TaylorMade Rocketballz Fairway Wood Review

Long Term Test – Chris Jones 12 hcap

I don’t know about TaylorMade’s claims of “17 extra yards” – I’ve gained about 20 yards out of the 15° RBZ over my old 3-wood. That slot behind the face to help it flex at impact really works. It’s now a regular driver replacement, because it often goes just as far, but much more consistently.

It really flies off a tee, but I’ve found it launches quite low off the fairway. It’s the first white club I’ve owned, and it looks great behind the ball – but it does need a good scrub now and again. And you need to regularly clean out the groove behind the face, which collects muck after one too many fat shots. With the new RBZ Stage 2 version out now, you can find some great deals on this old model.

Oct 2012 Fairways Test

In today’s world, marketing hype often exceeds performance and results. And while there’s little doubt that the RocketBallz fairway wood has been golf’s most hyped product in 2012, according to our testers it was absolutely justified.The stats show RocketBallz performed both in terms of distance and dispersion for each of our four testers. In fact, it was the longest on test for both pro James and Mick while also being among the most powerful for David and Anthony.

However, it also impressed in our subjective categories with David insisting it was one of the most forgiving on test thanks to fast ball speeds even on mis-hits. He said that it was simply flawless as a driver replacement off the tee thanks to a deeper face but still performed well off the deck thanks to a higher launch with low spin.

Mick loved the balance, weight, shape and feel, but found the slot in the sole was prone to snagging the grass on his takeaway on the fairway. Anthony said it wouldn’t usually be a club he would go for but that the performance may change his mind. He was a big fan of the aesthetics and powerful feel but thought there were more forgiving clubs on test.

Pro says: “I’d always go for the Tour version of the RocketBallz because the head is slightly more compact and sits a touch open so suits my eye better. But in terms of performance the face is very hot.”

Ratings (out of 5)

Distance: 5.0  Dispersion: 4.5  Looks: 4.6  Feel: 4.3 Forgiveness: 4.1  Fairway: 4.3  Tee: 4.6

Some players have reported gains of up to 17 yards with this club, and that’s impressive. The secret lies in the Speed Pocket that sits behind the face – it boosts COR and ball speed for more distance, and the flight is incredibly strong due in part to the deeper clubface. This is a must-try club for golfers who are struggling to bridge the gap in terms of yardage from their long irons through to their driver.

Lofts: 15°, 17°, 19°, 21° & 24°

Web: www.taylormadegolf.eu