SpeedBlades Latest From TMaG

SpeedBlades Latest From TMaG By ED TRAVIS It’s the season for new club introductions and the world’s largest golf equipment company TaylorMade Golf has followed up the announcement of the SLDR driver in July with the SpeedBlade irons. Due to hit retail outlets Oct. 4, SpeedBlades replace last year’s RocketBladez. The two share several design features most notably the slot cut in the sole behind the clubface to allow the clubface additional flex at impact for more distance. This “Speed Pocket” in the SpeedBlades 3-iron through 7-iron is slightly longer than the one in the RocketBladez plus there is are little “handle bars” on either end. Brian Bazzel, TaylorMade’s director of iron, wedge and putters development, “Our research indicates that 72% of shots by 5-25 handicap golfers are impacted below the center of the face. That typically results in low-launching shots of inconsistent distance. The Speed Pocket helps you launch those low-impact shots on a consistently higher, longer carrying and softer-landing flight.” So enter the idea of a slot behind the clubface which in combination with locating the center gravity low in the clubhead help give a high launch and more ball speed from the flexing face. In other words more distance compared to other irons in TaylorMade testing. Taylor Made also revealed the replacement cycle for irons among core golfers averages 4.9 years based on data from the National Golf Foundation, which says that the typical golfer will see lots of difference in the SpeedBlades compared to what they are playing. The company said the SpeedBlade 6-iron traveled almost ten yards farther with a 4% higher peak trajectory than TaylorMade’s popular Tour Burner iron, a model from 2009. SpeedBlade iron sets of 4-AW will have a price of $799 with steel shafts or $899 for graphite shafts.  ED TRAVIS | Golf News & Opinion Golf Illustrated GolfFashionWeekly.com |Golf Fashion Friday