Taylormade Golf has always been one of the most innovative companies in the sport of golf to help golfers fulfill their potential and to make the game more fun and enjoyable. To do this, they offer a large range of products (some may say too large, but that’s another conversation) – last year, we saw the introduction of the Speedblade irons, Tour Preferred CB, MC and MB irons and the SLDR irons. All of these irons, aside from the MB irons, feature Taylormade’s revolutionary speed pocket technology.
Earlier in the month, Taylormade teased the public with their Mishits Happen video. That video has led to today’s announcement of the new RSi line of irons (R series, Slotted Irons). While the speed pocket is still in use and helps mishits low of the face to keep distance and height, the new RSi irons add slots to the faces of the irons to further improve performance, especially on mishits on the heel and toe – something they call Face Slot Technology. The new line of irons will include the RSi 1, RSi 2 and RSi TP (The Tour Preferred MB remains).
Essentially, the RSi 1 irons will replace the Speedblades; RSi 2 irons will replace the SLDR irons, RSi TP replaces the Tour Preferred MC; Tour Preferred CB has been discontinued; and the Tour Preferred MB remains in the line up. The RSi 1 irons can be considered (super) game-improvement irons, aimed for the average golfer. They are the largest and most forgiving of the three RSi iron models. The 3-7 irons are cast from 450 stanless steel and utilize ThruSlot technology which cuts through the sole. The 8-LW are cast from 17-4 stainless steel. They also feature the thinnest faces of all three irons as well as Inverted Cone Technology – this allows the RSi 1’s to keep speed high off the face and to be the longest irons for Taylormade in 2015. The new Reax 90 steel shaft from True Temper helps optimize ball flight for max distance and performance. The RSi 1 irons will retail for $799 and will be available on November 14, 2014.
The RSi 2 irons are similar to the SLDR irons – they can be considered a game-improvement iron for better players who still want some forgiveness. The RSi 2 irons feature five different constructions within the nine-club set to offer the best combination of distance, precision and feel. To the long irons (3-5), engineers added tungsten which improves forgiveness. The 3-7 irons are cast from 450 stainless steel and also utilize ThruSlot Technology. The 8-PW are cast from 431 stainless steel but have 1025 forged face inserts for a soft feel at impact. The AW (50*) and SW (55*) are fully forged from 1025 carbon steel. They will come stock with the all-new KBS Tour 105 shaft. The RSi 2 irons will retail for $999 and will also be available November 14, 2014.
Lastly, we have the RSi TP, which replaces the Tour Preferred MC irons. These are the irons we’re very excited about – earlier in the year, we got to spend an afternoon being fit for Taylormade golf clubs at University Golf Club in Vancouver, by Master Fitter Andy Johnson. It will be great to see how the new RSi TP’s compare to the Tour Preferred MC’s. The RSi TP is more of a Tour cavity back iron designed for better players. We love the return of the TP Badge in its design. The 3-7 irons have forged, 1025 carbon steel hosels and faces that are welded to 431 stainless steel backs. This construction offers the feel of a forged iron with the forgiveness of a cast iron whereas the 8-PW are fully forged from 1025 carbon steel. They will come stock with the Tour-proven KBS Tour Steel Shaft. The RSi TP will retail for $1199 and will be available January 15, 2015.
“The RSi TP irons were developed to deliver launch, consistency and feel to take performance to the next level for our Tour Professionals,” Bystedt said. “The shapes of these irons will be instantly pleasing to better players and will have the feel and workability that golfers expect in a forged product. It really is the best combination of performance, look and feel that we’ve created for the world’s best players.”
With the return of the “R Series” for Taylormade, can be expect to see a “R Series” driver to replace the SLDR driver? We’ll see in a couple more months!
