Will new irons improve your game?

TaylorMade has always been an innovator in golf clubs such as metal woods or weighted drivers. Irons, on the other hand, have changed very little over the last 30 or 40 years, with perimeter weighting and cavity-back irons the last major innovations.

Then in December 2012 TaylorMade introduced what they call the Speed Pocket into their RocketBladez and RocketBladez Tour irons. The Speed Pocket is a two-millimetre slot on the sole of an iron lined with reactive polyurethane made by 3M. The Speed Pocket idea was not entirely new, as TaylorMade first used it on their RocketBallz fairway metals.

The Speed Pocket is only found in irons 3 to 7 and meets USGA standards. It was Mark King, CEO of TaylorMade who said, “If your iron does not have a Speed Pocket, your iron is out of date.”

How the speed pocket works

The Speed Pocket produces a second flexing of the club face, which is called a trampoline or spring effect. The technical terms is “coefficient of restitution.” The Speed Pocket increases the speed of the face at impact, which produces faster ball speed, higher trajectory, straighter ball flight and a steeper descent angle. As a result, the golfer increases accuracy and distance by six to 11 yards. 

In addition to the Speed Pocket, the stainless steel club head is 11 per cent slimmer, which promotes a faster ball speed combined with a higher launch off the clubface. TaylorMade research showed that 68 per cent of amateur golfers hit below the center of the face. As a result, the club’s center of gravity was lowered, making it easier to hit the ball up. Their Inverter Cone Technology produces a design with a larger sweet spot. Touring PGA pros such as Dustin Johnson, Sean O’Hair and Justin Rose have endorsed these irons.

Trying them out

In theory, these clubs sound perfect, especially for that extra distance, but the driving range should prove more conclusive than hitting into a store net. My personal selection is the RocketBladez No. 6 iron, steel shaft and usually the worst club in my bag. This will indeed be revolutionary if I can even hit any No. 6 iron consistently. 

The club felt great in my hands, was a little offset and made good contact with the ball. Did the ball come off the face quicker? Maybe. Were there fewer vibrations? Maybe. Did the ball travel higher and farther? Maybe. 

The real test, of course, is on the golf course and that will cost me in the range of $800 for a new set of clubs. Maybe.