TaylorMade RSi 2 Irons Review Thread

Well GEO threw a spanner in the works last night be letting me know that he went and hit them and didn't want to put them down....looks like I might have to go and give these a try as well now... :beat-up:
 
Really really enjoyed hitting them. I wasn't in the market for new irons but I could be now!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Really really enjoyed hitting them. I wasn't in the market for new irons but I could be now!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Tell you what then, you get yourself some of these, I will get the Z545 or Z745 and then we can regret buying what we did when we swap clubs at Close House in July.... :alien:
 
Ill slap in my 2 cents here. I am from northern Canada but had the opportunity to hit my RSi2's at the golf dome in the city.
first off, I coming from TM r11, c-taper 120's.....awesome clubs. I was hitting these irons great and wasn't really in the market to a new set. I was wondering also about the idea of worth upgrading or not. lets just say I am so happy I upgraded!!!! what a difference. don't get me wrong, the r11's are an awesome club.....but the Rsi2's are for real.
the long irons is why I pulled the trigger. I have problems with my 3-6 irons but man, these RSi2's are pure deadly!!! they fly off the club face. the 105KBS's are nice too bc I am coming from c-tapers 1`20's I thought there would be major differences and was actually gonna pull the 105's out and replace with the c-tapers. I think I will keep the 105's in for now.
ok back to the irons, all I have to say is that the RSi's out performed my r11's in every way from dispersion, to distance (about a club more love).
I am so happy I upgraded!!! DID I SAY THAT ALREADY? :D
Its still winter here but I am going back to the golf dome again this weekend for more fun.

on a side note: the RSi2's look beautiful in the bag....the uniformed iron shape from the 4 iron to the Aw all have the same look which me, makes the set even sexier!!!!

10/10 Taylormade!!!!

I will be gamming these iron for years to come!!!



now.....I may upgrade to the R15 430 and R15 3HL too!!!!

TAKE MY MONEY TAYLORMADE!!!!
 
"I have problems with my 3-6 irons but man, these RSi2's are pure deadly"

My thoughts exactly. I've never gamed a 3 iron before but these are so easy to hit, not to keep in the bag. 105 Tours are nice but it does get a little high at times. Please let us know how it feels with the C-Tapers.
 
"I have problems with my 3-6 irons but man, these RSi2's are pure deadly"

My thoughts exactly. I've never gamed a 3 iron before but these are so easy to hit, not to keep in the bag. 105 Tours are nice but it does get a little high at times. Please let us know how it feels with the C-Tapers.


I really need to see the ball flight in real time not in a golf dome.....but yeah the flight is higher then the c-tapers but I just wanna see results on the course before I pull them. I imagine these will be BEASTS when the c-tapers are installed.
 
RSi2 Review

RSi2 Review

I got my set out to the simulator for the first time and I have some notes to add to the thread:

The previous distances and iron interactions I will reference are coming from my previous sets of Ping G5's and Mizuno JPX 825 Pro's. I have used both of those sets on this exact simulator, so I am fairly confident that the numbers are accurate that are being compared.

Ok so here are my observations...

Tech - A+: A lot of clubs have come out through the years with some sort of new technology claiming to be longer/straighter/faster...but honestly the tech in these new RSi2's just flat out performs like it advertises. I have never seen such consistent distances with my 5/6, and even better dispersion between my 7/8. I absolutely feel that the face slots and speed slots do exactly what they are supposed to. No way I was hitting every shot today out of the center of the face, but I never saw more than 5 yards difference in distances whenever I hit them.

Long/Mid Irons - A+: The long/mid irons of the RSi2 (5-7) are absolutely fantastic. I can't say enough good things about them. My distances were 10-15 yards on average longer than what I am used to, and even with that, had absolutely no loss of feel at all. For example, the 5 iron distances I was seeing were averaging around 200-205, while I normally would expect 185-190 out of that club in the past. Even with the added distances, I was still seeing a consistent 15 yard gapping between the 5-6-7. They also launch pretty well for being longer irons, especially the 5 and 6. I hit high in general, but these irons really do allow you to hit full distances into the green and land softly. I can't rate these anything other than an A+. Best 5/6/7 irons I have ever hit.

Short Irons - A: The short irons simply do what they are supposed to do. I wasn't seeing much distance gains in these as Wonton and others have already touched on, but that is 100% ok with me, and honestly it's probably better. I hit my 8 iron around 150-155 and I might have been getting about 5 extra yards for 155-160. 9 was pretty similar to what I was used to already, about 140-145 for me. I didn't really see much if any gains with the 9 and PW, which is interesting considering they are the only clubs without either of the face or speed slots.

Gapping - A: One thing I have to wonder about with these irons sets that add a bunch of distance for you, is how it effects the gapping in the set. My typical gaps I am used to are 15 yards between my 5-6-7, and then 10 yards between my 7-PW. Here is a typical chart of the gaps I was used to, and what I was seeing now:

Old Sets
5: 190
6: 175
7: 160
8: 150
9: 140
PW: 130

RSi2
5: 205
6: 190
7: 175
8: 160
9: 145
PW: 130

As you can see, the extra distance gains do effect gapping, but it's not necessarily negative, as it stays very consistent 15 yards down instead of becoming 10 yards once I got to 7/8 before. Yes, they made me think a little bit more between distances, but these were not hard to navigate with these clubs at all.

Feel/Sound - A: Feel was solid with these. Sound was not as soft and muted as the Mizuno's I had, but not quite as clicky or loud as the Pings. Pretty moderate sound and it wasn't a negative or positive per say. Between the sound and vibration, I could tell pretty easily how the shot was coming off, and pure shots felt very nice.

Overall - A+: I can't say enough about these. Not only did they provide excellent distance which helped me out tremendously towards the top, they were extremely consistent and they provided immediate confidence every time I selected a club. Nothing is better in an iron set than knowing you can knock about 5-8 yards off a club confidently when you're sitting in a gap between clubs.
 
Good write-up, Colin! Those long irons are doing well for ya huh? Considering more on the 4 iron?
 
Good write-up, Colin! Those long irons are doing well for ya huh? Considering more on the 4 iron?

I'm actually not sure. If I can stay consistently around 200 with the 5 iron, I may not need it. I can knock distances off hybrids really easily, but having the 4 hybrid allows me the extra 10 or 15 yards when I need it over what a 4 iron could get me.

I do love 4 irons though, and I do love tungsten in the toe of long irons....so yea probably haha.
 
Pics and initial impression coming shortly, these are beauties!
 
I got my set out to the simulator for the first time and I have some notes to add to the thread:

The previous distances and iron interactions I will reference are coming from my previous sets of Ping G5's and Mizuno JPX 825 Pro's. I have used both of those sets on this exact simulator, so I am fairly confident that the numbers are accurate that are being compared.

Ok so here are my observations...

Tech - A+: A lot of clubs have come out through the years with some sort of new technology claiming to be longer/straighter/faster...but honestly the tech in these new RSi2's just flat out performs like it advertises. I have never seen such consistent distances with my 5/6, and even better dispersion between my 7/8. I absolutely feel that the face slots and speed slots do exactly what they are supposed to. No way I was hitting every shot today out of the center of the face, but I never saw more than 5 yards difference in distances whenever I hit them.

Long/Mid Irons - A+: The long/mid irons of the RSi2 (5-7) are absolutely fantastic. I can't say enough good things about them. My distances were 10-15 yards on average longer than what I am used to, and even with that, had absolutely no loss of feel at all. For example, the 5 iron distances I was seeing were averaging around 200-205, while I normally would expect 185-190 out of that club in the past. Even with the added distances, I was still seeing a consistent 15 yard gapping between the 5-6-7. They also launch pretty well for being longer irons, especially the 5 and 6. I hit high in general, but these irons really do allow you to hit full distances into the green and land softly. I can't rate these anything other than an A+. Best 5/6/7 irons I have ever hit.

Short Irons - A: The short irons simply do what they are supposed to do. I wasn't seeing much distance gains in these as Wonton and others have already touched on, but that is 100% ok with me, and honestly it's probably better. I hit my 8 iron around 150-155 and I might have been getting about 5 extra yards for 155-160. 9 was pretty similar to what I was used to already, about 140-145 for me. I didn't really see much if any gains with the 9 and PW, which is interesting considering they are the only clubs without either of the face or speed slots.

Gapping - A: One thing I have to wonder about with these irons sets that add a bunch of distance for you, is how it effects the gapping in the set. My typical gaps I am used to are 15 yards between my 5-6-7, and then 10 yards between my 7-PW. Here is a typical chart of the gaps I was used to, and what I was seeing now:

Old Sets
5: 190
6: 175
7: 160
8: 150
9: 140
PW: 130

RSi2
5: 205
6: 190
7: 175
8: 160
9: 145
PW: 130

As you can see, the extra distance gains do effect gapping, but it's not necessarily negative, as it stays very consistent 15 yards down instead of becoming 10 yards once I got to 7/8 before. Yes, they made me think a little bit more between distances, but these were not hard to navigate with these clubs at all.

Feel/Sound - A: Feel was solid with these. Sound was not as soft and muted as the Mizuno's I had, but not quite as clicky or loud as the Pings. Pretty moderate sound and it wasn't a negative or positive per say. Between the sound and vibration, I could tell pretty easily how the shot was coming off, and pure shots felt very nice.

Overall - A+: I can't say enough about these. Not only did they provide excellent distance which helped me out tremendously towards the top, they were extremely consistent and they provided immediate confidence every time I selected a club. Nothing is better in an iron set than knowing you can knock about 5-8 yards off a club confidently when you're sitting in a gap between clubs.
Just what I was waiting for time to pull the trigger! Thanks Chris!
 
After hitting these on Weds, more out of curiosity than anything else, then not wanting to put them down I went back today and had a fit for them. My good friend runs a local AG store and there is an outdoor range so we generally fit the old school way by eye and feel.
We had them up against my current MP-64, Callaway XR Pro, Nike Vapor Pro Combo, RSi TP and Titleist AP2.
Once again the RSi 2 came out on top in all departments for me strong high flight, consistent distance and really tight dispersion. They are so easy to hit and even coming from a Mizuno the feel was great. Tried a number of shafts but the one that worked the best was the C-Taper 90 S.

I have to say I would game any of the above irons as they were all really solid offerings and slightly different in their own way. As consumers we are lucky with the choice of so much great equipment out there. The RSi2's just worked that bit better for me and the added help from the head I think will help me especially in some of the miserable cold conditions we play through here in the UK.

Anyway and order has been placed just could not pass them up! My MP's will be kept but I suspect the RSi2's will get the most game time. Can wait to get them in play!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I should add that my bad miss is low and towards the toe. This is where the tech really helped me out compared to my current irons and the others tested.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
After hitting these on Weds, more out of curiosity than anything else, then not wanting to put them down I went back today and had a fit for them. My good friend runs a local AG store and there is an outdoor range so we generally fit the old school way by eye and feel.
We had them up against my current MP-64, Callaway XR Pro, Nike Vapor Pro Combo, RSi TP and Titleist AP2.
Once again the RSi 2 came out on top in all departments for me strong high flight, consistent distance and really tight dispersion. They are so easy to hit and even coming from a Mizuno the feel was great. Tried a number of shafts but the one that worked the best was the C-Taper 90 S.

I have to say I would game any of the above irons as they were all really solid offerings and slightly different in their own way. As consumers we are lucky with the choice of so much great equipment out there. The RSi2's just worked that bit better for me and the added help from the head I think will help me especially in some of the miserable cold conditions we play through here in the UK.

Anyway and order has been placed just could not pass them up! My MP's will be kept but I suspect the RSi2's will get the most game time. Can wait to get them in play!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I had the MP-64s too and they were nice and feels amazing but not too much help. Especially the low toe miss. I'm glad the RSi 2 fits you well.
I do have a question though. For a low handicap person like yourself, what made you choose the 2's over the TP? TP version is slimmer, similar shape and thinness like the 64's.
 
The MP-64 is an awesome club and way more forgiving than people give it credit for but it can get you on off days! I am keeping them and will probably change between sets when I fancy it.

I went with the RSi2's as I like that they are stronger in loft certainly to what I'm used to and I was seeing a few yards more over the TP. I felt I could shape the 2's either way if needed and I'm ok with at looking at a thicker top line. I'm also approaching 40 (next month) and finally realising that I'm happy taking all the help I can get these days. I can see myself using the 64's in the summer on the hard ground and softer feel but the RSi2's will be an all rounder for me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Cbaker,
great review. Thank you for being thorough. I love the fact you listed your old and new yardages. Breaking down each topic helps too. It's kinda annoying when people post one line reviews or write ups. I'll learn more from your quote than 50 short reviews. Keep them coming and please update on your experience with the rsi 2s.

I definitely want to try them but don't want to get that itch that causes me to ponder buying a new set of irons at this time


I got my set out to the simulator for the first time and I have some notes to add to the thread:

The previous distances and iron interactions I will reference are coming from my previous sets of Ping G5's and Mizuno JPX 825 Pro's. I have used both of those sets on this exact simulator, so I am fairly confident that the numbers are accurate that are being compared.

Ok so here are my observations...

Tech - A+: A lot of clubs have come out through the years with some sort of new technology claiming to be longer/straighter/faster...but honestly the tech in these new RSi2's just flat out performs like it advertises. I have never seen such consistent distances with my 5/6, and even better dispersion between my 7/8. I absolutely feel that the face slots and speed slots do exactly what they are supposed to. No way I was hitting every shot today out of the center of the face, but I never saw more than 5 yards difference in distances whenever I hit them.

Long/Mid Irons - A+: The long/mid irons of the RSi2 (5-7) are absolutely fantastic. I can't say enough good things about them. My distances were 10-15 yards on average longer than what I am used to, and even with that, had absolutely no loss of feel at all. For example, the 5 iron distances I was seeing were averaging around 200-205, while I normally would expect 185-190 out of that club in the past. Even with the added distances, I was still seeing a consistent 15 yard gapping between the 5-6-7. They also launch pretty well for being longer irons, especially the 5 and 6. I hit high in general, but these irons really do allow you to hit full distances into the green and land softly. I can't rate these anything other than an A+. Best 5/6/7 irons I have ever hit.

Short Irons - A: The short irons simply do what they are supposed to do. I wasn't seeing much distance gains in these as Wonton and others have already touched on, but that is 100% ok with me, and honestly it's probably better. I hit my 8 iron around 150-155 and I might have been getting about 5 extra yards for 155-160. 9 was pretty similar to what I was used to already, about 140-145 for me. I didn't really see much if any gains with the 9 and PW, which is interesting considering they are the only clubs without either of the face or speed slots.

Gapping - A: One thing I have to wonder about with these irons sets that add a bunch of distance for you, is how it effects the gapping in the set. My typical gaps I am used to are 15 yards between my 5-6-7, and then 10 yards between my 7-PW. Here is a typical chart of the gaps I was used to, and what I was seeing now:

Old Sets
5: 190
6: 175
7: 160
8: 150
9: 140
PW: 130

RSi2
5: 205
6: 190
7: 175
8: 160
9: 145
PW: 130

As you can see, the extra distance gains do effect gapping, but it's not necessarily negative, as it stays very consistent 15 yards down instead of becoming 10 yards once I got to 7/8 before. Yes, they made me think a little bit more between distances, but these were not hard to navigate with these clubs at all.

Feel/Sound - A: Feel was solid with these. Sound was not as soft and muted as the Mizuno's I had, but not quite as clicky or loud as the Pings. Pretty moderate sound and it wasn't a negative or positive per say. Between the sound and vibration, I could tell pretty easily how the shot was coming off, and pure shots felt very nice.

Overall - A+: I can't say enough about these. Not only did they provide excellent distance which helped me out tremendously towards the top, they were extremely consistent and they provided immediate confidence every time I selected a club. Nothing is better in an iron set than knowing you can knock about 5-8 yards off a club confidently when you're sitting in a gap between clubs.
 
"It's kinda annoying when people post one line reviews or write ups. I'll learn more from your quote than 50 short reviews."

wow... did we just get blasted?
 
"It's kinda annoying when people post one line reviews or write ups. I'll learn more from your quote than 50 short reviews."

wow... did we just get blasted?

nah, I dont think he means any offense. I dont know him but I think he just prefers a long break down in ONE place as cbaker did. I wouldnt take it the wrong way.
 
Cbaker,
great review. Thank you for being thorough. I love the fact you listed your old and new yardages. Breaking down each topic helps too. It's kinda annoying when people post one line reviews or write ups. I'll learn more from your quote than 50 short reviews. Keep them coming and please update on your experience with the rsi 2s.

I definitely want to try them but don't want to get that itch that causes me to ponder buying a new set of irons at this time

Thanks for the kind words, Kchauv! And if you don't want the itch, I definitely wouldn't recommend hitting these, they are THAT good!
 
Ok, First things first. I went to the range with the 3, 5, 7, and PW, upon initial looks I was pretty impressed with how clean the lines on these are and how the badging looks more in line with a players style club which is what I like. Here are the 3 and pw and you can really see how good they look and how the badging really sets them up.




The faces are pretty unique and I don't have any experience so to speak with GI or SGI style irons so I really didn't know what to expect but we'll get to the testing later. Here are some face pics and you can see the slot technology isn't as pronounce as the RSI 1s but it is there and really doesn't look bad, at address after the first few swings I didn't even notice it really and did not find it distracting in any way

3 Iron


5 Iron


7Iron


PW has no slot but it really blends in with the rest of the set and the lack of slot isn't even a thought.



The soles are very different compared to the thin blades I've become used too over the years and my greatest fear with the soles on these since they are significantly wider is bouncing off the turf instead of a digging and divot taking, we had to hit off mats due to the heavy rain over the last few days but my fear off of mats proved to be unfounded. The interaction with the mats was mildly different than my MP68's, there was a little bounce with the wider sole but nothing that really effected the shot at all, I could feel a little difference but I couldn't see any ill effects, probably the opposite, contact was crisp

Soles




Cont..
 
I'm about to hit the range with the 7-iron. I don't want to have any preconceived notions about how I think the irons will perform, but I did want to educate myself as to what TaylorMade has tried to accomplish with these irons: From the website:


Forged and Tungsten Technology Meets Face Slots

Even great golfers have mis-hits. It’s part of the game. TaylorMade studies show that 76% of shots hit by golfers are mis-hits. So our engineers set out to design the ultimate iron to help golfers have better mis-hits. The desired results? You’re going to hit more greens, and shoot lower scores because your misses will be better. RSi Irons are the first irons ever to Feature FaceSlot Technology which provides uniform flexion across the face protecting ball speed and generating more consistent distance on off-center hits. Face Slot Technology is featured in the 3-8 iron with two slots located near the heel & toe of the clubface. At address, the irons look striking and give golfers ultimate confidence.

And while RSi 2 provides the ultimate performance on shots hit away from the center of the clubface, the irons are infused with all of the speed and distance Tour Pros and amateurs alike have come to demand from TaylorMade.

RSi2 irons are loaded with progressive multi-material technology and refined shaping to provide playability and precision for all golfers. The long irons have tungsten low in the toe for higher launch and more ballspeed. In the mid irons we’ve placed high-strength, thin-face steel construction for high speed and consistency. The shorts irons Forged carbon steel face with milled grooves for soft feel and control that the better player demands. A fully forged 1025 carbon steel wedge for optimum feel and precision round out the most complete set of irons we’ve ever created.

RSi2 features an improved Speed Pocket with ThruSlot Technology in the 3-7 irons which increase launch angle and ball speed on all shots. The Speed Pocket gives golfers ball speed protection on shots below the center of the face, furthering better performance on mis-hits.

Combine all of that with our thinnest face, deep undercut and Inverted Cone Technology and RSi 2 gives golfers maximum face speed for maximum consistent distance. Our engineers have also improved sound and feel via advanced construction & multiple dampening systems. The exclusive KBS Tour 105 Shaft provides tour-caliber performance at a lighter weight for optimum blend of speed, stability and accuracy.

We all know that in golf nobody’s perfect, even the best players in the world miss from time to time. RSi combines the technology of a distance iron with the look and feel of a players iron to appeal to a wide range of golfers.



  • [*=1]Revolutionary Face Slot Technology in the 3-8 iron provides more uniform flexion across the face that protects ball speed and generates more distance on off-center hits toward the heel & toe
    [*=1]Speed Pocket with ThruSlot Technology in the 3-7 iron provides ball speed protection on shots below the center of the face and increases launch angle and ball speed
    [*=1]Progressive Multi-Material Construction:
    [*=1]LONG IRONS: Tungsten low in the toe for higher launch and more ballspeed
    [*=1]MID IRONS: High-strength, thin-face steel construction for high speed and consistency
    [*=1]SHORT IRONS: Forged carbon steel face with milled grooves for soft feel and control
    [*=1]WEDGES: Fully forged 1025 carbon steel wedge for optimum feel and precision
    [*=1]Exclusive KBS Tour 105 Shaft provides tour-caliber performance at a lighter weight for optimum blend of speed, stability and accuracy


 
I really expected to be offended honestly by the size but when you stand over them they aren't terrible at all, the top line is noticeably larger but it's not large enough to scream SGI, they certainly aren't
blades but they aren't meant to look like them either. I didn't mind the top at all and I'm pretty picky.

You can see the rounded top line, it's pretty clean.




I brought along my Mizuno 5 iron for comparison in looks and performance, the 5 iron is one of my favorite irons to hit and it gives the best feedback for comparison. Looks wise the RSI 2 is larger by maybe 1/4 inch top to bottom and toe to heel




Again I was surprised by the footprint on these, I was expecting a much larger club.

KBS Tour 105 S shafts, a first for me.


 
From a performance my first impression was that they are pretty solid irons, my new miss is off the toe and even though it felt terrible off the toe, the performance in distance and loft were there. Was it shorter than an off center hit? absolutely, but not as short as a toe miss with blades, I think over time one could get used to the miss and develop some consistency with a miss on these, it can become predictable.

Toe shots.



I didn't want to have any preconceived notions on these so I put on some headphones, cranked up some Maiden and went to work.

I started with the PW and hit a few knock downs just to get a vibe with them and they perform exactly like my gamers, easily controllable, and whether a full swing or a half swing knockdown the distances were consistent, I was pretty impressed.

The 7 iron was a different animal, on full swings it was pretty nice, the distance was a club longer than my gamers and the height was much higher than anything I've hit before, could be the shaft and could be the way they designed them or a combination of both but the ball went where I wanted it too. knock downs were a little different, I couldn't seem to get a groove going with them and trying to do a little flighting was work, I don't think it was the club I think it's my lack of recent practice, I'll give it another go this weekend.

The 5 iron was pretty cool, the ball had a gradual climb and when it peaked it reminded me of shots I've admired in other players, the decent was soft and gradual, I had a similar experience with another set of TM long irons and these hold true to that experience. I really like this iron it was long!

My bread and butter has always been my 3 iron, I love long irons and this 3 iron is beautiful! I was a little nervous hitting off of mats because the sole is a bit wider and the weighting felt different, I couldn't figure out if they were heavier or lighter though. The toe really rolls over on these and you can really feel it after impact, pretty cool actually. Off the face the ball launches on the 3 iron, it's a long gradual climb and the peak height is much higher than my gamers, the length is at least a club longer if not more and with no sound they felt fine, the ball feels like it jumps off the face but the results were the same over and over.

I like what I saw so far and after a bucket I left impressed, I'll post more this weekend after get some turf interaction with the even numbered irons and the A wedge.

Thanks for reading
 
Great write up Trout!
I think it's good to have a 3 iron that flies high and land softly. Almost like a hybrid.
It definitely kicked my hybrid out my bag.
 
Thanks wonton, it's a nice stick for those looking for a long iron that performs.
 
Back
Top