TAYLORMADE R9 & R9 TP IRONS
 MARK PENDFOLD
HANDICAP: 4
MODEL AND SHAFT PLAYED: TaylorMade R9 TP Irons 3-iron to pitching wedge fitted with KBS Tour steel shafts.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: I had seen the R9 irons in the shops and liked the look of them. Warming up with the 6-iron on the range, I noticed how the shape of the club had a very classic look at address, but when you turned it over, it had the undercut channel giving all the benefits of a cavity back.
VERDICT:
The R9 TP Irons pack a lot of forgiveness into their slick shaping. The long irons had a full covered cavity, and whatever is inside them lends a very forgiving feel even on off-centre hits. During the test, I mis-hit a 3-iron slightly into a par-5 and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was not too far from the target.
The other feature of this iron that impressed me was the thinner soles, which were bevelled away at the back. It seems with modern irons, soles are invariably getting thicker and thicker, so the R9 was a nice change. It was good to be able to cut through the tight turf we played on the day. Overall, I think any single-figure marker, or even someone in the low teens could put this in the bag. It’s an iron that any player will feel comfortable with quickly.
 PETER ANDREWS
HANDICAP: 16
MODEL AND SHAFT PLAYED: TaylorMade R9 Irons 4-iron to sand wedge fitted with KBS 90- gram regular fl ex steel shafts.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: The irons were a bit different than what I’m used to – narrower toplines and steel shafts, as opposed to the big heads and graphite shafts I currently play. The irons had a simple, functional look and set up well behind the ball. Even with the pro-style lines, the heads inspired a lot of confidence.
VERDICT: The R9 had a great feel off the face, something like a powerful jump. At the same time, it was fairly forgiving. I found the ball fl ew lower than my graphite-shafted irons, but I wasn’t losing any distance in the bargain. If anything, I found myself taking one club less on par-3s during the test.
I was able to work the ball fairly easily when I had to. Perhaps the best thing was I didn’t feel the need to overpower the ball at any time – I only had to put a good swing on it to get the impact, fl ight and distance that I needed.
I had absolute confidence using the short irons, they performed superbly. When I did have to hit a long iron, I was happy with the results. I think quite highly of TaylorMade’s clubs, and this iron set certainly was up to that standard.
FACTS & FIGURES
SUITABILITY: All levels of player.
SHAFTS: KBS 90-gram is the standard in steel, Fujikura Motore in graphite; TP standard is KBS Tour.
LOFTS: 6-iron 28º, pitching wedge 41º; 50º and 55º wedges also available. TP model 6-iron 31º, pitching wedge 47º; 51º wedge and 2-iron also available. LEFT-HANDED MODELS?: Yes.
HOW MUCH?: $164.95 per iron (steel), $199.95 (graphite); TP $184.95 (steel).
TAYLORMADE SAYS: “The R9 iron is designed to deliver modern performance and tremendous distance in a more classic package.
“Each long- and middle-iron house a large and fully enclosed compartment positioned behind the clubface called the Velocity Control Chamber. It acts like a face that wraps around the top-line and the leading edge, which gives the face more freedom to flex and reflex at impact, much like a thin-faced driver.
“In the R9 short-irons, each compact clubhead incorporates a deep undercut cavity and broad, low-centre-of-gravity sole. It also incorporates a vibration quieting layer, a visco-elastic adhesive made by 3M.
“The R9 TP iron’s classic shape and size are characterised by a compact head featuring a semi-straight leading edge, semi-square toe, thin topline and thin, cambered, bevelled sole.” Contact TaylorMade on 1800 700 011 or www.taylormadegolf.com
From the February 2010issue of Golf Australia magazine |
