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RocketBallz!

We test out the highly-acclaimed TaylorMade RocketBallz collection of driver and fairway woods.

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We test out the highly-acclaimed TaylorMade RocketBallz woods

TaylorMade took a big risk in the naming of their newest line but the universal acclaim which has met their RocketBallz collection means the word is now well entrenched into golfing vocabulary. Darren Clarke, Sergio Garcia and Martin Kaymer use the RBZ fairway woods, while even world number one Luke Donald has turned to the driver and three wood to give him that extra bit of length. The RBZ driver has a huge head, it looks huge at address and the tiny golf ball next to it sits quivering on the tee as it is about to get smashed down the fairway (hopefully) - that's the kind of feel you get. Looks are great, the white head is now a common sight on golf courses, but the weight is feather light and everything is geared to getting the average golfer more club head speed and in turn increased distance. The origin of the name comes from a nickname given by TaylorMade's R&D department to the prototype at the time - pure and simply enough because it performed 'like a rocket' in initial testing.

Technology

Features include a lightweight shaft and grip which combine for a club weight of just 300 grams, while the enlarged face and low centre of gravity all combine to straighten up off-centre hits. When practising drive the black face also helps as it's clearly visible where you have connected with the ball to help give you instant feedback on every shot. Three lofts are available, 9.5 and 10.5 degrees along with a High-Launch model, while the RBZ Tour comes in 9 and 10 degree lofts, with a total of 25 additional shaft choices available along with the RBZ SuperFast Matrix Ozik XCON 5 shaft that comes as standard. The driver is good, very forgiving and with plenty of oomph, but the fairways and hybrids are even better in terms of reliability and eye-opening performance. Off the deck the woods, and in particular the hybrids, are a doddle to get launched off the ground, even for poor players like myself we can get them going along, even if our aiming skills need tightening up a touch.
White hot
A small niggle is the white clubhead, especially on the fairways and hybrids, soon becomes scruffy looking, especially when playing in the UK with the seemingly endless rainfall making for some muddy rounds. That does not deter from performance though, which has been almost unanimously praised throughout the golfing fraternity - and with driver prices of £249 it is well placed for players looking to improve. It was always going to be a tough task replacing the popular Burner collection, but TaylorMade have taken their standing in wood development to another planet thanks to the RocketBallz. Another of our testers, Dave Armstrong offered his thoughts as a big-hitting beginner... My first impression of the RBZ driver was how fantastic the club felt, looked and performed. The swing feels like it is automatically effortlessly gaining pace and momentum. That feel that is much sought after from a beginners point of view is a natural feeling with the RBZ in hand. There is a confidence felt in just holding the club and the sound generated with a practice swing adds to the belief in the product. When the stunning lightweight head makes contact the instant feeling is one of anticipation. Once you know what the club is capable of, the edge of excitement steps in as you watch the flight of the ball knowing the impact that the club has had in the upcoming result. I cannot praise the RBZ enough, I like the clubs so much that I have now invested in two from the range and no doubt will be increasing my RBZ asset count soon. Learn more about TaylorMade-adidas Golf products at: www.taylormadegolf.eu

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