A closer look at another innovative lineup from TaylorMade.
Doug Rikkers, GolfTEC Director of Club Fitting & Merchandise Services, PGA Member
For the last several years, TaylorMade has captured the collective imagination of the golf world with its innovative and state-of-the-art products. So, it is with great anticipation that we await the February 1st, 2013 release of their new line featuring the R1 Driver, RBZ Stage 2 drivers, fairways, and rescues, and the February 15th, 2013 release of the RocketBladez Tour Irons.
| According to TaylorMade research, 80% of all golfers are playing the wrong lofted driver. To combat this, the R1 Driver has five degrees of adjustability (from eight to 12-degrees), meaning virtually everyone can find the perfect loft for them within the same club! It also has an adjustable sole plate with seven face angle options and two moveable weights to promote the shot shape you’re looking for. Want to see fewer slices? Flip the weights around and set the face closed and you’re done! We were able to test the R1 with some of our staff and saw a huge difference! Rich, who gained 24 yards over his current driver and reduced his left hook by 12 yards, said, “I picked up 24 yards in carry distance as compared to my Titleist 909D2. Plus, it was much straighter. As for look and feel, it set up well at address and it had a nice feel and sound at impact”. |  |
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For those less inclined to tinker with their driver, the RBZ Stage 2 Driver and Stage 2 Driver Tour offer tremendous performance without the sole plate and movable weights. However, you can still change loft to optimize your launch and spin. If you’re looking for more distance off the fairways, the RBZ Stage 2 fairways offer an improved speed pocket and a more forward center of gravity to add up to 10 yards for better players; and that’s on top of the 17-yard increase in last year’s RocketBallz fairways! |
| We were also able to do some testing on the RocketBladez Irons. Brent hit the RocketBladez Tour 6-iron and compared it to the Adams CB2 6-iron. Both clubs have the same KBS stiff shaft with the same length, so it was truly just comparing the club heads. According to Brent, “The performance in both irons is good, but the RocketBladez have a softer contact feel and produced a 1,000 rpm higher spin rate. The distance and accuracy of the irons are very similar, but I think the RocketBladez would land softer and stop quicker on the greens. If I was in the market for new irons, I would put the TaylorMade RocketBladez on my short list”. These irons have a very traditional look, but take full advantage of technologies like the Speed Pocket to increase performance, particularly on shots hit low on the face. |  |
All of these clubs will hit the market in February and will be featured in this month’s “GolfTEC Try It Series” the week of February 18th. Mark your calendar and come get custom fit! Check with your Certified Personal Coach for details.
Posted by GolfTEC 
Odyssey has taken alignment to the next level by developing their own scientific alignment technology. The Direction and Realignment Technology (DART) works by involving your mind’s eye in the alignment process to ensure proper alignment to the target and consistent contact with the center of the face. All Odyssey putters incorporate high MOI to increase face stability.
If you prefer a more “traditional” head design you may find the Cleveland Classic Black Platinum Belly most pleasing to the eye. Unlike the TaylorMade and Odyssey models, the Cleveland Classic Belly incorporates the common toe-down weighting found in many standard length putters. Although MOI is reduced, this design promotes face rotation that is consistent with the arc created by the anchoring of the putter to the belly. Another plus to the Cleveland Belly is that it comes in four lengths (39”, 41”, 43” and 45”)
