Equipment
TaylorMade goes big with the AeroBurner irons
Wide soles, thick top lines and long blade lengths. That’s not the recipe for a set of classic-looking irons, but when it comes to performance, it’s hard to beat.
TaylorMade’s new AeroBurner irons are designed to be the longest, most forgiving irons in the company’s 2015 lineup, thanks to their low center of gravity and extreme heel-toe weighting. Like TaylorMade’s other irons, the AeroBurners also have the company’s Speed Pocket, a slot in the sole that raises launch angle and improves ball speed — particularly on off-center hits.
[quote_box_center]”Over the years, TaylorMade irons have gotten smaller,” said Tomo Bystedt, TaylorMade’s director of product creation for irons. “We felt we were not meeting the needs of certain golfers, and wanted to make an iron that was as long and as easy to play as anything we’ve ever made.”[/quote_box_center]
Related: Click here to learn about TaylorMade’s AeroBurner Mini Driver.
According to Bystedt, the AeroBurner irons are for golfers who don’t hit their irons as far as they’d like. That’s why they have the stronger lofts that they do — the 6 iron measures 25.5 degrees, the pitching wedge measures 43 degrees.
[quote_box_center]”We don’t typically use handicap as a guide… but these are probably for golfers with handicaps of 15 or more,” he said. [/quote_box_center]
Noticeably absent from the design of the AeroBurner irons are TaylorMade’s “Face Slots,” which are two vertical slots positioned on the toe and heel areas of the club face. They are used in the company’s RSi 1, RSi 2 and RSi TP irons.
Face slots make a club face play “larger,” or more forgiving than it would otherwise without increasing the size of the head. Because of the already large head size of the AeroBurner irons, Face Slots were not needed for the AeroBurner’s design, Bystedt said.
Golfers interested in the AeroBurner irons should expect a ball flight with a slight left bias from the clubs.
[quote_box_center]”The RSi 1 irons are designed to fly dead straight,” Bystedt said. “But we gave the AeroBurner irons a CG that will create about 2.5 yards more left bias.”[/quote_box_center]
The AeroBurner irons (available in 4-PW, AW, SW) will be in stores March 27.
Stock Shafts: Available with FST REAX 88 High Launch steel shafts ($699 for an eight piece set) or AeroBurner REAX 60 graphite shafts ($799) in stiff, regular, senior or ladies flex.
Click here to see what GolfWRX Members are saying about the AeroBurner irons in our forum.
Specs
- LIKE237
- LEGIT53
- WOW43
- LOL37
- IDHT23
- FLOP35
- OB25
- SHANK363
Equipment
Q&A: Martin Trainer on his Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers” putter, 6.5-degree driver, and “butter knife” 2-iron
As unbiasedly as I can put it, Martin Trainer has one of the coolest club setups in professional golf. (At some point soon, I’ll put together a top-10 list of “coolest club setups on Tour,” but I know that Trainer will be in the top-10)
What a lineup. He plays a 6.5-degree Wilson prototype driver, a 13-degree Wilson prototype 3-wood, a true blade Wilson Staff Model 2-iron, and a Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers Commemorative” putter!
View this post on Instagram
I mean, look at this 2-iron from address…
To quote the great author R.L. Stine: “Goosebumps.”
On Wednesday at the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open, I caught up with Trainer to learn more about his bag setup.
Here’s what he had to say:
You have the Internet going crazy over your bag setup, and your putter. Where’d you pick the Bobby Grace-Greg Chalmers putter up? How long have you had it?
MT: This was from when Bobby Grace came to my course in California: Cal Club. And for whatever reason, they just started having them in the shop. So then I took my buddy’s, started using it, and made, like, a million putts in a row, which is how every putter story begins, I guess.
And then, I bought a couple of my own, used it for years, got to the Tour with it, won on Tour with it (the 2019 Puerto Rico Open). Then, about a year later, started using another putter, did that for a couple years, but now it’s back in the bag.
When did it come back in the bag?
MT: December of this past year. So a few months ago.
What year would you say was the first time you threw that in the bag, or, like, when you bought it?
MT: God…Probably, 2016, maybe? 2018?
Do you remember how much you paid for it?
MT: I don’t know, actually. Maybe $100-150 bucks or something. I think that’s the only golf club I’ve bought between high school and now. Well, two, since I bought two of them.
The driver is interesting, too. What went into the prototyping process?
MT: That was a version of the current driver, but it was the prototype that they first came out with for Tour guys to try. And for whatever reason, I just never switched out to the new one.
It’s just 6.5 degrees, right?
MT: Yeah. Very low loft, yeah.
What kind of ball speed do you have with that these days?
MT: Like high 170’s.
Yeah, that’ll work. And then a 2-iron blade? We’re seeing fewer and fewer of those out here.
MT: Yeah. The butter knife.
Very cool thing to have in the bag. Have you done any testing with driving irons?
MT: Yeah, I used to have a thicker one, but it was a little offset, and I never hit it that well. And then finally, I started messing around with the butter knife. And I remember the first time I looked down at it, I was terrified. And then I ended up getting used to it, putting it in play, and it’s been in place since. It’s a pretty good club for me.
How far do you carry that?
MT: Like 235.
A good little wind club, I’m sure.
MTL Yeah, exactly. I can hit it very low. It’s great.
I love it. You have people shook looking at that. Thanks for the time, man.
MT: Absolutely.
To see more photos and discussion of Trainer’s bag, click here.
- LIKE8
- LEGIT3
- WOW1
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
Equipment
Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (3/28/24): L.A.B. Golf Mezz.1 Max Broomstick with LA Golf Paige Spiranac shaft
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a L.A.B. Golf Mezz.1 Max Broomstick putter with LA Golf Paige Spiranac shaft.
From the seller: (@hibcam): “L.A.B. GOLF Mezz.1 Max Broomstick- LA Golf Paige Spiranac Shaft- 44″/79.5. Brand new, never used brown leather cover. The head was professionally anodized from Orange to Blue (Orange looked bad with the Pink shaft so I had it changed). Only a few rounds on this combo. Please see last pic- slight ding on back corner. 8.5-10 condition. THE SHAFT COST $475/ THE PUTTER $625. $799 shipped in the US. ONLY $699 SHIPPED.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: L.A.B. Golf Mezz.1 Max Broomstick with LA Golf Paige Spiranac shaft
This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules
- LIKE0
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
Equipment
Spotted: Tony Finau’s driver shaft change at the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
Tony Finau has always been known as one of the longest players on the PGA Tour, but he has recently been working on adding a little more distance. Last year, Finau averaged 118.3 mph club head speed and 178.08 mph ball speed, all while playing a Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 70 TX driver shaft. This year, he has increased his club head speed to 123.93 mph and his ball speed to 183.32 mph.
However, Finau’s overall distance has decreased by two yards in that time. From a fitting perspective, something was amiss. We asked Tony about the shaft change at the Texas Children’s Hospital Open.
“[I’m seeing] better numbers with the spin. My driver’s been a little high spin for me over the last month or so, and so I just figured it was time to probably check out the equipment,” Finau said. “And it definitely showed me that I was using a shaft that’s maybe a little too tip-stiff for me, the way I load the club now. [I’m seeing] better numbers with the spin.”
Finau switched from the Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 70 TX into the Diamana GT 70 TX. The newer Diamana GT has a slightly different profile than the D+ Limited with the stiffest handle section in the Diamana lineup. The mid sections between the two are similar stiffness but the tip is just slightly stiffer in the Diamana GT. Both shafts are within one gram of each other in the 70 TX. The torque rating on the GT is 0.1 higher than the D+Limited’s 2.7 measurement.
Mitsubishi lists the Diamana GT as a shaft between the mid-launching Diamana TB and the new low-launch Diamana WB shafts. For most players, it would be considered a mid/low launch and low-spin shaft option. Mitsubishi’s Xlink Tech Resin System makes sure the maximum carbon fiber content is there for smooth feel without reducing the strength of the shaft. MR70 carbon fiber is used for reinforcing the shaft and boron is used in the tip for its high strength and compression properties.
Finau is still using his trusty Ping G430 LST driver in 9 degrees and has the adjustable hosel set to -1 degree of loft (standard lie angle). Finau’s long-time favorite Lamkin UTX Green grip is installed. He definitely has a few extra wraps of tape under that grip as you can see the bulge down where the grip meets the shaft.
One final note: Per Ping’s PGA Tour rep Kenton Oates, Finau’s driver is also adjusted to play with an additional degree of loft to help dial in his desired launch.
We’ll see how he fares with the new setup this week in Houston!
- Check out the rest of our pictures from the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- LIKE19
- LEGIT4
- WOW4
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
-
19th Hole3 days ago
John Daly stuns fans into silence with brutal opening tee shot on PGA Tour Champions
-
19th Hole1 week ago
2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
-
19th Hole1 week ago
Edoardo Molinari reveals the latest PGA Tour golfer to turn down ‘good offer’ from LIV Golf
-
19th Hole1 week ago
Scottie Scheffler had an interesting response when asked how he ‘quiets the noise’ following Players victory
-
19th Hole1 week ago
Jon Rahm dealt fresh blow to hopes of qualifying for 2025 Ryder Cup
-
Equipment2 weeks ago
Best driver 2024: The best driver for you, as recommend by expert club fitters
-
19th Hole3 days ago
Charlie Woods finds it tough going on American Junior Golf Association debut
-
19th Hole6 days ago
Why Kevin Streelman sought USGA approval to use this equipment tool as he leads Valspar after round one
Shawn K
Apr 2, 2015 at 8:57 am
Rented Speed Blades a couple of times on vacation. I’m an 11 with decent club head speed and couldn’t hit the 4 iron. Scrap the 3,4 for Hybrids. That probably costs more though.
Not to mention hitting the lip of a fairway bunker with my 6 iron, forgot it was a 5 iron.
Jeff
Mar 20, 2015 at 11:08 pm
If the lofts are that big of a deal buy the 4 through AW set instead of 3-PW. I’m sure the slot thingy makes them an improvement on the 09 Burners and that’s a set I still see in play ALL THE TIME. I don’t see much difference between this year’s Callaway and Taylormade G I models, almost the same paint.
KK
Mar 14, 2015 at 8:53 am
If you look at Maltby’s tests, you’ll see the CG on TM’s distance irons is nothing special. The classic Ping G5 has a lower CG. Big picture: there’s not much you can do to increase iron distance of cast clubs other than jack the lofts and lengthen/lighten the shafts. By the logic some of you guys are using, we should have 68 or 70 degree lob wedges right now to compensate for TM’s amazing tech developments. Stop
Marcus Rogers
Mar 13, 2015 at 3:30 am
Wow. I saw this coming from a mile away. Soon enough your PW is going to be 38* and your 4 iron will be 15*
STOP RUINING THE GAME TSHWAG
tailormade
Mar 12, 2015 at 8:32 pm
6 degree gaps in the scoring clubs and three irons (4,5,6) under 26 degrees of loft?
Surely someone at TM is having a good ol’ fashioned LOL. These are truly awful.
Daniel
Mar 13, 2015 at 3:22 am
Word. These are unplayable for every category of golfers.
James
Mar 12, 2015 at 3:13 pm
Jesus Murphy………..My 5 iron has 29* of loft. 22* is just preposterous. I imagine they are forgiving but Ping builds the most forgiving clubs IMO, they still manage to get decent distance out of slightly stronger then players clubs. These look basically like the 2009 Burner irons with a “slot” on the bottom that does nothing unless you have Clubhead Speed. Players from this category usually dont have the speed to get the bennies of the slots.
Jer
Apr 4, 2015 at 8:18 am
I’ll couldn’t agree with you more. I’m almost embarrassed for TMAG anymore. To me it sends a negative message when u can’t stick to the cycle of revising your clubs like other OEMS, and must release and market more and more “gimmicks?”
My interest died after R7 425 , and there tour preferred from 2010-2011 (mc,mb,cb) I couldn’t even tell you what there offerings are anymore as it’s literally a couple months and a new way to gain 10yds. Anyone playing TMAG should be hitting the ball 40% further then us using “inferior outdated” products from6 months ago, our technology is dead. (Last line attempt at sarcasm)
Bobby Cunningham
Mar 12, 2015 at 2:53 pm
Wow TaylorMade, great innovation. These look drastically different from the 10 previous generations of garbage you have put out.
Daniel
Mar 12, 2015 at 12:15 pm
And in this case “hits their short irons just fine” means that they have reasonable length, decent ballstriking and, above all, the proper gapping with 10-15 yards between clubs.
Stretching these gaps to 20 yards does nothing but harm.
And if their distances in the long end are already cramped since they lack the clubhead speed to hit a 26° 5-iron, what good is a 22° 5-iron? It will have even shorter carry.
Daniel
Mar 12, 2015 at 11:21 am
Just a guess but it can’t be far off.
My friends with 10+ handicaps hits their short irons just fine but struggles with anything longer than a 6-iron.
They don’t need stronger lofted short irons, they need easier to hit long irons, but what TaylorMade is offering them is the opposite.
Shane
Mar 12, 2015 at 10:19 am
2.5 yards of draw bias in an iron? You’re kidding right? How’s this done by changing the CG? No thanks TM!! I’m sticking to my Eye2+!
Long Ball
Mar 12, 2015 at 8:40 am
Can you explain the formula you used to come up with those yardage gaps?
Daniel
Mar 12, 2015 at 4:28 am
Never mind the number on the soles, with those lofts no way the player will get reasonable gapping. 20-25 yards between GW and PW, 5 yards between 5-iron and 4-iron.
Good work Taylor Made.
Long Ball
Mar 12, 2015 at 12:15 am
Trust me, the vast majority of people using these clubs are not “the fickle puma newbies”. Its the people who cant play the game without some help.
The game needs these people to stay on the course and needs these clubs on the shelves.
Simz
Mar 12, 2015 at 8:33 am
Truth
gocanucksfan123
Mar 11, 2015 at 10:18 pm
Lol I love the people trashing Taylormade’s lofts when they haven’t got a clue about how physics works. Educate yourselves, then give opinions please.
Jeffrey Trigger
Mar 23, 2015 at 4:57 pm
When I was a senior in high school, I had a set of MP-14’s. Of course I played a lot, and I loved those irons. I will also say that the MP-14 is to this day the most forged club I’ve ever played. As long as the strike was good (not fat or bladed), the ball didn’t waver off line very much on mishits.
Dylan
Apr 8, 2015 at 10:43 am
Am I the only one who thinks that high handicappers with stronger lofts would be the exact same as better players with weaker lofts because better golfers hit down on the ball which de-lofts the club, whereas high handicappers tend to sweep which doesn’t change the loft at all?
Long Ball
Mar 11, 2015 at 9:04 pm
KK, I guess in short, I was suggesting the loft has to be adjusted to cater for the low CG. The end result being a 6 iron that launches like a 6 iron. If it launched like a four iron than they got the balance wrong. My experience with “shovels” as Mark puts it, (Im talking about “shovels” designed by club manufacturers with lots of coin), is they launch like the number suggests but go further and are forgiving.
Long Ball
Mar 11, 2015 at 8:39 pm
Sorry, I assumed everyone would have realised I was suggesting the loft had to be adjusted so the trajectory was now back to a 6 iron and not an 8
Mark
Mar 11, 2015 at 8:35 pm
Shovels.
KK
Mar 11, 2015 at 8:18 pm
TM didn’t just work the back, they worked the front to hit like a 4 iron, lol. What % of the guys demoing these clubs will be able to hit the 6/4iron? Or even the 7/5 iron? That’s a small %. No wonder TM revenue is down.
Long Ball
Mar 11, 2015 at 8:09 pm
Take a 6 iron, with a 6 iron shaft length & a 6 iron head weight, work the back of the head to make it much easier to hit for those who need that (isn’t this still the majority of golfers?). But now it has the trajectory of an 8 iron. Do you alter the number to 8?…. No! Its the length and weight of a 6 iron. Its a 6 iron that goes further and is easier to hit. Thank you TaylorMade!!!
jgpl001
Mar 11, 2015 at 7:53 pm
These are ABSOLUTELY SHOCKING
A 25.5 deg 6 iron……….so what next from the great TM machine? I can’t wait- YAWN
KK
Mar 11, 2015 at 7:45 pm
Haha. The typical guy demoing these clubs won’t even be able to hit the 6 iron. They will have to club down to an 8 or 9 iron to get any consistency.
Rich
Mar 11, 2015 at 6:46 pm
Exactly. It ain’t about the number on the bottom, it’s about how far you hit ’em.
marty
Mar 11, 2015 at 7:23 pm
It’s kinda about your score at the end.
rgb
Mar 11, 2015 at 5:36 pm
Lemme guess. A+. I read a review from a couple of years ago about Miura irons….
“Miura irons don’t include plastics, carbon fiber, adjustable weights, “super expanded sweet spots cones of power,” or, well, anything invented after roughly 1957.”
Yea. That.
kloyd0306
Mar 11, 2015 at 5:17 pm
TMAG could have saved themselves the effort of a new design and its manufacture by simply reproducing the Burner 2.0 irons and provide the buyer with a Sharpie to cross out the number on the sole and write over it with a smaller number.
gwillis7
Mar 11, 2015 at 3:57 pm
True. Everyone does it, even mizzie and titleist. My goodness though, a 4 iron at 19 degree loft! Cally and Tm are the ones pushing the envelope with this. I have no problem with them coming out with clubs all the time, I could care less. But lofts are getting ridiculous now
pk20152
Mar 11, 2015 at 3:54 pm
I wish TM would put out more club options – said no one ever.
Golfraven
Mar 11, 2015 at 2:36 pm
For hcpers 15 and higher. Please raise the bar tiohcp 25 and above. Don’t see those flying if the shelves. those folks need those lofts to fly the bar any yards.
ABOMB
Mar 11, 2015 at 2:25 pm
Damn, that iron is fat! And I don’t mean Phat!
tim
Mar 11, 2015 at 1:24 pm
TM’s version of the Big Berthas.
ArnoldD
Mar 11, 2015 at 12:55 pm
I guess TMAG proved you can redesign (AeroBurners), a redesign(SpeedBlades), of a redesign(RocketBlades), from a redesign (RocketBalls); while changing the name.
Ryan Stewart
Mar 11, 2015 at 12:01 pm
6 degrees of separation between the PW and the AW? that is a huge gap for scoring clubs. you could comfortably fit another club in between those lofts.
Todd
Mar 11, 2015 at 11:35 am
43 degree PW – WOW…that’s stronger than goat’s breath!
kess
Mar 11, 2015 at 11:35 am
I look forward to the day that my set is driver, fw, hy, 7,8,9,pw,aw,gw,sw,lw,superlw,flat wedge, putter. That way I can say “oh, you needed a 4iron to get it 200yds. Weak sauce.”
tim
Mar 11, 2015 at 1:23 pm
LOL!
kess
Mar 11, 2015 at 11:30 am
Woo-hoo! Almost made it to the 40* pw! Come on tmag, you can do it!
RobN
Mar 11, 2015 at 10:53 am
Oops, I thought I read that as 22.5°. But still, 25.5° for a 6 iron is nuts.
Greg V
Mar 11, 2015 at 9:32 am
A 6-iron with a 25.5* loft is almost as strong as my AP1 4-iron (which I don’t use – ever).
I am guessing that the target market for these would only need 6 to PW, and perhaps for many, only 7 to PW. Gap wedge(s) too.
Jengus
Mar 11, 2015 at 9:25 am
Time to dig a snow cave because here comes the Avalanche.