excited to have the opportunity to test the SpeedBlades. I know a lot of people were interested and concerned with the gaping and I personally didn't see it as an issue. Personally had about 10-15 yard differece between both the R7s and current AP1s and felt that was consistent with these irsons.

Visually I found the irons to be very appealing as I really liked the color scheme and two tone metal finish to the irons. I was very impressed that I felt completely comfortable with these irons right from the start - taking them right out of the box and into my bag. I have to be honest and say I really wasn't around the Rocketbladez enough to say that the SpeedBlades sound wise is an improvement, but I can say that it wasn't a distraction for me on these. I never heard any of the clicking sound that guys were talking about with the Rocketbladez in the irons the speed pockets.

Like others, I really enjoyed hitting the AW all weekend. I believe that is about a 50 degree wedge and it really filled a gap for me in the 130-140 yard range between my 52 degree wedge and the PW. I didn't get a chance to use it around the green or should I say - didn't really think to try it. Will do more of that in my next couple of rounds then deferring to my 52 wedge. I am interested to see the results.

I was extremely impressed with the forgiveness on a lot of the irons as well. Several swings that I felt like I missed on the sweet spot and was pleased to see that while I lost some distance, but not a lot.

The 4,5 and 6 irons I got to hit more of during Sunday's round and really liked how they performed. I believe the 4th hole on the International was a drivable Par 4 that I decided to hit iron off the tee. Hit a 6 iron absolutely flush that left me about 70-80 yards into the green. Most of the back 9, I was able to hit iron off the tee and still give myself a reasonable approach shot to the green. I really liked that I was able to work the ball in terms of keeping it low under the wind and still get a good amount of distance out of the shots.

 

[Nate]

Great stuff guys. Sounds like everyone had a great time down there and got some great information. So jealous!!

 

[Hacker]

These irons sound great. Thanks for the reviews so far. It sounds like you guys had a ball doing this!!

 

[Texasbrons]

Great stuff guys. Love how much people are loving these.

Here is my concern about this iron. You guys are talking about not having issues holding greens, but with what irons? I'm concerned about the long to mid irons on long Par 3's, for example. Are you still able to generate enough spin that it won't release? A few Par 3's come to mind with forced carries. If it's a front pin is there enough carry and spin to stay close to the flag?

With the increased launch angle and steeper descent, on quite a few of my long irons I would notice that my ball was usually within a couple of feet of the divot. More often than not, just back less than one foot. It's really nice knowing that when you zone into a yardage, that if you hit your ball consistently you can count on the ball being right there. Keep in mind that I am a higher handicap player than you and I tend to sweep the ball, not come down on the ball and take a divot so for me to be able to hold the ball close to the landing point is saying a lot. As a matter of fact, one of the things that became apparent to me was that I will have to change my plan when attacking greens. With my older irons I would play on the fact that my ball was going to roll out after impact, but now it is sitting a lot tighter.

Amsmith was attacking pins at 200 - 210 yards with a 7 iron and it was like artwork. Now I realize that his numbers are an exception and are obviously going to be at the higher end of the spectrum, but most people will be going into that same pin with a 4 or 5 iron.

I'm looking forward to getting out and getting some side by side numbers with my clubs (R11) and these. Several questions have been posted about the comparison of these to newer clubs as well.

 

[tgtt]

Dan, did I hear a 101 SS with a 117 BS? Also, haven't we always been told that spin numbers so low would make it especially hard to hold greens? Will/did the increases launch negate this?

 

[Canadan]

Dan, did I hear a 101 SS with a 117 BS? Also, haven't we always been told that spin numbers so low would make it especially hard to hold greens? Will/did the increases launch negate this?

That's what he said, yes. I attribute a lot of that to the head/shaft pairing being quite a bit lighter than what I normally swing. Generating that increased speed allowed me to attack the ball with a lot more control, which likely improved overall accuracy. It also makes me rethink a lot about what I know in terms of creating a club setup that increases accuracy.

I can also note that I had zero issues holding greens, and spun irons all the way up to the 6 iron I believe. This could be attributed to a higher number on descent angle, but early testing would suggest there is not an issue at all in terms of 'sticking' greens.

 

[tgtt]

That's what he said, yes. I attribute a lot of that to the head/shaft pairing being quite a bit lighter than what I normally swing. Generating that increased speed allowed me to attack the ball with a lot more control, which likely improved overall accuracy. It also makes me rethink a lot about what I know in terms of creating a club setup that increases accuracy.

I can also note that I had zero issues holding greens, and spun irons all the way up to the 6 iron I believe. This could be attributed to a higher number on descent angle, but early testing would suggest there is not an issue at all in terms of 'sticking' greens.

Thanks. I have no doubt about the 101, it is the 117 that sounds off. Smash factor waaaaay too low.

 

[sleuth]

Nice guys. Loving the responses.

One more, the crazy yardages you saw on the LM translated on course? There were actual eye popping 15-20yd gains? Just trying to wrap my head around a 2 club yardage increase for some. Wow.

 

[Canadan]

Thanks. I have no doubt about the 101, it is the 117 that sounds off. Smash factor waaaaay too low.

It could very well have been 91mph swing speed, frankly, and would have been believable. I wasn't taking a terribly aggressive cut at the ball, and based on some fitting numbers I've seen online, 91SS/117BS = 175 carry.

It's also far more in line with what I expect to swing an iron shaft of that length. Early season optimizer numbers had me around 93-94 with the six iron.

 

[MWard]

Excellent feedback Dan. I'm curious though for you and everyone else that hit them: jumpers and flyers in both the fairway and rough. Because these things launch so high and with little spin, does that create a few issues with catching one another 15yds than expected?

 

[Canadan]

Excellent feedback Dan. I'm curious though for you and everyone else that hit them: jumpers and flyers in both the fairway and rough. Because these things launch so high and with little spin, does that create a few issues with catching one another 15yds than expected?

It's early to say confidently, but I have yet to hit a ball substantially longer than i would expect it to go (with the exception of wind aided).

 

[Texasbrons]

Nice guys. Loving the responses.

One more, the crazy yardages you saw on the LM translated on course? There were actual eye popping 15-20yd gains? Just trying to wrap my head around a 2 club yardage increase for some. Wow.

I can tell you from what I personally saw, in not only my bag, but in the 6 other players that I got to play with between Saturday and Sunday that they were all seeing similar increases to what they saw from their testing in front of the flightscope monitor. Maybe not 15 to 20 yard gains across the full set. You have to remember that we did not use the full set in front of the flightscope, we were only looking at the 6 or 7 iron. But there were still gains across the set with 15 to 20 probably being at the high end of the spectrum.

And keep in mind, that this was with a lot of forgiveness as well which translated into a lot of straighter shots.

 

[SkiBumGolfer]

I can tell you from what I personally saw, in not only my bag, but in the 6 other players that I got to play with between Saturday and Sunday that they were all seeing similar increases to what they saw from their testing in front of the flightscope monitor. Maybe not 15 to 20 yard gains across the full set. You have to remember that we did not use the full set in front of the flightscope, we were only looking at the 6 or 7 iron. But there were still gains across the set with 15 to 20 probably being at the high end of the spectrum.

And keep in mind, that this was with a lot of forgiveness as well which translated into a lot of straighter shots.

This is the kind of stuff that ponders are made of... :desire:

 

[tequila4kapp]

Quick skim...
Was anyone previously playing the RocketBladez irons? What were the distance gains there, if any?

If it helps at all, much of what I'm seeing here regarding distance, trajectory and forgiveness mirrors the experience we RocketBladez testers had. Those are just great GI clubs. I suspect the SpeedBladez are as well and all the improvements being seen are completely legit.

 

[Hawk]

Quick skim...
Was anyone previously playing the RocketBladez irons? What were the distance gains there, if any?

If it helps at all, much of what I'm seeing here regarding distance, trajectory and forgiveness mirrors the experience we RocketBladez testers had. Those are just great GI clubs, suspect the SpeedBladez are as well and all the improvements being seen are completely legit.

Jman will be able to help you. From what I saw briefly, no big difference in distance, but a big difference in feel and looks.

 

[JB]

Thanks. I have no doubt about the 101, it is the 117 that sounds off. Smash factor waaaaay too low.

I believe you are relating this to driver smash factor.
Most amateurs are in the 1.1 to 1.35 for smash factor with irons.
LPGA pros who hit the sweet spot nearly all the time had 1.37 for a 7 iron based on stats sent to us and PGA Tour pros with a 7 iron were at 1.33 for a 7 iron.

FWIW, I believe the correct number was 91 club head speed

 

[arydolphin]

Before this weekend I had that thought. Hit 5 irons into greens and had not a single issue. In my opinion, most amateur golfers control stoppage on full shots with trajectory.

In reading through this thread and watching the videos, it's interesting to see how views on launch angle and spin numbers with irons are evolving. I've heard things in the past where you want the launch angle to be half of the loft on the clubhead, and then for the spin with an iron to be about 1000 times the number on the iron, so 6000 for a 6 iron and so on. But now, it seems like the newer way of thinking is that companies are trying to increase the launch angle and drop the spin in order to have the carry distance increase like with the driver. I think a lot of us that are gearheads have the older views in our brains and are wary of hearing things like Canadan having spin numbers with a 7 iron in the 3000s. But like JB is saying, I guess that the higher launch angles allow the balls to stop on the greens without having higher spin numbers. The experiences of the guys that hit these irons over the weekend seem to back that up.

 

[ASN21]

Jman will be able to help you. From what I saw briefly, no big difference in distance, but a big difference in feel and looks.

This is what I expected. An improvement, but not substantial enough to warrant upgrading from the Bladez already.

 

[Hawk]

In reading through this thread and watching the videos, it's interesting to see how views on launch angle and spin numbers with irons are evolving. I've heard things in the past where you want the launch angle to be half of the loft on the clubhead, and then for the spin with an iron to be about 1000 times the number on the iron, so 6000 for a 6 iron and so on. But now, it seems like the newer way of thinking is that companies are trying to increase the launch angle and drop the spin in order to have the carry distance increase like with the driver. I think a lot of us that are gearheads have the older views in our brains and are wary of hearing things like Canadan having spin numbers with a 7 iron in the 3000s. But like JB is saying, I guess that the higher launch angles allow the balls to stop on the greens without having higher spin numbers. The experiences of the guys that hit these irons over the weekend seem to back that up.

Ary, I've had this very thing on my brain for almost a year now since the Bladez came out. I've poked around and asked some questions, but nobody has really answered me definitively. I know that I've sat there on a Vector and looked at spin numbers, launch total height, carry, landing angle and ball speed with the Bladez vs some others and just been confused, because everything I've read said I was 'supposed' to have higher spin, but logic was making me ask why. In reality, the combination of (as you put it) driver-like ratios was producing high balls that carried farther than anything else.

 

[Hawk]

This is what I expected. An improvement, but not substantial enough to warrant upgrading from the Bladez already.

As did I, though I think the feel/sound/looks this is substantial. Still, not neccessarily worth an upgrade if you're happy imo.

What I took from the event I covered was that they are really invested in the speed pocket and believe that it will be around for a long time.

 

[Canadan]

In reading through this thread and watching the videos, it's interesting to see how views on launch angle and spin numbers with irons are evolving. I've heard things in the past where you want the launch angle to be half of the loft on the clubhead, and then for the spin with an iron to be about 1000 times the number on the iron, so 6000 for a 6 iron and so on. But now, it seems like the newer way of thinking is that companies are trying to increase the launch angle and drop the spin in order to have the carry distance increase like with the driver. I think a lot of us that are gearheads have the older views in our brains and are wary of hearing things like Canadan having spin numbers with a 7 iron in the 3000s. But like JB is saying, I guess that the higher launch angles allow the balls to stop on the greens without having higher spin numbers. The experiences of the guys that hit these irons over the weekend seem to back that up.

I tend to agree with you Ary, and was shocked to hear that my gamer spin numbers were 'only' what they were. It could have something to do with the range balls we were utilizing during the process, but that is just speculation. Generally speaking I would anticipate my spin rates with a 7 to be above the average tour numbers (and I say that as a bad thing not unlike my driver spin being generally too high as well).