TaylorMade RocketBladez Irons Review

[GolfSpy WD]

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PHASE 1: Unboxing/Initial Impressions

 

A box arrived at my door yesterday and I was all set to tell the post man to go shove it, but then I saw this label:

 

 

It was like Christmas, so much so that I got the good stink eye from my son who is getting clubs for Christmas, but thought it extremely unfair that he had to use one of his presents on a new set of clubs and I get mine early. The packaging was very tight and well put together. Foam boxes encased the heads and halfway down the shaft so there was no chance of damage.

 

 

The specs are:

 

Head: TM RocketBladez Standard Version

Lie angle: 2* flat

Length: +0.5"

Shaft: KBS Tour S

Grip: Golf Pride Red and Black Midsize Multi Compound

 

You can find all customization options here: http://taylormadegolf.com/TaylorMade/RocketBladez-Irons/DW-JN933,en_US,pd.html

 

I really expected a larger head, but to steal what JBones is going to write, these are the best looking GI clubs I've ever seen. They aren't nearly as massive as some other GI heads, especially the previous generation RBZ, which were the ugliest clubs I've ever seen. They aren't blades though, that's just TM marketing crap even when they spell it with a 'z'. The topline is a lot thicker than my Dynacrafts and the head is bulkier. The clubs passed the waggle test and the weight was exactly want I like, though I'm not sure it's fair to judge the club head on this because this is mostly the shaft and grip. Overall, I'm very impressed, so much so that I was on the course about 45 minutes after fed ex dropped these clubs off and I brought the 5-AW with me (the 4 iron still scares me, I'll try it out later though).

 

I shot a 43 with some terrible driving but great putting, but more on the performance later. My goal is to determine once and for all if a high handicapper should be playing players CB clubs or GI clubs. I already have a preconceived notion that my current players CB clubs are hurting me more than helping on days where I can't find my swing even after 18 holes, but we will see. I have a battery of tests I want to run, including using impact labels to judge forgiveness and a LM session or two next week. I took a bunch of shots with my camera, tossed the raw file in gimp, and came up with a ton, but I was told to limit it to three pictures, so I only posted four .

 

 

 

If anyone has suggestions for different type of tests you'd like to see, please let us know!

[GolfSpy WD]

Taylormade Rocketbladez Irons 4-AW – Official MGS Forum Review by wdgolf

 

 

Intro

 

Along with reviewing the TM Rocketbladez, I had an ulterior motive: to find out if a high handicapper has any business playing player's cavity backs, or should they play something more forgiving? So I pitted my Dynacraft Prophet Tours against the TM Rocketbladez in every part of this review. As a background about myself, I'm a 19 handicapper and like most high handicappers, do go for long stretches without being able to play golf. I'm sure there are some folks who can play once a week on average and shoot in the 70s. I won't lie and say I'm not bitter of those people, but I'm not one of them. I practice any chance I get, but I still have days where my swing completely leaves me. Before getting these clubs, I was stuck in the high 80s and low 90s (mainly on the upper end) for a while and just don't get enough reps to break 80.

 

How I tested

 

So far I've played a 9 holes from the whites (shot a 43), visited my local launch monitor, took two trips to the driving range, and played 18 holes on an executive par 3 (holes ranging from 110 - 215 yards, finished +11). I also played a full 18 holes, but I threw out my back that morning, and no forgiveness in the world, short of someone else hitting my ball and then promptly forgiving me for cheating, was going to fix anything I did that day. At the range I used some impact stickers to test out forgiveness across the face and see if I could work the clubs any (nope).

 

My clubs were all built 2* flat and +0.5" long with KBS Tour S shaft and Golf Pride Multicompound Midsize Grips

 

 

TM Rocketbladez Website: http://taylormadegolf.com/TaylorMade/RocketBladez-Irons/DW-JN933,en_US,pd.html

 

 

 

Performance

 

Short Iron Performance

 

The day I took these clubs to the launch monitor is when I realized how forgiving these really are. The LM showed my swing path to be a push hook, but no matter what I did, it was baby draws down the middle every time. I don't think I could have hand drawn such a perfect arc that showed up on the LM every time I swung. The 9i, PW, and AW on full shots were amazingly forgiving and for this reason, also really hard to work. I couldn't for the life of me get the ball to do anything other than slight draw. I could push/pull it, but that's not really working the ball as much as it's mishitting it. Mishits off the toe/heel produced almost the same distance as sweet spot hits with only about 5 yards of loss unless I really chunked it.

 

The flight of the short irons was about a mile high, but nothing out of line with my traditional wedges. Distance with these clubs was pretty much in line with their lofts. To say these are accurate is and understatement. Pretty much anytime I took a full shot with these clubs, I knew where it was going as long as I didn't push/pull it.

 

On full shots, the forgiveness between the TM AW and the Dynacraft GW was very noticeable. For less than full shots, I put the AW through a bunch of tests. What I found is the bounce is extremely noticeable, so if you are like me and like low bounce, you aren't going to like this club. On full shots the AW more than held it's own and the extra forgiveness it gave is great, but every time I tried to chip or pitch with it, the bounce would really effect my results and I had difficulty getting the exact distance I wanted. That's not to say the AW is leaving the bag though, it's too good for that and I bet it'll be great out of the sand if I needed. A big reason I feel this way could be because I'm used to doing all this with my 52* GW, which has no forgiveness, but great feel and only 7* of bounce.

 

Short Iron Score: (90 out of 100)

 

 

Mid Iron Performance

 

Now we start to get into the slots (in case you didn't notice, these have slots). The 8i is not different than the 9i, but the forgiveness really kicks in at the 7i, which is where the slots begin and should begin considering the 7i is really a 6i when you look at the loft. These clubs really shine on forgiveness for toe/heel shots as well as thin shots. They aren't wide enough in the sole to help with fat shots, but that's the tradeoff you get for the aesthetics. On most bad shots, loss of distance was somewhere around 6-8 yards. On really bad shots it could be as bad as 15 yards. Compared to the Dynacrafts where slight mishits caused 15 yard loss, I'll take the 6-8 yards anyday.

 

At the LM, my distances with the 8i on five shots were 155, 161, 156, 148, 148. It goes to show that while TM quotes Sean O'Hair saying he could put a small blanket over all the balls he hit, that's because he's Sean O'Hair and not wdgolf. With players cavity backs, wdgolf can get all sorts of distances from one club. What happened here is my swing totally left me while at the LM because I saw the data and kept trying to make myself hit 161 again, mainly because like most golfers I'm stupid and can't realize that the best distances come from a perfect swing and not my typical swing.

 

Every shot was sky high, and I mean really high. I'd say my 6i went about as high as my Dynacraft 8i. Everything was also just as straight with the 6i, 7i, and 8i as with the 9i. I can't work these clubs for the life of me. Even when my swing isn't behaving itself (it's the swing's fault, not mine after all), my hooks are only about 15 yards and not screamers like with the Dynacrafts. My worse shots still put me in spots where I could easily recover.

 

Mid Iron Score: (100 out of 100)

 

 

Long Iron Performance

 

Now we get into every high handicappers worst nightmare, the long irons. Usually, when I try to hit a 4i, my shot will look something between Tiger's stinger sans the distance or an attempt to mix bowling and golf. I'm going to say this, this is the best, easiest to hit 4i iron I've ever tried. I've tried TM's other CB 4 irons, Wilson Tour V2 4i, Adams CB3, and nothing compares to the TM Rocketbladez 4i.

 

Now, with that out of the way, it's still really a 3i based on loft and unless my swing is good, I still suck at hitting it. I don't know if it's mental, but I can still hook this club and hit it short. When I'm feeling good that day about my swing though, I'd rather use this 4i than my hybrid. The shots are straight, high, and hang in the air for more than enough time to wipe the smug look off my face before turning around to my playing partners.

 

The 5i is a lot better for me than the 4i for some reason, I have no fear pulling that club out because even when I hit a hook, it's still playable. With the Dynacrafts, those same hooks are off in the trees. I'm in the rough with the Rocketbladez 5i and it's moon shots all day long.

 

I'm supposed to write about working the ball, but seriously, I can't work it. I've tried closing the face or opening it and it's still the same damn results each time.

 

Long Iron Score: (95 out of 100)

 

 

Performance Notes

 

I want to talk a little more about the forgiveness of these irons. I pasted a picture below depicting in green where I've figured the sweet spot to be. I did this by hitting the 7i many many times with some impact tape. I was shocked by how big the sweet spot was and how forgiving it is even half an inch off from the middle. It's also really impressive how forgiving these are on shots a few grooves down. Hit it outside of the sweet spot and the loss is about 8 yards, but the shot is still straight. You only get significant loss by hitting it far off the toe or heel or hitting it fat. There's no forgiveness for blading it either, these aren't that magical.

 

Total Performance Score: 95 out of 100

 

 

 

 

Subjective

 

Looks

 

For this I did some recon and headed over to Golf Galaxy to look at other GI irons. I'm not comparing the Rocketbladez to blades, there's too big a difference between a 's' and a 'z' at the end of the word (seven whole letters if you're counting).

 

I looked at the following clubs:

• Mizuno JPX 825
  
• Ping G20
  
• Taylormade Rocketballz
  
• Cleveland CG16
  
• Callaway Razr X
  
• Cobra Amp
  

Looking at overall shape, topline, offset, and cavity graphics, the Rocketbladez was by far the best of the bunch in my opinion. The cavity graphics are pretty subdued and the yellow is not overwhelming like the blue is for the JPXs. The offset of the Rocketbladez is noticeable, especially for the long irons, but that was true for all of these clubs. TM did a good job making the topline appear thin enough for my taste, but probably not for the hardcore blade guy.

 

Looking at these aspects individually, the Cobra Amp had by far the best topline, which made the club resemble a players club from address. The bulbous back of the Amp didn't do it for me though. The Amp on inspection also didn't look nearly as forgiving as the Rocketbladez, so I'm not sure if it's possible to have that thin of a topline without losing the forgiveness, which isn't worth it IMO.

 

The exception to everything is the AW. Nothing anywhere in GI land approaches how good the AW looks in every imaginable category.

 

The picture below shows a comparison of the Rocketbladez (middle) to a Dynacraft Prophet Tour (left) and Rocketballz (right)

 

Looks Score: (95 out of 100)

 

 

Sound and Feel

 

Here is where the "people should play blades or players CB irons" crowd comes into play. With a GI club there's no way you can feel a mishit right?

 

I sure bought that line before, but the fact is, that's total bullshit (I can still remain PG-13 swearing once, look it up). You know when you hit it flush by feel alone (I tested this with an impact label), but if for some reason you don't, look at the distance your ball went. What's more, TM built in a horrible sound when you really mishit it. If you're into the Pavlov's dogs thing, anytime you hear that sound, you and everyone around you know you mishit it. Don't want that? Then hit it better sh!thead. This sound only comes from the slotted irons, but those are most likely the ones you mishit the most.

 

All that said, these aren't forged clubs and don't feel anything like forged clubs. They don't hold a candle to forged clubs in feel, so don't expect it. That's a tradeoff that is made for the forgiveness and materials used for distance.

 

Sound and Feel Score: (80 of 100)

 

 

Likelihood of Purchase (LOP)

 

If T told me at the end of this we have to return these clubs, my first stop would be to some online store so I can buy these clubs customized and tax free. My son probably would go without food and new clothes for a little while, but for the forgiveness of these clubs, I'm sure he'd be willing to make that sacrifice for me

 

LOP Score: (100 of 100)

 

 

Subjective Notes

 

The forgiveness and performance of these clubs completely outweighs for me of using a GI iron. As far as GI irons go, I've definitely see a lot bulkier and ugly. The Rocketbladez are overall the best looking GI club. I like the blend of chrome and satin. TM really created something special with these clubs.

 

Total Subjective Score: 91.67

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

 

Going back to the high handicapper should play a player's cavity backs or GI iron debate, I'm going to say I'm a complete convert for the later. As hard as I try to improve, I had forgotten how much fun the game is when you don't make drastic mistakes that cost you 5 shots a round. I've pasted my score from the executive par 3 below. It's by far the best round I've ever had (incidentally, it's the same round where my son played each hole at par 6). My view is that unless you can play 2-3 times a week consistently, if you're anything like me, you'll be much happier with GI irons.

 

I'll be recommending the Rocketbladez to anyone who will listen to me. I will say I gave the store version with the Rocketfuel shaft a brief swing and hated it, so getting customized clubs made a huge difference for this review. I really like the weight and feel of the KBS shafts and the GP grips, so these cannot be overlooked. But the forgiveness comes from the heads. I now approach par 3s with excitement thinking I have a chance at birdie. With my old clubs, I was hoping for par because I seemed to screw up those shots more than most. TM really came out with something special this time. I don't buy the distance argument much compared to other clubs because of the lofts, but the consistency and forgiveness are incredible.

 

In the scorecard, where it says 4Hy, I was hitting the 4iron and was hitting it well, except on 18 where my shot clipped the very edge of a tree. I'm not JBones who can launch the 4i super high, but with practice I bet I'll get better with it.

 

Total Score (80% Performance, 20% Subjective): 94.33

 

 

The Six

1. Will this iron go in your bag? Why or why not?

 

Notice some of the pictures show the irons in my bag? They aren't coming out until I reach a 5 handicap. I've never had a set where I feel it fits me perfectly like these do. I wouldn't even trade them for the Rocketbladez Tour since I'd rather have the forgiveness than workability.

 

2. To whom, if anyone, would you recommend this iron? Why?

 

Everyone above a 10 and everyone below a 10 who doesn't work the ball. If you don't work it, why not get all the benefits these provide?

 

3. How, if at all, did this iron change your overall impression of Taylormade?

 

Everyone hates Taylormade because they are marketing geniuses and sell the most clubs. These and the RBZ fairway and R11s from last year really make me think TM knows what they're doing. Hell, I came very close to bagging their Spider putter too. At this point, the only area where they lack in are the wedges IMO.

 

4. What feature would you change or eliminate from the next generation of this model?

 

If possible, make the topline thinner. But not at the sake of forgiveness.

 

5. What feature do you really like, and would most like to see continued or evolved in future models?

 

The slot really works and definitely helps get the longer irons up in the air. I'm not sure what I'd change, but hopefully TM keeps their graphics subtle.

 

 

I just re-read everything I wrote and I sound like a real TM fanboy, so to disprove this nothing, here is the link to the original application to test these irons where I state TM makes the worst irons in golf: http://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/7054-official-mygolfspy-club-testing-taylormade-rocketbladez/page__view__findpost__p__73605

 

One last note, I want to give a huge thank you to MGS for providing us this opportunity. It's been a blast, but I have a new found respect for how much work goes into each review and mine isn't half as good as yours are. It's a privilege to be a member of these forums, thank you again.

 

Also, a special thanks to Manbearpig for the title image!

[JBones]

PHASE 1: Unboxing/First Impression

 

I received a box at my door today and I was so excited I almost wet myself. I have checked my doorstep every day since the forum testers were announced.

 

 

This was the first set of irons that has ever been shipped to me, so I didn't know exactly what to expect. What I was expecting was the clubs to be thrown in a box with tons of bubble wrap and stuffing to keep them from banging around.......boy was I way off. I was already excited just to receive the box, when I opened the box, I let out a squeal of joy (ok, maybe I shouldn't have admitted that). The packaging from TM was top notch.

 

 

I then proceeded to squeal with joy, after unpacking each club and laying it on the table for a picture. I was very impressed with these clubs and as WD stole....said, they are the best looking GI clubs I have ever seen. On a scale from "makes me wanna vomit" (see last years RBZ irons) to "I wanna make love to them" (see Miura CB 501 or any of their blades), these are "I wouldn't kick them out of bed after I woke up from an epic night of partying........and I might even let them stay for breakfast". If I limit that list to include only GI irons, then yeah, I'm making love to them.

 

 

TaylorMade was so gracious to custom build these for each of us and although I had requested the Black/Orange Golf Prides, the way they built them is even sexier. Below are the specs.

 

TM RocketBladez Standard 4I-AW

Lie - 2* flat

Length - Standard

Shaft - KBS Tour C Taper X

Grip - Golf Pride multicompound Black/Red

 

 

 

 

Stay tuned for the full review after a couple weeks of playing and launch monitor sessions.

[JBones]

TaylorMade RocketBladez Official Forum Review by JBones

 

 

Intro

After playing 99 holes with these irons, as well, as a couple range sessions, I'm finally ready for the review. I have never been a big fan of TaylorMade irons. I have also never been a fan of Game Improvement irons. As you all know, I was lucky enough to be chosen to review the RocketBladez. I had low expectations going in, because as I said, I've never been a fan of either aspect of these irons. I was very pleasantly surprised; these irons have changed the way I look at both TMag and GI irons. I will note that these irons were custom built to my specs and NOT an off the shelf set.

 

**NOTE** This portion of the review will be based on playing and range sessions only, the LM data portion will be coming soon. (I had to take advantage of the great weather we've had since receiving the irons)

 

 

Performance

 

Short Iron Performance (9I-AW)

• Accuracy - These irons are camera like, you just point and shoot. Like every other iron on the market, you have to hit them at your target for the ball to get there.....that will never change. I have hit more greens with these short irons, due to the forgiveness (which we'll get to in a minute).
  
• Distance - I picked up about 10-15yds with all the short irons, all due to the stronger lofts and having a shaft that is actually fit to me.
  
• Trajectory Characteristics - High is an understatement when describing the trajectory of these irons. Until I get on the LM and see the actual launch angle, I'll just have to go on visual. The 9I-AW has about the trajectory of my old 52*-60*. I first thought this would be a major issue, but with the KBS C Tapers, the ball just cuts through the wind.
  
• Forgiveness - This is where every club in this set shines. As I stated above, I have hit more greens (percentage wise) with these irons, than any other set I've had since my Ping Zings. My miss has always been off the toe, since I have an extreme in-to-out swing path, resulting in most misses with the short irons being short and right. The first shot I hit off the toe with the PW was to a back left pin and my ball ended in the middle of the green, leaving a 30' putt, instead of a chip from off the green.
  
• Control - As with all GI irons, it is difficult to work the ball from left to right, but it can be done. These are high launching, so you really have to trap the ball to get a lower flight out of it. I don't generally work my short irons much, so this is not an issue.

Short Iron Score - 94/100

 

The dead sexy AW

 

Mid Iron Performance (6I-8I)

• Accuracy - As with all the irons in this set, they are point and shoot. I have a normal 10yd draw with my mid irons, it has been cut to about a 3yd draw with these irons, which allows me to get closer to pins that I'd normally just play into the center of the green. Again, accuracy has went up, due to the forgiveness.
  
• Distance - As with the short irons, I pick up about 10-15yds with my 8I (due to a stronger loft and fit shaft). The "speed pocket" ends with the 7I and thats where the noticeable distance gains occur. With the 6I and 7I, I'm picking up 15-20yds over my current gamers. This creates a larger gap between my 7I and 8I, but not one thats too big to work with.
  
• Trajectory Characteristics - You will notice this being consistent throughout the entire set.......high, high, high.
  
• Forgiveness - Again, these are built for distance and forgiveness, for which they lack in neither. I hit a 6I on a 45* day, where I'd normally hit a 5I from during the summer and I hit it so far out off the toe that it barely even touched the grooves; with my current set, this would have been a shot that went straight right and way short......with the RBladez I was putting (granted it was about an 80' putt, but a putt none the less). You get the point, very forgiving.
  
• Control - Hard to move left or right, without some extreme manipulation, but it is possible; same with the height. I'd prefer a little more movement out of my mid irons, without having to try so hard.

Mid Iron Score - 90/100

 

 

Long Iron Performance (4I-5I)

• Accuracy - In the famous words of my dad "dead nuts on"; the most accurate long irons I have ever played. For the most part, I played shorter courses, so I could hit the long irons off the tee and still have short to mid irons into greens. I split every fairway with the long irons. I also played a couple longer courses, so that I was hitting long and mid irons into the greens. The long irons are just as accurate from the turf as they are from the tee.
  
• Distance - LONG. I'm hitting the 4I almost as long as I hit my previous 18* hybrid, again due to the loft (20*) and having a properly fit shaft. If you were given an automatic fairway at 220yds, you'd take it, right? Thats what this 4I gives you. Really long and really accurate, what else could you ask for.
  
• Trajectory Characteristics - Very high. Visually it looks like the 4I launches as high as my current 7I; again no problem with the C Tapers.
  
• Forgiveness - I can't stress enough how forgiving these clubs are. Yes, they are straight, but the consistency of distance on mishits is outstanding. On shots off the toe, where I'd normally see a 15-20yd loss, I'm seeing a 5-10yd loss.
  
• Control - I found the 4I and 5I easier to work than the rest of the irons. I've always had trouble controlling a draw or fade with the long irons; my natural shot with the long irons was about a 20yd draw and I could never hit a fade. With these long irons, I can work the ball 10yds in either direction without much difficulty; any more than that takes a lot of manipulation. A "Tiger stinger" with these long irons puts the trajectory about where a standard 4I or 5I should be, anything lower than that is a mistake (aka thinned).

Long Iron Performance - 98/100 (literally the best long irons I've ever hit)

 

 

Performance Notes

All of the rounds that I played were in cooler temperatures (40*-60*) and even then the irons exceeded what I would expect from them during the summer. After getting my distances dialed in over the first 8 holes I played with these, I finished with 7 birdies on the last 10 holes, en route to a 29 on the back and a 67 (-3) overall. My putter was on fire for that round, but still the irons put me into positions to have putts. I would like to say it's been like this every time out, but my swing has not been as consistent; with that being said, due to the forgiveness my rounds have been noticeably better than with my current set. A lot of this has to due with the iron head and a lot has to do with a properly fitted shaft.

 

Total Performance Score - 94/100

 

 

Subjective

 

Looks

• General Shape - To me they are a classic teardrop shape with a little more "bulk" to them.
  
• Topline - The topline is thicker than what I prefer, but it is not unbearable. It is much thinner than a majority of GI irons.
  
• Sole - The sole is a bit wider than a standard iron, but relatively small compared to most GI irons.
  
• Offset - The offset is a little less than a standard GI set, but much more than a set of players cavity or blades. Like the topline, it's not unbearable.
  
• Graphics - I actually think the graphics are quite mild by todays standards, for any type of irons. They could be simpler, but they aren't gaudy or distracting by any means.
  
• Unique Details - I think the "speed pocket" qualifies as a unique detail. The "speed pocket" is subtle and it is filled with a flexible substance to keep it from filling with dirt; it does collect a little dirt, but it comes off easily with the wipe of a towel.
  
• How do they compare to other GI irons - In my opinion these are the best looking GI irons I have ever seen. Based on other GI irons that I have looked at, these are by superior in topline, offset, and just overall looks.

Looks Score - 100/100

 

 

8I Topline

 

4I sole

 

Sound and Feel

• How do they feel - These irons feel like butter when you flush them and they feel "solid" when you don't. Every iron I have ever hit has felt like butter when you flush it, whether it is forged or cast. To me these still feel solid when you hit it off center, unless it's way off center, and even then they feel better than most irons. The feel is consistent across the face and across the set. The 8I-SW is built from a different material than the rest of the set, but I don't notice any difference in feel. I've never really noticed differences in feel between irons, but I can definitely feel the difference on what part of the face you strike the ball. Again, this is a testament to the quality of the iron head and the quality of the shaft that is in the irons.
  
• How do they sound - I've never really noticed a difference in sound across different sets of irons. I can tall you on what part of the face a ball was hit on by the sound, but couldn't tell you if one iron was different brand than the other. If I was to describe the sound of these irons, it would be a "crack". However when you hit one off the toe, it is a very obnoxiously loud "thwack" sound; I think a forum member described that sound as "an aluminum bat hitting a rock", this would be a pretty good description of that sound.

Sound and Feel Score - 85/100

 

Likelihood of Purchase (LOP)

• Would I buy this - I would say that before I had these irons in hand, there was a 0% chance that I would purchase them, based on my dislike of TMag irons and GI irons in general. After seeing and playing these irons that percentage goes up to about 30%. If they came with the option of a high quality shaft, then that percentage would go up to about 95%. So, if money wasn't an object and I could pay $900 for the set and another $300 plus for the shafts that I wanted, then it is very likely that I would purchase this set.

LOP Score - 80/100

 

Subjective Notes

As you noticed I gave them a perfect score for looks, this is comparing them to ONLY GI irons and as I stated, they are the best looking set of GI irons I have ever seen. Setting aside my personal status and if I was on the market for irons, these would be towards the top of the list, if I just based it on performance, then might be at the top of the list. Again, it comes down to the offerings, I don't think I would get anywhere near the results, if these had the standard RocketFuel shafts in them.

 

Total Subjective Score - 88/100

 

Topline - Swing Science "players cavity" on left, RBladez on right, both 4I.

 

 

 

Conclusion

I went into this with low expectations and came out "in love" with this iron. Being a higher single digit handicap (a low single at one time), I've always thought I was "above" a GI iron; I would say it was 50% ego, but the other 50% was looks. These irons have changed my mind. I think given more time with this set, I could get back down to a lower single digit handicap. The one thing holding me back was contact consistency, due to my swing and an improper fit. My contact consistency has bettered slightly due to a proper fit, but the consistency on distance on off center hits has greatly improved my chance to score better. This iron head paired with the perfect shaft is an ultimate performer.

Total Score - 91/100

 

 

 

Questions

1. Will this set be in your bag? - Yes. I've always been a "performance outweighs looks" kind of player....to an extent. The performance as well as the looks of this set, makes this choice a "no brainer".
   
2. Who would you recommend this set to? - I would recommend it to a wide range of golfers, basically anyone who doesn't flush the ball the majority of the time.
   
3. Have these irons changed your impression of TMag? - Yes they have. I have always though of TMag as a brand that has been all about the money. With this set, I believe they have actually addressed the needs of most amateur golfers. They're long, they're forgiving, and they look great. Congratulation, TMag, you have a winner with the RBladez.
   
4. What feature/s would you change? I think they should have more shaft options, the iron heads fit a wide range of golfers, but the shafts they offer fit a limited group of golfers. Strictly on a personal preference, I'd like to see a thinner topline and a little less offset. **Edit** It has been pointed out to me that you can custom order this set through TMag, with a wide variety of shafts, so disregard this first sentence.
   
5. What feature/s would you like to see evolve with this model? I think their "speed pocket" is great iron technology. I'm very interested to see what it evolves into.

 

Face on view of 4I.

[The Dansome]

PHASE 1: Unboxing/Initial Impressions

 

Christmas came early this year!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

I was truly wowed by the packaging. No bubble wrap here fellas. But I will mention and not that big a deal, my club heads weren't wrapped in plastic like those other two guys.

 

 

 

Houston, we have a problem! I play and requested standard size grips. Ummm.. I guess this is how they want me to test the 5,6 and AW?

 

 

 

Head: TM RocketBladez Standard Version

Lie angle: Standard

Length: Standard

Shaft: KBS Tour S, soft stepped once

Grip: Lamkin Rel 3Gen standard size

 

 

 

 

I know, I know you've heard it all before but the club heads really are a decent size and the offset is well hidden.

 

And I think you've all just been waiting for a glimpse of this guy.

 

 

[The Dansome]

TaylorMade RocketBladez – Official MGS Forum Review by manbearpig

 

 

INTRO

 

I must admit I've never been a fan of TaylorMade golf clubs, they've either not fit my eye or just didn't feel quite right coming off the club face. You know that feeling when you first pick up a club and you know it's not for you? Yes, I'm that guy. Perhaps it's just that I haven't had the chance to spend some quality time with some of their clubs. Or maybe it's when I hear “TaylorMade” I think of that old ugly brown color scheme they had. Ya, I think that's it. Bleh…

 

Manufactures make wild claims all the time trying to convince us they've done it all. We're long, high, really, really straight, oh and hey! They feel super awesome and are extremely forgiving too. But how often do they actually produce a product that can back all or any of these claims for that matter? Well with the RocketBladez, TaylorMade's trying to convince us they've done it all again.

 

* A little note about Dan. I may be a 10-12 handicap these days, but when I was 18 I played to a scratch, so I understand a thing or two about moving and working a golf ball. It's just that when I go out today, the ball doesn't always want to listen.

 

*JJ Abrams was consulted on this photo

 

Performance

 

Short Iron Performance (9I-AW)

 

Simply put the short irons are stupid easy to hit. They have three shot types that the user dictates; push, pull or straight. There's no leaky fades or draws that get away just off the fringe. If you can put a straight swing on the ball you will be extremely happy with the results. Workabilty is fairly low on these to say the least.

 

Distance wise I don't feel these share the exact same explosive distance as the slotted irons. Don't get me wrong these are defiantly a club longer (most likely lofts), just not more than that. I was shocked though to find that most mishits where I would normally expect to be 10 yards short fought really hard to keep up and were often no less than 3 or 4 yards from the target.

 

MBP's short iron notes:

 

• Highly forgiving
  
• Work hard to save/correct shots hit all over the clubface
  
• Sadly no draws or fades to be found here
  
• Great mid ball flight with ability to hit ‘em high
  
• Easy to pop them up high if you don't get a decent forward shaft lean
  
• Hard to hit it low unless you really trap it
  
• Good ability to stop the ball where it lands
  
• Anything going left or right is the result of a BIG hook or slice swing
  

 

 

The AW has to get its own section as it's truly that good for a gap wedge. I don't know what TaylorMade has done with this sole, but I found myself testing it from all sorts of situations and always walking away with a smile on my face.

 

Since there was no one else on the course I dropped a handful of balls in a wet bunker. Time after time the AW dug deep and accelerated through the shot. At no time did I ever fear getting stuck as the ball would always pop-up high like a 56° and landed fairly soft. As for other situations, whether it was the rough or a chip from the fringe this little guy always reacted as intended, never bouncing or digging too much when it shouldn't.

 

Lastly distance control is really good from inside 100 yards. I could always dial in how far I wanted and at no time felt like the face was too hot and the ball was going to get away.

 

 

Short Iron Score: 95/100

 

 

 

Mid Iron Performance (6I-8I)

 

Here is where we meet the transition into the slotted irons and a few new shot characteristics are introduced. The slotless 8 iron still reacts like the short irons as far as point & shoot and distance are concerned, so I'm not going to go into that. The 6 and 7 irons give us 2 new things though; the ability to move the ball slightly right or left and a little more jump off the clubface.

 

First let's address workability; it's there but in minimal amounts. I can hit a fade or draw but neither goes more than 3 or 4 yards. If you want a hook or a slice you'll need to be flailing and stepping through the shot.

 

As for distance I think the slots may be doing something here. Where the short irons were a club longer I noticed the mid irons to be a good club and a half. You really feel a little more jump to these than other clubs and it's a good jump, not a “oh no it's getting away from me” feeling. At no time did I feel I couldn't control my distance.

 

MBP's mid iron notes:

 

• Can hit these a little lower by moving the ball back in stance and not having to fight for it
  
• Forgiveness all over the face
  
• Work hard to maintain distance on mishits
  
• Same great mid ball flight with ability to get them up high
  
• Constantly finding the ball closer to the hole
  

 

Mid Iron Score: 96/100

 

 

 

Long Iron Performance (4I-5I)

 

Um…. Wow. Did someone ask for long irons that go high, far and land soft? Well you got em. Seriously, the 4 and 5 irons get up and go. TaylorMade has done something special with these “Rockets”.

 

There's more workability to these too, here you can turnover a hook or work a slice it's more in the 10 yard range now. If you want a huge hook or slice you'll really need to a put an ugly swing on things but warning you'll lose some distance too.

 

The best part about the long irons is I can pull out a 4 and hit a low draw that doesn't go more than 5 yards left, but it will run forever. Seriously has added a new go to shot to my bag for when I need to hit a fairway with a 220-230 yard shot.

 

MBP's long iron notes:

 

• At times almost 2 clubs farther that current
  
• Solid mid-high ball flight
  
• Ability to work the ball lower
  
• Retain forgiveness over most the clubface
  
• Work hard to maintain distance on mishits
  

 

Long Iron Score: 98/100

 

 

 

Launch Monitor

 

Here MrLongBall makes a special guest appearance since he was running the launch monitor at his shop. I asked him to bring along his Miura CB-501's so we could get some numbers from a solid ball striking scratch golfer as well. As a note I will be hitting my Nickent 4DX Pro's.

 

 

 

Performance Notes

 

As a set there's a good bit of continuity taking place. You can play enough shots from all around and still benefit from the game improvement aspects of the clubs. There is a small distant gap increase when you transition from non-slotted to slotted irons but it is easily manageable.

 

 

Total Performance Score: 96.66/100

 

 

 

Subjective

 

Looks

 

I was lying in bed the other night staring at those satin wrapped curves, the light from the bedside table ever so softly exposing the beauty or her rear cavity. I feel like the luckiest guy in the world to have met such a gap wedge and I'm overjoyed she brought her eight friends along to the party too. TaylorMade has really gone the extra mile to produce a set of GI's that will appeal to handicaps high and low.

 

What first shocked me when pulling the short irons out of the box was how not overly huge they looked. Something was amiss because I was told these were some sort of game improvement iron. When putting the 9 iron next to my Nickent 4DX Pro 9 (which is considered a “players” size cavity back) I was shocked to find the 2 virtually identical in size. Where they varied were topline, the RocketBladez is thicker but in a sense well hidden. TM has taken the gray appearance of the grooved area and wrapped it more than halfway over the top of the club. Where this gray ends there is still chrome, But I find this transition helps to trick the eye into believing it's playing a thinner iron.

 

TaylorMade has also done quite a good job of hiding the offset. Really in my books until you pull out the 4 or 5 irons it feels pretty much non-existent. Six iron down you say? Yes, it's really quite that good. I will also mention that by the time you hit the 4 and 5 irons the cavity has started to creep out from the top view and it's quite noticeable.

 

 

Looks Score: 100/100

 

 

 

Sound and Feel

 

Taylormade has done a great job of creating solid feel for a GI iron. These always feel very smooth on clean hits and never did I get the sensation of a clunky game improvement iron. There's also enough feedback that you can tell when you've hit one off center.

 

You know that click sound when you hit down on an iron and catch it on the screws? Well it's there, but it's not as muted as say a forged iron. Hit one off center and it's a noticeably louder cling, get one off the toe and it'll “clang”. I wouldn't say it's too much better, but the RocketBladez are certainly no worse than anything else in their class. I played Ping Eye 2's for almost 20 years and these sound and feel every bit as good as those.

 

 

Sound and Feel score: 90/100

 

 

 

Likelihood of Purchase (LOP)

 

Ask Mrs. Manbearpig; Dan is thrifty with his money. If I was to walk into a store tomorrow and you told me that these clubs stock, were going to cost me the same a forged player's cavity back, well you can keep em. Now if I could get the same custom options that these came with; KBS tour shafts and Lamkin 3gens, I'd have less of a problem dropping the coin.

 

With that said, if I was a 10 to 30 handicap who purely wanted a great looking, in the top of its class game improvement iron, I'd buy these without hesitation.

 

 

LOP Score: 80/100

 

 

 

Subjective Notes

 

100 for looks you say? Yes, the RocketBladez are head and shoulders above any club in their class looks wise. Seriously though, you walk out on the first tee with a bunch of mid handicaps and they'll do a double take and possibly a second, thinking you've switch to some sort of player's iron. As far as feel is concerned certainly I prefer a forge iron any day, but when you consider the entire package TaylorMade is giving you here there's certain things in life that are easy to overlook.

 

 

Total Subjective Score: 90/100

 

 

 

Conclusion

 

Did I seem overly enthusiastic in my intro? Nope. Well guess what, TaylorMade has truly made a move in the right direction. Game improvement irons that look better than, well; game improvement irons. And, they actually perform like they're supposed to. Really, what can I say, I like these a lot. There's no brown and for the most part, TM backs all their claims. The Rocketbladez are a set everyone should at least give a test drive the next time they're out iron shopping, as they just might surprise you.

 

 

Total Score: 93.33

 

 

 

The Six Questions:

 

1. Will this iron go in your bag? Why or why not?

Yes. I'd be an idiot to pass up the performance and scoring benefits the RocketBladez present to me. I seriously love hitting the ball straighter.

 

2. To whom, if anyone, would you recommend this iron? Why?

Anyone who consistently wants to hit the ball longer and straighter.

 

3. How, if at all, did this iron change your overall impression of TaylorMade?

Let's face it; I'm impressed that TM can make a good looking and performing game improvement iron. I reserve final judgment until I see how the Tour models perform as I'd like to see how they handle an entire line of products.

 

4. What feature would you change or eliminate from the next generation of this model?

I'd like them to feel softer if anything.

 

5. What feature do you really like, and would most like to see continued or evolved in future models?

Their stellar good looks.

 

 

Rocketbladez – 5 month update

 

 

First, because T likes to see shots of Mrs. MBP, here she is having lunch after a good round with the Bladez.

 

 

 

Well Vancouver has been hit with some unprecedented weather for March, hell even April or May as of recent. We've been suffering through 20°C/67°F temperatures the last few weeks & that means tour balls (Wilson FG Tour here) and summer ball flight. Thanks to these conditions I've managed to get in twice as much range time and a few more rounds. There's also been some swing rebuilding and I'm striking the ball very consistent with a lot of confidence.

 

Performance

 

Short irons/Mid Irons

 

These are far more workable than first thought. When you want to finesse a ball in there with a gentle fade or draw it may take a little extra coaxing, but it's quite doable. Ball flight is mid-high, but be warned; leave that face open a little and they're going to the moon. The beauty of these though is you can smack it all over the clubface providing its square and the ball is going to end up at your target. And there's spin to boot; I am constantly finding the ball in line or a good foot behind my ball mark.

 

Long Irons

 

LONG. STRAIGHT. Just downright stupid awesome. I can't see a hybrid ever going back in my bag again. There is no issue getting these in the air and it's so fun to hit a 4 iron 213 that stops within 5 feet. Nuff said.

 

Distances and Distance Control

 

Here's a comparison of my old irons (Nickent 4DX Pro) against the Rocketbladez.

 

 

 

 

But I'd really like to talk distance control and gapping. What has really impressed me about the RBlZ's is the ability to hit a ¾ smooth swing and control distance when in-between clubs. On the flip side if you need to step into one to go up 4 or 5 yards it's there and the added accuracy benefits of these irons only adds to the confidence & ability to do it.

 

Looks

 

I was starting to miss the thinner top-lines of my player's cavities, but have since forgotten about that. I've simply become used to them & they've grown on me and unless you put a blade in my hand I wouldn't know what I'm missing. Still a sexy looking club in the bag and I love to get them out and hit ‘em too.

 

Sound and Feel

 

Well hit a slotted iron at a covered range and you'll wake the dead. You don't want to hit these in your home simulator room for long periods of time ‘cause I'm sure you'll develop tinnitus. During my recent swing changes I've stuck to hitting 8 irons for a couple weeks. One day I bring along the slotted 7 and I the first swing I swear I jumped. To quote the guy in the Covert commercial; “mmbang!”. On the course this is a different story and even more so with a softer ball, you'll never even notice it.

 

 

Finally let's re-answer those questions at the end of the original review.

 

1. Will this iron go in your bag? Why or why not?

These irons will STAY in my bag. The 76 on Saturday with subpar MBP putting was no joke.

 

2. To whom, if anyone, would you recommend this iron? Why?

Everyone.

 

Played with Tuna on Saturday who was off his game and he watches me stripe a high baby draw 4 iron off the tee to the middle of the fairway 220. He grabs the 4 iron out of my hands and smacks one 213 on a rope directly behind me. The guy turns and says “I may have to get a set”

 

Mrs. MBP grabs mine (iron) at the range and hits em. There's always this cute little smirk on her face afterwards.

 

3. How, if at all, did this iron change your overall impression of TaylorMade?

I can see TM is dedicated to making clubs that work.

 

4. What feature would you change or eliminate from the next generation of this model?

The loud noise if anything.

 

5. What feature(s) do you really like, and would most like to see continued or evolved in future models?

Distance and accuracy.

[GolfSpy WD]

A few extra pics since we are limited in how many we can put in the review area, taken upon unboxing

 

 

 

[The Dansome]

Your heads came in plastic?

[JBones]

Your heads came in plastic?

Mine did.

[GolfSpy WD]

Those C-tapers are sweet looking...wish I could hit them with good results

[MikeG]

Number one, the Gap Wedge is Holy Sh*t good looking!

 

Number two, please "Play it Forward" at least once, using irons only. I've seen other reviews at other sites that read, No. 6, no irons used. Really? If you're reviewing irons, hit them! Just don't turn in that score for handicapping!

 

Number three, have fun guys, I'm sure you'll all do a great job!

[BK in TEXAS]

Very cool. Have to admit to being a little jealous...I LOVE trying new stuff out. Looking forward to the reviews nonetheless!

[BK in TEXAS]

I really expected a larger head, but to steal what JBones is going to write, these are the best looking GI clubs I've ever seen. They aren't nearly as massive as some other GI heads,

Hey WD.....so we can get a feel for the size of the head and the topline could you post a couple side by side pics with a CB or even another GI iron? That'd be much appreciated!

[GolfSpy WD]

Hey WD.....so we can get a feel for the size of the head and the topline could you post a couple side by side pics with a CB or even another GI iron? That'd be much appreciated!

 

Here you go:

 

This first image shows my Dynacraft (left), Rocketbladez (middle), and RBZ (right) 5 irons. The topline is noticably bigger in the rocketbladez compared to the Dynacraft, but also a lot thinner than the RBZ.

 

 

This second image shows my Dynacraft PW and the Rocketbladez AW. Here the toplines are close to the same, with the Dynacraft being just a bit thinner.

 

[GolfSpy WD]

Just reprocessed the all the pictures. GIMP had made the colors look unnatural so I used the JPG generated straight from my camera instead and iPhoto for minor touchups/crops

 

After golf, photography is my second hobby

[JBones]

The top line on those Dynacraft are really thin. The RocketBladez are a little thicker than my Swing Science, but not enough that it bothers me at all. I'm going to include those pictures in the review.

[BK in TEXAS]

Here you go:

 

This first image shows my Dynacraft (left), Rocketbladez (middle), and RBZ (right) 5 irons. The topline is noticably bigger in the rocketbladez compared to the Dynacraft, but also a lot thinner than the RBZ.

That's not bad at all, is it? Thanks!

[TWShoot67]

At least from the pics the Rocketbladez irons offset doesn't look to extreme, I hope the Tour version is even less or knowing TM there will be a "B" head version or a Goosen Model with no offset.

[JBones]

At least from the pics the Rocketbladez irons offset doesn't look to extreme, I hope the Tour version is even less or knowing TM there will be a "B" head version or a Goosen Model with no offset.

It's not too extreme at all. In the Tour models, the offset is about half of the standard model in the 4i-9i and .5mm on the PW-SW. My current gamers fall in between the Standard and Tour models of these, so it doesn't bother me much at all.

[GolfSpy WD]

At least from the pics the Rocketbladez irons offset doesn't look to extreme, I hope the Tour version is even less or knowing TM there will be a "B" head version or a Goosen Model with no offset.

 

They did a good job of hiding the offset. On paper it's the same as the RBZ irons. The Tour model has 1/2 the amount of offset.

[GolfSpy WD]

The top line on those Dynacraft are really thin. The RocketBladez are a little thicker than my Swing Science, but not enough that it bothers me at all. I'm going to include those pictures in the review.

 

 

That's not bad at all, is it? Thanks!

 

No, it's not bad at all. The Dynacrafts are 3/4 cavity, so from the top they're exactly like blades.

[JBones]

Taking them to play 9 on my lunch break, here in about an hour.

[revkev]

Really nice Pics guys - the GW is the bomb beyond a doubt!

 

Enjoy - I'll be looking forward to hearing about your results. Bummed that no one has graphite though.

[Super Tuna]

Unboxing

 

Canada custom's strikes again eh?

[The Dansome]

Canada custom's strikes again eh?

 

Coming.........

[The Dansome]

Unboxing up!

[jayhawker]

Are any of you playing the tours? Maybe it was already listed, just wondering.

Looking forward to the reviews! Great in boxing so far, great lookin irons. I never have been a fan of taylormade irons, but these may change that! I always thought they just looked too different for me, almost untraditional shape. I am a fan of the basic non-exaggerated design and graphics too. I have to say though that I don't think these are overdone at all. The gap wedge is pretty sweet too.

[The Dansome]

Are any of you playing the tours? Maybe it was already listed, just wondering.

Looking forward to the reviews! Great in boxing so far, great lookin irons. I never have been a fan of taylormade irons, but these may change that! I always thought they just looked too different for me, almost untraditional shape. I am a fan of the basic non-exaggerated design and graphics too. I have to say though that I don't think these are overdone at all. The gap wedge is pretty sweet too.

 

Reviews are for non-tour version.

[GolfSpy WD]

Very nice pictures Dan, I'm going to have to do a better job with presentation next time, though you broke the 3 picture rule!!

[JBones]

Are any of you playing the tours? Maybe it was already listed, just wondering.

Looking forward to the reviews! Great in boxing so far, great lookin irons. I never have been a fan of taylormade irons, but these may change that! I always thought they just looked too different for me, almost untraditional shape. I am a fan of the basic non-exaggerated design and graphics too. I have to say though that I don't think these are overdone at all. The gap wedge is pretty sweet too.

The Tour version don't get released until next year, so we have the Standard model that will be releasing in a couple weeks. I will say that I have never been a fan of TM irons or any other GI iron, but these have changed that.

 

I will just quickly mention what will eventually be in the review.......I shot a 29 on the back in route to a 67 the first time out with these. If I could have gotten a handle on the distance before the 7th hole, it could have been a whole lot better.