Written By: Tony Covey
TaylorMade’s summer of hibernation has come to an end. The company is kicking off fall with the announcement of 3 new irons – all part of a new family of products called RSi.
At the risk of spoiling the surprise, the R in RSi is simply a nod to TaylorMade’s R-series (this whole SLDR thing is dead), while the Si piece is short for slotted irons, and so yes…all the 3 new models feature slots in the long an middle irons.
Oh, but wait, there is definitely more. All 3 sets feature what TaylorMade is billing as revolutionary Face Slot Technology. It wasn’t enough for TaylorMade to carve slots into the sole of the irons, it’s now letting its goo bleed all the way to the face.
The new irons are unquestionably Slot-IER.
Two years from now TaylorMade won’t have any faces left to speak of. Will all just be swinging giant slots.
Before we get into some of the actual details of the RSi let’s take a moment to realign ourselves with what will become the 2015 TaylorMade lineup.
- RSi 1 replaces SpeedBlade
- RSi 2 replaces SLDR Iron
- RSi TP replaces Tour Preferred MC
- Tour Preferred CB goes away
- Tour Preferred MB remains in the lineup.
Got it? Good.
Assuming no additional surprises, that leaves TaylorMade with 4 distinct offerings in their revitalized iron lineup. I’ll post specs of the new stuff a little further down, but you already know how this is going to shake out.
RSi 1 sits somewhere between Game Improvement and Super Game Improvement.
RSi2, like SLDR before it is a Game Improvement iron with some characteristics that will appeal to better players.
As the replacement for the MCs, the RSi TP (yes…Tour Preferred is gone, TP is back – including the badge) is a better player/Tour Cavity Back.
MB is a damn blade, and you probably shouldn’t even look at it.
Speed Pocket Evolved
Because nearly everything must evolve…or at least look like it has evolved, TaylorMade is claiming improved Speed Pocket performance with the new designs. Basically, we’re talking about improved ball speed on shots below center and a general increase in launch angle and ball speed on everything else.
And here’s your fine print:
*distance claim based on 4-iron test data. RSi 1 Irons designed with a COR up to the USGA limit. Due to manufacturing tolerances, not all irons will reach the maximum.
So maybe your irons will reach the USGA limit…maybe they won’t. Luck of the draw folks.
Couple the now familiar Speed Pocket with the Face Slot Technology (designed to protect ball speed on heel/toe misses), and well, you won’t be shocked to learn that TaylorMade is claiming a larger sweetspot with more forgiveness heel, toe, and low on the face.
That forgiveness theme is echoed in the company’s Nobody’s Perfect / Mishits Happen campaign (www.mis-hitshappen.com), and the requisite Social Media push (#MisHitsHappen).
Finally, as almost a footnote, TaylorMade says the new model offers better sound and feel (it does…though just slightly).
RSi 1 vs. SpeedBlade
We’ll save the discussion on RSi 2 and RSi TP until we get a hands-on look, so for now, let’s focus on the progression from SpeedBlade to RSi 1.
On specs alone, the irons are identical. Shaft lengths haven’t increased, and there isn’t any loft jacking (above and beyond what’s already been done).
Aesthetics
Blade length appears longer in the new model, and the overall head size appears slightly bigger. Regrettably (my opinion), last year’s low glare matte finish has been replaced by a highly reflective chrome finish.
Cosmetically, the RSi 1 is actually a step backwards (still my opinion), but I can also recognize the desire, if not the need, to bring some cohesiveness to the iron lineup. 1 looks like 2 looks like TP looks like MB…or something like that.
I prefer the look of SpeedBlade (I can’t believe I just said that), but if nothing else, the look of RSi 1 makes sense within the larger lineup.
And those Face Slots?
My initial impression of the face slots was an audible WTF. I thought, no way am I going to want to look down at that. And while it turns out that the slots are, as you’d expect, visible at address, it’s really not a big deal. That is to say, I never noticed them when I was actually hitting balls.
More relevant to the discussion, I think, is that our preliminary data suggests the damn things might actually do something. That is to say, something in the new iron makes it more forgiving than the previous model.
The Performance Test
I took the 7-iron from our RSi 1 sample set (stock stiff) and hit it side by side against the 7-from a stock set of Speed Blades. I hit plenty of shots to get loose, and then gathered a sample set of 10 good shots with each club (switching several times between clubs).
Limited flight (80%) range balls were used for this test, so feel free to do your own conversions. The goal was to see how the new model compares the one it’s replacing.
Here’s the data:
There are some really interesting things here that warrant a closer look. Stock for stock, I picked up an average of 5 MPH, with a 3 MPH difference on my best stuck ball (based on ball speed) with each club.
In general, ball speed numbers were much more consistent wit the new model than the SpeedBlade, and that was clearly reflected in less distance loss on mis-hits.
For example, a toe miss (most most consistent miss) with SpeedBlade would generally carry +/-138 yards with SpeedBlade, while that same miss would produce +/-142 yards with the RSi 1.
Dispersion was a bit tighter with the RSi 1, and it’s worth mentioning that I apparently had the Foresight aligned a bit right of my target line.
You should note that while that average launch angle differed by only .2°, there was a significant difference in my average spin rates. In fact, I averaged over 1500 RPM more backspin with the RSi 1 than I did with the SpeedBlade, and while I suspect my results may prove to be atypical, it certainly explains why 5 MPH more ballspeed only translated to an additional 4 yards of carry
Worth mentioning, I did not apply the Foresight roll model to the data, but the expectation is that SpeedBlade would produce significantly more roll (based on spin, and lower average peak trajectory), while the RSi 1 would all but stop where it lands.
Many will find that more desirable in an iron, and certainly, my spin numbers with the RSi 1 are much closer to ideal than what I got from SpeedBlade.
Should You Buy RSi 1 or SpeedBlade?
I play SpeedBlade now. I’m more personally invested in the irons than anything else in my bag. I pulled the stock shafts myself. I reassembled them with UST Recoil 125 shafts, and I’ve hit them well (mostly) this season.
It’s a pickle.
For $600 ($200 less) you’ll probably be happy with SpeedBlade, but if you’re willing to spend more, the RSi 1 is unquestionably more forgiving. My guess it will prove longer for most than it did for me as well. Stock vs. stock, it is a better iron.
If you already have SpeedBlade, you’ll probably be content to ride it out for another season or two…at least that’s what I’m trying to convince myself of right now.
RSi 1 Pricing and Availability
RSi 1 ($799 steel; $899 graphite) will be available to demo at select TaylorMade retailers on October 15, 2014. Sets (3-PW) can be purchased beginning on November 14, 2014. Individual gap, sand and lob wedges will be available in the RSi 1.
The Other RSi Irons
TaylorMade wasn’t able to provide sample sets of RSi 2 and RSi TP ahead of this post, so for now, what we can tell you is little more than what’s in the TaylorMade press release, and so here’s that bit.
RSi 2 Footnotes
The most resounding characteristic of the RSi 2 is the Progressive Multi-Material Construction. The 3-5 irons are cast from 450 stainless steel with tungsten weighting to promote a lower CG and slightly higher flight. The mid irons (6-7) are cast of 450 stainless steel, as well. The high-strength material allowed engineers to make the face thinner, undercuts deeper and accommodate slot technology. The short irons (8, 9, PW) incorporate forged faces to promote feel and accuracy; and the wedges are completely forged, giving them the look, feel and workability desired by better players. RSi 2 irons come stock with the all-new KBS Tour 105 shaft.
RSi 2 ($999 steel; $1199 graphite) will be available to demo at select TaylorMade retailers on October 15, 2014. Sets (3-PW) can be purchased beginning on November 14, 2014. Only gap and sand wedges (no lob wedge option) will be available in RSi 2.
RSi TP Footnotes
The RSi TP irons combine the forged look and feel preferred by better players with Face Slot Technology. An advanced two-piece construction merges a premium 1025 forged carbon steel hosel/face with a 431 stainless steel back using plasma welding in the 3-7 irons. This construction provides the precision and feel of a forged iron with the advanced geometry of cast irons – delivering the best of both worlds. The short irons (8-PW) are classic forged heads with a slight muscle cavity. RSi TP irons come stock with the Tour-proven KBS Tour Steel Shaft.
RSi TP ($1199) will be at retail on January 15, 2015.
More to Come
As soon as TaylorMade has RSi 2 and RSi TP product available we’ll put them through their paces to see how they compare to the other RSi products as well as the irons they’re replacing.
dave
4 years ago
the forged set was a great beginners set that were still too light weight and resulted in serious losses in distance, upwards of fifty yards.
at least it offered a two iron, could of provided a impression for silver set instead of gloss plastic impression they really are/were