THP has all of your information about this new and innovative line of irons. At the bottom of this article, you will find a link to click through to the THP Forums for many more in hand pictures and initial thoughts of clubs from our early testing.
RocketBladez’ key new technology is its “Speed Pocket,” inspired by the distance-enhancing benefits of the RocketBallz fairway woods and Rescue clubs. TaylorMade engineers incorporated the Speed Pocket into RocketBladez irons to promote faster ball speed and a higher launch angle to promote longer, high-flying, quick-stopping shots. Altogether, the RocketBladez set consists of eleven individually designed clubheads, each tailored in size, shape and features to maximize distance, control and feel like never before.
“Metalwoods have advanced tremendously since TaylorMade introduced the first one in 1979,” said King. “The ball has advanced too, and even footwear and apparel have improved a great deal. But there hasn’t been a significant advancement in irons since the perimeter-weighted cavityback was introduced more than 50 years ago. The RocketBallz Speed Pocket changes that – it’s a once-in-a-lifetime innovation in the iron category. If your iron doesn’t have a Speed Pocket, your iron is out-dated.”
Incorporated into the 3- through 7-irons, the Speed Pocket is a 2mm-wide slot in the sole of the iron that flexes and rebounds at impact, increasing the speed of the face to promote faster ball speed, a higher launch angle and a higher, stronger ball flight that lands on a steep, quick-stopping descent angle.
The Speed Pocket advantage is especially effective on impacts made low on the face, TaylorMade studies indicate that 68% of iron shots by amateur golfers are mis-hits below the center of the face. The Speed Pocket helps to significantly increase ball speed and distance on those low-face mis-hits.
Tour professionals will also benefit from the distance benefits of the Speed Pocket, as TaylorMade is also offering a RocketBladez Tour model. Unlike other distance irons, the RocketBladez Tour iron delivers consistent distance and is void of “hot spots” on the clubface, to ensure predictability and distance consistency from shot to shot.
“We created RocketBladez irons for amateurs, but when our Tour Staff pros tried it, they wanted it,” said King. “We created a Tour version, and they love it. It’s the first distance-oriented iron to be played on Tour. The genius of the Speed Pocket is that not only does it deliver more speed for more distance, it delivers consistent speed, so shots fly a consistent distance. That combination of speed and consistent distance is what made the eyes of our tour pros light up.”
The 3- through 7-irons boast the most sophisticated clubface TaylorMade has ever created for a Tour iron, fashioned from fast, high-strength stainless steel with improved Inverted Cone design. Consistent distance gaps throughout the set made possible by careful management of the RBZ Speed Pocket, Inverted Cone, face thickness, CG location, loft and shaft length.
RocketBladez irons are priced at $799 with steel shafts, $899 with graphite shafts, and are available for pre-order on October 23. The irons hit retail starting Monday, December 3. RocketBladez Tour Irons will be available at retail February 1 for $899.
Tech Talk
RBZ Speed Pocket
The RBZ Speed Pocket flexes and reflexes at impact to add speed to the clubface, which increases ball speed and launch angle. The Speed Pocket is filled with a specially formulated polyurethane developed by 3M that quiets vibration without significantly slowing/inhibiting the flex of the pocket, while also keeping debris out. In conjunction with the highly sophisticated face design (11% thinner than our previous thinnest), adds up to 10 COR points to the face compared to Burner® 2.0 irons, and promotes dramatically less drop-off in ball speed on impacts low on the face—where the majority of iron mis-hits occur. That means the COR low on the face is higher than it’s ever been in a TaylorMade iron, and the benefit is that thin shots carry significantly farther.
Ultra-thin clubface with improved Inverted Cone design
The RocketBladez clubface (both models) consists of strong, maraging stainless steel. It’s our most sophisticated clubface design yet, made possible by more evolved analysis and testing and our increasing mastery of the manufacturing processes. It’s the thinnest iron face TaylorMade has ever created, with the top section now 1.6 mm, down from 1.8 – that’s 11% thinner. Both new RocketBladez iron models also incorporate our most newest and most effective iteration of Inverted Cone Technology. The improved Inverted Cone design delivers two critical benefits. One, it increases the size of the clubface area that delivers high ball speed. Two, it influences how the face flexes and rebounds at impact to control the angle at which the ball leaves the face, promoting straighter shots and a tighter dispersion. This is a critical benefit that promotes significantly greater accuracy compared to previous high COR irons.
Low and centered CG location
Impacting the ball where the CG is located on the face is critical to achieving maximum ball speed. In both RocketBladez iron models, TaylorMade engineers fine-tuned the CG to a low and absolutely centered location on the face by shortening the hosel to save weight and taking additional weight from the top of the club, then redistributing it all in strategic areas within the head. In the RocketBladez clubhead design, 17.5 grams of redistributed weight enabled us to lower the CG by 2.5 mm compared to the Burner® 2.0 iron. Locating the CG lower and in the center of the face makes it easier to consistently find the sweetspot to achieve maximum energy transfer from club to ball, promoting a higher launch angle and maximum distance.
External and Internal Hosel-bending Notches
RocketBladez irons (both models) feature a distinct external notch on the outer, rear side of the hosel and an internal notch inside that together make it easy to bend the head to change the lie angle. That’s a distinct advantage to bendability when employing high-strength stainless steel in the head construction.
Hmm, Increased ball speed and distance below the center of the face, now im intrigued
Great information for these new irons, will look forward to continued testing
Quite interesting, not exactly what I picture when I think of blades especially given the cavity and the apparent thicker topline. Will be interested to read the on course feedback.
Great read! I dont like how they claim that irons havent changed much, when they said the same for RBZ and 2.0. Were those major advancements at the time they were claimed, and now aren’t? Marketing ploy? Far from blades too. But I guess we’ll see what the tour model looks like.
Great beginning information, I would love to see what the tour model will look like.
I like the look and the design that allows easy lie adjustments is one heck of a luxury! Great job TaylorMade on yet another super product.
Interested why they had no comparisons to the RBZ irons. I personally think they were a big miss compared to the 2.0s and am glade to see they are getting back on track with the RBlaedz. However I really wish they woulda got rid of the terrible naming.
Interesting. Can’t wait for the reviews.
Very interesting. I’d like to give them a swing. Maybe I’ll pick up 17 yards.
Certainly an interesting looking iron with some pretty bold claims. I’m looking forward to challenging them.
I love the design and think there is definitely a huge market for irons like these out there. I’d love to see the Tour version as well. Thanks for the info!
A great read! Looking forward to maybe getting these in hand and trying them out! How could you not want more ball speed and more carry on mid hits?
They look cool. Funny to see a company working on getting thinned shots to go farther for us hacks. I like the hosel bending notches as well. Look forward to whacking some balls with them
Interesting. Kinda looks like a mash between AP2, Diablo and i20…with a slot in the bottom…but oddly enough it works. Honestly the looks are more understated than I would have expected from TMag, but I think they’re nice. Should be interesting in play.
Definitely an interesting concept. I really wish they would get away from this type of name though.
Very cool, this may be the first distance iron that really catches my attention and I love that they incorporated a way to bent the lie angle. These look cool !
These have me intrigued, but I honestly expected something more groundbreaking. I liked the Burner 2s, so will give these an honest try once I am able to hit them. I’d like to put them on a monitor against my R11s and see if they can help my left miss with the long irons
Very interesting to say the least. I like the new badge and the look of them. When seeing the pics they dont say Blade to me but I guess if they do what they say they do, I dont care how they look. Looking forward to the full review.
I like the looks, a lot. Hopefully some good shaft pairing.
I really like the looks. I think they cleaned the cavity up very nicely.
A nice clean look in the top down photo that can be seen in the forum thread. I’d like to swing one just to see how it feels.
Looks like they could be deadly but not sure where they get blades out of those. Could be a huge plus if they do minimize low mishits
Very attractive iron. I love my Rocketballz irons, but will check these out closely when they hit the shelves.
Really interested in both the regular and tour versions. Been itching for a set of irons that appeals to me. Haven’t hit anything I like more than my current r7 TPs. Love the styling on these.
Very interesting. I will be intrigued to try these out once they are available. It will be hard to get my R11’s out of my hands though.
TM has put out some nice products lately and this is certainly another one that will spark some interest. One thing I enjoy about their offerings is that they can push the envelope when it comes to design and aesthetics, and for the most part, it’s well received. I also am digging the slight color accent in that gold. Very nice looking iron and looking forward to more of THP’s findings on them.
I’m really interested in the Tour version. I can’t wait to hit these.
I remember many years ago when the powers that be were all worried about the “trampoline effect” and now this technology is all over the place. Hitting these would be a pleasure.
great article. They hype it up as a major innovation, but will the results stand up to the hype? I’m definitely interested in the tour version.
Interesting looking package of looks and claimed performance. I would be interested if they are as good as advertised.
I’m glad they didn’t make the 4 and 5 irons bulky like the RBZ irons. Hope these go over well for TM and the golfing public!
Good read and I think a step in the right block niche. A lot less mass than the original, but still have the new standard I guess to help with distance. As long as it’s the springboard is not “across” the board and they say it isn’t, good show The entry line is meh, but the tour would be worth a visit.
I like the design of the badge on these babies.
The top line would take some getting use to.
I’m kind of thinking of waiting along with Playdough to see how the Tour model looks in February of next year.
Overall for me my main concern will be distance control. I guess we’ll find out after the reviews hit the THP homepage.
They look better than I anticipated from the “zebra” pics. I’m definitely interested in hearing more about the Tour version and seeing more pics.
They don’t look much like blades, I would love to see and hear more about the Tour version
I don’t like the look of them at all, but if they work, Im interested
2 things pleased me about this line so far. 1. the fact that they filled the speed pocket with something so that it doesn’t become filled with debris. 2. A lower CoG than the 2.0 is huge. Those irons were some of the easiest to elevate that I’ve ever used, improving that may be a goldmine for a lot of amateurs.
SW hit the nail on the head. I was looking to get a used set of 2.0 or RBZ … this give me pause.
These are a great looking set of irons, I was planning if eventually getting some Taylormade irons fitted next year-now I know which ones I’ll look into. can’t wait till later next year when the tour version is released
Taylormade never stands still. This is just another quality introduction that seems to be continually pushing the technology boundaries.
” Increased ball speed and distance below the center of the face” ???
doesn’t that just mean thinned shot wont just fly the green anymore , they will now fly the green, the next two fairways and hit a car in the parking lot?
I can’t wait to read the review of these babies. I like the yellow – very stealth looking!
Gonna be cool to read more about these clubs
If you are a retail Golf store or a Golf Club Fitter this new iron from TaylorMade called RocketBladez will be the number one iron in 2013 that you will sell in your shop. And if you are a golf customer you need to find a club fitter in your area that fits for TaylorMade and go test this iron against your own iron. This set of iron will change your golf game but more then that it will change your life. This could be the best iron ever made since Ping Eye Two came out in the 80?s . All the best Bob Vansweden (2Time National Club Fitter of the Year .)
I can’t wait to see how the slot works on the irons, I’ve gotten great results on the woods, have a feeling it will change the distances on my irons big time!
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