DEC. 20 CHAT WITH TAYLORMADE (Read what TMag replied to all of your questions pg 12)

[lobub]

Will you guys ever bring adjustability to the Superfast driver line? (Preferably in black. )
I've had the chance to play many TM driver models over the years and love the Superfast 1.0.

[bu11dog]

You mentioned higher lofts for tour players. What are the various lofts that will be available to us average Joes?

[TaylorMadeGolf]

[quote name='TonyGeeHolywell' timestamp='1324405302' post='3966065']
[color="#1c2837"][size="2"]I'm a Titleist woods stallwart, playing Mizuno irons... As every Taylormade driver marketing release campaign is akin to the re-invention of the wheel, how are you gonna get the top amateurs in the game to move away from Titleist and start believing your hype... ?
[size="2"][color="#6e6e6e"][b]0[/b][/color][/size]Our mission is to provide new and exciting golf products for consumers every year. Gary Adams, when he founded the company, said that we would make the best performing products for the best players in the world.

Tour players are our proving grounds for products. We listen to them and they help us make better products. We are getting the top amateurs playing TaylorMade products and we are committed to getting even more. Certainly amateurs have known about our metalwoods but we are seeing more and more good players getting involved with our Tour Preferred forged irons, our Penta golf ball, and even the R11 irons. Hope you can see this for yourself. -MF


[/size][/color]
[/quote]

[TaylorMadeGolf]

[quote name='Pevans2511' timestamp='1323817227' post='3934989']
in reference to the speed pocket how is this technology different than what some other companies are doing out to allow you to push COR to its limit in Woods also is the inverted cone technology milled into the back of the face?
[/quote]

[size=2](See answer above #442) There is no inverted cone inthe fws/rescues because we are not above the USGA/R&A limits[/size]

[size=2]The differences between other product is thefront cg and the deeper face work together with sole geometry to improveoverall performance. The combination of the 3 features (Speed Pocket, DeeperFace, Front CG) is better than the effect of just those features alone. Theproduct currently in market does not have all 3 features. -TO[/size]

[cmorton2]

I was under the impression that you could not adjust the Adjustable Face Tech. to be flatter in lie angle. Is that correct? If so, with what I know about the "D" plane wouldn't it make sense to produce a flatter lie angle in drivers rather than more upright or is the thinking that most golfers slice it so upright is better? Thanks for you time.

Cameron

[TaylorMadeGolf]

[quote name='sedowney' timestamp='1324407389' post='3966379']
Just got back from lunch, TMAG rocks. Thanks for the chat, my question is, b[color="#1C2837"][size="2"]eing a science minded nerd , would the compression channel be likely to ever suffer from " work hardening " of the metal? That in turn could lead to fatigue fracture, how was this addressed and dealt with? Thanks, TMAG! Continue to bring great products.

Shane [/size][/color]
[/quote]

Great question, Shane. The stresses experienced in the 'Speed Pocket' are much below the fatigue limits of the materials used to create the RocketBallz fairway woods, so no, they are immune to suffering from "work-hardening."

One of the biggest challenges in developing this product was the durability of the structure and we are confident that we have made a very robust design.

-TO

[Custom]

Does taylormade plan on ever going back to black heads, and if so will you offer a choice between the two or maybe other colors?

[Knockdown]

I have seen the spec sheet for the RBZ fairway woods. I noticed that your 15* 3 wood has a volume of 197cc. Does the club actually play larger because of the speed pocket in the sole? I would expect it to, but I am just trying to confirm as they may measure the volume of a club differently.

[TaylorMadeGolf]

[quote name='markheardjr' timestamp='1324405479' post='3966095']
Any chance we will ever see an adjustable iron? The newest line has the weights in them but they aren't for the user to swap around, they were for TM to achieve constant weighting easier. I'd like to see an iron with a sliding weight in the back so you can tweak COG and flight pattern from left to right. [b]Taylor Made has removed lead weight from my woods, now help me out with my irons please!!![/b]
[/quote]

Being the leader in adjustability in clubs, you can imagine that we have prototyped numerous designs incorporating adjustable features in irons. We are constantly evaluating these designs and the benefit they bring to golfers as well as the best ways to allow the user to adjust the product. It is very possible that these designs will show up on the market.

[adxjeff]

What is the price and preformance difference in the RBZ driver and RBZ tour driver?

[TaylorMadeGolf]

[quote name='apprenti23' timestamp='1323879868' post='3938327']
This question can be multiple parts, but here is the main one:

[i][b]What is the process in determining or selecting a "stock shaft?"[/b][/i]

I'm interested in how many different shafts are tested, how they are tested, and under what process until you finally say "Okay, X brand shaft and X weight at X length is now the stock shaft for all of our X fairway woods or the X driver or new RBZ irons." The process must take forever!

Thanks
[/quote]

[size=2]For picking the stock shaft there are 2components. Structure and Brand. From astructure standpoint, we have a good history of what sells and will fit theintended target golfer for a specific product. We do continually evolve this to create better performance, but it isnot a large change in specs, usually just a subtle tweak to adjust for a CG orhead variation. In the structure performance evaluation, we also work with ourvendors as they develop improved material and structure technologies.[/size]

[size=2]The brand conversation with our shaft vendors,is typically about what will be hot from a brand standpoint from them. This isre-evaluated every year and, as you can imagine, the competition between themis very strong and positive.[/size]

[size=2]However, we do know that we need to offerdifferent options and we do this through our TP custom program. TP shafts, both stock and custom, are thesame specs that the shaft vendors offer direct to retail or the tour. - TO[/size]

[TaylorMadeGolf]

[quote name='pnd4pnd' timestamp='1324406634' post='3966263']
will you expand left hand offerings? specifically mb irons?
[/quote]

There are no plans to launch LH TP MB for irons this year.

[PINSEEKER72]

Was there anything done differently in manufacturing the RBZ Fairway Woods that will allow them to be easier to hit off the turf than older series TM woods?

[TaylorMadeGolf]

[quote name='1iron' timestamp='1324404891' post='3966003']
How about Sub 50 gm shafts? Do they really add distance? or is it just a function of a longer club?
[/quote]
[size="2"][size=2]We have used ~50 gram shafts with the Burner. The difference from 50 to sub-50 in not noticeable to golfers, given similar flex and torque properties.[/size][/size]

[size="2"][size=2][/size]Lighter can provide more distance, assuming they are the best fit for the golfer. [/size]

[size="2"][size=2][/size] [/size][size="2"][size=2][/size][size=2]The shaft's job in to generate maximum speed with control, and this is very individual in what feels best during the swing, especially at the transition at the top of the swing.[/size] [/size]

[size="2"][size=2][/size][/size]

[size="2"][size=2]Similar to a race car driver, who goes faster through a corner, when the car feels better, a golfer will generate the most speed with the shaft that feels the best in the transition.[/size][/size]

[size="2"][size=2][/size][size=2]The challenge with most lightweight shafts is that they don’t feel as connected in the transition for stronger players.[/size][/size]

[size="2"][size=2][/size][size=2]This is why fitting is so critical, not just for head, but shaft, as well.[/size][/size]

-TO

[gr8blueheronbird]

When will you launch the RBZ Driver?

[TaylorMadeGolf]

[quote name='lobub' timestamp='1324407582' post='3966399']
Will you guys ever bring adjustability to the Superfast driver line? (Preferably in black. )
[/quote]

No. -DC

[bvmiller8244]

Hello TMAG-

Q1: which of the staff professionals have put these into championship play and what has been their feedback?
Q2: do you expect this driver to be on the Golf Digest Hotlist for 2012? And what type of comments has we expect from L M H hdcps?

Thank You!

[TaylorMadeGolf]

[quote name='nowheresville' timestamp='1324407840' post='3966439']
When will you launch the RBZ Driver?
[/quote]

On Tour in January...retail Feb. 3 -DC

[eelee]

Who is the target audience for the new RBZ irons and the R11 irons. Is one tailored for a sweeper vs a digger? As a mid handicap (9-11), which irons should I be looking at? Thanks!

[lobub]

Are there any pros who will be putting the RBZ woods into play? If so, can you name them?
We've seen Villegas' irons, but don't know if he is playing the woods.

[TaylorMadeGolf]

[quote name='jerryo' timestamp='1323893583' post='3939521']
With the new RBZ line the focus is on more distance with fairway woods and rescues. I appreciate distance in my fairways and rescue clubs but my primary concern is on accuracy. These are placement clubs: short par 4s, long par 3s, par 5 approaches for example. How is Taylormade addressing not only distance but accuracy with the new lines?

Thanks.
[/quote]

[size=2]The great thing about RBZ is that there is noloss of accuracy versus previous offerings, but a huge leap in distanceperformance. In many ways RBZ, will also be much easier to play, which willimprove accuracy even more. - TO[/size]

[anthony007]

Are there any new players forged irons in the works for 2012

[RookieBlue7]

Is there any chance you guys could expound in the MWT technology and how it works? I posted a lengthy question back on page 3 but it appears the more recent questions are the ones being answered. So what I'm wondering is how the MWT actually effects ballflight, which I'm a believer in. Now, however, after reading some opinions of some of the larger minds in the industry, I'm curious as to whether their claims of it being a placebo effect is true. They routinely state 35-40 grams of movement being necessary to actually effect flight. I believe it's less as I've seen changes to flight by moving the weights around on my R11. Could you more thoroughly explain the technology possibly and what makes it work in the technical aspect?

Also, what lofts will be offered in the RBZ fairways?

[lobub]

[quote name='TaylorMadeGolf' timestamp='1324407841' post='3966441']
[quote name='lobub' timestamp='1324407582' post='3966399']
Will you guys ever bring adjustability to the Superfast driver line? (Preferably in black. )
[/quote]

No. -DC
[/quote]

Tears are quietly streaming down my face right now.

[TaylorMadeGolf]

[quote name='bu11dog' timestamp='1324407584' post='3966401']
You mentioned higher lofts for tour players. What are the various lofts that will be available to us average Joes?
[/quote]

15, 17, 19, 21, 24

-DC

[mrgolf147]

I love my xFT wedges! Do you plan to continue to produce faceplates for them in the future or is it time for me start hoarding?

[TaylorMadeGolf]

[attachment=956033:RBZ Thick Thin.jpg] [quote name='Randagios' timestamp='1323894098' post='3939553'] Why is the slot on your RBZ FW only on the bottom of the club and not also on the top? Are you offering R11s FW in Ti as you did with the R11? The RBZ driver has a FCT shaft but not the FW: which are the reason for such a decision? [/quote] [size=2]There is no Speed Pocket on the crown of RBZproducts for a few reason. [/size] [size=2]We use a Thick Thin crown structure to produce0.6/0.4 mm crown thicknesses to lower the CG. [/size] [size=2]Since our crowns are very thin to lower the CG,the structure is already flexible enough to produce speed without theappearance penalty. Additionally to add a crown structure, would require moreweight that hurts CG performance. [/size] [size=2]Currently, no plans to launch an R11S Ti fw.[/size] [size=2]For FCT with fws/rescues, I covered that above.Thanks for the question. - TO[/size]

[Rule13.1]

Are you going to add any additional shaft options with the new clubs? Specifically, do you anticipate ever partnering with UST-Mamiya or Miyazaki?

[JaxGolfer1]

Will there be a Rocketballz line of golf balls to complement the Penta line?

[TaylorMadeGolf]

[quote name='mrgolf147' timestamp='1324408051' post='3966469']
I love my xFT wedges! Do you plan to continue to produce faceplates for them in the future or is it time for me start hoarding?
[/quote]

We will continue for at least the next year. -DC