TaylorMade launches RocketBladez

Brand engineers create ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ Speed Pocket iron innovation

Bladez of Glory: TaylorMade has heralded RocketBladez as the biggest iron innovation in the brand’s history

TaylorMade today announced the release of what it is calling “the biggest iron innovation to date” featuring a revolutionary, high launching and straight flying performance.

Encompassing regular and Tour models, the RocketBladez iron incorporates a key new technology in its “Speed Pocket” design, which closely mimics that of the RocketBallz fairway.

TaylorMade engineers have taken the technology that makes the RBZ a famously long fairway and transferred it into the iron. The result: faster ball speeds and a higher launch angle for more carry distance and greater stopping power.

The set consists of eleven individually designed clubheads, each unique in its size and shape in order to maximise distance and control depending on how that club is likely to be employed.

The Speed Pocket is in place from 3-iron through to the 7-iron and takes the shape of a 2mm-wide slot in the sole that responds at impact by flexing and rebounding. This creates a ‘hotter’ face, which is also 11% thinner than the previous thinnest – again adding the flexibility for potentially greater distance.

The slot is at its most effective when the ball is struck low on the face, an area that TaylorMade studies found amateur golfers struck on 68% of iron shots. In this respect, the RocketBladez helps to reduce the negative effects of this ‘low’ strike by minimising distance loses.

In its mission to provide an iron that benefits from the performance of the Speed Pocket for the better player, the brand has also announced that a tour model is simultaneously being made available.

“We created RocketBladez irons for amateurs, but when our Tour Staff pros tried it, they wanted it,” said TaylorMade president and CEO Mark King. “We created a Tour version, and they love it. It’s the first distance-oriented iron to be played on tour.

“The genius of the Speed Pocket is that not only does it deliver more speed for more distance, it delivers consistent speed, so shots fly a consistent distance. That combination of speed and consistent distance is what made the eyes of our tour pros light up.”

The centre of gravity in both irons has also been fine-tuned. It’s been positioned low and in the club’s absolute centre, which has been achieved through weight gains in shortening the hosel and taking additional mass from the top of the club.

In all, 17.5g of redistributed weight has lowered the COG by 2.5mm when compared to the Burner 2.0 iron. This makes the RocketBladez an even easier club with which to find the sweetspot.

“Metalwoods have advanced tremendously since TaylorMade introduced the first one in 1979,” added King.

“The ball has advanced too, and even footwear and apparel have improved a great deal. But there hasn’t been a significant advancement in irons since the perimeter-weighted cavity-back was introduced more than 50 years ago.

“The RocketBallz Speed Pocket changes that – it’s a once-in-a-lifetime innovation in the iron category. If your iron doesn’t have a Speed Pocket, your iron is out-dated.”

RRP: RocketBladez £549(s), £649(g); RocketBladez Tour £699 (each based on 8-iron set)

Available: RocketBladez – pre-order from Oct 23, in stores Dec 3; RocketBladez Tour – in stores Feb 1 2013

CLICK HERE FOR A VIDEO OF TAYLORMADE CEO MARK KING EXPLAINING THE ROCKETBLADEZ TECHNOLOGY

Bryce Ritchie is the Editor of bunkered and, in addition to leading on content and strategy, oversees all aspects of the brand. The first full-time journalist employed by bunkered, he joined the company in 2001 and has been editor since 2009. A member of Balfron Golfing Society, he currently plays off nine and once got a lesson from Justin Thomas’ dad.

Editor of bunkered