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The TaylorMade RSi Experience - Las Vegas, NV


SPY ZINGER

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The TaylorMade Golf RSi Experience
Las Vegas, NV

 

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Last week, I had the opportunity to travel to Las Vegas, NV, for the launch of the latest iron series from TaylorMade Golf.  To assist in marketing efforts, and player education, TaylorMade launched a website specific to the irons:  http://mis-hitshappen.com/Thank goodness they threw the hyphen in there or consumers would assume it's a gastrointestinal website.  No product launch would be complete these days without some hashtags like, #RSi and #MisHitsHappen.

 

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When I first heard the event was in Las Vegas, I was surprised.  After a review of the PGA Tour schedule, it made more sense with the Shriners tour stop in town on the same date.  This makes it easier for their professional staffers to assist in the launch events.  Additionally, the TaylorMade Experience at the south end of the strip makes for a great venue and backdrop for product launches (http://www.taylormadegolfexperience.com/)

 

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TaylorMade has been turning their product launches into two day events for select media members.  The first day is designed to inform the media about the product and present the technology as well as the research and development behind it.  Their professional staffers were on hand (Retief Goosen and Martin Laird) to talk about the product and hit some purposely bad shots on a launch monitor.  The premiss behind this is to have the launch monitor verify the shot was “poor” but also allow you to watch the ball flight revealing the product forgiveness.  Members of the media could ask follow-up questions and hit the product on the sprawling driving range.

 

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The second day of their product launch experiences have been the validation day for me.  TaylorMade brings their product right to the dance floor for 36 holes of golf.  The product testing site was at Southern Highlands Golf Club:  http://www.southernhighlands.com/golf_spa.php Tom Kroll and David Cordero from TaylorMade were on hand and available the entire day to answer questions about the new product while enjoying the day of golf.  Kroll was a former touring professional, and remains an accomplished player.  It was enjoyable to watch him hit the golf ball.

 

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In case you missed the MyGolfSpy coverage about the RSi irons, I will provide a brief overview.  The RSi ions are the next generation of slotted irons.  In addition to the SpeedPocket on the sole of the club, TaylorMade engineers found a way to frame the actual club face with two vertical slots.  Research in their hitting bays across the country revealed that golfers miss the sweet spot on their irons 76% of the time.  In essence, the most common shot in golf is the mishit.  The SpeedPocket helped shots hit low on the face.  In an effort to expand the sweet spot even more, the FaceSlots help on heel/toe misses.  The result is more consistent shotmaking for the common chop, even on miss hits.  Because hey, #MisHitsHappen

 

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The R in the #RSi means TaylorMade is bringing back the “R Series” product lines.  Although nothing has been officially confirmed, I would bet a sleeve of Tour Preferred balls that their next driver will be called the R15.  “Si” stands for Slotted Iron.  The iron comes in three models, one for the chop (me), one for less of a chop, and one for those that's aren't really a chop at all.  TaylorMade Golf's Tom Kroll gave this advice for selecting the right iron:

RSi 1:  Handicap at 10 or above

RSi 2:  Handicap under 10

RSi TP: Accomplished players and touring professionals

As mentioned, I had the opportunity to play 36 holes of golf at Southern Highlands with the RSi irons.  I can confidently say that this is the most forgiving iron I have hit.  Yes, it was a 36 hole honeymoon in the desert.  However, I firmly believe that if you are not playing this iron, you're at a performance disadvantage.  My first round with these irons at Southern Highlands was the lowest (81) round I've shot in the past two years (as a 12 HDCP).

The most notable difference with this iron compared to all others I have hit to date is the overall outcome of the shot.  As billed, this face is forgiving.  Strike that.  It's very forgiving.  In playing terms, it allowed me to throw my same hack at the ball, but the outcome was different.  Ball flight on off center hits was higher, and by default the dispersion was tighter.  I was able to hit more greens, and land the ball softer as a result.  I consistently found myself walking to the green with only my putter in hand, rather than a wedge and putter.  The results spoke for themselves, I literally took the plastic off the heads, threw them in the bag, and shot my lowest round in two seasons of golf.

Off the rack, and in the bag, my mind's eye and ego want to hit the RSi 2's.  Over the years, I have told myself, that's closer to the look that should be in my bag.  Less offset, thinner top line and sole appeals more to me aesthetically.  But after 36 holes of pure enjoyment, I wouldn't have it any other way.  If I were to select an iron set today, the RSi 1 would earn the spot in the bag.  

Over the past year, I have had the opportunity to play more TaylorMade equipment than any other single season.  It's the first time in my golf career that I can physically see tangible results to marketing claims.  The SLDR goes further for me than any other driver.  The slotted irons really are forgiving and mishits do fly long and straight.  I apologize I do not have empirical data or on course statistics to share.  Launch angle, spin rate, ball speed, I have none of that at my fingertips.  In fact, I am beginning to care less about it.  The reality is, this equipment is lowering my scores with the same terrible swing.  If the scores are lowering, my blood pressure is lowering, and my happiness increases.  #MisHitsHappen

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Nice write up as usual Zinger!  

Driver: Call Epic 9* Stock Fujikura FW: Cally Rogue 17* R Hybrid: Titleis 910h 21* Blue Diamana Irons: Mizuno 850 Forged 5-G Nippon 1150 2 up 0.5" Sand: 54* Vokey SM6 M Grind Lob: 58* Vokey SM6 K Grind Putter: Scotty Select Newport 2 35"

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Love it Zinger.

Two questions:

1. What specs (i.e. stock?) did you play in the irons?

2. From the 3rd photo, what person doesn't pay the extra five bucks for the import bucket over the domestic?

 

Thanks for sharing the experience!

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Thanks George!

 

Dave: The irons were literally right off the boat from Thiland. TaylorMade stock specs with their proprietary REAX True Temper Shaft at 95g in Stiff. Hit them wonderfully and they felt fantastic. This coming from the TT DG s400 in the TP CBs.

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Sounds like a fun experience Zingers - and pretty slick irons.  Do the RSi1's similar in head size the the SpeedBlades?

 

What's in the bag:
 
Driver:  :titelist-small:TSR3; :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR Carbon
FW Wood: :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR 3-wood; :titleist-small: TSR 2+
Hybrids:  PXG Gen4 18-degree
Utility Irons: :srixon-small: ZX MkII 20* 
Irons:;  :Sub70:699/699 Pro V2 Combo; :wilson_staff_small: D9 Forged;  :macgregor-small:MT86 (coming soon!); :macgregor-small: VIP 1025 V-Foil MB/CB; 

Wedges:  :cleveland-small: RTX6 Zipcore
Putter: :cleveland-small: HB Soft Milled 10.5;  :scotty-small: Newport Special Select;  :edel-golf-1:  Willamette,  :bettinardi-small: BB8; :wilson-small: 8802; MATI Monto

Ball: :bridgestone-small: Tour B RXS; :srixon-small: Z-STAR Diamond; :wilson_staff_small: Triad

Stat Tracker/GPS Watch: :ShotScope:


 
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Very nice!

Taylor Made Stealth 2 10.5 Diamana S plus 60  Aldila  R flex   - 42.25 inches 

SMT 4 wood bassara R flex, four wood head, 3 wood shaft

Ping G410 7, 9 wood  Alta 65 R flex

Srixon ZX5 MK II  5-GW - UST recoil Dart 65 R flex

India 52,56 (60 pending)  UST recoil 75's R flex  

Evon roll ER 5 32 inches

It's our offseason so auditioning candidates - looking for that right mix of low spin long, more spin around the greens - TBD   

 

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Love it Zinger.

Two questions:

1. What specs (i.e. stock?) did you play in the irons?

2. From the 3rd photo, what person doesn't pay the extra five bucks for the import bucket over the domestic?

 

Thanks for sharing the experience!

 

 

What they don't tell you is that the "import" is Dos Equis...   Stay Thirsty..

 

 

And Thanks Zinger!!

 

Awesome Writeup..

Driver - Ping G430 Max 9° | Ventus Blue TR 
Hybrid - :srixon-small: ZX 16° & 18° | GD Tour IZ S

2 Iron - :srixon-small: ZU65 17° | AeroTech SteelFiber 110icw S

Irons -  :srixon-small: ZX7 MKII  4-Pw | TTDGTI S400, std length  1° flat
Wedges - :cleveland-small: RTX 6 Tour Rack 50° 54° 58° | TTDGTI S400, std length 1° flat

Putter -  L.A.B. Golf Link.1 | LA Golf P135 shaft | Garsen Quad Tour grip
 

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Awesome job as usual zinger. Did you try to hit the TP version at all?

Driver:   :callaway-small: Epic 10.5 set to 9.5 w/ Tour AD-DI 44.5

FW:   :cobra-small: F6 baffler set at 16º

Hybrid:  NONE
Irons:   :taylormade-small:  3i 2014 TP CB  4-PW 2011 TP MC w/ TT S400

Wedges:   :nike-small: 52º :nike-small: 56º  :edel-golf-1: 60 º w/ KBS C-Taper XS Soft-stepped

Putter:   :ping-small: Sigma G Tyne 34 inches Gold dot

 

 

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I should preface these questions with the following statement: I am not an engineer and I'm sure someone smarter than me has been involved with designing both slots in the RSi line.

 

So after looking at the pictures of the RSi 1/2's cut in half, I'm feeling perplexed and maybe someone could help me with a couple questions.

 

1) Both of those irons show a bottom velocity slot that is in the weighted portion of the club BEHIND the cavity, SEPARATED from the face.

To me this means that the slot has zero interaction with the club face, and I don't see how it could have any affect on face flex at impact with the golf ball to produce more speed across the hitting area whether it be low, side to side, or otherwise. Maybe that's not how the slots are supposed to work and I'm just looking at it wrong.

 

2) Both of the irons have velocity slots that run vertically on either side if the typical impact zone of the clubface. Does this help with side to side mishits due to the fact that the face can flex/rebound more where it connects to those slots? Because if their previous usage of slots was to put one behind the impact zone to help the flex/rebound BEHIND the area of impact, how does a slot next to the area of impact help? To me that would just make the ball spin more when hit left or right off of center. Again, maybe that's not how the side slots are supposed to work and I'm just looking at it wrong. maybe they are there to disperse weight farther to the toe and heel for more stability over the entire range of impact.

 

Like I said, I'm no engineer (but I have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express before) and I'm just wondering if anyone else sees these slots as a bit of snake oil, or could enlighten me as to their utility.

Driver: Ping G25 9.5° TFC Tour X-stiff w/New Decade Multicompound Whiteout/Red

Fairway Wood: 3w Tour Edge Exotics CB4 Tour 13° Aldila RIP X-stiff w/New Decade Multicompound Black/Red

Hybrid: 3h Tour Edge Exotics CB4 Tour 19° Aldila RIP X-stiff w/New Decade Multicompound Black/Red

Irons: Cobra Amp Cell Pro's 4i-PW KBS C-Taper X-stiff + 1/2" w/New Decade Multicompound Whiteout/Black

Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM4's 50°, 54°, 58° DG S300's +1/2" w/New Decade Multicompound Whitout/Black

Putter: Nike Method 001 34" w/SuperStroke Mid-Slim White/Red

Ball: Titleist Pro-V1x

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Mr. Clean I won't pretend to know the answers to your questions but will send them off to TaylorMade.

 

Thanks Zinger!

Driver: Ping G25 9.5° TFC Tour X-stiff w/New Decade Multicompound Whiteout/Red

Fairway Wood: 3w Tour Edge Exotics CB4 Tour 13° Aldila RIP X-stiff w/New Decade Multicompound Black/Red

Hybrid: 3h Tour Edge Exotics CB4 Tour 19° Aldila RIP X-stiff w/New Decade Multicompound Black/Red

Irons: Cobra Amp Cell Pro's 4i-PW KBS C-Taper X-stiff + 1/2" w/New Decade Multicompound Whiteout/Black

Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM4's 50°, 54°, 58° DG S300's +1/2" w/New Decade Multicompound Whitout/Black

Putter: Nike Method 001 34" w/SuperStroke Mid-Slim White/Red

Ball: Titleist Pro-V1x

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Zinger - great write up.  New to community and really enjoy the detail on the clubs.  I only have one question - the speed slots on the face - was it distracting at all?  

 

I have battled thinking on some photos it might actually help like the line on the top of the putter, but what happens if you hit one of the two once, can it damage the shot and the integrity of the club face?

driver -  Titleist 913D3 8.5 Diamana Black X 72g 
hybrid -  Adams IDEA Pro A7 17 degree
irons -   Ben Hogan 3-8 APEX FTX 
scoring clubs - SCOR4161 43, 47, 51, 55, 59
putter -  Odyssey Tour Black #2
ball -  Titleist ProV1x

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Cool.  I cannot wait to hit them.  Thanks for the review.

driver -  Titleist 913D3 8.5 Diamana Black X 72g 
hybrid -  Adams IDEA Pro A7 17 degree
irons -   Ben Hogan 3-8 APEX FTX 
scoring clubs - SCOR4161 43, 47, 51, 55, 59
putter -  Odyssey Tour Black #2
ball -  Titleist ProV1x

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Great write up.  I got to hit them at the golf galaxy here locally into a launch monitor.  I agree, the slots on the sides were barely noticeable.  Thanks for your feedback and nice round.

Driver:         Taylormade SIM 8^  Shaft: Evolution III 6X

3 Wood:      Titleist  TSi3 13.5^   Shaft:  Project X Smoke Black RDX 6.5

2 Hybrid:     Callaway Mavrik Pro  Shaft: Project X EvenFlow Black 85X

3/5 Hybrid: Titleist 816 H2            Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana Whiteboard 85X

Irons:           Taylormade P790      Shaft: UST Recoil 110 S (6-PW)

50 Degree: Taylormade P770       Shaft: UST Recoil 110 S

55/60:        Cleveland RTX Zipcore    Shaft: DG Spinner Tour Issue

Putter:        Bettinardi MK Armlock

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I should preface these questions with the following statement: I am not an engineer and I'm sure someone smarter than me has been involved with designing both slots in the RSi line.

 

So after looking at the pictures of the RSi 1/2's cut in half, I'm feeling perplexed and maybe someone could help me with a couple questions.

 

1) Both of those irons show a bottom velocity slot that is in the weighted portion of the club BEHIND the cavity, SEPARATED from the face.

To me this means that the slot has zero interaction with the club face, and I don't see how it could have any affect on face flex at impact with the golf ball to produce more speed across the hitting area whether it be low, side to side, or otherwise. Maybe that's not how the slots are supposed to work and I'm just looking at it wrong.

 

2) Both of the irons have velocity slots that run vertically on either side if the typical impact zone of the clubface. Does this help with side to side mishits due to the fact that the face can flex/rebound more where it connects to those slots? Because if their previous usage of slots was to put one behind the impact zone to help the flex/rebound BEHIND the area of impact, how does a slot next to the area of impact help? To me that would just make the ball spin more when hit left or right off of center. Again, maybe that's not how the side slots are supposed to work and I'm just looking at it wrong. maybe they are there to disperse weight farther to the toe and heel for more stability over the entire range of impact.

 

Like I said, I'm no engineer (but I have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express before) and I'm just wondering if anyone else sees these slots as a bit of snake oil, or could enlighten me as to their utility.

 

I thought Zinger's write up was fantastic and while I am a dedicated Slot user (Speedblades), I also think that Mr. Clean's points bear investigation.  It all comes down to what do slots do and do they really do it?

 

TM's explanation of their use of slots on irons has morphed over the past 2-3 years to new areas.  Slots are now supposedly doing things that the original slots didn't purport to do.  The Rocketballz fairway woods had slots that gave you 17 yards more.   The first iteration of goo-filled slots on irons supposedly helped with low mishits.   My experience with the clubs seemed to confirm this.   My thin mishits occurred much less frequently with the Rbladez, SB's, and SLDR's that I've hit.   Now slots are supposedly helping with side to side mishits.   Who knows, next we may have slotted grips to help with our grip pressure!   I can see why it might start to feel like snake oil for some.

 

Whatever we're told that slots do or don't do, I can assure you that they are not a panacea.   High face hits and toey mishits on all the early slotted irons are DREADFUL.  They are usually short clunkers that go nowhere.  If you get yourself in a fluffy rough lie and you get under the ball on the toe, it'll go 60 yards max.  This weakness has caused me to creep my set-up point more towards the hosel as I learned my lessons about how they liked to be hit.  

 

And let me point out that no one ever mentioned this toe and high mishit weakness when I started hitting the clubs.   I noticed it myself and when I asked about it on blogs, the other Speedblade players grudgingly admitted that yeah, they'd seen it too.   TM seems to have heard our quibbling because now they are saying that the vertical slots help with this very weakness.   I dunno, but it seems that sharing your real world impressions in open forums can be useful.  Big Brother is listening.

 

So after the SB's, TM moved to bore-thru slots.   This was supposedly for feel and I did think that the SLDR irons "felt" better than my SB's.   Now we've come to side slots which are supposedly going to help with those side to side mishits.   I don't see how, but I haven't hit the clubs.  I can, however, envision how a mishit ball that sits astride a vertical slot, with one half flexing and the other half non-flexing, is a recipe for quirky results.

 

When I first got my SB's I was stunned by their length and I attributed it to their trampoline-like slotted faces.   Now I attribute only their shot height, forgiveness and playability to engineering of the head.   Their length comes from the simple combination of the loft of the head and the length of the shaft.   My SB 3 iron goes 240 because it is 17 degrees and 40.5" shaft.   However, the SB head is what allows that long "1.5" iron with a 3 stamped on the bottom to get up in the air and be struck consistently. 

 

If the RSi's additional slots do produce more consistency, or if those dreadful high and toe mishits are mitigated somewhat, then I'm all for them.   My feeling is that they won't, but then I haven't hit the clubs yet.   I think that the slotted irons' high and toe clunkers come more from the shifting of head weight low in the face, leaving little mass behind the ball when it strikes the face high or on the toe, than it does from any face slots.

 

I also find it very interesting that all of TM's slotted irons drop the slot from the 8 on down.   This is TM admitting that slots aren't needed AT ALL the lower you go.  My experience also echoes that thought.   I only like my Speedblade slotted irons 3 thru 7, while the 8 on down go from "okay, I guess" to "awful" with the LW.  (I resold my GW, SW, and LW almost immediately.)    And I know for an absolute fact that my forged, unslotted Scors with the same lofts and shafts cut to the same lengths as my SB's go the same distances.   I like the weight distribution of my forged short clubs more than the Speedblades because these are the clubs I tend to hit higher and toe-ier on their faces more often.   When I do mishit this way, I'm punished less with a traditional club.

 

Whatever else they are or aren't, at least these RSi's are more attractive than most of the clubs they replace.  That's okay by me.

bag - SunMountain Synch with Ogio Synergy X4 cart
driver - :callaway-small: Optiforce 440, Paderson Kevlar Green stiff 46.5"
fwoods - :taylormade-small: Jetspeed, 3HL regular
irons - :taylormade-small:  Speedblades 3-8, 85g stiff steel, 2 up
wedges - :edilon-small: Scor 40, 45, 50, 54, 58
putter - :ping-small: Ketsch 35" slight arc, SuperStroke 2.0 mid-slim
ball - :titelist-small: ProV1x

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So after the SB's, TM moved to bore-thru slots.   This was supposedly for feel and I did think that the SLDR irons "felt" better than my SB's.   Now we've come to side slots which are supposedly going to help with those side to side mishits.   I don't see how, but I haven't hit the clubs.  I can, however, envision how a mishit ball that sits astride a vertical slot, with one half flexing and the other half non-flexing, is a recipe for quirky results.

 

THIS! markb, you captured my thoughts EXACTLY on what I too thought might happen on a ball struck near/on one of the vertical slots.

 

I can just imagine a ball struck with a swing path & face angle both on line having unwanted sidespin on it due to the flexing of the club face where the slots are. (As if I could ever distinguish the difference from a slot causing this vs one of my terrible swings)!

Driver: Ping G25 9.5° TFC Tour X-stiff w/New Decade Multicompound Whiteout/Red

Fairway Wood: 3w Tour Edge Exotics CB4 Tour 13° Aldila RIP X-stiff w/New Decade Multicompound Black/Red

Hybrid: 3h Tour Edge Exotics CB4 Tour 19° Aldila RIP X-stiff w/New Decade Multicompound Black/Red

Irons: Cobra Amp Cell Pro's 4i-PW KBS C-Taper X-stiff + 1/2" w/New Decade Multicompound Whiteout/Black

Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM4's 50°, 54°, 58° DG S300's +1/2" w/New Decade Multicompound Whitout/Black

Putter: Nike Method 001 34" w/SuperStroke Mid-Slim White/Red

Ball: Titleist Pro-V1x

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