taylormade rocketbladez tour lofts

Iron Reviews

Taylormade rocketbladez tour irons: editor review.

Pros:  Clean and classy at address, with no visible bulk behind the top lines. These launch higher and faster than most irons their size, and they’re one of the best at delivering forgiveness on mis-hits.

Cons: Sound and feel are subjective, but the RocketBladez Tour irons are certainly a departure from what we’re used to from TaylorMade. Some golfers will like the louder sound, others will not.

Bottom Line:  Making a long, forgiving set of irons that appeal to tour players is no small task, but TaylorMade made it happen with the RocketBladez Tours. They’re not for everybody, particularly high-ball hitters, but the increased ball speed and launch angle is incredible for an iron their size.

The RocketBladez Tour irons were designed to do the impossible — convince professional golfers that they should give up their muscleback irons for a set that was:

• Had a deep undercut cavity-back design.
• Went substantially farther and/or higher than their current set of irons.

If those changes weren’t big enough for TaylorMade’s tour players, the company then had to explain to them how a slot in the sole of the 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 iron would make the clubs fly more consistent distances on mis-hits.

Many of TaylorMade’s staff players did convert to the new irons: Sergio Garcia, Sean O’Hair, Justin Rose, Justin Leonard, Reteif Goosen, Y.E. Yang, Matt Bettencourt and others are all currently using RocketBladez Tour irons. So why isn’t TaylorMade shouting from the rooftops about all the tour players it has converted to an iron that on paper is the antithesis of a tour iron? Well, despite their success in the hands of a few players, the RocketBladez Tour irons have been very hit and miss.

Here’s one example — after Dustin Johnson won the 2013 Hyundai Tournament of Champions with the RocketBladez Tour irons, he immediately switched back to TaylorMade Tour Preferred MB irons. And several other TaylorMade staffers such as 2013 PGA Tour winners Brian Gay, D.A. Points and Martin Laird have either switched away from the RocketBladez Tour irons or haven’t bagged them at all.

A Mixed bag: Justin Rose uses RocketBladez Tour long irons (3-6), but prefers the look and feel of TaylorMade’s Tour Preferred MB irons for his short irons (7-PW). Click here to see what else is in Rose’s bag. 

But Brian Bazzel, TaylorMade’s product creation manager for irons, wedges and putters, said he’s not surprised by the reluctancy of certain players to use the new irons.

“Think back to the original metal woods,” Bazzel said. “Any time you have something like this, where there’s a significant performance break through, it takes a certain amount of time for players to get used to it.”

One of the most criticized parts of the RocketBladez Tour irons actually has nothing to do with them. Many spec-conscious golfers balked at the lofts of TaylorMade’s non-Tour RocketBladez irons , which are sold with a stock 6 iron loft of 26.5 degrees. That number is between 1 to 4 degrees stronger than a lot of 6 irons on the market, which can equate to about one full club of distance on its own.

Because of the perceived similarities between the RocketBladez and the RocketBladez Tour irons, the Tours have gotten a reputation for having strong lofts even though they’re somewhat traditionally lofted — the 6 iron is 29.5 degrees.

What makes the RocketBladez loft dilemma even stranger is this — members of our custom fitter panel have reported that for every set of RocketBladez Tour irons they’ve sold, they’ve literally sold dozens of standard RocketBladez irons, which just happen to be one of the best selling irons in golf. That proves what we’ve known all along — golfers might complain about strong lofts on irons, but if they can hit shots farther and straighter with them, they’ll be quick to find their credit cards.

Farther and straighter is exactly what the RocketBladez and RocketBladez Tour irons do. So why is it that the standard RocketBladez irons have been flying off the shelves, while a much smaller percentage of professional golfers and serious amateurs are gaming the RocketBladez Tours? The answer is simple — it’s an issue of height.

[youtube id=”QpmrytE3gLI” width=”620″ height=”360″]

High-to-mid-handicap golfers, the target audience for the standard RocketBladez irons, almost always need to hit their irons higher because it gives them more carry. And the standard RocketBladez are one of the highest-flying, longest-flying game-improvement irons on the market.

Low-handicap golfers, however, the ones that TaylorMade targeted with the RocketBladez Tours, often don’t need or want any more distance or height from their irons. Sometimes, they actually want their irons to fly lower. So TaylorMade’s decision to create an iron that allows for a steeper angle of descent into greens isn’t that attractive to them.

But that doesn’t mean that RocketBladez are bad irons. In fact, they’re really good, and for golfers who would like more height on their iron shots, they might be the best irons they’ve ever hit.

Performance

Other than height, one of the biggest concerns serious golfers have about RocketBladez Tour irons is their disposition to a “flyer,” which happens when a golfer catches a shot slightly above the sweet spot on the club face. The higher contact point gives golfers almost all of the speed of a center hit, but it drastically reduces spin, which causes iron shots to fly much farther than intended.

TaylorMade engineers said they fixed the hot spot problem by making the sweet spot of the RocketBladez Tour irons much larger. According to Sean Toulon, executive vice president for TaylorMade, the sweet spot of a RocketBladez Tour iron is about the size of a quarter, while the sweet spot of TaylorMade’s most recent muscle back iron is closer to the size of a pea.

So why would a tour player choose to play a shorter-flying iron with the sweet spot the size of a pea when he or she could have a longer-flying iron with a sweet spot the size of a quarter? According to Toulon, tour players like blade irons despite their small sweet spots because they’re “slow everywhere.” So even though one-piece forged irons don’t fly as far as multi-material irons, they tend to fly around the same distance on center hits as on slight mis-hits. For better players who make contact near the sweet spot nearly every time, the improved distance control means more birdie chances.

As a former blade player, I was skeptical that an iron with a high coefficient of restitution (COR) — TaylorMade claims the RocketBladez and RocketBladez Tour irons both have a COR of 0.819, which is near the legal limit 0.83 — could be as consistent as the one-piece forgings I’d gamed my whole life. But the speed slot technology that goes into the RocketBladez Tour irons makes sense — by adding a slot to the sole of the iron, the entire structure of the iron becomes more flexible. That not only increases ball speed on good shots; it also increases speed on mis-hits.

According to TaylorMade engineers, the added speed on mis-hits would be most apparent on shots hit low on the face, as that’s where the majority of flexibility was added. And that’s a good thing for better players, as most of their mis-hits are the result of shots struck too low on their club face.

When I first received my RocketBladez Tour irons several months ago, I tested them against my gamer irons on our in-house FlightScope X2 launch monitor. With every one, I saw a higher launch angle and faster ball speed. I didn’t really care that I was hitting the short irons farther, but I was ecstatic to see the increased distance from the long irons. Like most golfers, the new technologies in my 15-degree fairway wood and 18-degree hybrid created a larger gap between those clubs and my longest iron.

I still wasn’t convinced that I should be playing a cast iron with a slot in it, however, so when I took a trip to Modern Golf, a custom fitting facility in Toronto that is on our “Best of” panel, I warned them that I’d be pestering them for feedback on a set of RocketBladez Tour irons.

During the iron fitting, Modern Golf fitter Ian Fraser described me as a “pincher” of the ball, someone who tends to hit down steeply and launches the ball lower than most golfers in my swing speed range. That’s why he said the RocketBladez Tour irons were so good for me — I needed the extra height. During testing on their Trackman, I continued to see the same results I saw on FlightScope — shots with the RocketBladez Tours were flying higher and faster than shots with my one-piece forgings. But the irons did need a little bit of tweaking to be fully optimized for me, as they will for most golfers.

Tuning carry distances

Above: The RocketBladez Tour 7 iron is the last iron in the set to have a slot in the sole. According to TaylorMade engineers, the value of the speed pocket diminishes with shorter irons because of the added loft. 

According to TaylorMade engineers, fitting RocketBladez Tour irons is similar to fitting a driver. The center of gravity position in the head controls the launch, while the loft controls the spin rate. I wish I could say that getting the RocketBladez Tour irons right for me was as simple as strengthening or weakening all the lofts 1 degree, but it wasn’t. To maximize the carry distance of the irons, Fraser bent the 3 iron 0.5 degrees weak, kept the 4 iron at 22 degrees, bent the 5 iron 0.25 degrees strong, bent the 6 iron 0.5 degrees strong, bent the 7 iron 0.25 degrees weak, left the 8 and 9 iron at 38 and 42 degrees, and bent the pitching wedge 2 degrees strong.

Those changes gave me a steady increase of about 9 yards through the set. The practical application is that I have a set of irons that covers a wider range of yardages, and on the long end I’ve been able to hit long irons instead of fairway woods and hybrids into par 5’s and short par 3’s.

Forgiveness and playability

More impressive than the distances the RocketBladez Tour irons fly on good strikes is the distance they fly on mis-hits. I won’t say that flyers don’t exist, particularly with the long irons, because I’ve hit shots that went a little farther than I thought was possible for the given situation. But those shots are few and far between. Overall, I’ve found the hotter faces of the irons to be unbelievably forgiving on slight mishits, and better than any players iron I’ve ever tested on poor strikes.

I’ve hit several shots with the RocketBladez Tour irons that I thought had no chance of getting to the green, but they found their way there anyway. The opportunity to be putting instead of chipping was the biggest selling point for me.

Looks and Feel

Above: Because the short irons (8-AW) do not have a speed slot, they can be cast from a softer-feeling metal — 431 stainless steel. That gives them a quieter sound at impact, which many golfers will prefer to the long irons, which are cast from 17-4 stainless steel. 

Few golfers will fault the RocketBladez Tour irons for their looks. All they will see when they look down at the irons are player’s sized top line and blade length, a round toe and a small amount of offset. There’s absolutely no spillover of the back cavity at address, even in the long irons, which creates a classic look that’s very similar to TaylorMade’s Tour Preferred MC irons — exactly what TaylorMade engineers said they were shooting for when they initially drew up the RocketBladez Tours.

Just about every golfer, however, will have something to say about the way the irons feel — good or bad. There’s a distinct difference between the sound of the long irons — the 3 through 7 irons that are cast from 17-4 stainless steel, and the short irons — the 8 iron through AW that are cast from 431 stainless steel.

I wouldn’t say that the RocketBladez Tours feel harsh, but they are substantially louder than other players irons. It’s much like using a Scotty Cameron Newport putter for a long time, and then switching to a Newport Beach model with a sound slot. Some golfers think the slot makes the putter sound awful, while other love the sound and feel. The short irons are also “clickier” than most irons in the RocketBladez Tour class, but not intolerably so.

The good news about their construction? RocketBladez Tour irons are extremely hard to bend, so once golfers get their lofts and lie angles dialed in, they won’t have to worry about them moving that much.

The Takeaway

Above: The deep undercut of a RocketBladez Tour 4 iron. The undercut, combined with several weight-saving measures such as a smaller hosel, thinner faces and a more compact design allowed TaylorMade engineers to position the CG of the irons lower and deeper in the head for a higher launch. 

Like it or not, irons like the RocketBladez Tour are the future of iron design. One day, golfers will look back on the one-piece forged irons that they played for decades in the same way they now look at wooden drivers — they’ll wonder how they ever played with them.

There’s several things TaylorMade can do and probably will do to make the RocketBladez Tour irons better in future generations:

• They could feel softer.
• They could be more compact in size.
• A lower-trajectory model could be released.

But those suggestions shouldn’t imply that there’s much wrong with the current version, and that they won’t help golfers like me hit higher, farther and more consistent iron shots.

The RocketBladez Tour irons haven’t been the revolutionary product that TaylorMade wanted them to be when they were released, but they’re yet another shot to the heart for one-piece forged irons.

If you’re a low-ball hitter, blades should already be dead to you. Give these a shot.

The RocketBladez Tour irons are currently selling for about $699, and come stock with KBS Tour steel shafts in R, S and X flexes. 

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45 Comments

May 7, 2014 at 5:51 am

Just purchased these. Played about 6 rounds with them. I have notice I’m losing about 7 to 12 yards with the gap and pitching wedge and the 9 iron. Why Is this?

killerbgolfer

Nov 6, 2013 at 12:00 pm

I just ordered these yesterday. Time will tell if they knock the i20s out of the bag. Can’t wait to play them.

Nov 9, 2013 at 11:43 am

So after one range session…. I want some more. They look a lot more “bladez” like than the i20s. The feel is a more solid “thud” than the hollower “click” that I would apply to the i20s. The good shots do fly further. The range had crappy balls and it was windy out, so distance consistency was tough to judge. I’m hoping to go out for a round on Monday and get a better idea of what I can do with these irons. Looks and feel are great. TM shipped my custom set out quickly and the price was very good.

Sep 29, 2014 at 6:09 pm

March 13, 2013 at 6:13 pm 5 of 5 people found the flinowlog review helpful Loved it, March 18, 2012Bya0J. Ralls (Texas) a0a0I am a below average player. I was having a lot of mis hits with my old club. I am swinging the same way but my shots are much more consistent with better elevation and distance. My golfing buddies were amazed at my new shot making with this club. My golfing buddy was so impressed he was asking me lots of questions about the club. I am left handed so he was not able to try my club. I love this 5 wood and will probably buy a 3 wood too. Taylor Made also makes a 3 iron hybred the length of a regular iron. I have one of these too and the hit is fantastic.Help other customers find the most helpful reviewsa0 Was this review helpful to you?a0 | a0Comment Reply

Oct 1, 2014 at 9:39 am

ITA, just me, they have this fixation on Rob. As much as I like hrinaeg things like this from other actors, it is not natural, meaning, this should be their moment, they should not constantly be compared to anyone else even Rob. The journalists, if you can call them journalists, have no creativity in their questions anymore. It is rare to hear someone offer something other than comparisons.

Oct 11, 2013 at 1:06 pm

Great write up and I guess feel is very subjective because I love the way the long and short irons feel…I am a KBS Tour guy and the combination of the KBS and the RBZT head…perfect! Great job TM!!!

Sep 9, 2013 at 11:30 am

Love these clubs, very easy to hit; I hit down steep in the ball, so these are perfect for me. Also like the traditional lofts, although they do fly as far as the ‘new standard’

Aug 4, 2013 at 9:41 pm

These would of been better if they was forged then they could of been probley the No1 iron on the market but there not

Oct 25, 2013 at 7:25 am

If the spelling and grammar were better, then the comment may have some validity.

Misunderstood

May 25, 2014 at 6:40 pm

What ever Lloyd!~

Jul 17, 2013 at 12:25 pm

Taylormade is the Jersey Shore of golf equipment.

Daniel Gibson

Jul 14, 2013 at 4:34 pm

I don’t get people slating the lofts, read what was written, if they,’re so strong why are they getting the ball up Higher. Buy a set bend them to your ” traditional” lofts and then throw them in the bin. I don’t like tm marketing but I understand the lofts, ppl should get off the back of tm just for the sake of it because their following sheep, test them

Greg Hunter

Jul 14, 2013 at 12:07 am

I bought a set of these for my 13 year old and he hit them well. But, he was brainwashed into getting a set of AP2’s, so I sold them and bought a set of AP’s/ I noticed and he did also that the TM’s were better but makes all kinds of excuses why the AP2’s are better. I hit them both and preferred the TM’s. But I’m not 13!

GGWolverine

Jul 13, 2013 at 2:38 pm

The lofts on the tour are stronger in the long irons vs my Bstone J40 DPC’s and Mizzy MP-53’s. I’ve hit the tour and I think the feel sucks. Nothing beats the buttery feel of forged!!

Jul 13, 2013 at 6:52 pm

The RBZ Tours are the first cast club I’ve played in many years. When the RBZ Tour irons are hit in the center of the face, they feel great. When hit thin or off the toe, they feel like a cast head. I like the feel.

Jul 13, 2013 at 11:31 am

The Callaway X Hot irons and Mizuno JPX 825 are better.

Jul 13, 2013 at 6:44 pm

Very subjective comment. Please offer some facts to support your statement.

Jul 24, 2013 at 10:35 pm

I’ve hit the X Hots and owned the 825s. I wanted an iron that looked like an AP2 at address and performed like the 825s. The TM BLDZ Tours are not quite as long as the 825s, but close and far more consistent. And they look great. The X Hots provide a lower trajectory. They aren’t quite as long as the TMs and the top line is thicker –a good looking club, but not as nice (to my eye) as the TM and not as forgiving on mishits.

TM really got it right with these sticks. I had no plans to buy them, but was encouraged to give them a try and never looked back after I did. I figured I would end up with Ping (I20s) or AP2s. At the end of the day, absolutley no comparison for me. And I keep liking them more.

Jul 12, 2013 at 12:33 pm

i was skeptical when they first came out and was never a fan of TM irons. When getting fit for new irons i tried a variety of irons from various manufacturers at the range. THe rocketbladz tour was consistent shot after shot. I tried blind hitting the clubs (not paying attention to the brand i was hitting) so i wouldnt be biased one way or another and the bladz continued to win me over. I bought them the next day and have been hitting more greens than ever. It took a little while to adjust to new longer distances and the slightly different feel of a new club but now im on point.

Doug Sevier

Jul 12, 2013 at 10:05 am

Man, these irons have my name written all over them. Will have a set as soon as I can save the $$ !!! Can’t wait!

Jul 23, 2013 at 3:18 pm

Well Doug, based on comments noted above, if your name is written all over them, it will soon peel off. No worries.

Aug 7, 2013 at 8:07 am

Jul 12, 2013 at 2:37 am

I bought a set and paint came off. I thought I got a fake set but it was just poor quality. Luckily the new set don’t have issue. They do hit the ball too high for me in short irons but are great in long irons

Jul 12, 2013 at 12:49 am

I hear a lot of argument about the strong loft thing. I bought a set. Here is my take home. My new RBladez 7 rion flies the height of my old 9 iron and as far as my old 6 iron.

Enough said. Dont believe me. Go try them. They are legit.

Jul 11, 2013 at 5:02 pm

I bought a set in feb, had them replaced in April because the paint was coming off the back cavity, took that new set back in may because the paint was coming off the back cavity. The paint is coming off the back cavity in the photos on here.

Come on TM, this should be sorted by now…

I now have AP2 in the bag. Performance of the RBZ tours was great, sound was weird and the chosen KBS is well suited to the head. but the paint thing, £529 for peeling paint .. Not impressed.

Customer service was great though, can’t fault them…

Jul 12, 2013 at 10:48 am

You’re in for a surprise with the AP2’s and paint issues then. The paint is known to peel off of those shortly after unboxing them. I had a set of AP2’s and within weeks the paint was lifting!

May 20, 2014 at 12:33 pm

What a bunch of divas. Does the paint help you hit the ball further or straighter?

Jul 11, 2013 at 4:54 pm

Cons: stupid name ugly styling

Jul 11, 2013 at 3:52 pm

I’ve went all over the place in my fitting session, I never left with irons, I decided to come back in a week after thinking about suggestions. I left and couldn’t stop thinking about the Rocketbladez Tour, I went back for one final session and tweaking and sure enough I left with them.

Few months later and I love them more than the day I got them, it seems the honeymoon phase that I’ve experienced in the past doesn’t go away with these, they are deadly accurate for me and an all around joy to hit!

This review posted here is bang on!

Jul 11, 2013 at 2:07 pm

I made the switch from my old Ap2’s to the RocketBladez tours and have not regreted it yet. Over all ever iron feels great and let me tell you these irons are pin seakers. I attack the flags and have no worry of the ball not going where i want. These irons have produced more birdies and eagles so far since i had them than my Ap2’s did in the 3 years i had them. The only down side to these irons is you hit way more greens with them so expect your putt count to go up on your rounds from hitting so many greens in regulation.

Jul 23, 2013 at 3:15 pm

Gee, based on Mick’s comments, these irons have magical powers. I want them.

Jul 11, 2013 at 12:53 pm

If they can produce a model that has a ball flight similar to the mb or mc then I’m buying them. And I don’t care for taylormade

Jul 11, 2013 at 12:46 pm

The reason they have stronger lofts is that the design improvements mean you have a higher launch angle. Therefore they can make the loft stronger while still keeping the launch angle the same as a traditional 7 iron. Would you prefer a high ballooning flight?

Aug 31, 2013 at 10:38 am

Stephan, thanks for being spot on in your analysis. Finally someone who thinks before they talk

Jul 11, 2013 at 12:37 pm

but if the 7 iron launches higher than expected, then strengthening the loft to restore a typical 7 iron launch angle makes perfect sense, no? then the distance is ‘free’.

Jul 12, 2013 at 4:08 pm

This. Blind hate for TM like usual. They HAVE to adjust the lofts unless you want to launch your 7 iron higher than your normal PW. Pretty common sense.

Jul 11, 2013 at 12:18 pm

Nothing about the article addresses why Taylormade felt the need to increase the lofts. There is no need for it… You hit the ball 20 yards longer with a 7 iron? That’s cause it’s a 6 iron. I’m not sold on technology that claims distance gains but then uses strong lofts to increase distance. This is the bottom line issue with Taylormade for alot of people. The perception of deception. Wether it’s true or not, and Im not saying it is or it isn’t true, the perception is that Taylormade crafted a 7 iron…. Stamped an 8 on it and then sold it as ” longer ” than your 8 iron.

Umm yes, yes he did.

He specifically stated the loft dictates spin and CG dictates launch.

Jul 11, 2013 at 1:15 pm

also, he specifically stated that the lofts on THESE irons aren’t strengthened

Jul 12, 2013 at 8:39 pm

If you read the article, you would know your comments are completely off base with regard to the Rocketbladez Tour.

Jul 12, 2013 at 10:19 pm

No the tour irons are at traditional lofts compared to pretty much any other players club out there. Check any club you want against it. The standard rocketbladez irons are strong lofted, but for reasons other than just to hit it further. Pretty much any other oem is at the same lofts as well. Face it, stronger lofted clubs are here to stay.

Jul 16, 2013 at 9:42 pm

reg rocketbladez have strong lofts. the tour editions only have about .5 to 1 degree stronger lofts. read first.

Jul 11, 2013 at 12:16 pm

I recently switched from Titleist 710 MB’s with tour issue Dynamic Gold X-100’s to the RocketBladez Tours with KBS Tour stiff shafts. I’m getting a higher ball flight, but the higher ball speed is resulting in greater overall distance! The difference in the long irons is especially striking. The results on mishits is shocking! Shots hit lower on the face tend to go about the same distance as dead center hits. Toe shots see only minimal distance loss. I was very concerned about overall feel, especially small bump and run chip shots around the green (feel being my main reason for staying with forged muscle-backs over the years). I have been pleasantly surprised, the overall feel and results have been great! Traditional look at address, greater height, carry and overall distance, and unbelievable forgiveness add up to a club that has positively impacted my game! I absolutely love the clubs!

NOTE: I am low single digit handicapper that played college golf.

Jul 11, 2013 at 11:30 am

tremendous review and echoes my thoughts exactly. I love these irons

Jul 11, 2013 at 11:24 am

Great article on the new rocketbladez tour iron. I recently went to the TaylorMade performance lab in Georgia at Reynolds Plantation. Cory the Master Club Fitter fit me with a set of these knowing that I had a very high ball flight. After a couple months using the clubs with the proper shafts my ball flight has actually come down and my scores are much more consistent. The biggest thing that I have noticed is better results with my mishits. I definitley would recommend these irons and the custom fitting experience that TaylorMade offers.

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Club Junkie

Club junkie review: cobra’s new king tour irons.

The Cobra King Tour irons have been proven on the PGA Tour already and will be in bags of better amateur players this year. The previous King Tour MIM irons were very underrated and offered great precision with a solid shape that many players liked. Cobra went away from the Metal Injection Molded construction and went with a five-step forging process for soft and solid feel.

Make sure to check out the full podcast review at the links below and search GolfWRX Radio on every podcast platform.

I was a big fan of the previous Tour MIM irons and played them in rotation throughout the last two years. Out of the box, I was impressed with the more simple and clean look of the badging on the new King Tour. Badging is mostly silver with just small black accents that should appeal to even the pickiest golfers. I didn’t notice the shorter blade length in the new irons but did notice that the leading edge is just slightly more rounded. Topline is thin, but not razor thin, but still has enough there to give you the confidence that you don’t have to hit it on the dead center every shot.

Feel is solid and soft with just a slight click to the thud on well struck shots while mishits are met with a little more sound and vibration to the hands.

These King Tour irons are built to be cannons and place more emphasis on consistent and precise shots. I also felt like the new irons launch easily and maybe a touch higher than some irons in the same category.

My launch monitor showed my 7 iron with an average launch angle of 22 degrees and spin right around 5,800 with a Project X LZ 6.0 stock shaft. Ball speed isn’t the ultimate focus of this iron but it did well with an average around 108mph and the iron was able to keep the speed up well when you didn’t strike the center. You will still see a drop off in speed and distance when you miss the center, but you don’t have to be Navy SEAL sniper accurate on the face to achieve a good shot. Dispersion was very tight, and while there are bigger irons with more forgiveness, this players cavity still allows good playability when you aren’t bringing your A-plus game to the course.

Cobra lists the King Tour as an iron for a Tour level player up to a 7 handicap and I think this iron could see the bags of more golfers than that. I am a 9.4 handicap, and I felt more than comfortable playing this iron even on less than perfect days.

Review: Honma TW737-Vs Forged Irons

Pros:  Incredible feel all the way through the bag. These irons offer considerable forgiveness on mishits, and their slightly stronger lofts generate plenty of distance for a better-player forged iron.

Cons:  Some will find the price point ($150 per club) too high to consider.

Bottom Line:  The entire TW737 line boasts impressive specs and looks. The TW737-Vs, with their slightly larger shape and stronger lofts, could be perfect for the player ready to move from game-improvement irons to better players irons or for those those looking for more forgiveness in a forged set.

Many GolfWRX Members will already be familiar with Honma Golf, known for its intricately crafted clubs and as one of the most prestigious, fastest-growing golf brands in the world. For others, this review will be the first time they’ve heard of Honma, or seen their iconic “mole in a hole” cloisonné and wondered, “What’s that?”

That is about to change. Honma, a mainstay in the Japanese Domestic Market for almost 60 years, is making a major push to become a household name in the U.S. and Europe. This year marks the company’s first entry into national “Hot List” competitions, and you can now find and test some of their products, such as the TW737 irons, in big-box golf stores like the PGA Superstore.

While Honma has traditionally been associated with extremely high-end clubs —  even gold-plated at times — the Tour World line is priced similarly with other forged irons from domestic manufacturers. Tour World also happens to be the line played by their tour pros like Hideto Tanihara , who has the TW737-Vs in his bag.

Related: More photos of Honma’s Tour World irons, driving irons and wedges

There are three unique models in the Tour World 737 line, each with slight variations in loft and head shape that are designed to fit the specific needs of forged-iron users. Each model includes Honma’s unified face progression and center of gravity design, which essentially allows for slight changes in sole width, face thickness, and head size based on loft, while keeping the same offset. The design is great in and of itself, and it also makes it easier to play a Tour World combo set.

The entire TW737 iron line is forged from S25C steel using Honma’s proprietary high strength W-Forging , a two-stage forging process that mixes hot and cold forging. According to the company, the process creates more density in the club face, especially high on the face. The extra strength is said to increase ball speed and forgiveness.

• The TW737-Vn  is made particularly for better golfers who like the shape and workability of a blade, but want a little more forgiveness.
• The TW737-V  has a small cavity-back head, but adds a little more forgiveness and distance than the Vn.
• The TW737-Vs , the model I tested, has a slightly larger head and strongest lofts, making it the longest and most forgiving of the three forged irons in the TW737 lineup.

You can find all the  specs on the Honma site here .  The TW737-Vs specs are below.

TW737-Vs irons are available now in 3-11 ($150 per club). A variety of stock shafts are available and include the NS Pro 950GH, Dynamic Gold AMT, Modus3 Tour, and Vizard 160. Honma has a  retailer search on its site  to help you find nearby golf stores where you can check out these clubs for yourself. Of course, custom shaft and grip options are available.

My set of TW737-Vs

I decided on the TW737-Vs because I wanted the extra performance and forgiveness. Honma built a 3-11 iron set, standard length, 0.5-degrees upright with Golf Pride New Decade Multi-Compound grips and two wraps of tape.

Having played cast, game-improvement irons my entire golfing life, I was anxious to see how these clubs would look at address, feel at impact and most importantly, how they would perform for my swing. In recent years, I have been using a forged Vega wedge, also an iconic Japanese brand. I love the feel, so I was excited for these.

You might be wondering, “Why test against a cast club and not compare Honma to Honma or Honma to Miura?” One reason is that like many of you, I’m precisely who Honma is looking to attract — a US-based consumer who has been playing mostly domestic clubs.

Take it one step further, I’ve also been looking to put forged clubs in the bag and make the move to the better-player iron category, but I was hesitant for a variety of reasons. I mentioned to a few other golfer that I was reviewing this set and their reaction was the same. Are they blades? Are they small? Are they hard to hit? All responses were followed by, “I don’t think I’d be ready for forged clubs.”

After testing I can tell you the irons are not too small, not too hard to hit, and stack up to anything else I’ve tested.

I like to start testing outside before getting on a launch monitor so I can focus purely on what I’m seeing and feeling. And with these clubs, my expectations were high, very high.

I started with the 11-iron because… how often do you get to hit a club stamped with an 11? I’ve always taken a significant divot with my wedges, but my first swing resulted in a solid, crisp shot with a thinner divot. Everything about the shot felt perfect. This happened to be a center strike and impact felt like almost nothing at all… in a good way. The sound was solid and strong, but the first real feeing I registered was slicing through the turf.

That feeling continued even with the long irons. Hitting a 3 or 4-iron around the middle provided plenty of feedback, but the more pure the strike, the less feeling there was. The ball flight appeared to be slightly lower than my current set, with a straight-to-draw flight and similar distances. Working the ball both ways was not a problem.

On the course, I struggled with distance control at first. This was my own fault for not dialing in the distances, especially with the stronger lofts in the 7-iron and shorter clubs. My expectation was that these clubs would not fly as far as my current clubs, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.

The exceptional feel continued. Truly effortless power on center strikes. The ball just jumped off the face and provided plenty of feedback and forgiveness. My divots from fairway lies were thinner than normal, which I don’t mind at all. These clubs cut through the rough nicely as well.

My favorite moment came at an island-green par-3, No. 16 at BridgeMill Athletic Club. I had 160 yards to the pin, with 150 yards covering the water and 175 yards to the water at the back of the green. With my old set, it would have been a smooth 8-iron (a full 9-iron is a reliable 145 yard carry). For me, the TW737-Vs 9-iron is essentially an 8.5-iron, so I went with 9-iron and played to the center with a little draw. I hit one of the most solid shots of the day, and it landed just a few feet away from the pin. Trusting a 9-iron would be enough… now that was fun.

Launch Monitor Data

My expectation going into launch monitor testing was that I’d see a flatter trajectory, lower peak height, similar distance and spin, and a decent amount of help on mishits.  I tested the TW737-Vs on SkyTrak against my TaylorMade RSi 2’s using Bridgestone Tour B330 balls. I rotated clubs every 5 shots and went through multiple rounds with each club.

The launch monitor data backed up what I was seeing on the course. For the short and mid irons, the Honmas generated slightly more distance (not less as I expected prior to testing). The 9-iron had the biggest gap, but the TW737-Vs is also 2 degrees stronger.

Spin was lower, but I was also seeing slightly more draw bias to my shots. While the spin looks a little low, on the course I had no issues stopping the ball on approach shots. With the long irons, my flatter trajectory always forces me to play for a little roll, so that won’t change.

I’ve never been a high ball hitter. My swing produces a lower flight and I’m sticking with it. Not surprisingly, my launch angle and peak height with the TW737-Vs was slightly lower across the board.

Ball speed on heel and toe side of center dropped about 2 mph on average, but the shots were very playable. With the 3 and 4-irons, toe shots generated quite a bit more left spin, but heel shots didn’t really impact the flight.

For shots higher on the face, I was very surprised and happy to see a minimal loss of distance. All in all, these clubs are very playable and forgiving on shots that miss the dead center of the clubface.

Feel is subjective, but I love the way these clubs feel. There is a nice weight through the swing. The W-Forging process has created a strong face that fires balls off like little rockets. Some other irons have a spring-like feel at impact, but with these, center shots just seemed to melt into my hands.

I spent a lot of time using powder spray on the face to see the exact impact location. With other irons I’ve tested, it is easy to know if I hit the extreme toe or heel side. But with the TW737-Vs, I was able to feel if I was half a ball to the heel or toe side. Same with being low on the face or a few grooves high. Both better players and mid-handicap golfers looking to improve will appreciate the feedback these clubs provide.

As for looks, “These are beautifully simple” was my first thought when I saw them in person. The lines are clean and sharp in some areas and smooth and rounded in others. The head, while definitely smaller than what I’m used to, doesn’t feel or look too small. I don’t have any confidence issues looking down at the ball.

Each of the TW737 models have the same minimal amount of offset, creating a relatively straight edge from the shaft out to the toe. I find it easier to set up and align clubs with less offset, so I like this a lot. I wouldn’t call the top line thin, but it isn’t thick either. Overall, I just really like how these irons look at address.

Bottom Line

Honma might not be the first name most Americans think of when they think of forged irons. That is going to change… not just because Honma will be spending more money to reach golfers in North America, but because the company’s Tour World line is both beautifully crafted and packed with performance.

If you’re in the market for forged players irons, make sure the TW737 is on the list of clubs to hit.

GolfWRX Member Reviews: TaylorMade 2017 M1 and M2 Irons

One of the many benefits of being a GolfWRX Forum Member is exclusive access to Giveaways and Testing Threads. For Giveaways — we give away everything from golf clubs to golf balls to GPS units — all it takes is a forum name. Enter any Giveaway, and we select winners randomly. You’re then free to enjoy your prize as you wish.

For Testing Threads, the process a bit more involved. GolfWRX Forum Members sign up to test the latest and greatest products in golf, and then they provide in-depth reviews on the equipment. Being the intelligent golf-equipment users they are, GoflWRX Members are able to provide the most-informed and unbiased reviews on the Internet.

In this Testing Thread , we selected 75 members to test a TaylorMade M1 2017 7-iron and TaylorMade M2 7-iron. Each of the clubs were built with the stock lofts and shafts — M2 2017 (28.5 degrees) with a TaylorMade Reax shaft, and M1 2017 (30.5 degrees) with a True Temper Dynamic Gold S300 shaft — and the testers were instructed to post their review of the clubs here .

Below, we’ve selected what we’ve deemed the most in-depth and educated reviews out of the 75 testers. We have edited each of the posts for brevity, clarity and grammar.

Thanks to all of those involved in the testing!

• All 75 Reviews: TaylorMade M1 and M2 Testing Thread
• Tech Talk: What you need to know about TaylorMade’s M1 and M2 irons

To be honest, looking down on the TaylorMade M1 and M2 irons at address, there is really not much difference. I would have to pick one up to see which is which.

The first 10 balls I hit were with M1 and 6/10 felt great, while the other 4 were toe hits, which I felt and the distance reflected that. Kinda what I expected with a club design for lower-handicap players. Distance was about 1/2 longer than my Srixon iron and dispersion was close, as well. I will say they did not feel as good as the Srixon on center hits.

Next 10 (ok, 15) balls were with the M2. Wow, can you say “up, up and away? The ball really popped of the club face, but wasn’t a ballon flight. Waited for the ball to come down and WTH, with the roll out it was 5-8 yards longer than balls hit with M1, and that is with a few toe shots. I did some smooth swings and then very aggressive swings and was a little amazed at this iron. Just like the M1, it does not have the forged feeling and does have a clicky sound (which I hate).

Bottom line: M2 is the longest iron I have ever hit. I love my 545s, but I could see myself playing M2 very easily. Matter of fact, I will be taking this M2 7 iron in my bag and play it more head-to-head against my Srixon 545 on the course.

deathbymuffin

These are both beautiful clubs. What surprised me the most is how much alike the two clubs look at address. I was expecting a chunky topline and significant offset in the M2, but it’s footprint looked almost exactly the same as the M1, outside of the chrome finish on the M2 versus the frosted finish of the M1. The M2 could almost pass as a player’s iron to my eye at address. These clubs both get A’s from me in the looks department.

The M1 felt a tad thicker than most player’s irons I’m used to, but it seemed to come with a bit of added forgiveness too. Well-struck shots felt good, with a nice mid-trajectory and with the workability that I’ve come to expect from a player’s iron. But true to TaylorMade’s claims, the M1 seemed more forgiving than a traditional player’s iron. Had a nice soft feel at impact, mishits didn’t sting and left you with a more playable result. A really nice combination of the better attributes of both player’s and game improvement irons. I’ve been playing with an old set of Tommy Armour blades, but I’ve been recently wanting more forgiveness for when I’m stuck with my B or C swing. Based on the early returns, I could definitely see myself bagging these.

I’m not sure if it’s the shaft, the design of the clubhead, or a combination of both, but the M2 is definitely a different animal than the M1 at impact. This club launches the ball high, arguably ridiculously so. I was hitting Jason Day moonbombs with this bad boy. Didn’t seem to matter what kind of swing I put on it, the ball launched high, flat and dead straight. The club was super forgiving and if not for the insanely high ball flight, I would love to have a set of these for when my swing is out of sorts. I didn’t really try to flight it at all, so I’m not sure what it’s capable of at this point. One other note was that the M2 had a clicky feel at impact. It didn’t bother me since it still felt so sweet… so strange as it sounds, clicky, but smooth and sweet at the same time. I think these clubs will be big winners with the mid-to-high handicap set.

The M1 is a fine iron, but doesn’t really stand out in any way from other irons of its class.

The M2, on the other hand, is an iron on steroids. I’m really starting to love this thing. It’s super forgiving and just goes and goes. According to my laser, flush shots were going 195 yards (my usual blade 5 iron distance) and very high. I can’t help but think golf would be a whole lot easier, particularly longer courses with long par 3s, with a full set of these in my bag.

poppyhillsguy

M1 feels softer than the M2 and I felt the ball flight was more consistent and what I want in an iron. The M1 did have a harsher feeling in my hands than I typically like, but I’m going to credit a lot of that to the range balls.

M2 flies very high. It was a windy afternoon and about 100 degrees. I love the high ball flight on the range, but I have a concern what that ball flight would be like on the course. I like to hit the ball different heights for different shots and I don’t think I could do that confidently with the M2, but I could with the M1. I don’t like the sound of the M2. It sounded “clicky” to me.

Initially on the range I was scared because the M1 had a regular flex in it, so I took it easy for my initial 10-15 swings with it. Ball SHOT off the face, loud crack (didn’t care for it, but not too bad) and ball just kept rising and rising but didn’t balloon. I thought, “whoa,” that’s not what I expected…did it again…another CRACK and the ball just flew. I set another down and I paid attention to how it looked behind the ball, not much offset for a game improvement and I thought…”I could actually play this club!”  The 5-7 were EASY swings, aimed at a target of 170 yards away (my normal 7 iron distance) and with a EASY swing I was flying it by 20 yards or so. The next 5-10 I really went after it, same CRACK and ball just flew but to my surprise it was a nice draw, harder draw than the first but it was a nice 10-yard draw. This time the balls were landing just short of the 200 yard marker. Damn, 200 yards with a 7 iron! I know they are jacked lofts but it feels good to say “my 7 irons just few 190-200 yards!”

P.S. LOVE the Lamkin UTX grip!

Now, this was interesting, the M2 was quieter then the M1… weird!  Now, there is more carbon fiber added to this one and there is a “Geocoustic” label on the back. I am sure that it has something to do with all that carbon fiber but it does have a better sound. Other than the sound, it played exactly like the M1: long and straight. The REAX shaft felt a little weaker than the True Temper shaft and it flew a little higher but nothing else I could pick up.

noahdavis_7

Finally got out to the range after getting these bad boys in on Friday. My first impression of them is that they look really sharp. The graphics and design really stand out and really give these clubs a cool, modern look.

They were both a little to big IMO, as I am currently bagging Mizuno MP-68s. The M2 isa definite “game improvement iron”, while the M1 was similar in size and shape to my previous irons, Titleist AP1s.

They both really launch it, high and far. Ridiculous for 7 irons. I don’t have access to a launch monitor, but it was about a 20-yard difference between my gamer 7 iron and these (stronger lofts, as well).

The M1 definitely was more suited for my eye, and produced more consistent ball flights. It felt much more smooth and solid as the M2 had a clicky, cheap feel.

The M2 just isn’t for me. I felt like it was launching too high and ballooning, which could be due to the shaft (the M1 had the S300, while the M2 just had a stock “Reax” shaft).  The feel off the face of the M2 just turned me off, to be honest.

While I don’t think I’ll be putting either model in play, I can definitely see the appeal for mid-to-high handicaps. Both irons were super forgiving, and they should be a dream to the average weekend golfer who has trouble with ball striking consistently.

golfnut5438

Looks: As expected, I preferred the M1 with less offset, slightly smaller sole and a smoother finish. Less glare looking down on the iron. I must say the M2 did not look as bulky, or have as much offset as I thought it might have.

Feel: This was a close race, probably due to the shafts as much as the heads. The M1 was just a slight bit smoother feeling on solid shots. But the M2 was not bad at all, just not quite as smooth.

Distance and performance: Our range has a slight incline up the length of the range, so specific yardage gains or losses were difficult to measure. Both irons had a higher trajectory than my gamer 7 iron. Neither sole dug onto the turf either. The lofts for both irons are a degree or two stronger than mine, so I would think they probably flew a little further than my gamers. Neither iron flew “too” high, however. Might be a little harder to hit knock down shots, though.

Final thoughts: I had hit both the M1 and M2 irons last year during a fitting day, but did not like either. This year’s model were both better in my eyes. I asked a fellow member at our club to hit both and he felt the M1 was his preferred model, and he is a 20-index player. So coming from both a single digit, and a high double-digit, the M1 won this battle of wills. I will try and see if I can locate both a 5 iron and 9 iron to see if a full set might be a winner for me.

I was surprised that the M2 was the winner in this brief session. It felt better, flew higher, easier to hit and about 1/2 club longer that my gamer Apex CF16. The feel/sound was better than I thought it might be, but really not up to the CF16. I could, however, easily game the M2’s.

Feel: I hit the M2 first, and found it to be very solid when hit on the screws. There was almost no feel off the club face at all. When I mishit it, you knew it was, but it wasn’t harsh at all. Hit the M1 next, and same type of feel when hit solid. Much more harsh when mishit though, but I knew that was coming.

Distance and performance: This is was where I was curious to see how they would play. The M2 went out high in the air, and just kept going forever. Now granted my eyesight isn’t that great anymore, but it looked like I got about 10-15 yards more from the M2 compared to my Wilson D300. The only thing I didn’t like about the M2 was how much I was able to turn it over. Got a lot more hook compared to my D300. Don’t know if that was from the REAX shaft, but would love to find a less spinning shaft to correct that.

The M1 wasn’t a great performer for me. Same height as the M2, but much straighter off the club face. Didn’t get any great distance advantage as compared to my D300.  Can’t game a player’s iron anymore, and testing this one just reaffirmed that.

Final thoughts: Was very happy with the distance I gained with the M2 compared to my current gamer. Very good-performing iron for me, and something I would definitely consider changing them out if I could reduce the spin off the face. If you’re looking for more distance, you need to try these out.  The M1 just wasn’t for me, but as a player’s iron, I can see it as a great option.

Like the other testers, I found the M2 to launch the ball much higher and is 10-to-15 yards longer than my Adams XTD forged 7 iron. Of the two 7 irons I prefer the M1. I like the design of the M1 and its visual appearance at address. I feel more confident in trying to work the ball with the M1. The M1 gave me more feedback as to where the club head was in relation to my swing plane. If I had my druthers I would put the M1 in the bag as it stands now. Will continue to test, what a treat to compare the two irons.

Once I started making solid contact with a decent shoulder turn, the M2 really came alive in my hands. Towering flat height, for me, and very long. No more clacky hollow feel, just a very mild pleasant sensation… then zoom. Once I started making better swings, back to the M1, which was a very nice iron. Shorter than the M2 (though not short) and a little lower ball flight. Felt nice and substantial without being heavy. Very forgiving on slight mishits.

But the M2 was the star for me. High trajectory and very long. Club felt lively and fun. Frankly, unless a player wanted a lower trajectory, or likes to hit a lot of knock downs or feel shots, I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t choose the M2. They are very attractive and a very fun iron. I think folks who say that the M2 feels and/or sounds clicky, clacky or hollow may be mishitting the iron toward the toe. I am not judging — I mishit a lot of shots at first. I agree on toe mishits the iron did not feel great. It almost felt like plastic. The ball still flew pretty well, but it wasn’t a very enjoyable experience. Not painful, just felt very dead. But when hit nearer the center, the iron felt fantastic. Light, springy and very lively. 

They are both good-looking clubs. Not too long heel to toe and toplines were not that distracting. M1 is more what I like to see shape wise, but M2 was not bad at all. Personally, not a fan of seeing the face slots. But I could see how some people may like how they frame the ball. 

– Has a very odd sound on contact, almost sounds a tad like a fairway wood “ting. Not a fan – Looks very good at address with the brushed finish – Most shots I hit with it seemed to fall out of the sky (very likely a lack of spin). Ball flight was much lower than I would have expected (not super low, just not much different than my 7 iron) – Inconsistent misses. Next to no distance gains vs RocketBladez Tour 7 iron

– Doesn’t look as good at address as the M1. Chrome finish at address is  not  an issue in even direct sunlight for me – Feels and sounds quite nice to my ears at impact. Not a classic sound but very good considering what type of club it is – Ball flight is very strong (comes off hot). Ball stays high in the air for awhile. Very high and lands soft – 10-12 yards longer on average vs my 7 iron, it even had the horsepower to hang with my 6 iron – VERY forgiving on thin strikes. Couldn’t believe how a near-top still traveled to nearly the front edge in the air and still went as far as the M1 did on a good strike – Shaft is too light

Even though I’m a 2-handicap and don’t fit the M2 “mold,” I could see myself playing this club from 4-6 iron (although gapping would be a major issue mixing these with almost anything else) if it had a heavier shaft in it (I can only imagine how far this 4 iron must go… yikes)

M1 = 2.5/5 stars M2 = 4.5/5 stars

Visual first impressions:  The M1 7-iron is visually appealing to me as far as the finish and overall look. Even though it is classified as a player’s iron, it doesn’t seem so tiny that it would be tough to hit. I am not a huge fan of the bright-yellow badging, but I probably could get over it. The iron inspires confidence with its topline and a little bit of offset. The “rubber” piece on the hosel is a little bit funky to me.

I thought the M2 7-iron would look clunkier than it really is. Besides the finish being a little bit different, the difference between the M1 and M2 is actually pretty small. The M2’s topline and sole are a touch wider, but not by much. Not a huge fan of the fluted hosel since it can be seen at address. The M1’s fluting is only on the rear of the club.

I did notice that the sole’s finish did scratch pretty easily. Overall, I thought the M1 and M2 are pretty good looking, but I would definitely give the edge to the M1. I also preferred the stock Lamkin grip on the M1 vs. the ribbed M2 grip.

On course action:  They both feel solid. I tried hitting both irons in all different types of on-course situations over a two week period. Both clubs launch the ball high but I would not say they balloon. For me, the M2 was about 10 yards longer and higher than the M1. Compared to my Cleveland irons, they are 1 to 1.5 clubs longer.

M1 loft = 30.5 M2 loft = 28.5 Cleveland TA7 loft = 33.5

I know this accounts for the distance gain but the ball definitely comes off hot compared to my set. I was hoping I would hit the M1 better since I like the appearance better, but that was not the case. The M2 definitely felt better for me and I felt more confident with it in my hands.

Discussion: Read all 75 reviews and the responses in our Testing Thread

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Golf News, Reviews, and Commentary

TaylorMade RocketBladez Tour Irons Review

Do TaylorMade’s newest flagship irons live up to their inflated marketing? Hint: you bet they do.

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Enter RocketBladez. TM’s newest line of irons were leaked back in October, and they claim to have brought the same (or similar) Speed Pocket technology from the woods. The Tour model that I have been testing is, of course, aimed at the better players, with thinner soles and toplines, minimal offset, and a straighter leading edge.

Ever since I played my first set of wide-soled super-game-improvement irons, I’ve been of the opinion that most people can get away with (or even benefit from) playing irons slightly better than their skill level. That was the main take-away when I reviewed the Adams CB3 Black irons last year, and that’s what I’ve come to believe here again. Read on to find out why. Design and Technology If you want to track the lineage of TaylorMade’s better-player irons, it’s useful to go all the way back to the r7 TP. The r7s introduced the Inverted Cone Technology which, though now invisible, is still retained in the RocketBladez Tour irons.

The technology innovations from the R9 irons has been thrown away, or at least the name has been, but it’s not hard to see the evolution. The Velocity Control Chamber behind the clubface found in the R9 irons was filled with foam, and allowed TaylorMade to increased the CoR. It’s essentially the same idea as the Speed Pocket found in the RocketBladez, albeit attacked from a different angle.

The Speed Pocket is, of course, the flagship technology for these irons. It consists of a 3M-made polyurethane plastic injected into a slit cut out of the 3-iron through 7-iron. Akin to the hollow Speed Pocket found in TM’s RocketBallz woods, the iron version is meant to provide the same performance benefits. It allows the face to flex more than usual, bumping up CoR and increasing ball speed.

Because the polymer is softer than the steel it is replacing, TaylorMade says that the RocketBladez irons provide increased vibration dampening. The polyurethane is also lighter than steel, so it presented an interesting challenge to TM’s engineers. Because it does not extend to the extreme heel and toe of the club, the Speed Pocket instantly improves the moment of inertia of the clubheads. Unfortunately, because it does not extend all the way to the top of the clubhead, TaylorMade had to get creative with weight placement to ensure as low a CoG as possible. TM accomplished this in four ways: a shorter hosel, a thinner topline, a thinner top of the clubface, and a more shallow clubface. This allowed TM to move the CoG even lower than before, despite the Speed Pocket’s drawbacks.

Lastly, TaylorMade purports that the RocketBladez has a Tour-inspired shape as well as a Tour sole, with a more aggressive leading edge and a slight camber in the middle of the sole.

Esthetics I can boil the “Esthetics” section of this review down to four words: They look like TaylorMades. Mizuno would never make irons that look like this. Miura, Scratch, and Fourteen would never make these irons. Titleist and Ping would have to think long and hard before bringing these to market (and if they decided to, they would keep making them for years while refining them every so often, à la the AP2s). But TaylorMade, well, these are right up their ally.

That said, TM has managed to clean the visible parts of the RocketBladez for the better-player audience. The majority of the clubhead is a satin-grey color, while the cavity is made of a darker grey. The TaylorMade logo resides at the top of the cavity, while the words “RBladez” and “Tour” lie on the bottom. Yellow and two more shades of grey (sensing a trend yet?) are used as accents.

The soles of the irons are simple, though slightly thicker than I expected. Those that include the Speed Pocket look like a “beached” Scotty Cameron putter, or a Nike Method. The polyurethane is not flush with the bottom of the pocket, presumably to prevent wear should the irons ever come in contact with something a bit harder than dirt. (To that end, it remains to be seen the effects that long-term use will have on the visible polyurethane.) The iron number is written is a large script that looks slightly whimsical.

From address, the one thing you do notice about these irons is that the topline is slightly thick for something with “Tour” in the title. I’m not completely averse to a blade with a bit of heft, but these were a little too much for my taste, especially for the market that TaylorMade seems to be going after with them. It also stands to reason that they could have lowered the CoG just a little bit more by shaving some of the topline’s material away.

Performance The very first thing I noticed when I started playing the RocketBladez Tour irons is the feeling of the ball exploding off the face. And not even just on center-struck shots, either. Every swing felt like I was firing a cannon off my clubface, much more like a driver than an iron. These clubs are the epitome of “spring-like effect,” even with the short sticks, which do not have the Speed Pocket. The best way that I have come up with is that it almost felt like I was double-hitting the ball; like I made contact … wait for it … and then the ball left the clubface. It’s an interesting sensation, but one I quite enjoyed.

The feel was different that what I’m used to, even with the softest of soft forged carbon steel irons I’ve hit in the past. It was much less like hitting a piece of hard rubber, and more like hitting a racquetball.

If I have to be a bit critical of one aspect of the RocketBladez Tour irons, it’s that the distance of the clubs don’t quite live up to the hype. They did launch a touch higher than my Nikes, sure, but the added distance was nothing spectacular. The entire reason that modern irons are designed with super low CoGs is so that the manufacturers can lower the loft, giving you a bit more distance with the same launch angle. The RocketBladez Tour irons have relatively normal lofts though, so while they did launch higher, the distance wasn’t overwhelming.

That high launch might not be great in the wind, but it did prove nice at getting the ball to stop on the greens. The face has a swirl-milled finish that may or may not contribute to the overall spin, but either way I had no trouble getting well-struck shots to back up with my short irons, and check up nicely with the long clubs, even out of the rough. The cause-and-effect game is not really worth getting into with spin, but suffice it to say that the check-up was more than adequate.

Speaking of the rough, the RocketBladez Tour irons have slightly wider soles than most irons in the players irons category, and if there’s one area of the game that that helps, it’s out of the rough. That added heft made the clubheads much less likely to be twisted by the thick, wet grass that I’ve encountered early in the season.

Specs The TaylorMade RocketBladez Tour irons come stock with the increasingly popular KBS Tour shaft, which are some of my favorites on the market. Available for righties as well as lefties, the RocketBladez Tours come in regular, stiff, and x-stiff, with opportunities for custom options. The stock grip is a slightly modified Golf Price Tour Velvet, not my favorite grip but a safe choice nonetheless.

RocketBladez Tour irons come stock in 3-PW, with a 51.5˚ AW available. The 3 iron is 19˚, leaving room for a 15˚ fairway and a 17˚, my preferred setup, though your milage may vary. The PW is 47˚, high enough that you probably shouldn’t have to buy the AW to bridge the gap to your SW.

Stock on the RocketBladez Tour irons are a set of KBS Tour shafts, which have quickly become some of my favorite shafts on the market. I prefer the feel and flex characteristics of the KBS Tours to True Temper’s offerings, though Project X shafts remain my favorite. I also like the weight, especially compared to the KBS Tour 90 shafts that came stock with the Adams CB3 irons from last year. The KBS Tours match well with the size of the clubheads.

Conclusion Maybe it’s just the clubs that I’ve had the opportunity to review, but I seem to come to this conclusion a lot: just about anyone can hit theses clubs. I play to a low single-digits handicap, and while there are some things I might change, I very much enjoy TaylorMade’s newest offerings.

Remember Nike’s old Slingshot irons, or Callaway’s Fusion Wide Sole irons? Both of those clubs were made for the highest of high handicappers, and I used to know a few people who gamed them. Those irons weren’t great to hit from hairy lies, or even tight lies, but boy oh boy was the feeling of a purely-struck shot off a tee with one of those delightful. That much power should be outlawed.

With the RocketBladez Tour irons, it seems like TaylorMade has brought that feeling to the better-player category. Even with that great performance, I can say with certitude that these irons can be played from just about any lie. Workability-wise, I can do anything with these irons that I could do with any set of irons. They launch high. They land soft.

I’m not exactly sure who these irons aren’t for. I could see myself playing these at any point of my golfing life, and I assure you I used to be properly awful. No matter your skill level, if you’re in the market for a set of irons, you would be doing yourself a disservice to overlook these irons.

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TaylorMade RocketBladez Tour Irons Review

The TaylorMade RocketBladez Tour irons at first glance seemed perfect for low handicappers. We had already reviewed the standard RocketBladez iron and whilst the performance was excellent for all golfers, we felt that the slight offset and thicker top line in the longer clubs especially might dissuade some better players who had grown up on forged irons.

The RocketBladez Tour irons are a slimmed down version and for once the Tour suffix really means what it says.

Compared to the standard version, there is hardly any offset and the top line and head size are more compact and closer to a traditional head size for better player irons. This made the 5 and particularly the 4 iron a bit scary for all but the better players among you.

The feel and sound throughout the set is better than the standard version and they are also much easier to shape. Like the standard version, TaylorMade have done an excellent job with the short irons as they are among the best in the market for this type of set.

Of course it is the slot in the bottom of the RocketBladez irons that gives these clubs more ball speed, forgiveness and consistency. However in the smaller headed Tour version the effect of this is reduced.

Using trackman we could see that the ball speed was higher throughout the set and the spin was lower too, resulting in around 10 yards more per club for us.

Now the lofts are stronger and the stock shafts longer and lighter in the standard version so the RocketBladez Tour will always be at a disadvantage here. This also means it is not really possible to blend the long and short irons of the two sets as these specifications are so different.

However the consistency of flight was better on the standard irons too because of the larger sweetspot and this is the key difference.

Whilst very few players on Tour used the R11, they are all chucking in the RocketBladez Tour irons is because that is who they are aimed at. Professionals and elite amateurs who can hit the middle more often and better that even a low single figure player.

Yes the standard versions are a little chunkier but having been through the TaylorMade fitting process you just have to look at the numbers for launch, spin, distance and projected trajectories to realise that you would have to have a very strong aversion to cavity backs to look past the standard versions.

Let's not be confused here. The RocketBladez Tour irons are excellent clubs provided you are at least as good with them as the standard irons. The rest of us will do just fine with the standard irons. The TaylorMade rep said he had fitted a pro and a 70 year old into the same standard head, obviously with different shafts and there is a good choice of those too.

Low handicappers should go test them both out and get fitted for either of these excellent TaylorMade RocketBladez irons and you will see what I mean. The rest of you should just go regular and enjoy.

RocketBladez Tour

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TaylorMade RocketBladez Tour Irons - Product Details

User reviews.

I’ve got a set of these. I'm a 15 handicap playe and they suit me down to the ground. I hate the big chunky clubs. If I could drive the ball better my handicap would come down. I would recommend these clubs. I think a high handicap player could use these clubs. What did we do before when we only had blades? If you can put a swing on them,they will fly of the face. They may be a bit tricky to get now. If you can track down a set you won’t be disappointed.

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RocketBladez irons

Golf Monthly Senior Staff Writer Paul O'Hagan tests the new TaylorMade RocketBladez irons

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PGA pro verdict: These strong and powerful irons gave really aggressive ball speeds. The technology has been transferred from the fairway wood, and it really works. The distances on offer are huge, yet the workability isn’t compromised. Another advancement from TaylorMade, that fits seamlessly into its ever-expanding equipment line-up - by Top 25 Coach John Jacobs Test Team Rating: Performance: 5/5 Visual appeal: 4/5 Innovation: 5/5 Value: 4.5/5 Overall: 5/5

Why you can trust Golf Monthly Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test .

Aesthetics:

1) Address view: similar in appearance to a host of midsize game-improvement irons currently on the market. There's

plenty of face visible, without the heads looking too chunky.

2) Shelf appeal: the new technology (explained below) is clear to see in the sole of the club, while the rest of the head features modern styling and a technical overall look.

Components:

3) Stock shafts: the RocketBladez come with new RocketFuel 85 steel shafts as standard. It's hard to judge the effect they had, due to the fact that the heads are so different. However, there's no denying the high ball flight and consistency on offer.

4) Adjustability: an external notch on the outer, rear side of the hosel, plus an internal notch, make it easy to bend the head to change the lie angle. This is something that was previously difficult to do.

Technology:

5) Construction The biggest change is the new Speed Pocket in the 5-7 irons, which is designed to produce added distance, particularly low on the face - a common area of mishits. The pocket - first found in the RBZ fairway woods - is cut from the sole of the club and is filled with polyurethane to keep out dirt and reduce vibrations.

6) Face design: the face is the thinnest of any TaylorMade iron ever produced. This increases the size of the sweet spot and influences how the face flexes at impact, controlling the angle at which the ball

leaves the face for improved accuracy.

Performance:

7) Feel: although feel isn't the key focus here, the set is solid and similar to previous TaylorMade midsize irons. There wasn't a noticeable difference between the feel of the irons with and without the pocket.

8) Flight: the flight is incredibly high, particularly considering that the lofts are very strong and the distance each club travels. As a result, the ball comes down steeply with every iron and stops quickly.

9) Distance control: through the set, the RocketBladez are over a club longer than those with traditional lofts. In fact, they're also longer than those with strong lofts. We were concerned that there would be an abnormal gap between the 7- and 8-iron because of the lack of Speed Pocket in the shorter clubs, but that wasn't the case.

10 Forgiveness: this was arguably more impressive and important than the distance on offer. The difference between shots from the middle of each iron and off-centre strikes was very small. As a result, dispersion was impressive.

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TaylorMade RocketBladez Tour Better Player Irons Review

Published: 28 February 2013 Last updated: 26 November 2015

At a glance

• TG Rating 4.2 out of 5
• Owner Rating Not yet rated

Explosive distance, feel and forgiveness levels through the roof. Traditional shape.

 Looks chunky for a Tour model.

• RRP £699.00

What we say...

2013 Irons Test

James said it had a fairly non-descript head, but was impressed with how hot it felt off the face. The Tour version has a smaller profile than the standard version, but doesn’t quite fall into the better player category for James. Joel and Kit said could be classed as a game improver club on looks alone, but it flies high, long and straight. One of the longer models for all testers, but distance control let it down.

Regardless of what level golfer you are, distance is always helpful. So while the new RocketBladez Tour irons have been designed for better players, they still offer plenty of fizz off the face.

Distance comes from the Speed Pocket in the 3-7 irons. Inverted Cone face technology helps increase the MOI, while the specially-formulated polyurethane that fills the Speed Pocket enhances feel and dampens vibration.

Website: www.taylormadegolf.eu

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RocketBladez Tour

TaylorMade RocketBladez Tour, in 3- to 7-iron, is powered by the Speed Pocket - the ‘little thing’ that promotes radically increased speed and distance. Quite frankly, these irons are the true blend of the feel the pros like Sergio Garcia demand and the explosive distance that amateurs like me crave.

The first thing I wanted to note was the lie angle of the 6-iron, given the regular RocketBladez 6-iron was likened to a 5-iron at 26.5-degree. I was much happier to see a more realistic lie version of 29.5-degree this time around.

It looks great at address with its medium sole and big top edge, and just looking at the back of the club aided confidence when placing clubhead behind ball. I also enjoyed how the Speed Pocket was located more in the middle of the sole rather than in the front, and that there was plenty of weight at the back to help me get the ball airborne.

I was a little skeptical about the loud crack of the RocketBladez but this Tour version was much more pleasing. The specially formulated polyurethane provides a much softer sound and a real crisp, springy feel at impact as the ball flies off the face. The combination of KBS shaft also worked well for my swing speed.

In terms of performance, the RocketBladez Tour is a very solid performer and provided me with much truer distance for a 6-iron in comparison to the original version, although still much longer than my current setup. I found it was slightly easier to hit a draw over a fade but thankfully straight was the easiest option.

The milled face texture of the grooves also promoted me with consistently high spin and shots tended to hold their line well in the wind. The broad sweet spot also helped minimise any mistakes. When hitting a poor one, the feedback I received told me to pull my act together on the next shot.

This is by far the best TaylorMade iron I’ve laid hands on. It’s easy-to-hit, provides a decent mid-to-high ball flight, plenty of distance with its trampoline-like effect and aids enough forgiveness to suit the mid-capper. It’s also one of the most visually appealing player irons in my book.

Expensive at £699 but the RocketBladez Tour looks, feels and performs the way you would expect for that price point.

How did the RocketBladez Tour get on in our Ten of the Best player irons club test? Click here to find out.  Remember to follow us on Twitter  @Golfmagic .

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TaylorMade Announces RocketBladez Irons

• BY Tony Covey
• Oct 23rd 2012
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(Written by Tony Covey – @GolfSpyT ) With just a touch more bravado than you’d expect to find around the average equipment announcement, TaylorMade let it be known that they have once against changed the golf equipment landscape forever. The new irons are #freakishlylonger. At least that’s their story.

In the global webcast that had been hyped (or over-hyped depending on your perspective) for weeks, TaylorMade CEO Mark King stated quite simply, “If you don’t have this, you don’t have this “.  The this is the Speed Pocket found on the new RocketBladez iron. According to King, the Speed Pocket is a “ once-in-a-lifetime innovation in the iron category ”, adding that “ If your iron doesn’t have a Speed Pocket, your iron is out-dated ”.

Ouch… Time to toss my slotless Miuras, I guess.

TaylorMade isn’t known for subtlety.

Mr. King no doubt understands that a great iron…a Mizuno MP-32, a Hogen Apex blade, or countless others…is timeless, but his company has a new iron to sell, and let’s face it, these guys know how to move metal. Get it straight right now. The RocketBladez is going to sell. The only question is – does it actually deserve to?

Now, I’m reasonably certain some of you have already stopped reading and have moved on to your favorite online golf shop to place your pre-order.

If it’s TaylorMade, it’s awesome right?

I’m also 10 steps past positive that there are some of you, who, if you haven’t already moved down to the comments section to express your complete and total disdain for TaylorMade, its products, and its marketing, will no doubt do just that once you’re done reading this.

If it’s TaylorMade, it’s garbage right?

Now that we’re all in agreement, let’s see if we can’t find some middle ground here, and maybe take a moment to sort through what TaylorMade’s RocketBladez irons are actually all about.

“ Shut up! TaylorMade rules! You’re such a hater! ” – Angry MyGolfSpy reader who thinks I’ve got it in for TaylorMade

“ TaylorMade irons are crap! You’re a whore for TaylorMade! How much are they paying you to lie? ” – Equally angry MyGolfSpy reader who’s convinced I’m on TaylorMade’s payroll

“ Hey, I need a cover and a couple of bumpers for my boat, which one should I buy? ” – Random Google victim who just found the wrong Taylor Made.

Seriously guys, chill…let’s work this through.

Man, it ain’t easy being me on a day like this.

TaylorMade RocketBladez & RocketBladez Tour Specs

The 30 Second Technology Breakdown

Basically the story of the RocketBladez goes a little something like this: TaylorMade engineers took a cast iron – noticeably smaller than last year’s RocketBallz, I might add, cut a slot in the bottom of it, and filled that slot with molten 3M goo.

That goo (technically a specially formulated polyurethane) helps to dampen vibrations without limiting the pockets ability to flex. That flex is where the added ball speed comes from, and as we all know by now, more ball speed equals more distance. It’s the Speed Pocket that makes the new irons #freakishlylonger.

As a nice little side benefit that those of you who play RocketBallz woods or hybrids will appreciate; the goo helps keep gunk out of your cavity. It’s all very technical.

At this point you’re probably thinking one of two things.

• This is awesome. I must have goo in my irons
• Here we go again…You’re not fooling me. All TaylorMade did is jack up the lofts, lengthened the shafts, and now they’re pretending the distance claims came from some sort of magic. They’re a regular bunch of Harry Potters over there.

You might be right…both of you.

A Brief History of Obnoxious Iron Distance

Absolutely, looking at the specs of the new RocketBladez irons, the lofts are strong, and the shafts are long. If you look only at the length and the loft, then yes…the RocketBladez 7-iron looks a hell of a lot like my 6 –iron. But TaylorMade is hardly alone. The same is also true of almost everybody else who makes game-improvement irons.

Put your wagging finger away, and tilt your head groundward (but not so far as to look down your nose).

It’s also happens to be absolutely true that jacking up lofts, lengthening shafts, and tweaking design properties such that said jacked-up 7 iron behaves like a real 7-iron actually does create more distance.

Golfers hit the ball farther, find their clubs easier to hit, and gain more confidence simply by hitting an iron (regardless of anything else) with a higher number on the sole. Love it, hate it, be completely indifferent…the reality is, it works. It’s probably time we all get over it.

There is a ripple. One-piece castings have limitations.

There are practical limits to how much you can do with loft, and there comes a time where shaft length reaches the point of being unmanageable. My personal opinion is the RocketBladez (and others like them) are right up against those limits, and believe it or not, there’s a small chance TaylorMade might actually agree with me.

So when you can’t do anymore with what you’ve got (Spec for spec the new RocketBladez are almost the same as last year’s RocketBallz), what do you do? You innovate.

You make faces thinner, you improve your technology (in TaylorMade’s case that means an update to the inverted cone or ICT ), and apparently, you put a goo-filled slot on the bottom of the 4-7 irons. If it works…why not?

A Few Points of Curiosity

In the “Tech Talk” section of the official press release, TaylorMade chose to compare the new RocketBallz not against there most recent game-improvement irons (last year’s RocketBallz), but rather the previous season’s Burner 2.0 (not a current product on the TaylorMade website). According to TaylorMade, the new iron boasts a thinner face that adds up to 10 COR points over the Burner 2.0, and a center of gravity that’s’s 2.5mm lower than those same Burners.

Why compare new technology to an obsolete iron (even allowing for the assertion that all irons are now obsolete)?

It almost certainly boils down to the numbers. 10 COR points looks better than 4, or, 7, or 9…whatever the actual differences is between the RocketBladez and the RocketBallz.  Legally they’re covered, but drawing comparisons to a club you haven’t sold in a while is perhaps a little misleading.

It’s also interesting that the Speed Pocket is only present on the 4-7 irons. Presumably, all other things being equal, the absence of a slot in the short irons would create an unnatural distance gap between the goo-filled clubs, and non goo-filled clubs. Since length and loft follow a consistent progression, my assumption is that TaylorMade designers tweaked the COG on the short irons, but I’m far from certain.

Finally, TaylorMade added an interesting design feature. The hosel features a notch, which makes it easier to bend the iron (loft and lie). This would suggest that the RocketBladez are cast from a fairly rigid steel (don’t sweat it, they’re not the least bit harsh).

Any golf club designer will tell you that grams are precious, and every single one counts. So perhaps there’s a bit of fat trimming (also worth noting is that the RocketBladez hosel is shorter than most), that allowed engineers to place a little bit of weight elsewhere.

What’s In a Very Confusing Name

Technobabble and marketing-speak aside, leave it to TaylorMade to stick the word blade (or I suppose, more accurately “bladez”) in the cavity of what is without question a game-improvement iron [shaking my head vigorously].

It’s a game-improvement iron. No, it says bladez right there. It’s a blade(z).

Channeling my inner Adam Sandler; Who are the ad wizards who came up with this one ?

The likelihood is that it’s exactly the same wizards who came up with RocketBallz just over a year ago, and let’s be perfectly honest, that probably couldn’t have gone any better.

That rustling sound you hear is TaylorMade rolling around in its big pile of money. So RocketBladez it is. Let’s move on.

Let’s move past the marketing. Let’s find out what’s real.

In a move that could very well have signaled the beginning of the apocalypse, TaylorMade sent me a set of the new RocketBallz irons ahead of today’s embargo. How the universe hasn’t imploded on us all is beyond me, but as long as we’re all still here, we might as well talk about them.

Garden Tools vs. Golf Clubs

Anytime we post a pic, or write a review of a GI or SGI club, an elitist chorus chimes in with notes of  “shovels, shovels”. Yeah, they’re bigger than your musclebacks, and your player’s cavity backs too. They’re supposed to be. It’s a damn game improvement iron. If this is a problem for you, come back the beginning of February and we can talk about Tour version. Until then, zip it…no zip…zip it. Shhh.

Although you could make a solid argument that I should be, I’m not a guy who plays GI clubs. I don’t love the thick toplines, larger heads, offset, or deep cavities. Even with my own personal baggage, I don’t have too much of an issue with what’s going on visually.

While the marketing might make you feel dirty, the irons themselves are relatively clean (especially by GI standards). Nothing in the iron is over-the-top. I almost like them…

My biggest gripe is with the 4-iron. Like a 60-year old woman in a low cut shirt, there’s just a bit more popping out than I can stomach. But hey, for the right guy, that can actually be a confidence booster. For the rest of us, there are hybrids.

The set progress quickly enough (by that I mean by the time you get to the 6 iron, the extra bulk is hidden at address), and when the wedges (PW, AW) are in my hands, I’ve basically forgotten that they’re GI clubs.

The sole grind throughout is clearly inspired by the ATV wedge. Your actual playability as a result may vary, but I figured it was worth throwing it out there.

I’m a colorful guy, so I’d be more on-board with last year’s green than the new mustardy yellow accents, but hey, no big whoop. Finally, and just barely worth mentioning, the shaft bands give us the first introduction to the RocketFuel name. No doubt that’s a hint of one or more things to come.

More surprising still…they don’t feel that bad. A little different, slightly muted perhaps, but the days of clunky castings are over. We’ve come a long way, baby.

Where the Rubber Meets the Road (Or the Poly-goo meets the turf)

Initially I spent some time hitting the RocketBladez on the range. The weather was iffy, so I left the FlightScope at home, but two things struck me.

• The RocketBladez is stupid easy to hit…and hit straight
• Unless you’re unearthing gophers (which I did a few times) there appears to be almost zero penalty for missing the center of the clubface.

Now would probably be a good time to point out that while TaylorMade has made some mention of distance (Freakishly Longer! #freakishlylonger – it wouldn’t be TaylorMade if they didn’t), the real buzz word around the release of the RocketBladez is consistency. Sadly, consistency won’t ever sell like distance, however; so the marketing guys included a healthy dose of both. Did I mention they’re freakishly longer ?

According to TaylorMade CEO, Mark King, “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”.

See…consistency…and yes, distance too.

While I would never trust my own eyes over a launch monitor, it sure as hell looked like those toe-knockers I was hitting stayed up in the air quite a bit longer than they should have.

After a range session, I wasn’t quite ready to sell my obsolete, slotless irons as scrap metal, but I was definitely intrigued.

On The Course

Because playing the same iron 2 rounds in a row is no fun, I took the top-secret RocketBladez out on the course. The scramble format gave me plenty of leeway to try ridiculous things, and when it comes to the ridiculous, the RocketBladez don’t disappoint.

I hit 7 iron where I’d normally hit 6, and then I did it again when the shot called for a 5-iron. I hit the ball long, I hit it mostly straight, and more than anything else, I hit the ball high; like those Goodyear bastards better watch their blimp, because my TP5 is about to make them drop like the Hindenburg high. Seriously…the RocketBladez launch the ball really high. My playing partners were laughing at my moon shots. Seriously.  High.

The Launch Monitor Test

Finally, I wanted to see how the RocketBladez compared to a couple of other irons, so I hit all 3 on the launch monitor. Here are the results for 3 – 5 shot sequences.

All things being equal, which would you want in your bag?

Club 3 was ever-so-slightly the longest, but club 1 launched higher, climbed higher, and provided extremely consistent distance. Club 2… that one is clearly garbage, right?

Not to kill the suspense, but club 2, that’s my 7-iron. My gamer. It doesn’t have a slot or a pocket. It’s ¼” shorter, and 3.5° weaker than the RocketBladez 7-iron, which in case you haven’t figured it out yet, is Club 1. It’s #feakishlyconsistent.

Club 3, that’s my 6-iron. It’s .5° weaker than the TaylorMade, but the shafts are the same length. On average it was about 2 yards longer, and my best shots were much longer than my best with the RocketBladez.

Sticking it to the Man

We have gained a reputation among some for trying to stick it to TaylorMade every chance we get, and I suppose you could argue that I tried to do just that. The complete truth is that I didn’t loosen up a bit before I hit the RocketBladez on the launch monitor. I simply grabbed the 7 and started swinging.

It’s also true that my irons were custom fit and custom built just for me. TaylorMade sent me an off-the-rack set, and I’m quite sure the shaft isn’t an ideal fit. Not even close. Truthfully, the RocketBladez never had a chance.

And yet here we are. Despite swinging cold, and straight off-the-rack, I averaged almost the same distance I did with a custom fit club I swung while fully warmed up.  Sure, spec for spec, TaylorMade’s 7 equals my 6, but it’s the consistency I can’t get past.  There are less than 3 yards between my best and my worst.

They RocketBladez irons are #freakishlyconsistent .

Compare that to my gamers…I’ll do the math for you, it’s 24 yards. A bad shot or two..maybe (actually, just slight misses). But if we look at the longest compared to the next longest, the gap is still over 5 yards. This tells me two things:

• As much as I love them (and no, I’m not replacing my gamers with the RocketBladez), my irons aren’t as forgiving as they could be (dammit…outperformed by shovels).
• Even if you discount distance increases as the ill-gotten benefits of more length and less loft, we’re still left with an iron that lives up to that consistency thing Mr. King talked about (dammit again).

Where Do We Go From Here

I’m not going to lie to you…not for a second. There’s not a chance in the world I’m putting the RocketBladez in my bag. I say that with full knowledge that the numbers say I probably should.

The problem is two-fold. I love my irons (unnaturally so), and I’m not very smart.

When the Tour version comes out, TaylorMade and I will talk, in the meantime, I’ll keep my mouth shut. If and when I go back to the Kingdom, it’s not going to be under threat of haircut…at least not over the RocketBladez iron. When they release the new… shh …I’m not supposed to tell you what it’s called… driver, we’ll see.

The RocketBladez…I think they’re probably the real deal. Once again…dammit.

I will stop short of saying you should bag the RocketBladez. I never say you should bag anything, but based on what I’ve seen from TaylorMade and others, 2013 is going to be the year of the game-improvement iron, and could very well signal the beginning of a trend where elitist club snobs such as myself put away our blades and our tiny little cavity backs, and start looking at irons that offer the kind of help we’ve been too proud to ask for.

I’m kidding, of course. Almost none of us are that smart.

TaylorMade RocketBladez Gallery

Apr 11, 2024

Toulon golf small batch meadow club putter.

Tackling the 12th at Augusta – Amateur Edition

MyGolfSpy Forum Highlights – March Edition

• about the author
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Tony is the Editor of MyGolfSpy where his job is to bring fresh and innovative content to the site. In addition to his editorial responsibilities, he was instrumental in developing MyGolfSpy's data-driven testing methodologies and continues to sift through our data to find the insights that can help improve your game. Tony believes that golfers deserve to know what's real and what's not, and that means MyGolfSpy's equipment coverage must extend beyond the so-called facts as dictated by the same companies that created them. Most of all Tony believes in performance over hype and #PowerToThePlayer.

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10 years ago

Howdy! Do you know if they make any plugins to protect against hackers? I’m kinda paranoid about losing everything I’ve worked hard on. Any recommendations? dkbddfkedddd

11 years ago

I went from Steel Stiff Ping Raptures + 1″, to Rocketbladez Graphite Regular + 1/2″ 2 degrees up. WOW. What a difference. After a couple of weeks I started to get the feel and boy do I like these new sticks. My handicap has dropped 2 strokes and I have so much more feel with these irons. I was leery of going to graphite irons, but not anymore. When I hit it fat it still flies further than I think it should. I’m making a shorter swing and keeping the ball under control, particularly into the wind, without sacrificing any distance at all. I’ve even gained 5 – 7 yards per club. I’ve played Ping for 30 years from the Eye 2’s to the Rapture and loved them. Now that I’m pushing 70 I knew it was time to reload, I’m glad I did and I’m glad that Taylor Made came up with this setup. My only regret is not getting the MAX as I’d love to have that slot in the scoring irons too. For those of us that don’t hit a wedge more than 110 yards anymore it would be nice to hit that high, soft shot over a bunker or pond with a PW again.

HHIS I should have thghuot of that!

I have played with Ping eye irons for 33Years yes the same clubs for 33years, and they have done me proud but its time to have a change after trying the Taylor Made RocketBladez i will see if the correct choice has been made. After reading all the above comments its made my choice easy. the Question was do i go for the Taylor Made RocketBladez or Tour. Although i spent 1hr hitting balls at the driving range their was not much to choose between them, but it was a cold windy day but the RocketBladez had it by a short shot as they felt great and i could work them a little better compared to the Tour. so i can not wait to try them on the course after this i hope to be back down to a 5 hcp very soon? Wait and see.

I really wish someone would hit shots with the 7i and the 8 and tell me the gap differential. This is where I am still confused as to the sets performance.

I have played Mizunos for 5 years and really like them. After lots of lessons, practice and rounds, got my handicap down to 6.9 this year. Greatly improved short game was the number one reason as I am not a ling ball hitter. Driver 220-240. 7 iron 150. I wasn’t looking to buy a new set. I heard all the hype and decided to try them when I was in my local golf store. Holy crap! I couldn’t believe what I was seeing on the launch monitor. I didn’t leave without them. Practiced at an indoor facility for a week before heading south for three days of golf. Unfortunately, I tried to kill every swing and it hurt my game on that trip. Came back calling myself every name in the book that always started with the adjective “stupid”. Practiced for three more weeks indoors before heading to Aruba with my lovely wife for a week. And promised myself I would not try to kill every shot. If you haven’t played in Aruba, it is WINDY. the kind of wind that makes you set up for a two inch break on an 8′ flat putt. The wind is crazy and is either behind you (rarely) in your face (a lot) or cutting across your intended flight path. So sometimes you are hitting into the teeth of the wind so it will eventually float back to the green. And if you don’t play it out far enough…. That is why they sell balls in the pro shop.

My results? I love love love these clubs. Hitting into a cross breeze from 180? What used to be a 4 iron that would not reach in those conditions was a 6 iron. Same conditions 200 yards out over water? Stuck the green with my 4iron 2 out of 3 times. The third time I played it tighter and the wind took it away to teach me a lesson.

Anyone that wants to have more distance should buy these. Anyone that wants to have more consistency should buy these. Anyone that has run their mouths about how much they hate Taylor Made, either swallow hard and put them in your bag or get beat by someone with less talent and more brains than you.

Only negative? I feel there is too big a gap between the slotted 7 and non slotted 8. The solution? Choke down on the seven if you only want it to go 160. Problem solved.

For the record, before this purchase I never owned one piece of Taylor Made equipment. But if you think I am going to pass up the opportunity to stick a higher percentage of greens from 160-215 yards, think again.

Shooting to get as close to scratch as possible by the end of this year. These clubs WILL help make it happen.

Just received a flyer from my local Golfsmith announcing the RocketBladez max iron. It says the speed slot is in all clubs from the 4-AW. Anyone heard more about this?

Excellent article. I was about to upgrade to R11 irons, but I am now intrigued. For a 18-22 handicapper about to start playing more frequently, would the Rocketbladez be a better set than the R11s?

Excellent article as it was both entertaining and accurate, going through both extremes of the arguments and setup the story really well with a conclusion that this time it’s a real deal GI that everyone should consider!

I tested the RBladez 7i (30.5* @ 37″) vs my X-Prototype 6i (31* @ 37.25″ – I play my irons at the mizuno/ping 5i std of 27* @ 37.75″) and quite frankly didn’t gain any distance but it was 1) easier to hit my 180 avg carry AND 2) the dispersion over 10 shots on each club were 170-182 for the X-Proto 6i vs 179-183 for the RBladez 7i!

The Max height of both ball flights were similar but RBladez will rise quicker thus giving it the sense that it might ballon in the wind but I’ve played PX / KBS for a while and am used to having a penetrating ball flight that rises to Alex fast do I’m not too concerned. I will have to verify this at an outdoor range…

I’m a 6.3 index and my misses are usually on approach shots where if I don’t flush my musclebacks I will lose between 5-7 yards carry, 10 yards if I hit it a bit fat. This happens a couple time a round and I end up being short of the green for an up and down attempt or way short of the flag and have an unlikely birdie attempt that can easily translate into 3 putt bogie given the severe undulation and tiny greens at my home course. If I try to club up to as insurance not to underhit my approach I will actually flush one and now in 15 yards past the green.

So for me I have to seriously consider bagging these irons because I feel I can stop worrying about mishits and just give the RBladez a swing and it will deliver consistent distances which will improve you avg carry.

The nature of GI irons with their hotter faces resulting in higher launches and spin will require stronger lofts to lower launch/spin. But also for players who often cast and add loft to their irons having a stronger lofted iron will allow them to hit the real distance their irons should be hitting at. I mean do we discount a 280 yard drive in the fairway because one guy was using a 7.5* 460cc Titanium head while another guy was using a 10.5 200cc persimmon wood? Every player swings differently and require different specs and technology to help them attain the same performance.

I think if there was an article explaining the design and target players for GI clubs in general there would be less OEM bashing and more focus on merit of the irons – which I think this article did a very good job at being fair and honest about.

TM marketing will always be a bit disgenuous but that’s the nature of retail. Since my scorecard doesn’t have a space to indicate whether I used a traditionally lofted iron to score it would be silly not to give the RBladez a try – I will probably buy a 7-iron to test extensively over the winter and wait for the Tour version next year to compare. If my ball striking consistency doesn’t improve then I’ll have to seriously consider bagging these…

So what is the distance gap between the slotted 7 iron and the unslotted 8?

Ron, I think you missed one of the key points in the article. Consistency is what really separated the rocketbladez from the other two clubs. Gaining distance is a bonus, but gaining more consistency is where these clubs have an advantage. Having only a 3 yd difference at 190 yds away is simply amazing. How many times have you hit irons onto the green and missed because you’re a tad high or low or to the toe on the club face. The difference is that the rocketbladez seem to be more consistent which means you’ll be on the green more and score better. Isn’t that the whole point? Forget about looks, names or color schemes. If I can pull out my rocketbladez 7 I and hit it to the green from 162 than hitting my callaway diablo 5 or 6 i, and be closer, why wouldn’t I?

Seriously golfspy you’re the #freakinman!! Lol I just reached single handicap this month and that’s without a lot of consistent accuracy I’m looking forward to the tour rocketbladez maybe just maybe those will help with the final push to scratch!!! Good post!!!

“I would never play an 8 iron that was 35 degrees” was a comment from some narrow-minded individual up there. That guy might enjoy playing his Hogan Apex Blades and hitting 7 greens a round, but how about this: I’ve been a 5 handicap for the past 3 years, and hit typically hit 7 to 10 GIR. This year i put the R11 irons in my bag and my handicap dropped to a 1, and i consistently hit 11-12 GIR. I was about 3/4 of a club longer with each iron, hit my long irons nice and high, and the ball landed like mashed potatoes on my plate on thanksgiving. “Oh heaven’s no! I can’t shape my irons that much with these big shovels and the look so thick! I’ll tell you what looks good, shooting 3 straight rounds under par. Not saying RocketBladez is the answer to all of life’s questions, but it’s time we all get with the program.

I couldn’t agree much more. There’s almost an elitist mindset with some around what a 7 iron is supposed to looks like (in terms of length and loft). Anytime we feature a game-improvement iron the “why I’d never” and the “shovels” crowd chirps in. Hell…it wasn’t too long ago I was one of them. Of course, when you study a little bit of history you find things like 22° 5 woods, and standards that were a .5″ shorter than what those same elitists think is the proper length for a 7-iron, and you realize that the game and its equipment evolve. It always has…it always will.

Play what works… Play what makes you happy… And stop judging others because their choice in equipment doesn’t conform to some misguided sense of the purity of the game.

Oliver Jones

Ben Hogan has used “Speed Slot” for decades… http://clubsofdistinction.com/cod/ucwd3529.txt and as recently as 2005

Nothing new here…

The Clubdoc

A small, innovative company called Tom Wishon Golf Technology did all this SEVEN years ago with their 770CFE model – and without a ‘speed pocket’, just a very well designed, variable-thickness face – and their current improved 870Ti Model is even better!

See http://www.tutelman.com/golf/clubs/flexFaceIrons.php

Speed pocket…..please…give me a break….it looks like a major design fault and you will spend all round scooping the dirt out with your tee!

Chris…and others who seemed to have missed the point. The slot is not hollow like it is on the RocketBallz line of woods and hybrids. The cavity is filled with a polyurethane mix from 3M. No cavity…nothing needs to be scooped out…not a design flaw.

Ok, cards on the table, I am on the I hate Taylormade, side of the fence, it’s a feeling that started with the introduction of the burner 1.0 and has grown stronger with every product release since. Come on RocketBallz, I ask you!

The most important part of any Taylormade advert is the * at the bottom, it’s the bit where they actually tell the truth, the part where you find the test was conducted by a player with a swing speed in the top 0.5% of the golfing population. The part, which confirms the claim, is meaningless to average golfers.

As for the new irons, they look ok, they will probably perform ok. The distance consistency you mentioned is certainly noteworthy,.by all means buy a set if you like them, but please FORGET THE HYPE, treat them like any other club and test them for yourself.

Did TaylorMade explain to you why there’s no speed slot in the 8 and 9 iron (and presumably the PW). I can understand that there’s no need for a slot in the AW, SW and LW, but if the 8 iron is really a 7 and the 9 iron really an 8 in terms of loft, what’s the rationale for not having the slot? And does this mean there is a whopping great distance gap between you 190 yard 7 iron and your 160 yard 8 iron? (or for me, my 160 yard 7 iron and my 130 yard 8 iron… sadly).

Can you tell us what the gap is and whether there’s a feel difference between the gooed up 7 and the plain old 8? Thanks

I agree with you Jon. I wish they thought of having the slot in the 8 i. This may lead to gaps between the 7 &8i.I hope they will address this in the next set with slot technology. Can’t wait to try em

Okay so I just happen to have a brand spanking new JPX 825 6 iron that I hit side by side with the Rocketbladze thingy yesterday. It wasn’t a fair comparison because my 6 iron has the wrong shaft in it and I was hitting the RB with the proper or at least much closer than the proper shaft in it.

Very impressive – I can launch the 825 high – the RBze launches higher and flies a tad bit farther with the few shots that I hit. More impressive is that the RBze GW looks more like a players club than my JPX 825 pro GW – I felt I was better with the JPX in the few swings that I took though – the GW launched a bit too high for me and as windy as it was I’d have prefered the control that the Mizzie affords me.

Great review T – thanks

After seeing those today I feel like Im going to throw up, irons are for precision NOT distance what a joke, that just shows that TM is a marketing company not a golf club company. All right suckers go give TM more money.

M, Too late!! I pulled the trigger and ordered Mizuno JPX 825’s, 4-GW, with Nippon N.S. PRO 950GH shafts and full cord grips…..now I’ll be waiting for the knock of the delivery guy!! :(

I’ve been looking very closely at the JPXs as well, but the 800 series since I’m cheap :)

The Adams CMB are in a totally different league and are very unforgiving. The stock shaft (C Tapers) probably won’t fit a majority of players. For those that can game them though, they are beautiful and sweet to hit.

RP Jacobs II

Wd, yep, the CMB’s are definitely less forgiving than either the 800s ot the 825s, though like you said, they’re sweet. I played a few rounds with ’em, with the stock shaft(which I’d switch out) and they’re one of the irons that I’d look at if I moved away from the 68s or the Staff 59s, though I got the 735.cms from Kygolfer and these are intriguing. For those not familiar, they’re Titleist’s forged combo offering, though they were introduced in “06, the chrome models(mine) are CoC conforming, and I really like the CMB look of the 3-6is as they transition to MBs in the scoring irons(8i-PW).

Who knows, I may look at comboing the 64s & the 68s, which would be similar to the 735s.

Have a good one

Fairways & Greens 4ever

Take a look at the Adams CMB. I thought that these might be too much for my game……..they have that thinish top line your looking for and wow was I surprised at the amount of forgivness. This is a great golf club. Sorry for the thread jack.

Why are people so focused on topline width? I dont get it.

For me, it’s mental. For 45 years I’ve looked down @ a MB width top-line, and though I could adjust to a thicker top-lin width, there’s been no need to, so why do it? I can’t speak for anyone else here, but for me, when I step behind a ball at address & go through my pre-shot routine, the first thing that I do is take the club from my caddy & take my grip with the club in front of me @ about a 60-70* angle.

I’m initially looking at my club head then I focus down the fairway to where I am going to land my ball(target). I am also visulizing the ball flight of my shot. I then step to the address side of the ball looking down at my club once, then down the fairway at my target. Then I lay the club down behind the ball. I look down the fairway one last time, then down at my clubhead(not the ball). I then take 3 waggles & let ‘er rip. This has been my routine for 37 of those 45 yrs.

I’ve been lookin at basically the same sized iron head for all of ’em. You throw any curve balls(large top line) in & yea, I could still hit the ball, and hit it well, but inside, my confidence would not be what it is. I don’t curve the ball, other the a 3-4 yd draw, unless I have to to extracate myself from trouble so I’m not gonna say that they would prevent me from hittin any shots that I currently hit, and like I said, I could adjust whith some practice time, but right now, thee’s no need, so I’m not lookin to complicate the game any more than it is.

It’s pretty damn challenging as it is. lol.

Hope that this shed a little light.

T- I think the Mizuno JPX 825’s look cleaner and appear to have a thinner topline. I’m grounded enough to know that I need GI irons…….but prefer the look of a players club. Think Diablo Forged. Both the Wilson D11’s and the Callaway XF’s had long blade lengths that definitely took away the players look……but the thin’ish topline made them appealing enough to me that I bagged them. Nothing turns me off quicker than a 1/2″ thick topline. Hope you do a JPX 825 review very soon……and swing nice and easy with your gamer 6I this time!! :)

M – The RocketBladez are absolutely worth taking a look at. And you’re right…the distance thing isn’t a huge deal, but the consistency is. I don’t know for certain that my initial results weren’t anomalous, but I like what I saw enough to bag these again for the weekend (even with the knowledge that the shafts aren’t ideal for me).

I’m only an OK, ball striker (inconsistent), when I’m on, I’m very solid, when I’m not…well…I’m not. I’m trying to be a smarter golfer so when next season rolls around I’m going to give some serious thought to a game improvement set, or at least a mixed set.

Based on what I’ve seen and heard so far, the RocketBladez, Mizuno’s JPX-825, and Cobra’s awesome AMP Cell irons are on the short list.

Bill gabbert

Just wanted to thank Tony Covey for an excellent story about the new RocketBladez. I always come to your site because i love the way you do the testing of new golf products. They make me laugh also and that’s something we can all use on a daily basis. I have bought alot of the products you guys have tested and they all lived up to my expectations. I work at the local muni here in my town on the weekends and today I talked to our pro and he said they are sending him some demo irons of these clubs and I’m looking forward to trying them out. Most of my bag consists of Taylormade products and maybe these new RocketBladez will find a new home in my bag next spring. thanks again for the review and keep up the good work. This is the best website when it comes to all things golf.

Ok, so read all of Golf T’s stuff. I don’t know if I could be interested in these irons. So they are freakishly long…..great I guess if you are looking for a distance improvement. I for one am fine with hitting my 7 iron a specific distance say 150 or 160. I know it’s going that distance and that is important. If I know my iron distances I really don’t care what number is on the bottom of the club……again unless I have a “distance” problem. I am more intrigued by the consistency numbers. It they are really that much more consistent on off center hits……I am interested. Consistency is the key for ME. I am a pretty good ball striker……but if a golf club can give me MORE consistency on off center stikes then talk to me all day long. I can adjust the loft and length to my liking………….what do you say about that T?

Stuart Pitcher

Anyone else old enough to remember the Wilson reflex irons? The pendulum always swings back again.

Yep. I was playin the Staff Dynapowers with the Hogan Directors seeing occasional bag time in the late 70s. Saw ’em, saw a couple of guys hittin ’em, but never hit ’em myself. The Dynapowers & Directors had everything that I needed.

You’re spot on regarding the pendulum.

Did you try the Tour model? How did it compare/perform

I didn’t get the chance to try the tour model.

My guess is I’ll like it better, but hit it worse.

carpetbagger

Callaway wins hands down in the appearance category. Taylor Made is dazzling us with too many numbers. Will try both out in January ’13

T – Do you really have a 20+ yard gap between you 6I and 7I? I was just relooking at the results of your Launch Monitor Test, or are the numbers jacked because you were leaning on you gamer 6I so hard? If so then what do you suspect the results would have been if you had swung with the same effort you put into your gamer 7I and the Rocketbladez 7I? I’m guessing you average distance would have been more in the high 180’s. Your thoughts.

No the 20 yard gap isn’t normal.

Out on the course, “normal” conditions, 185 is generally where I start thinking about the 5 iron. If I’m having a solid ball striking day, I’ll push it to the low 190s, an off day, high 170s, but every now and again, I get more out of it than I want.

When my 7 couldn’t touch the RocketBladez I probably did more than I should have to try and beat it with the six. I was stepping on it as hard as I could, and absolutely pured a couple. And that’s really where the difference in consistency became apparent – although if you look at my 7 as well, it’s clearly not as forgiving as the RocketBladez.

It shouldn’t be…we’re talking GI vs. small cavity back, but the degree of difference really has me thinking. I’m not saying it will be the RocketBladez, but it might be time I started thinking about irons that can help my game instead of irons that are sexier than everybody else’s.

T – Thanks for the reply. This is my problem; I liked you review and doubt a more unbiased and thorough review will be done anywhere else in any medium….so bravo Golf Spy T!! I do think you kinda poisoned the pool when you decided to nut up on your gamer 6I. You eally need an Iron Byron……anyone got 250 grand lying around? :) I’m interested in these clubs but I launch my irons too high as it is and create too much backspin (according to my last fitting). I’m thinking about these or the Mizuno JPX 825’s. It’s all about the shaft.

What’s yr handicap and swing speed? Age? U sound old ;)

12.5 107 Not that old…

“U sound old.”

Ya gotta laugh, or ya wanna cry..lol

Nice response, BTW

Jon, hope the season’s bein kind to ya. FWIW, Barbs, Foz & I are probably the “elders” both out here or in the forum, including the Spys. lol. Don’t let T’s wisdom & insight fool ya, he’s not as old as he might sound. lol.

Hope ya finish the season strong

Seems a bit odd though that you reported that your shots went extremely high. Reviewer stated that “more than anything else, I hit the ball high; like those Goodyear bastards better watch their blimp, because my TP5 is about to make them drop like the Hindenburg high. Seriously…the RocketBladez launch the ball really high. My playing partners were laughing at my moon shots. Seriously. High.” On the KBS website, it states that the Tour shafts are designed to give the ball a lower trajectory, which seems at odds with the findings of this report. I’m certainly not disputing the report or the results. Just find it odd that a club with a shaft made to keep the ball down is actually hitting sky high shots.

Joe Golfer – The KBS Tour Shafts are stock only in the RocketBladez Tour model. We didn’t get samples of those. What you see here is the standard model which is equipped with 85g “RocketFuel” shafts, which are almost certainly some re-branded, soft-tipped, high launching shaft.

Thanks to Si (his comment below) that the Wilson Reflex irons were those that I referred to earlier.

Still the question about the Rocketbladez persists: if you have longer shafts and lower lofts, aren’t you going to automatically hit the ball farther….. “Speedpocket” or not, polymer or not?

To an extent, yeah…lowering lofts, and increasing lengths will add distance. At that level, all you’re doing is calling a 6 iron a 7 iron. That was the trick golf companies used with the idea of a distance iron was born.

Over time, the technology has evolved. They tweaked designs such that the 7 iron, which on specs alone is a 6-iron, produced a true 7 iron trajectory. The latest revisions of distance-based iron technology are more materials-based.

Absolutely, golf companies are retaining the distance gains from stronger lofts, and longer shafts (they’re not dialing them back just because the learned something new), but we’re at the point where they can’t go much stronger, and if they go longer (shafts), playability suffers.

So the only way to get any additional distance is to develop new face technologies. For TaylorMade it’s a Speed Pocket and Inverted Code, for Cobra it’s the E9 face coupled with Cell technology.

Keep in mind, when golf companies, talk distance, they’re usually speaking in averages. So while sweet spot to sweet spot things haven’t changed that much, what we’re seeing are technologies that actually help retain ball speed on mis-hits.

Fundamentally it’s not as much about distance in terms of OH MY GOD, 10 MORE YARDS, it’s more about maintaining consistent balls speed which in turn promotes CONSISTENTLY longer distance.

And lets not forget, lengthening irons also makes it more difficult for higer handicappers to hit.

As does putting a 26.5* 6i in his hands. LOL

Im interested but will wait for a more thorough review involving more players of varying handicaps. By the looks of it though, I probably wont need anything longer than the 6 iron in my set.

How come club fitters always live in some crappy city with terrible weather?

Move to Florida, get off your ass and warm up before you test, and tell us about the test equipment …. Type and stiffness of shaft, swing weight, grip, lie and loft and how this sets up compared to your present set.

Finally, you hit your “custom fitted” set like a 25 handicapper then proudly proclaim you won’t switch irons. Lol… You gotta get a clue!!

I’ve said it before and I’ll probably keep saying it… T/Made are the ‘Apple’ of the golf industry… Take something that everyone has forgotten about (Wilson Reflex irons circa 1978 had a full slot in the sole) and make them more attractive to the mass market. Apple didn’t invent the phone/mp3 combo, but they mass marketed it with a ‘i’ prefix. It will sell, stupid name or not, but personally, the AMP Cell range is what’s got me excited for 2013…

Hmmmm? Decisions….decisions! I was contemplating buying the Mizuno JPX 825’s, but now I need to think about these freakishly long irons!! These are about .50 ” longer than the JPX 825’s, and have 1.5 to 2 degree less loft (I get it confused as whether that’s stronger or weaker). Physics says that the Mizuno’s should be easier to hit because they have more loft (I’m talking the middle and long irons), but these seem to higher than average. It may come down to price or something as stupid a color scheme (the dig the blue medallion in the JPX 825’s…..the black and gold…not so much). Can we get a review of the JPX 825’s so I can seal the deal?

These actually look more understated than one would have thought. Not too bad looking if you think they are replacing those RocketBallz irons.

Really like the look of the wedges!

They may be consistent, but considering the superstrong lofts, it seems like they ought to start selling the sets starting with the five iron, since many game improvement players already have a hybrid around 20*. And I wonder what the actual flex is of the shafts? KBS Tour R flex shafts can range from 4.0 to 5.5, depending on tip trimming. Likewise, KBS Tour S flex shafts can range from 5.0 to 6.5, depending on tip trim. So what is it? Same question for any OEM that is using KBS shafts nowadays. I’m not knocking the shafts, as I’ve heard they have great feel and terrific reputation. Just curious as to what actual flex number is being used as an R and an S flex, considering the tip trim options give such a broad range.

Mike Garrard

Was at their website, the tapered R is 5.1, did nort check the S or X

If you ever decide to toss your slot less Miuras. i´ll take them!!

Impressive consistencey from them. Equally interesting is that the looks are fairly toned down. I also enjoy that RocketFuel is the shaft rather then a replacement ball (so far anyways)

However, I’m leaving these along until we see the Tour version. I suspect those will be my cup of tea a little more. Just the mention of a 47* pitching wedge is enough to get my interest.

I was in Austin in the early 80’s and had a few conversations with Tom Kite. At the time, he was with Wilson when they were a Tour force and the company was excited about a new iron (sorry, can’t remember the name) with a thin face that “flexed.” When I asked why he wasn’t hitting this latest model he said that yes, the irons were long but they were very inconsistent…. right on with one swing and over the green on the next. Apparently a flexing face can do that to you. Has technology come light-years since the 80’s… if Touring pro’s like the RocketBladez Tour shouldn’t we like them too? Yes, on all counts but STILL… a flexing face might make a few of us nervous — who need 15-yards-farther flyers from the FAIRWAY?

(Maybe 3M’s “goo” is the key, huh?)

Mike French

The irons were Wilson Reflex. I just a set (3-PW) on ebay for $6.99, 2012 Technolgy for 1930 price!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1978-Wilson-Reflex-Golf-Club-Flex-Face-Irons-Outdistance-Print-Ad-/150915700742?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item232346d806

Last week i got a set of electric snakes steel tt 90. They feel almost forged. Played two days in a row and i like the feel performance consistency. Go hit the amps.:

I doubt i will make any changes till i hit the cells the g25 and these just to see.

They do look very callaway diablo like?

I have carried 4 wedges. Its not bad but i prefer 3 so i can carry a 2nd fairway.

Whatever works?

A 23 deg. 5 iron come on man its getting ridiculous how far TM is willing to go in order to make there irons the longest

Have to agree…but it’s not just TMAG, the majority of the OEM’s are doing it. My 4 hybrid is 23* for crying out loud.

Very neat irons is all i can say, I like the Amp Cell Combo set better but i would give the tour version a try.

The wedges. All I care about is the wedges. Tell me more. Better than the ATVs for you? Will they be available individually? What’s up with the sper crazy sole?

FWIW, I like Rocketbladez better than Rocketballz..lol

Good point.

And some people said the Cobra amp cell irons were ugly lol these look like they could be a weapon in the game Clue in the hands of that Mustard fellow. However the numbers were really impressive to see and it was a great write up thank you for that, I will not be using these next season I will be sticking with my Cobra Amp irons. Of course to be totally fair I suppose I must hit these next season at a demo days session to be absolute in my decision.

Which Amps do you have (AMP Forged, AMP Steel, AMP Graphite)? I’m leaning towards a set of Forged and would love to hear your impression of them if that’s what you have. Or if you think they are worth the difference if you don’t. I’m in the market for a new set of irons. Debating the various AMP line as well as the AMP cells coming out. Need to decide soon.

Impressive stats on the RocketBladeZ consistency. While I don’t have anything against TaylorMade, I’d prefer something different, as I don’t like being equated to a Pringles Potato chip on the course. (I’ve gotta be me). So I doubt these will make it into my bag, just on the fact I don’t want to be a clone of everybody else. So yeah, I’m probably in the same, “stupid camp” as T.

Curtis the Amp I it are Amp steel, not sure if I am ready for a forged blade yet still in the 8 handicap range but I absolutely love the Amp irons solid feel forgiving and great distance and consistent.

As much as the jacked up lofts and clown name are off putting… That aside, if they made every iron in the set look like that gap wedge (the only one that remotely resembles a blade of any kind) with its minimalist graphics and clean lines, Taylormade would have a seriously nice looking set on their hands.

JR, like you said, Im really hopin that the Tours look like the “A” wedge or the Tours that Sergio and the Staffers will be playing, not some GI iron with Tour slapped on it. That “A” wedge is a good lookin iron.

Unfortunately, they still look like GI clubs, just with less offset and more loft

http://taylormadegolf.com/TaylorMade/RocketBladez-Tour-Irons/DW-JN938,en_US,pd.html

Oddly enough, the regular wedges look better than the tour version wedges

Unfortunately RP, looks like the Tours are exactly as you described they might be.

Thanks for the link WD. I was really hoping some of the stylistic cues of Adams might find their way into the TM lineup. So much for that!

TwoSolitudes

That was my thought too. Never mind if they look like a blade or not, the A wedge is a seriously sharp looking club. A full set like that would even have me looking at TM.

Just curious, what is that black wedge?

That wedge is an old RAC Black…probably 7, 8 year old at this point. They don’t make them like that anymore…and it’s kind of a shame.

Man, those are some impressive numbers. I don’t really care about the distance part, but the consistency is pretty amazing.

Like you I doubt I’m smart enough to actually put these in the bag, but there is no doubt I could be a more consistent player with them. Maybe when the tour’s come out…

An excellent and intriguing write up. I have always been one of the blade purist goofballs (MP-69s and a +1-1 hdcp through the season) but at 43 years old I have been forced to admit that for tournament golf I simply need more consistency and greater trajectory in the 175-210 range. I don’t think there is any question that being able to get at more flags because of trajectory opens up a bunch of new scoring opportunities and courses are getting longer instead of shorter while my tee shots are going the other direction. I doubt that I will buy these but they and others like them will be on the radar as I pledge to make 2013 the year of results instead of the year of the scratch ego!

Scratch is scratch. As long as ya put it on the board, that’s not ego talkin, it’s skill. It’s when you go north of it that ya gotta take a hard look.

The Best in ’13

luke-donald-duck

rocketbladez….

you knew the name was coming….

Adams may own the patent but who owns Adams……

For some reason, I had totally forgotten about it :P Thanks!

Does the progression from ‘Speed Pocket’ in the 7 iron to no speed pocket in the 8 iron lead to a noticeable distance gap? Based on your analysis – it seems like the speed pocket helped more with consistency vs. distance so it may not be as big of an issue as I originally thought.

Gotta say the yellow looks pretty sharp to my eye. And while the marketing may be off-putting, your numbers speak pretty loudly. Looks like a pretty solid GI offering. You say that other than the 4-iron, the rest of the set looked okay at address – compared to other GI’s or cavity-backs?

I thought the Speed Pocket was patented by Adams?

Duh! Silly me… nevermind :D

What’s interesting is when I compared the specs to the Burner 2.0s, the only difference was a 1/2 degree stronger loft on the 7 iron and 1 degree stronger loft on the 4-6 iron. Length, lie angle were identical, offset was almost (a few tenths of a millimeter difference on the longer irons).

I currently play the 2.0s and really like them. I’ve tinkered with more some player’s CBs (built a few Dynacraft Prophet Forged, tested a few Adams & Ping versions) but I keep coming back to the 2.0s. I’m not in the market now, but maybe next year as the price comes down I’ll have to give them a shot.

I saw this first thing this morning in an email from Taylormade.

I’ve got to say, it’s a major improvement to the RBalls!

The look is very similar to the new Callys.

I guess it was just a matter of time before they developed a “slot” for the irons, similar to the 3 Woods.

A new driver coming as well? Tell me is it also freakish in any way?

They look ok for a gi iron, 7 iron going 190? So you only need 6 iron to wedge then? Plus 4 gap wedges!

It’s interesting, and I think you’ll see more of it, TaylorMade offers 3I through lob wedge in this set. Certainly, if you’ve got these in your bags, conventional wedges are going to leave some gaps, and most guys won’t want to deal with that, so they’ll buy the SW and LW too.

It’s a great way to sell the full bag.

Nice write up !!! Lofts are Crazy Strong….

Common sense tells me that stronger lofts obviously equal more distance – no matter the composition and makeup of the club… I would never play an 8 iron at 35* of loft…

I learned a long time ago to never say never. LOL

I’m weak, I’ll probably be trying the Tour version when it comes out.

LOL, Dude weak? If nothing else, we’re pragmatists. I just posted inside about the day coming when I put away the MBs. That day may be in February when the Tour is introduced. If Sergio’s got no problems, trust me, I’ll adjust..lol

As far as being an elitist, I got nothing to be elite about. I was at a charity dinner on Saturday night and there were 4 forks. Four! Now I knew what the first two were for, but I had no clue & had to watch another woman at my table(It was for appetizer & double entree) to take her lead. He’ll, I use my entree fork for my salad cuz I like the larger fork. My mom says that that’s tacky.

Anyway, I’ll definitely be hittin the Tours. Hell, I could sell my five sets of MBs/MCBs and that should just about cover a set.

BTW T, excellent write-up! I gotta go PM PhanaJG. Maybe we can start diggin together..lol

Fairways and Greens 4ever

Lol, totally off topic, but I’ve been invited to officer’s clubs on base where there were more than two of each utensil. I’m not ashamed to admit I had to ask what the hell I was supposed to do. Damn good food though, pretty sure it would have been just as good with one set of utensils though.

Back on subject, I’m thinking the Tours are going into a lot of people’s bags. One thing TMag seems to do right is offer a lot of different shafts and use KBS Tour as stock. I’m guessing with the extra height of these irons, C Tapers may be a popular option.

BK in Wisconsin

RP……I have to admit…..the MP59’s are calling to me….but I will be at least trying out the Tours when they come out.

BK, the 59s are sweet, no doubt. Though I never really bagged mine before ’em to Paul S, they had a nice “pop” to ’em, though when I “nutted” a couple, they were about 10 yards further than my 68.

What T said that, for me at least, is the most critical factor, is the consistency of his flight. My 68s & the Staff 59s are 3-4 yds tops. I play my 7i at 173yds now, and if I could consistently play it at 185yds, & this is critical, be able to keep my 10 yd gaps thru my 4i, then I’ll seriously look at em.

If you can shorten the course, well we all know what that means.

Have a good one BK.

Keep ’em in the short hair.

Dispersion was similar. With the RocketBladez…two were basically right down the center. 3 were a little left, but basically on top of each other. With my own, the misses were generally right, but not by much either. Distance control was really the thing.

When it become clear I wasn’t going to touch the RocketBladez with my 7, I tried like hell to beat it with my 6…really trying to pound it. I think that explains the big gaps, along with the fact that mine simply aren’t as forgiving. With my cavity backs, misses can be punishing. You really have to hit high on the face to suffer with the RocketBladez…dammit.

Wow. I laughed when I first saw this club…..but…….your consistency findings are hard to ignore.

Tony…how was the dispersion…especially compared to your gamer?

BK a great question!

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"This little thing has changed the iron forever."

With the interesting features and benefits the iron provides, though, can you blame the company?

The key to those benefits, of course, is TaylorMade's Speed Pocket --- 'the little thing that promotes radical increased speed and distance', according to the manufacturer.

All told, TaylorMade's new Rocketbladez irons are incredibly fast and incredibly long while also promoting increased accuracy and stopping power.

"The Rocketbladez come with a load of performance both in distance and consistant distance," said Brian Bazzel, Product Creation Manager for TaylorMade. "But even above that is it gives you a higher trajectory and improved feel by the way we treat the pocket in the back of the cavity."

With plenty of support from Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose and other PGA Tour stars, the RocketBladez irons from TaylorMade have made a triumphant splash on the scene. Here's a deeper look at the Rocketbladez:

TECH AND SPECS

The key to the Rocketbladez is the Speed Pocket. In the 3-7 irons, the Speed Pocket and the club head's ultra-thin face work together to promote consistently high ball speed and distance. The distance behind the irons is also helped by TaylorMade's unique Inverted Cone shape design and a high rate of MOI (Moment of Inertia).

All told, the bulk of the head's weight is located lower than other irons, meaning the sweet spot and launch angle are all gearing your swing on a much higher launch angle, trajectory and peak. The Rocketbladez feature a much thinner face than the previous RocketBallz irons and a six-percent lower center of gravity that its predecessor.

All of the additions and designs, of course, result in a COR (measurement of 'jump' off the clubface) numbers similar to that of a driver.

Additionally, the stock sand and lob wedges take the sole design of last year's stellar ATV Wedges, completing the set with recent and new technology.

CUSTOMIZATION OPTIONS

The Rocketbladez irons are available in a number of shafts from TaylorMade.

Golfers may pair their new Rocketbladez with True Temper's Dynamic Gold, Dynamic Gold SL and Dynamic Gold XP models and the company's ProjectX branded Royal Precision and Royal Precision Flighted models.

Additional shaft options include the KBS Tour, Nippon NS Pro 950 and Matrix Ozik HD Program 95 shafts.

A host of grip models are available from grip- makers Lamkin, Winn, Golf Pride and Iomic, in addition to stock models made available by TaylorMade.

HOW DOES IT FEEL?

Much of the online chatter surrounding the Rocketbladez has backed up what TaylorMade is marketing: higher trajectories, increased distances and improved accuracy and control.

After a short but focused testing, I have to agree.

The first thing I noticed was the 'jump' off of the club face.

I noticed the lower center of gravity quickly as well-hit 5-irons were launching like a 6-iron. I also took notice of the irons' forgiveness. Even on bad swings, the ball launched and flew well. The technology and design behind the irons seem to make it easy to hit a ball well.

During my testing, I tried to focus on and learn the benefits of the SpeedPocket. On a good swing, you can feel the pocket working as a 'hinge' of sorts to help add launch and trajectory to your impact. On bad swings, I didn't see the SpeedPocket making a difference, despite what Golfweek's James Achenbach mentioned in his lengthy review of the Rocketbladez: "According to TaylorMade, the Speed Pocket is especially effective on impacts made low on the face. With long irons and mid irons, most mis-hits by amateurs occur below the center of the face. TaylorMade promises more ball speed and distance on those mis- hits."

Have you hit the new TaylorMade Rocketbladez irons? Are they already in your bag? What did you think of them? We'd love to know. Add your thoughts to the discussion below.

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TaylorMade releases new BRNR Mini Driver Copper with nostalgic cosmetics

A look at TaylorMade’s new BRNR Mini Driver Copper with nostalgic cosmetics. (GolfWRX)

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In tennis parlance, the mini driver is a “second serve” option off the tee. It’s called upon when a driver would go too far and bring trouble into play, or when the ball needs to be shaped a bit more with a draw or fade. With more loft than a driver, it produces more spin, which makes shaping the ball easier. The heads of mini drivers are also smaller than a driver, as the name insinuates.

TaylorMade released its original BRNR Mini Driver in April 2023 and since then, multiple PGA TOUR players have put it in play including Tommy Fleetwood, Adam Scott and Jake Knapp, the rookie who won this year’s Mexico Open at Vidanta.

Fleetwood first put a BRNR Mini into play at the 2023 RBC Heritage and still has the club in his bag today.

“For me, if I had to hit a fairway, I’m more comfortable hitting a driver than a 3-wood,” Fleetwood said. “I would tee the driver down, and I would hit a little cut, or a neck-y cut in the fairway. The 3-wood isn’t for that. The 3-wood, generally, is a pretty hot club that I’ll hit from 270 or 280 in the fairway on a par 5. You get some courses where a 3-wood is not always necessary. (With the BRNR) you put a normal swing on it, and I’m more comfortable hitting it straight. It’s a replacement for a 3-wood, basically.”

Knapp, who used a BRNR during his victory in Mexico, echoed Fleetwood’s sentiments:

“I put in a 3-wood every once in a while, but I was just never able to find one that I loved,” Knapp said. “Three-woods, in general, I just hit on the bottom of the face. They spin a lot and don’t go anywhere. (The BRNR is) just an easier club to hit than a 3-wood. … It’s really just a tee club and kind of a fairway finder for me.”

Now, a year later and with plenty of PGA TOUR validation, TaylorMade is releasing a new BRNR Mini Driver Copper, which includes the same technologies and designs as the original, except the company has amped up the nostalgia factor.

Playing off the iconic Burner driver from the late-'90s, the new BRNR Mini Driver Copper has additional copper styling on the crown and a large retro TaylorMade logo centered on the sole. It also comes stock with a copper-and-black UST Mamiya ProForce 65 Retor Burner Edition shaft and a Golf Pride TaylorMade Victory Copper grip.

As with the original BRNR release from yesteryear, the new edition is made with split-weight technology, a multi-material head construction, a K-Sole design for improved turf interaction, a TwistFace for corrective ball flight, a Thru-Slot Speed Pocket for increased ball speeds and a 4-degree loft sleeve for minute changes to loft and face angle.

With the year’s first major at Augusta National coming up next week, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a Masters contestant or two put the new BRNR version into play to help navigate the long and demanding layout.

TaylorMade’s new BRNR Mini Driver Copper clubs will sell for $449.99 in 11.5 (RH/LH) and 13.5 (RH) degree options, and they will be available for custom orders.

Masters 2024: The clubs Scottie Scheffler used to win at Augusta National

D uring the final round of the 2024 Masters, Ludvig Aberg double bogeyed the 11th, Collin Morikawa doubled 9 and 11. Max Homa doubled 12. Those misssteps along with his own strong play allowed Scottie Scheffler to double his total of green jackets, picking up win No. 2 at Augusta National.

The miscues from his closest challengers are noted, but Scheffler was so strong over the last 11 holes that it likely wasn’t going to be matched regardless. Scheffler got up-and-down at the par-5 eighth for birdie then hit a lob wedge from 89 yards and spun it back to inches for a tap-in birdie at No. 9. He then stuck a wedge on No. 10 from 143 yards to nine feet and made that birdie putt to take a firm hold of the lead.

Scheffler kept the good times rolling, birdieing the par-5 13th and then dropping a 153-yard pitching wedge to inches on 14 to stretch the lead. A birdie on 16 made it four up with two to go. Game. Over.

It was a Tiger-esque performance from a man who’s TaylorMade P7TW irons are based off Woods’ muscleback blades. “I grew up playing Nike clubs like Tiger, so these had a special appeal to me,” Scheffler told Golf Digest in 2022. “I figured if he was using the irons they had to be pretty good.” Scheffler’s irons have True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts and Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips.

Scheffler also continued his recent hot putting, ranking third in putting average for the week. Scheffler changed to a TaylorMade Spider Tour X X1 mallet putter from his Scotty Cameron blade at last month's Arnold Palmer Invitational after doing extensive testing at home. The putter is a half-inch longer than his previous gamer and has an L-Neck hosel and TaylorMade’s True Path alignment aid on top with a full line sightline on top. The putter has 3 degrees of loft with a lie angle of 72 degrees. The insert is an 80/20 TaylorMade Pure Roll insert and the grip is a Golf Pride pistol. Since the switch, Scheffler has won the API, the Players and now the Masters.

And for those wondering about the number 5 on Scheffler’s Titleist Pro V1, there’s an interesting reason. “I use high numbers 5 through 8 instead of 1 through 4 because it’s easier to identify,” he said. “I’ve just hit the wrong ball a few too many times.”

Hitting the wrong ball seemed about the only way to keep Scheffler from winning Masters No. 2.

Ball: Titleist Pro V1

Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (Fujikua Ventus Black 7X), 8 degrees

3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10, 15 degrees

Irons (3-4): Srixon ZU85; (5-PW): TaylorMade P7TW

Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM8 (50, 56 degrees); Titleist Vokey SM9 WedgeWorks prototype (60 degrees)

Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour X X1

Among the improvements here—beyond better overall stability on mis-hits on the heel and toe and high and low—is the increased use of carbon composite in the crown. Now stretching almost seamlessly to the top of the face, the crown saves weight to help increase stability on off-center hits and to lower the center of gravity for reduced spin and better energy transfer. The structure of the channel in the sole now gives more at impact to deliver extra flex to the face for faster ball speed, particularly on lower hits on the face.

More on this club

Masters 101: Answering all your frequently asked question

How to watch the 2024 Masters

Power Rankings: Every player in the Masters field, ranked

50 defining Masters Moments, ranked

The bogey golfer’s guide to surviving Augusta National

5 shots that players should NEVER hit at Augusta National

15 people who ended up in the Masters penalty box

The most memorable Rules issues in Masters history

In search of the greatest Augusta National

The Masters’ other jackets: Why working tournament week has its perks

The greatest Masters round time has forgotten

The Champions Dinner Tell-All, from those inside the room

Guided Walking Tour of the Moscow Metro

Description, good to know.

• Pricing details

Departure place

You would like, admiring the frescoes in kurskaya and komsomolskaya metro stations, marvelling at the architecture of the moscow metro, listening to your guide's commentary, essential information *, duration 1 hour 50 minutes, starting time 2:00 pm.

Set off to discover the most breathtaking stops on Moscow’s beautiful metro system on this walking tour.

Some of the stops on the Moscow metro are real masterpieces. Head underground and admire the Moscow metro with your guide.

During your guided tour, you will get to admire the Ploshchad Revolyutsii , designed by the architect Dushkin. There are no fewer than 72 sculptures in this station!

You will then explore Kurskaya station, built in 1938. The design, mosaics and slogans will immerse you in the era of Stalin. You will also see the frescoes depicting Russian victories in Komsomolskaya station.

Then, continue to one of Moscow’s must-see metro stations, Novoslobodskaya , which resembles an underground palace: marble, stained glass windows...

Join your guide to explore the most lavish and important metro stops in Moscow! 

• Availability: every day (excluding exceptional dates)
• Duration: 1 hr. 50 mins approx.
• Departure point: The Kremlin
• Languages: English
• Please wear comfortable shoes
• Metro tickets are included for the metro stations visited during the activity 
• A valid student card will be requested from participants who have booked the reduced student tariff
• A minimum of 2 participants is required to book this activity

Price includes

• Metro tickets
• The services of an English-speaking tour guide
• The guided tour of the Moscow metro

Price doesn’t include

• Access to stations not included in the tour
• Hotel pick-up/drop-off
• Tips (optional)
• All other extras

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Moscow Metro Tour

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Description

Moscow metro private tours.

• 2-hour tour $87:  10 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with hotel pick-up and drop-off
• 3-hour tour $137:  20 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with Russian lunch in beautifully-decorated Metro Diner + hotel pick-up and drop off. 
• Metro pass is included in the price of both tours.

Highlight of Metro Tour

• Visit 10 must-see stations of Moscow metro on 2-hr tour and 20 Metro stations on 3-hr tour, including grand Komsomolskaya station with its distinctive Baroque décor, aristocratic Mayakovskaya station with Soviet mosaics, legendary Revolution Square station with 72 bronze sculptures and more!
• Explore Museum of Moscow Metro and learn a ton of technical and historical facts;
• Listen to the secrets about the Metro-2, a secret line supposedly used by the government and KGB;
• Experience a selection of most striking features of Moscow Metro hidden from most tourists and even locals;
• Discover the underground treasure of Russian Soviet past – from mosaics to bronzes, paintings, marble arches, stained glass and even paleontological elements;
• Learn fun stories and myths about Coffee Ring, Zodiac signs of Moscow Metro and more;
• Admire Soviet-era architecture of pre- and post- World War II perious;
• Enjoy panoramic views of Sparrow Hills from Luzhniki Metro Bridge – MetroMost, the only station of Moscow Metro located over water and the highest station above ground level;
• If lucky, catch a unique «Aquarelle Train» – a wheeled picture gallery, brightly painted with images of peony, chrysanthemums, daisies, sunflowers and each car unit is unique;
• Become an expert at navigating the legendary Moscow Metro system;
• Have fun time with a very friendly local;
• + Atmospheric Metro lunch in Moscow’s the only Metro Diner (included in a 3-hr tour)

Hotel Pick-up

Metro stations:.

Komsomolskaya

Novoslobodskaya

Prospekt Mira

Belorusskaya

Mayakovskaya

Novokuznetskaya

Revolution Square

Sparrow Hills

+ for 3-hour tour

Victory Park

Slavic Boulevard

Vystavochnaya

Dostoevskaya

Elektrozavodskaya

Partizanskaya

Museum of Moscow Metro

• Drop-off  at your hotel, Novodevichy Convent, Sparrow Hills or any place you wish
• + Russian lunch  in Metro Diner with artistic metro-style interior for 3-hour tour

Fun facts from our Moscow Metro Tours:

From the very first days of its existence, the Moscow Metro was the object of civil defense, used as a bomb shelter, and designed as a defense for a possible attack on the Soviet Union.

At a depth of 50 to 120 meters lies the second, the coded system of Metro-2 of Moscow subway, which is equipped with everything you need, from food storage to the nuclear button.

According to some sources, the total length of Metro-2 reaches over 150 kilometers.

The Museum was opened on Sportivnaya metro station on November 6, 1967. It features the most interesting models of trains and stations.

Coffee Ring

The first scheme of Moscow Metro looked like a bunch of separate lines. Listen to a myth about Joseph Stalin and the main brown line of Moscow Metro.

Zodiac Metro

According to some astrologers, each of the 12 stops of the Moscow Ring Line corresponds to a particular sign of the zodiac and divides the city into astrological sector.

Astrologers believe that being in a particular zadiac sector of Moscow for a long time, you attract certain energy and events into your life.

Paleontological finds 

Red marble walls of some of the Metro stations hide in themselves petrified inhabitants of ancient seas. Try and find some!

• Every day each car in  Moscow metro passes  more than 600 km, which is the distance from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
• Moscow subway system is the  5th in the intensity  of use (after the subways of Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai).
• The interval in the movement of trains in rush hour is  90 seconds .

What you get:

• + A friend in Moscow.
• + Private & customized Moscow tour.
• + An exciting pastime, not just boring history lessons.
• + An authentic experience of local life.
• + Flexibility during the walking tour: changes can be made at any time to suit individual preferences.
• + Amazing deals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the very best cafes & restaurants. Discounts on weekdays (Mon-Fri).
• + A photo session amongst spectacular Moscow scenery that can be treasured for a lifetime.
• + Good value for souvenirs, taxis, and hotels.
• + Expert advice on what to do, where to go, and how to make the most of your time in Moscow.

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