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TaylorMade RBZ Tour Driver: Featured Review


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9 degree, 60x ahina tipped 1 inch, 44.5 inches long
Tested:
9* RBZ tour TP 60x Diamana Ahina, tipped one inch, playing at 44.5".



Pros:
Great pop on center strikes while being surprisingly forgiving on miss-hits. Launches high with low spin, and flight can be adjusted accordingly with the FCT system.

Cons:
The white color, while not visually off putting, is a bit a problem for someone who wants to keep the driver for a few seasons at least, as it shows every spec of dirt and any little ding that may occur. Sound might be a bit much for purists.

Bottom Line:
We have lift off. Sean O'Hair was right. This thing is a Rocket Ballz!

Review:
TaylorMade's latest driver offering features inverted cone technology to help produce maximum ball speed from all across the face and the companiy's Flight Control System (FCT) to fine tune ball flight to your desired shot shape. Let me preface this part by saying that when it comes to drivers, I tend to favor the traditional head shapes and sounds. To my eyes, nothing looks better than a simple black club head without any fancy alignment aides or gimmicks, and nothing sounds sweeter to my ears than the sweet THWACK produced by many of the drivers that have gained legendary status out here in message board land. I've owned the legendary J33r, the 9015d, the 905r,the Nike VR tour, the Superdeep, and my most recent gamer, a 983e, all of which have that meaty thud upon impact.

Looks:
When I got word that I had been selected to review the RocketBallz driver, my initial thoughts were "I wonder if they'd make me a black one?" I have taken short glimpses at the older r11 models and that's as far as it went, I just wasn't into the color. It made the 460cc club head look even larger.

Upon receiving my RBZ, what immediately stood out to me was how "not huge" the club head appeared. I feel that the lime/silver graphics on the rear of the crown do a great job of breaking up the visual lines, and the overall club head shape looks much better and dare I say more traditional that that of the non-tour RBZ model. Much less of a triangle shape going on here. The matte black finish of the clubface really pops against the white background, and accompanied by the ahina ion plated shaft, I had one sweet looking club on my hands.

I do have to say that the white color doesn't bother me from a visual /performance aspect, it does bother me on the level that it shows every little piece of dirt/debris and if you plan on keeping it in the bag for a few seasons, it seems that it could drive someone crazy if you are a stickler about not having paint chips or dirty clubs (like me).

PERFORMANCE/PLAYABLILITY:
After much back and forth with Rob (HipCheck), I confirmed my custom specs for the RBZ Tour. I went with the 9 degree head shafted with the 60x Diamana Ahina, tipped one inch, playing at 44.5". I also asked if possible, could they throw and extra wrap of tape underneath the new grip, which nicely is absent of any markings so it appears the same no matter which setting you have the FCT adjusted to. When the box arrived, I dug and found that it was built to my specs, with a VERY quick turnaround time once my specs were submitted.

Once again (and probably more in the future here) I will reference my past drivers as the baseline on performance/feel. My gamer before the RBZ arrived was a 983e 8.5 degree that I shafted up with a 66xx UST proto shaft. Ball flight felt true to loft, and I was getting pretty good results. Well, I thought I was getting good results.

First swing at my local range shocked me as I launched my ball suuuuper high, but man, it just kept flying and flying, holding its peak trajectory, no ballooning whatsoever. Time and time again, just high bombs on the neutral setting. But we all know how range time can be deceiving, so I was extremely excited to see how this bad boy would perform on the course.

First round was at Papago out here in Phoenix on a day where the high peaked out just under 80 degrees, a little windy, and fairways in soft conditions. It's 7,333 yards from the tips, 75.0/130. I tied my personal best on that track with a 74 first time out. The high launch most definitely increased carry distances and I was able to take some more aggressive lines off the tee which was nice, but even more was just how forgiving mishits where. Shockingly so. Misses high and on the toe stayed pretty true and distance was superb on mishits. I've got 4 rounds in now with the RBZ, played with multiple friends, and all seem to have noticed both how much higher I hit this set up, and how much more forgiving it appears to be. Drivers I've played in the past were MUCH more taxing on bad days, and if the tour plays so forgivingly, I can't even imagine how much of a cinch the non tour must be. Center strikes are freaking deep! I know a lot it to be said for the proper shaft/head combo, and maybe I just hit the nail on the head with this set up, but this is the most consistently deep set up I've ever gamed. Good stuff.

FEEL:
Speaking of mishits, there is a definitive audible difference when not struck on the bolts. When hit on the screws, it's a very loud but yet a powerful sound IMO, not anything "tinny" in nature. Mishits do sound a bit harsh, but really not nearly as bad as I was expecting given some of the reviews I had read beforehand. Do not be mistaken, it is not a quiet driver and you will probably pull a few looks while whacking this thing on the range or on the course, but the feel of the driver and performance negates any sound complaints, at least for me. Hell it's could make a little kitten "meow" when hit and if put out good results, I'd be all for it.

The clubface does feel extremely hot though and it really feels like you can feel the ball shooting off the face, nothing of which I have experienced before in a driver. IMO, if you've hit the TEE fairway line, then that is the best thing I can compare it to, the balls just seems to FLY off the face.

Overall the club has a great balance and feel to it. Good solid weight to the club head, in fact the head has a stout and heavy feel, very reminiscent of my old j33r. Just a solid feeling driver that inspires confidence.

OVERALL BOTTOM LINE:
Say what you will about the TMAG marketing juggernaut, but the results I am getting from this bad boy cannot be overlooked. I have not hit any of the latest offerings from other manufactures nor do I have launch monitor data to back me up, just real life performance on courses that I have played numerous times. Time and time again I found myself flying the ball past where I would previously roll out to. 320 all carry on wet fairways? Why the hell not! 290 on mishits high on the toe? Superb!

2 buddies hit the driver on an Easter Sunday round, went home and immediately began looking to replace their old drivers. I hope they can chime in here with any additional input/insight.

I'd like to say thanks again to GolfWRX and Taylor Made for providing me with this opportunity. This site has been an extreme asset to myself and the golfing community worldwide.

I will continue to update this thread with some on course measurements, I hope this is detailed enough, I've been writing this in between changing diapers, fixing bottles, and slamming coffee haha. Thanks again everyone and let me know if you have any questions!






callaway epic max ls MMT x
Ping G25 15* Black Tie

818 H2 set 21* evenflow 6.5

HOGAN ft worth black x100

cleveland 50* scratch  54 & 60 customs T&A
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I was really surprised by just how high it launches, yet it's strong. I love it, just was really surprised to see it launch like that.

I haven't messed with adjusting the settings at all, as my stock flight is a fade and I hit a baby fade with it on neutral, and can go after it with no worry of hitting a hook.
In the future I might try stuffing some cotton balls into the head to dampen the sound, but I'm in no hurry.

callaway epic max ls MMT x
Ping G25 15* Black Tie

818 H2 set 21* evenflow 6.5

HOGAN ft worth black x100

cleveland 50* scratch  54 & 60 customs T&A
Cleveland TA milled options

 

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I demo'd this club yesterday at one of the local courses and loved the flight/feel/look of it. The sound however was obnoxiously loud. I had to crank the loft down to 7.5* to get my desired flight out of it, just hitting flat bombs out there. Next part of the equation is trying to pick the perfect shaft if I'm gonna drop 400 on a new driver here soon. We'll have to see.

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Great write up and review. Very informative. I am not a TM fan and the white color doesn't help, but I like the shape and the look of this driver regardless. I am PING guy, but I am very tempted to take this one out for a test drive.

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Great review. I wanted to chime in here because I just got my RBZ Tour 9° with Fubuki Alpha 63g in X (playing to 45 1/4"). So far I've only managed to hit mine at the range. I would agree with just about all of your observations above. I'm planning to get mine on the course tomorrow (took the day off to play and relax). From my range time with this thing, I would say-

LOUD.....yes, very......but I agree that it isn't that horrible basball bat sound.....it is a strong sounding golf club ting. Not that Sasquatch sound the square Nike driver used to make.

Setup: Awesome...... I personally LOVE how square the face sits in the "standard" position. I will likely play mine in the standard or 1° open slot.

[b]Ballflight:[/b] So this is interesting.....so I demoed this driver with the stock shaft when I was in Myrtle Beach in Feb and I was hitting the thing SUPER high but really straight with a small fade (I usually hit a draw). Fast forward to a TM demo day about 2-3 weeks ago......demoed it with the Fubuki Alpha 60g in Stiff flex and I was hitting almost a perfect (mabe a hair lower than what I typically prefer) flight. I was actually rather astonished by the fairly low flight given my previous experience with the stock shaft (pleasantly surprised). At the demo day, I was piping the thing though and the guy next to me goes: "well, you've found your stick". So I proceeded to order my setup in X.

[b]Performance:[/b] So far, the only complaint I have is how incredibly light the driver is......my bad I guess for getting a 60g shaft....but then again, I've made the mistake in the past of demoing one club and then changing the specs in my order and then not getting the results I tested. Back on topic- so as I've said, I only hit this at the range, but here is what I can tell you.... at the range on Tuesday, there was a slight tail wind at my back and I was there just pounding this thing down range (end of the range is probably 280 or so). Some guys in the stalls down from me stopped hitting and started watching me hit. [b]SO HERE IS THE FUNNY PART[/b]- After about 30 balls, the range kid drives up in a cart behind me and says, with a bright red face, "excuse me sir, but we just got a call from the ranger and he said that your drives are flying through the back of the range onto the 15th fairway." So I apologized and stopped hitting my driver. Now, I'm not necessarily saying that this driver is any longer than my Cally RHT (because I don't think it is), but I never had that happen before. I'll know more about this stick though once I can get it on my home course.....they just aerated though, so it might be a little while.

So I'm pumped about this driver, but at the same time, I will say that I recently played a round with my Cally RHT with stock RIP in X (had the stock shaft re-installed) and I hit some of the longest drives I can remember ever hitting. The issue with the Cally is, the forgiveness factor isn't very high. I'm hoping this stick is almost or just as long but more forgiving.

Will know more tomorrow!!!!

Titleist TSi2 10, Fujikura Ventus Blue Velocore 6X, 45"

Titleist TSi2 16.5, Fujikura Ventus Red Velocore 7X, 43"

TaylorMade GAPR Mid 4, KBS

Titleist T100S, KBS C-Taper S+ 5-PW

Titleist SM8, 50F, 54S, 60D, TT S400 Custom 

Scotty Cameron Phantom X12, 35", Stability Tour


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I have the standard 9.5 degree head with a Matrix Ozik RD-6 x-stiff (TP shaft) in it. I'm hitting absolute bombs! Had two with 298 yards of carry on the launch monitor after I adjusted the FCT down to lowest loft (down 1.5 degrees to an effective loft of 8 degrees) and most open face setting. Spin was at just 2200 - 2400 rpm! Have played with it several times on the course. Played the track I played growing up and was hitting from places I had never been before (very good places!. Like the feedback from the Tour head, it launches high (even after kicking the FCT down and with an x-flex), but has a boring flight that that doesn't balloon (result of low spin) and goes forever! Awesome club! I have since added the Tour 14.5 3-wood with a Matrix Ozik RUL 70 x-stiff (TP shaft) and the 3 Rescue with a Matrix Ozik Altus 85 x-stiff (TP shaft). They're all absolute beasts! Taylormade has done very well this time!

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I haven't messed around with the loft settings around but I might tinker a bit in a month or so.

I have read that people feel its pretty light but perhaps cutting mine down added a little heft. I prefer my clubs to play really heavy(see my witb pics) and I feel tht it transitions perfectly into the rest of my set up.

callaway epic max ls MMT x
Ping G25 15* Black Tie

818 H2 set 21* evenflow 6.5

HOGAN ft worth black x100

cleveland 50* scratch  54 & 60 customs T&A
Cleveland TA milled options

 

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PS: I also bought the RBZ 5 wood (18°) with the stock Ozik 70g, tipped 1/4"......... thing honestly goes quite far.....probably as far, if not further, than my TEE 3 wood. I didn't think it could beat my TEE 3 wood, but so far I've found places on course that my 3 wood has not. Jury is still out though just yet......

Titleist TSi2 10, Fujikura Ventus Blue Velocore 6X, 45"

Titleist TSi2 16.5, Fujikura Ventus Red Velocore 7X, 43"

TaylorMade GAPR Mid 4, KBS

Titleist T100S, KBS C-Taper S+ 5-PW

Titleist SM8, 50F, 54S, 60D, TT S400 Custom 

Scotty Cameron Phantom X12, 35", Stability Tour


[url="https://www.instagram.com/dnice262626/"]https://www.instagram.com/dnice262626/[/url]

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Good stuff Mark, well done review.

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[quote name='fore_life' timestamp='1334864601' post='4753478']
Kekoa, what difference do you notice I the non-tour version?
[/quote]


I din't hit these off the LM so FWIW, I found the non-tour to be the following:

1. Much more forgiving
2. Much better sounding
3. Slightly lower launching
4. Slightly longer

I really like the head shape of the non-tour. Plays perfect for me at D4 and 44.5". I added about 6-7 grams of lt on the sole to get SW up. It just inspires confidence for me. The Tour has a deep head that can be a bit intimidating.

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I had one and really liked it but ultimately the horrendous sound is what made me off it. I was just TOO distracting and annoying. If it had a better sound I would have kept it but as of now I am in a 910 D2 and definitely as happy in terms of distance, and flight but MUCH more happy in terms of sound and feel.

-Chris

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[quote name='kekoa' timestamp='1334865210' post='4753558']
[quote name='fore_life' timestamp='1334864601' post='4753478']
Kekoa, what difference do you notice I the non-tour version?
[/quote]


I din't hit these off the LM so FWIW, I found the non-tour to be the following:

1. Much more forgiving
2. Much better sounding
3. Slightly lower launching
4. Slightly longer

I really like the head shape of the non-tour. Plays perfect for me at D4 and 44.5". I added about 6-7 grams of lt on the sole to get SW up. It just inspires confidence for me. The Tour has a deep head that can be a bit intimidating.
[/quote]

Interesting, I have actually heard from a number of knowledgeable people here that the non-Tour RBZ is quite the sleeper. In your experience what is the spin differential? I've heard that the non-Tour doesn't spin much more at all and would be a great fit for a lot of players. I went with the Tour without a second thought because I've always had a big problem with spin on the driver, but my interest is definitely piqued.

FWIW my Tour head weighs 192.78 grams, so in terms of sound and weighting there is plenty of room to work with hotmelt or anything else.

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[quote name='geesecougar2' timestamp='1334870311' post='4753948']
[quote name='kekoa' timestamp='1334865210' post='4753558']
[quote name='fore_life' timestamp='1334864601' post='4753478']
Kekoa, what difference do you notice I the non-tour version?
[/quote]


I din't hit these off the LM so FWIW, I found the non-tour to be the following:

1. Much more forgiving
2. Much better sounding
3. Slightly lower launching
4. Slightly longer

I really like the head shape of the non-tour. Plays perfect for me at D4 and 44.5". I added about 6-7 grams of lt on the sole to get SW up. It just inspires confidence for me. The Tour has a deep head that can be a bit intimidating.
[/quote]

Interesting, I have actually heard from a number of knowledgeable people here that the non-Tour RBZ is quite the sleeper. In your experience what is the spin differential? I've heard that the non-Tour doesn't spin much more at all and would be a great fit for a lot of players. I went with the Tour without a second thought because I've always had a big problem with spin on the driver, but my interest is definitely piqued.

FWIW my Tour head weighs 192.78 grams, so in terms of sound and weighting there is plenty of room to work with hotmelt or anything else.
[/quote]

I don't want to de-rail this thread off of fore's Tour review, but I also started with the Tour. It was really good for me on the range, but once I took it out to play, it just didn't work for me. I went to a well known builder here in socal who had just finished testing the tour and non-tour head. He found the non tour to be slightly lower launching/spinning head. He actually had #'s to support this, but I really can't remember them. Sorry. These were tested with the stock shafts FWIW. I have the tour spec speeder in mine. I'd urge you to try the non-tour with your favorite low spin shaft. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the results.

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Surprised that the non launches lower and spins less.

I'm currently going through my quiver of back ups trying to see if I have enough trade-in loot to pick up a RBZ 4 wood.

I'd love to be able to see what kind of numbers I'm putting up with this driver. I've had set ups in the past that have gotten great carry distances but minimal roll and ones that get tons of roll but reduced carry, this seems to be on the high end of both.

Last round was at southern dunes and with their gps, I had the majority of my drives over the 300 mark, long one of the day being 340.

Driving has always been my games downfall as I can'hit it pretty hard, just struggle at times to keep it in play. The reduced spin seems to keep it in play when I miss it to the right, and in turn I'm shooting better scores.

callaway epic max ls MMT x
Ping G25 15* Black Tie

818 H2 set 21* evenflow 6.5

HOGAN ft worth black x100

cleveland 50* scratch  54 & 60 customs T&A
Cleveland TA milled options

 

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So ive played a few rounds with my RBZ tour with fubuki 63X.....so far i think i like it. My main issue is how light it is. I probably should have gotten the 70g version shaft. My first round out was tough in that i was missing everything left....but i think i know why....no legs that day.... ; )

Fast forward to yesterday....played Wintonbury Hills is Bloomfield,CT....i hit it much better with my legs under me. Shot 75 with a ton of missed putts. The one thing im noticing is how low the flight is.....lower than what im used to....but that honestly may be a good thing. Im not a trackman guy but i would'nt be surprised if my drives were typically in the low 3000 range. I have yet to check this RBZ tour but im guessing that im now in the mid to low 2000s. I stuck a bit of lead tape out on the toe to slow down my release and it helped. I did hit some pretty long drives and i wasnt far off the fairway if i did miss one. Im not sure how much longer this setup is then my Cally RHT, if at all, but i plan to test them against each other once we get a reasonable day without wind. I think i might try the fubuki alpha in my supertri.....might be a nasty combo. Not so sure yet if this stick will make the 2012 cut......

Titleist TSi2 10, Fujikura Ventus Blue Velocore 6X, 45"

Titleist TSi2 16.5, Fujikura Ventus Red Velocore 7X, 43"

TaylorMade GAPR Mid 4, KBS

Titleist T100S, KBS C-Taper S+ 5-PW

Titleist SM8, 50F, 54S, 60D, TT S400 Custom 

Scotty Cameron Phantom X12, 35", Stability Tour


[url="https://www.instagram.com/dnice262626/"]https://www.instagram.com/dnice262626/[/url]

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[quote name='ShadJC' timestamp='1334853971' post='4752456']
I have the standard 9.5 degree head with a Matrix Ozik RD-6 x-stiff (TP shaft) in it. I'm hitting absolute bombs! Had two with 298 yards of carry on the launch monitor after I adjusted the FCT down to lowest loft (down 1.5 degrees to an effective loft of 8 degrees) and most open face setting. Spin was at just 2200 - 2400 rpm! Have played with it several times on the course. Played the track I played growing up and was hitting from places I had never been before (very good places!. Like the feedback from the Tour head, it launches high (even after kicking the FCT down and with an x-flex), but has a boring flight that that doesn't balloon (result of low spin) and goes forever! Awesome club! I have since added the Tour 14.5 3-wood with a Matrix Ozik RUL 70 x-stiff (TP shaft) and the 3 Rescue with a Matrix Ozik Altus 85 x-stiff (TP shaft). They're all absolute beasts! Taylormade has done very well this time!
[/quote]


Sorry to be a pain in the neck, but money is a little tight and I need to make the right decision. Been playing TM for several years and carry 3.1. CH speed has declined in my later years and iis now around 105. Live in South Mississippi where it's almost always breezy. Does anyone have any kind of tested launch and spin numbers on the Pro vs the non-Pro? My normal filght is high (launch is normally okay but spin can easily get too high for optimum). Anybody know where I can get the spin rates on the two models? If anything, I need something to keep the flight down to boring...Never had a driver I couldn't get mor ethan enough elevation on. Many thanks in advance.

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Umreb......in my experience with the RBZ Tour, the shaft you choose is VERY important to the answer to your question. I demoed the stock shaft in the RBZ Tour when I was in Myrtle beach earlier in the year and I was hitting HIGH cuts (usually play a high draw)......and this with the FCT in the "Lower" position.

Fast forward to about 3 weeks ago and I demoed the RBZ tour with a Fubuki Alpha 63g shaft.....MUCH LOWER ballflight.....oddly enough (as I thought the fubuki was supposed to be a high launch shaft). Funny thing is, now I'm wondering if my ballflight is a touch too low.....far more testing needed before I can confirm (only played 3 rounds of golf with it so far).

Titleist TSi2 10, Fujikura Ventus Blue Velocore 6X, 45"

Titleist TSi2 16.5, Fujikura Ventus Red Velocore 7X, 43"

TaylorMade GAPR Mid 4, KBS

Titleist T100S, KBS C-Taper S+ 5-PW

Titleist SM8, 50F, 54S, 60D, TT S400 Custom 

Scotty Cameron Phantom X12, 35", Stability Tour


[url="https://www.instagram.com/dnice262626/"]https://www.instagram.com/dnice262626/[/url]

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[quote name='DNice26' timestamp='1335214288' post='4775652']
Umreb......in my experience with the RBZ Tour, the shaft you choose is VERY important to the answer to your question. I demoed the stock shaft in the RBZ Tour when I was in Myrtle beach earlier in the year and I was hitting HIGH cuts (usually play a high draw)......and this with the FCT in the "Lower" position.

Fast forward to about 3 weeks ago and I demoed the RBZ tour with a Fubuki Alpha 63g shaft.....MUCH LOWER ballflight.....oddly enough (as I thought the fubuki was supposed to be a high launch shaft). Funny thing is, now I'm wondering if my ballflight is a touch too low.....far more testing needed before I can confirm (only played 3 rounds of golf with it so far).
[/quote]


DNice. Thank you so much for your response. What you're saying makes complete sense and my question was a bit absurd in todays world where the shaft, head combo is so critical and tweakable. Much appreciate the input...tim

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Very nice review ... and dead-on with my experiences with the RBZ Tour in a 9* loft, which I have had for about 7 or 8 weeks now. I was able to get it as a head-only, so I had my choice of shafts to put into it. I was playing the 2011 R11TP in a 9* loft, with a tipped Aldila RIP Alpha ("red eyes") shaft in R-flex .... firm flex at 262 CPM after tipping. Playing length on my R11TP with this shaft was a hair less than 44.75" ... it plays at almost 44.875" in the RBZ Tour head. I also have the following shafts installed in RBZ adaptor sleeves for use in this head:

[list][*]UST Mamiya ATTAS Elements RK 6S (untipped S-flex, with a butt frequency greater than 271 CPM, which scared me) ... plays to 45" long in this head.[*]UST Mamiya ATTAS Elements MK 6S (also untipped, and actually a bit too much shaft for me in any driver head!).[*]UST Mamiya ATTAS[sup]3[/sup] 5260 R-flex (tipped 1/2" and playing close to a stiff flex) .... plays to 45.25" in this head.[*]Aldila RIP Alpha R-flex that came from TaylorMade (NOT a "made for" shaft) .... because it is a TM-upgrade shaft, they have it set to play to a 45.75" playing length, but I get close to 46" on my TrueMeasure bench scale. [u]I just received this shaft late last Saturday afternoon, and haven't gotten a chance to hit it yet, but it is installed in the RBZ Tour head -- I will also almost certainly be trimming .75" to 1.0" from the butt on it[/u].[/list]

I kept my R11TP, and have been doing quite a bit of side-by-side comparison between the two drivers with the same shafts installed in them during several range sessions over the last 6 weeks. I thought that, since both drivers have the same stated loft, that it would be good to test the two with identical shafts and at identical playing lengths (the R11TP has a true loft that is less than 9*; the RBZ Tour measures right about 9* when the FCT sleeve is set at "STD. LOFT").

The R11TP with tipped Aldila RIP Alpha-R was my "go to" driver for all of 2011, and the few rounds that I played over the Winter before I received the RBZ Tour head. I am finding that the RBZ Tour does indeed launch the ball a bit higher than the R11TP, and the amount of "hang time" that I get with the RBZ Tour is considerably more than with the R11TP when I have the same shaft in both drivers. Using crappy range balls, I seem to get 10 to 15 yards more carry with the RBZ Tour, and yet I still get enough roll-out with both clubs. On a few occasions, I have disobeyed the signs on the range where I practice that ask golfers not to use their own golf balls except for pitching, chipping, and/or putting. When I hit "real" golf balls with the RBZ Tour, the differences seem a little greater, and I have gotten as much as 20 yards more carry using this club vz. the R11TP.

For, me (surprisingly), the RBZ Tour/ATTAS Elements RK 6S has been the best combination for me so-far. The ball just absolutely rockets off the face and seems to go forever before touching-down. The ATTAS[sup]3[/sup] in a tipped R-flex is also a powrful combination for me, but I hit my drives too high when using this shaft ... and I find myself a bit too inconsistent with it, no matter which clubhead it is installed in.

As previously mentioned, the RBZ Tour head is LOUD .... not annoyingly loud, but it is considerably louder than the R11TP, that's for sure! As for adjustability and control, there is more adjustability available with the R11TP, and I like having the removable sole plates (I happen to have three with varying levels of face angle adjustability and at weights that range from 6 to 12.5 grams). For this reason alone, I am not 100% convinced that the RBZ Tour will become my #1 driver .... at least, not YET! We all want that extra distance .... especially "old guys" like me, who have lost a lot of yardage with the driver over the years (in my case, I have lost more than 70 yards on my average drive between age 49 and age 63). However, the ability to fine-tune such things as face angle makes a difference to me.

One other thing that I forgot to mention .... I find the standard lie angle on the RBZ/RBZ Tour driver to be just too darned upright!

I hope that this is helpful to others here .... I'll be pleased to provide detailed data on my experiences with each of the shafts that I have hit side-by-side in the R11TP and RBZ Tour drivers, if anyone is interested.

Doug Mael
Doug's Custom Clubs

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I've got a shaft that I'm gonna pull from an 983e and throw a tip on, I'm just curius as how it'd be in the RBZ, especially with the heads higher launch. Good old 292cpm xx proto shaft haha

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I got fitted for a driver at Cool Clubs in Scottsdale in March. My swing speeds with every head they gave me to try (r11, r11s, i20, Callaway something or other) was a consistent 96 mph. But with the Rocketballz, it was a consistent 98 mph. They said I would be better with the Tour model as it does not have a draw bias. I also settled on the 10.5 loft, which was surprising since I thought I needed less loft. The also fitted me with an Accra TP 55 shaft, which was a lot stiffer than what I had been playing with (an R7 460 CC 10.5 with a ReAx 60, M flex). Have been playing with it for a month now. I hit it noticeably further than my old club and noticeably straighter. Mishits come off a lot better. My only suggestion would be that you need to be as careful choosing a shaft as you do a head.

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Whoever gave Forelife this driver please take it back, simply because it is not fair to his playing partners ego's.

Solid drives today Mark 2/2 on reaching par 4 greens in 1 always works.

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RSI TP 4-PW KBS Tour 120
Byron Morgan DH89 Rincon Neck deep mill or Circa 62 No 2
Vokey 52/56/60 SM5/TVDK/TVDVgrind DG S300
[url="http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/175527-one-putts-road-to-redemption-bag-04262014/"]WITB Link[/url]

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Haha thanks matt, I'm super pleased with the driver, especially now that I'm getting into the groove with it. Now if I could only convert those eagle putts! Not often you get 4 or 5 looks at eagle during a round haha

callaway epic max ls MMT x
Ping G25 15* Black Tie

818 H2 set 21* evenflow 6.5

HOGAN ft worth black x100

cleveland 50* scratch  54 & 60 customs T&A
Cleveland TA milled options

 

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