TaylorMade RSi 2 Irons Review Thread

Wonton · Feb 27, 2015

Trout Bum said:
Thanks wonton, it's a nice stick for those looking for a long iron that performs.

"cranked up some Maiden and went to work" - YESSSS!!! I like your style! Up the Irons with these irons!

Wonton · Feb 27, 2015

Tomorrow, I'll be testing these with the impact tape and heading out for a round. I'll try to take some pictures. Oh and drinking some good coffee during it. Smoky Mountain Roast of course! #Trout Bum

RadRob · Feb 27, 2015

Just wanted to say thanks to the reviewers. You guys are doing a fantastic job describing these irons. I also appreciate that we have reviewers with a range of handicaps working with these - makes this midcapper a bit excited to give them a try.

Trout - Were you trying to hit the RSI2 out on the toe? Or was that just a byproduct of swinging some new irons that you weren't yet familiar with?

Trout Bum · Feb 27, 2015

It was a by product of a swing issue really, kind of rusty lol. I'll tell you what though, off the toe they didn't feel very good but the performance was pretty good.

JohnBoyNC · Feb 27, 2015

Wow! All the reviews on here are well thought out, extensive and well written. Commendations to all.

I've been waiting for Marc's (Trout Bum) and pattyboy's reviews, as their games seem the most similiar to mine.

Marc, out of curiosity, how and why did you choose the KBS Tours?

Kchauv · Feb 27, 2015

I didn't mean any harm. I look forward to the reviews you guys post. Unfortunately I can't afford to buy new irons and look to your reviews to help guide me.

Anyone try the sdlr irons and can compare against the rsi 2? I'm hearing good things about rsi 2 and will probably wait until next year to buy them.

Keep the review coming.

Awkward silence said:
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 · Feb 27, 2015

Wonton said:
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.

The more I think about them, the more I want not only the 4, but they even have me thinking of the 3. I used to hit my Ping G5 3 iron, but more as a joke to see if I could do it. Wasn't bad but wasn't anywhere consistent enough with it. If I could get the right distance out of it, a 3 iron could be in the bag...which would be weird.

MWard · Feb 27, 2015

Kchauv said:
I didn't mean any harm. I look forward to the reviews you guys post. Unfortunately I can't afford to buy new irons and look to your reviews to help guide me.

Anyone try the sdlr irons and can compare against the rsi 2? I'm hearing good things about rsi 2 and will probably wait until next year to buy them.

Keep the review coming.

I played the SLDR irons prior to these, and I enjoy these more than the prior. The visible forgiveness is reassuring, and I still get the strong ball flight with more than enough distance to back them up.

Trout Bum · Feb 27, 2015

JohnBoyNC said:
Wow! All the reviews on here are well thought out, extensive and well written. Commendations to all.

I've been waiting for Marc's (Trout Bum) and pattyboy's reviews, as their games seem the most similiar to mine.

Marc, out of curiosity, how and why did you choose the KBS Tours?

Truthfully they came loaded with them, it's my first set and so far I'm pretty impressed. If I can get my tempo dialed in I can really feel them load which I can't do all the time with the DG S-300. Time will tell though dude but they feel good.

MWard · Feb 27, 2015

Trout Bum said:
Truthfully they came loaded with them, it's my first set and so far I'm pretty impressed. If I can get my tempo dialed in I can really feel them load which I can't do all the time with the DG S-300. Time will tell though dude but they feel good.

I like them quite a bit. One day I'll put c tapers in them. It won't be anytime soon by any means though.

VegasMav · Feb 27, 2015

Thanks to Wonton and Trout Bum for the great reviews. I tested these prior to me going with the Srixon Z545s but I will say that the TM RSi2 was my second choice.

JohnBoyNC · Feb 27, 2015

Trout Bum said:
Truthfully they came loaded with them, it's my first set and so far I'm pretty impressed. If I can get my tempo dialed in I can really feel them load which I can't do all the time with the DG S-300. Time will tell though dude but they feel good.

Yeah, I never felt good swinging the DG S300s. I dont think my swing was up for the task with them.

I hope these irons work out for you Marc, but if they dont.............

The Dave · Feb 27, 2015

JohnBoyNC said:
Yeah, I never felt good swinging the DG S300s. I dont think my swing was up for the task with them.

I hope these irons work out for you Marc, but if they dont.............

I was going say the same thing...even though I have never met Trout we live fairly close

MWard · Feb 27, 2015

They can move 4 degrees either way. From experience.

pattyboy21 · Feb 28, 2015

Ok - I Went to the range yesterday armed only with my RSi 2 7-iron. It was about 42 degrees.

I hit 2 small buckets, and though the quality of the shots was surprisingly superb, the feeling of the strike was not at all pleasing. The club felt very (I'm trying to find an accurate word here) "tinny". My friend, who plays RBZ irons thought the RSi 2 felt "hollow" at impact.

I was not expecting the club to feel like my Callaway X-Forged irons; but I did think they would be similar to the TM Speedblade irons or RBZ irons that 2 of my friends play. When I hit their irons, they feel very solid, but the ball simply LAUNCHES off the face - I can't shape or flight the shots well at all with my friends' irons. And the shots fly way too far with the short irons.

No, with the RSi 2 7-iron, I was able to work the ball comfortably in either direction, and I played around with trajectories and was pleased with the results. My normal shot is a high fade, and I hit shot after shot with a 1-2 yard fade that flew directly over the pin. I did not have my own Callaway X-Forged 7-iron with me, but I felt that I was hitting the RSi 2 7-iron just a bit shorter.

So this review is kind of a 1st impression. Conclusion: I loved the ball flight and ability to shape/flight shots. I was not at all thrilled with the feel of the ball off of the club face. Also aesthetically, the club was pleasing to look at; and the larger head and thicker top-line were not uncomfortable at all.

Today I will play with the full set for the 1st time, and I'll be back to report my findings.

Thanks again Taylormade & THP for this opportunity!

Trout Bum · Feb 28, 2015

Orange Hog said:
I'm looking forward to getting back home to Arkansas tomorrow so I can get back to my beautiful family...and my RSi2's! The weather and travel the last two weeks has kept me away from these clubs on any local course/range but that will change next week.

Have any of my fellow reviewers altered lie angle?

I hit a stock set at PGA Superstore yesterday and, while chatting with the fitter, he said that I definitely needed to move them to 2* upright. That's where I've got my Apex irons right now and they work well for me so I'm planning to go that direction with the RSi2 irons. Curious if I'm alone in that.

I have not change the lie angles yet. I'll swing them at standard for a while and see how it goes, so far they have performed well at standard.

Trout Bum · Feb 28, 2015

I am off to give these another work out, after a night to sleep on what I saw yesterday I'm kind of anxious.

JohnBoyNC · Feb 28, 2015

Trout Bum said:
I am off to give these another work out, after a night to sleep on what I saw yesterday I'm kind of anxious.

As are others! Hit em well.

rjb01camaross · Feb 28, 2015

[FONT=&quot]First Range Session[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Here are a few thoughts from my first range session the other day. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Looks[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Down by the ball the slot on each side of the face frames the ball nicely at address. The clubhead has a mixture of a chrome/satin style finish that is easy on the eyes in direct sunlight. From address the bottom sole isn’t visible at all from 3I-AW. The topline is right at what I expect for a mid handicap iron. For example, not as think as a Callaway Big Bertha series but a good bit thicker than a bladed iron. The rear graphics aren’t outlandish in their appearance and complement the overall package nicely.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Feel & Sound[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]In the long and mid irons I find they feel more like a cast then a traditional forged club. They give off that “Hollow Cavity” feel that TMAG has been known for since around the Burner 2.0 days. The short irons do feel a bit softer to me. I wouldn’t say they are Mizuno soft but feel close to the AMP Forged from a few years ago. Center struck shots feel well compressed and sound solid with no “click” sound. Off centered hits you can feel but it’s more of a duller feeling and the sound gets muffled. You can tell toe strikes from heel strikes but a lot of difference between high toe, center toe, and even low toe unless it’s to the extreme. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Forgiveness & Distance[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] This area is where the set really seems to shine. Starting with the long irons, never have I EVER hit a 3I that was so easy to launch in the air and extremely forgiving. After the watching the 3 straight thin 3I rise in the air and land past the 200yd marker, all I could do was shake my head and laugh at how easy it was for me to hit. Without hesitation based on the ball flights I saw I bet the 3I launches higher than my 4I and lands softer. I will know better after I get my first round in with these but I’m expecting the long irons are 5-7yds longer then I’m used to. Moving on the mid irons, I experienced the same level of extremely friendly forgiveness as with the long irons and distances slightly longer than my gamers but the big difference was the mishits don’t lose as much carry distance as the AMP Forged. Lastly, the short irons continued the extreme forgiveness theme started by the long irons and these had carry distances very close to the AMP Forged. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Summary[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The RSI2 Irons are a solid preforming set that provides excellent forgiveness and longer distances in the top-mid section of the bag. If you are looking for a true “Forged” feeling set, then these aren’t for you. Honestly, I wish they hadn’t even put the word “Forged” on these clubs because I feel it’s a bit misleading. However, if you are looking for a quality blend between a players iron and game improvement, then look no further. I will be spending time on the course with these soon as the rain stops here and going to try for LM numbers later this week. Time to switch over the Arccos tags; fingers crossed it dries up enough to get a round in tomorrow. [/FONT]

Trout Bum · Feb 28, 2015

Today I spent a couple hours at the range with the full set, off mats again because everything is still too wet.

3, 4, and 5 irons may be the best I've hit, I really really like these long irons, the ball soars through the air and even though I've never been a high ball hitter these give me a flight that is as impressive looking as I've ever seen. It just penetrates what ever it's facing, headwind, cross wind, you name it and it delivers, I had no ballooning today into a nice breeze which with the blades I'd have to take an extra club and flight it depending on the breeze.

6, 7, and 8 irons are pretty good too but there's something a miss and I can't figure it out. I'm hitting the mid irons off the toe a bit, the ball still goes pretty good but the feel is pretty rough on off center hits and I think more so than blades, not sure it's because of the additional size or what but it's noticeably different. When I catch it on the screws it's pretty darn neat, they are definitely a club longer than my gamers and the ball flight is a bit higher but it's easy to get confident with the simple straight flight.

9, pw, and A wedge. These are going to take some time, I'm not able to pin point anything in particular but these feel kind of harsh to me even on center hits, the ball goes pretty high and straight and much higher than my Mizuno's but something is a miss with these and my current swing. It's my second time out with them and I'm going to stick with them for a long while so I'll get them figured out, it may be the mats and they said the range would open Monday so I'll see how they act on the turf.

The KBS shafts are shockingly good, I really like that I can feel the shaft much more so than my S-300's which I love. I'm disappointed I never really gave these a look earlier but it's never too late.

I like what I see so far, pretty predictable really and a huge surprise compared to the last set of GI's I had.

CBaker · Mar 1, 2015

rjb01camaross said:
First Range Session
Here are a few thoughts from my first range session the other day.
Looks
Down by the ball the slot on each side of the face frames the ball nicely at address. The clubhead has a mixture of a chrome/satin style finish that is easy on the eyes in direct sunlight. From address the bottom sole isn’t visible at all from 3I-AW. The topline is right at what I expect for a mid handicap iron. For example, not as think as a Callaway Big Bertha series but a good bit thicker than a bladed iron. The rear graphics aren’t outlandish in their appearance and complement the overall package nicely.

Feel & Sound
In the long and mid irons I find they feel more like a cast then a traditional forged club. They give off that “Hollow Cavity” feel that TMAG has been known for since around the Burner 2.0 days. The short irons do feel a bit softer to me. I wouldn’t say they are Mizuno soft but feel close to the AMP Forged from a few years ago. Center struck shots feel well compressed and sound solid with no “click” sound. Off centered hits you can feel but it’s more of a duller feeling and the sound gets muffled. You can tell toe strikes from heel strikes but a lot of difference between high toe, center toe, and even low toe unless it’s to the extreme.
Forgiveness & Distance
This area is where the set really seems to shine. Starting with the long irons, never have I EVER hit a 3I that was so easy to launch in the air and extremely forgiving. After the watching the 3 straight thin 3I rise in the air and land past the 200yd marker, all I could do was shake my head and laugh at how easy it was for me to hit. Without hesitation based on the ball flights I saw I bet the 3I launches higher than my 4I and lands softer. I will know better after I get my first round in with these but I’m expecting the long irons are 5-7yds longer then I’m used to. Moving on the mid irons, I experienced the same level of extremely friendly forgiveness as with the long irons and distances slightly longer than my gamers but the big difference was the mishits don’t lose as much carry distance as the AMP Forged. Lastly, the short irons continued the extreme forgiveness theme started by the long irons and these had carry distances very close to the AMP Forged.
Summary
The RSI2 Irons are a solid preforming set that provides excellent forgiveness and longer distances in the top-mid section of the bag. If you are looking for a true “Forged” feeling set, then these aren’t for you. Honestly, I wish they hadn’t even put the word “Forged” on these clubs because I feel it’s a bit misleading. However, if you are looking for a quality blend between a players iron and game improvement, then look no further. I will be spending time on the course with these soon as the rain stops here and going to try for LM numbers later this week. Time to switch over the Arccos tags; fingers crossed it dries up enough to get a round in tomorrow.

Nice first session rjb. I can't fully tell if you are saying they are or not, but just to clear this up, these aren't a forged iron set. The 3/4/5/6/7 are fully cast irons, and the 8/9/PW have forged faces, but cast bodies. The only club that is forged out of the entire set is the AW, which is a fully forged wedge. I do agree with you though that branding the 8/9/PW as "forged" on the back is misleading as they are not fully forged heads.

six-foe · Mar 1, 2015

Trout Bum said:
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

Wonton said:
"cranked up some Maiden and went to work" - YESSSS!!! I like your style! Up the Irons with these irons!

HUGE MAIDEN fan here. See the 67 times!!!!! UP THE IRONS!!

pattyboy21 · Mar 1, 2015

Trout Bum said:
Today I spent a couple hours at the range with the full set, off mats again because everything is still too wet.

3, 4, and 5 irons may be the best I've hit, I really really like these long irons, the ball soars through the air and even though I've never been a high ball hitter these give me a flight that is as impressive looking as I've ever seen. It just penetrates what ever it's facing, headwind, cross wind, you name it and it delivers, I had no ballooning today into a nice breeze which with the blades I'd have to take an extra club and flight it depending on the breeze.

6, 7, and 8 irons are pretty good too but there's something a miss and I can't figure it out. I'm hitting the mid irons off the toe a bit, the ball still goes pretty good but the feel is pretty rough on off center hits and I think more so than blades, not sure it's because of the additional size or what but it's noticeably different. When I catch it on the screws it's pretty darn neat, they are definitely a club longer than my gamers and the ball flight is a bit higher but it's easy to get confident with the simple straight flight.

9, pw, and A wedge. These are going to take some time, I'm not able to pin point anything in particular but these feel kind of harsh to me even on center hits, the ball goes pretty high and straight and much higher than my Mizuno's but something is a miss with these and my current swing. It's my second time out with them and I'm going to stick with them for a long while so I'll get them figured out, it may be the mats and they said the range would open Monday so I'll see how they act on the turf.

The KBS shafts are shockingly good, I really like that I can feel the shaft much more so than my S-300's which I love. I'm disappointed I never really gave these a look earlier but it's never too late.

I like what I see so far, pretty predictable really and a huge surprise compared to the last set of GI's I had.

I played my first full round yesterday and, as my laptop is at work, I'll do a full review tomorrow. I will say that my initial findings are very similar to Trout's excellent observations. When he says something is amiss, I agree completely - for me it is the feel of a well struck shot. I hit several quality shots yesterday, but I never got the tactile feedback I would expect from solid impact. In other words, a la Tin Cup, I don't have that tuning fork go off in my loins with the RSi 2 irons.

It will take a few more rounds to "get acquainted" with these irons. I already know I can game them with confidence - they are about 5% shorter than my Callaway X-Forged, but I can hit any shot I want with them. But that lack of a solid FEEL is disconcerting...

rjb01camaross · Mar 1, 2015

cbaker2882 said:
Nice first session rjb. I can't fully tell if you are saying they are or not, but just to clear this up, these aren't a forged iron set. The 3/4/5/6/7 are fully cast irons, and the 8/9/PW have forged faces, but cast bodies. The only club that is forged out of the entire set is the AW, which is a fully forged wedge. I do agree with you though that branding the 8/9/PW as "forged" on the back is misleading as they are not fully forged heads.

My intention was to relay the irons marked forged don't feel that way to me but I can see where that wasn't as clear until the summary. I used the forged comparison in the longer irons because that's what I have played for a while and the feel I'm used to.