TaylorMade-adidas Golf today introduced the new generation of RocketBallz irons – RocketBladez – that features “Speed Pocket,” technology inspired by the popular RocketBallz fairway woods and Rescue clubs. TMaG said its engineers incorporated the Speed Pocket into RocketBladez irons “to promote faster ball speed and a higher launch angle” to promote longer, high-flying, quick-stopping shots.
TaylorMade's RocketBladez iron
The RocketBladez set, available in December at a suggested retail price of $799, consists of 11 individually designed club heads, each tailored in size and shape.
“Metalwoods have advanced tremendously since TaylorMade introduced the first one in 1979,” said TMaG Chief Executive Officer Mark 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 Speed Pocket changes that – it’s a once-in-a-lifetime innovation in the iron category.”
Incorporated into the 3- through 7-irons, the Speed Pocket is a 2mm-wide slot in the sole of the iron that King said flexes and rebounds at impact, increasing the speed of the face to promote faster ball speed, a higher launch angle and a higher, stronger ball flight that lands on a steep, quick-stopping descent angle.
The Speed Pocket advantage is especially effective on impacts made low on the face, King said TaylorMade studies indicate that 68 percent of iron shots by amateur golfers are mis-hits below the center of the face. The Speed Pocket, according to King, helps to significantly increase ball speed and distance on those low-face mis-hits.
The RocketBallz iron is aimed for player of all skill levels. Better players also will RocketBladez Tour model (available in February) King said, is void of “hot spots” on the clubface, to ensure predictability and distance consistency from shot to shot.
“We created RocketBladez irons for amateurs, but when our Tour Staff pros tried it, they wanted it,” King said. “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.”
Listen to King describe the Speed Pocket technology and watch Tour players test the RocketBladez here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOEGkJjSJbk&feature=youtu.be
