TaylorMade's New RocketBladez Irons - Revolutionary or Evolutionary?

TaylorMade announced today what it is labelling "a once-in-a-lifetime innovation within the iron category" when the company officially introduced RocketBladez, an iron that claims to promote high launching, long and straight performance for all golfers.

The crucial element to RocketBladez irons is called Speed Pocket, which is taken directly from the highly succesfful RocketBallz fairways woods and rescue clubs. TaylorMade engineers integrated Speed Pocket into the new irons to promote faster ball speed and higher launch angle, which in turn will help create longer, higher shots that should stop quicker.

"Metalwoods have advanced tremendously since TaylorMade introduced the first one in 1979," TaylorMade CEO Mark King said. "The ball has advanced too, and even footwear and apparel have improved a great deal. But there hasn't been 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. If your iron doesn't have a Speed Pocket, your iron is outdated."

The Speed Pocket is a 2mm-wide slot in the sole of the iron (available in 3- through 7-irons) that flexes and rebounds at impact, increasing the speed of the face. The advantage is said to be more effective on impacts made low on the face, which is the shot that amateurs tend to hit more often.

Tour professionals will use the RocketBladez Tour model, which delivers consistent distance and is void of hot spots on the clubface to ensure more predictability.

RocketBladez Irons are priced at $799 with steel shafts, $899 with graphite shafts and are available for pre-order. The irons hit retail Nov. 30. The Tour irons will not be available until Feb. 1.