TaylorMade SpeedBlade Game Improver Irons Review

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Technology

A “Speed Pocket” from heel to toe in the 3 to 7-irons helps the face flex more and inverted cone technology behind the face creates a club that TaylorMade says has the fastest face it has ever created, measuring right up to the COR limit.

Related: Best golf irons

Looks

While the shaping is similar to last year’s RocketBladez, the colour schemes are worlds apart. There’s still some offset, but the dead space in the toe of the RocketBladez is reduced in the Speedblades with longer grooves – making the hitting area larger.

Forgiveness

Just like the RocketBladez there’s stacks on offer here. You can pretty much hit it anywhere on the face and still get a powerful, relatively loud sound with good carry. I found with RocketBladez that shots out of the centre of the sweetspot came off really hot, which left big gaps in distance when you didn’t quite catch it. I’d say the SpeedBlades are better at controlling those pure strikes, while maintaining forgiveness. It gives the flight of a distance iron, but with a softer feel.

Performance

The standard SpeedBlade 7-iron is strong at 30.5° loft, the same as the RocketBladez, and the average carry distance was similar as a result – very long. The gapping works really well throughout the set and it feels strong with a penetrating ball flight. Only a really bad strike will cause significant loss in distance.

TaylorMade's SpeedBlade irons are designed to offer high launch and more distance. The Speed Pocket, which also features on TaylorMade’s RocketBladez irons, has been widened and lengthened and is now in the shape of a handle bar in the 3-7 irons. This gives golfers more clubface area toward the toe and heel that promotes a high launch angle, strong ball flight and better feel.

The Speed Pocket also features a cut-through slot internally, which allows for more flex and rebound on the bottom part of the face, making the SpeedBlade iron the fastest face TaylorMade has ever created, measuring right up to the COR limit. The SpeedBlade also features Inverted Cone Technology (bigger sweet spot on off-center hits), as featured on the Tour Burner and Burner OS model, the latter winning the Super Game Improver category in Today’s Golfer’s Irons Test earlier this year. When tested, the new SpeedBlade 6-iron travelled almost ten yards farther with a 4% higher peak trajectory than TaylorMade’s Tour Burner iron.

The long irons feature a bigger topline to inspire confidence at address, and have each been optimized not only to promote distance, but also to enhance feel and sound thanks to the vibration-dampening qualities of the Speed Pocket polymer and multi-material badge. TaylorMade engineers have also carefully managed the distance-gaps between clubs by controlling loft, face thickness, CG location, shaft, club length and most importantly through the Speed Pocket. The result is a complete iron set that delivers generous and consistent gaps between every club.

The set also has the option of SpeedBlade wedges (50°, 55° and 60°), which have a classic tour shape and blade construction designed to suit the eye of any player. The sand and the lob wedge feature TaylorMade’s All Terrain Versatility (ATV) to promote great feel, spin and control from a wide variety of greenside lies. Each is equipped with a heavier steel shaft for improved performance and consistency.

RRP: £599 steel, £699 graphite.
Website: www.taylormadegolf.com