In January, TaylorMade Golf Company turned the golf world upside down with the introduction of the TaylorMade R11 driver. This white-headed driver incorporates three innovative adjustability technologies, Flight Control Technology (FCT), Adjustable Sole Plate (ASP) and Movable Weight Technology (MWT). The R11 quickly became the No. 1 driver on the PGA Tour. It’s been used to win 18 professional events worldwide, including the Open Championship and Canadian Open.
TaylorMade is proud to announce the expansion of the R11 franchise with the introduction of the new R11 irons, which are engineered for the player who appreciates the shape and refinement of a tour-grade iron but needs the help of advanced technology to launch the ball high, straight and long
with less effort, regardless of handicap.
Historically, irons engineered with multiple game-improvement technologies tend to be large, inelegant and clunky with thick toplines, broad soles and over-bearing cavities. They typically feel harsh and sound high-pitched and clicky. The R11 iron breaks that mold and rewrites the book about what a
high-technology iron can look, feel and sound like.
TaylorMade R11 irons are engineered with multiple technologies that make them stunningly easy to launch high and long. Technologies that we developed while building the best metal woods in the world, like ways to make thin, fast faces, and methods to expand the COR zone, and techniques for precisely locating the center of gravity.
“The R11 iron is truly a masterwork of beauty, technology and performance,” said Sean Toulon, TaylorMade’s executive vice president. “We’ve never created an iron that combines this kind of distance, this kind of forgiveness, is this easy to launch, and feels and sounds this soft and solid. And its appearance is extraordinarily beautiful, a gorgeous blend of smooth, classic lines and high-tech flourishes.”
“The R11 employs all our best iron technologies,” said Bret Wahl, TaylorMade’s senior director of iron development. “It’s a great testament to how far we’ve come in our ability to bring modern, sophisticated iron designs to life. We couldn’t have made this iron a few years ago, but the fact that we can now
helps explain why it performs better than irons we’ve made in the past. It’s a superior design, and that’s clearly evident when you try it.”
TaylorMade’s new R11 irons (available in September) are disciples of both the Burner 2.0 and Tour Preferred irons.
The one-piece stainless steel cast heads boast a thin, lightweight face design like the Burner 2.0. The weight removed from the clubface has been shifted low and back to create a higher launch angle, faster ball speed, increased distance and more forgiveness. The result is comparable launch, ball
flight and length to the Burner 2.0, as well as 15-yard distance gaps between clubs. (Company testing with low handicappers indicates that the R11 and Burner 2.0 4-irons produce identical carry distance; the R11 6-iron is 1 yard shorter than Burner 2.0.)
The “Precision Weight Port” system (a plug similar to those found in Tour Preferred irons) is used in the R11 irons to dial in desired head weights and swing weights, and to ensure each club’s center of gravity is in line with the sweet spot. The fixed (red) plugs—2.5 to 17 grams—are made of aluminum, steel or tungsten and can not be adjusted by consumers.
In addition, a light and lively face combines with “inverted cone technology” to deliver more consistent ball speeds and forgiveness on mis-hits. At impact, the R11 feels and sounds more muted (quieter) than the loud-ish Burner 2.0 because the R11′s clubface is slightly thicker in the impact zone and where it connects to the sole.
Finally, the R11’s short irons have a shallow undercut channel between the face and rear to control feel and CG location, the mid-irons have a moderate undercut, and the long irons have a progressively larger undercut that pulls weight farther back from the face for added forgiveness.
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