TaylorMade R11 Irons - Review Thread - Forum Testing Reviews

[Kmac]

Agreed Hanks. And this is why Ive kept the 4 iron in the bag lately too. Its become easier to hit as clubs get better and I find it very useful.

 

[c0ncept]

Jumping in on Tadashi's response here, but check WAY back towards the beginning to this process and TC posted a video using the AW and chipping. Buckjob also did some work with this as well, both had tremendous results. For me personally, I have fell in love witht the AW, no so much for the chipping aspect, but I've found that I can control the club very well in full swings, but more importantly 3/4 and 1/2 swings. I know many on here wouldn't agree with what I've done, but I only carry a R11 45* PW, R11 50* AW, 56* and 60* wedges. I'm not as low of a scorer as some of the other testers, but I work very hard to use the AW to fill the spots between the 50* AW and 56* by swing. I like to carry a driver, 3w, 3hy, 4i-AW, 2 wedges and putter (14 total). I would like someday to be in a position to carry say, a set of Scor wedges in the proper lofts, but that's my bag for now and I'm really enjoying it.

Sorry to jump in on Tadashi's question, but that's how I see it.

Haha dont be sorry that question was for anyone and I am glad you answered it. I'll swing the AW but idk if I can see myself using it around the greens...I feel like for full shots it would be much better then my 52* in terms of distance though.

 

[Tadashi70]

Haha dont be sorry that question was for anyone and I am glad you answered it. I'll swing the AW but idk if I can see myself using it around the greens...I feel like for full shots it would be much better then my 52* in terms of distance though.

Everyone has to dance with who they brought. I would have never used an AW around the green til I watch Buck and TC chip with theirs. The ball has enough bite to check and roll out to the hole. I love my 52* wedge, a lot. But the ease of chipping with AW is huge. The leading age does not get caught up and the face is soft enough that it is very responsive. Don't rule it out and don't just commit to the AW as your only option. It will an option you will welcome.

 

[c0ncept]

Everyone has to dance with who they brought. I would have never used an AW around the green til I watch Buck and TC chip with theirs. The ball has enough bite to check and roll out to the hole. I love my 52* wedge, a lot. But the ease of chipping with AW is huge. The leading age does not get caught up and the face is soft enough that it is very responsive. Don't rule it out and don't just commit to the AW as your only option. It will an option you will welcome.

Yeah I get what you mean. I was going to get it anyways because I started to stop taking full shots with my 52* and only use it for longer chips. Thanks a bunch everyone I really am excited to see if these things will work for me.

 

[sharkwrestler]

Congrats to you also Shark. Let me know when yours get here, maybe we can play a Polar Bear Open or something :act-up:

When they come in Mike I'll pm you and we can look for a decent day to have lot's of fun. Happy Thanksgiving

 

[Buckjob]

Haha dont be sorry that question was for anyone and I am glad you answered it. I'll swing the AW but idk if I can see myself using it around the greens...I feel like for full shots it would be much better then my 52* in terms of distance though.

never say never i LOVE this club for chipping i went out a week ago and played chip and putt and only brought my AW and a putter. its really consistent and i am really pleased with the roll out. i did a couple videos of me chipping with it from around the green. theres still times i don't use it but i would say 80% of the time im using it. sorry i missed your original post been crazy busy lately just trying to get caught up to everyone buying these irons! can't wait to see what other people have to say about them... i can't praise them enough.

 

[NebHusker]

while I'm considering these irons, I'm looking on how to space my new wedges too. Considering the AW is 50* for the R11's, I'm wondering whether to go 52, 56 or 54 58. I've never had any experience with the 54 and 58, but I'm just starting to think how it would work out with a 50, 54, 58 setup... Suggestions?

 

[White Rhino]

while I'm considering these irons, I'm looking on how to space my new wedges too. Considering the AW is 50* for the R11's, I'm wondering whether to go 52, 56 or 54 58. I've never had any experience with the 54 and 58, but I'm just starting to think how it would work out with a 50, 54, 58 setup... Suggestions?

That is what I have (AW, 54, 58) and it works just fine for me. The AW is such a valuable club in the set ( see praise throughout the thread) and the 54 and 58 wedges are all I really need. I am not feeling I am missing a club for any shot I need to pull off.

 

[NebHusker]

I'm just unsure, because I don't want to invest in clubs that won't fit. Just getting excited to put together my first real set compared to getting anything else I could for cheap in my current set.

 

[White Rhino]

I'm just unsure, because I don't want to invest in clubs that won't fit. Just getting excited to put together my first real set compared to getting anything else I could for cheap in my current set.

Proceeding with caution is a good thing with any purchase. All I can say it I am very happy with the set as are many of the people who have purchased them either because of this thread or other reasons. Now not every set is for everyone, I still would suggest you do your duke diligence and check out a variety of clubs and make sure whatever set you get is the right choice for you and fits you and your swing properly.

 

[NebHusker]

No worries, i'm not set on these, but they feel like a top contender.

 

[2Shoes]

I'm just unsure, because I don't want to invest in clubs that won't fit. Just getting excited to put together my first real set compared to getting anything else I could for cheap in my current set.

Let me reiterate what White Rhino stated. If I've learned nothing else from the threads here on THP, it's that fitting is the most important factor in putting together a set of clubs. I know my fellow testers well enough now to say that not one of them would tell someone to blindly buy a set of TaylorMade R11s without spending the time to make sure that the club works for you. Then they'd say, make the investment to have the clubs fit for your swing, body, etc.

We've been extremely happy about these irons. We've all had success with them. All we want to get across to people is that we think they're good enough to be included in everyone's short list of irons to consider. The R11 irons have been placed in the bags of tester with single handicaps all the way up and seem to work well for all involved.

I think that's what makes these clubs special. It would seem that anyone can game them. They're not clubs that only low scorers can hit or set up for newbies and beginners. They cover the entire spectrum. I promote these irons because I believe in them now, but I wouldn't want any person to take my posts for it.

 

[gillesam]

while I'm considering these irons, I'm looking on how to space my new wedges too. Considering the AW is 50* for the R11's, I'm wondering whether to go 52, 56 or 54 58. I've never had any experience with the 54 and 58, but I'm just starting to think how it would work out with a 50, 54, 58 setup... Suggestions?

If it is any help I went with the R11 AW & SW. This means my wedges go 50*, 55* & 60* and have found this works pretty well.

 

[Tadashi70]

No worries, i'm not set on these, but they feel like a top contender.

Take your time, but know that the AW in this set is as good as any after market gapper. If it serves as your third wedge you will be in a good position with your setup.

 

[GrantD]

I have the AW and love it. It is my solid 100 yd club when I hit it smooth. I can work it up to 110 if I get on it. It does a great job around the green and I don't see myself replacing it down with any other club. I think it is one of the best clubs in the bag!

 

[DB]

With my pervious clubs and Taylormades I never ever used the AW as i strongly disliked it. They never blended with me at all. And i would never make a good shot with them. After talking too a few THP members they said it was great on the R11's so I went with it and the AW with the R11 is not like any other. I use it as much as my P. Its a great club and feels amazing on top of that with awesome launch.

BUT every-club feels different to each person, so it's all on what you like.

 

[c0ncept]

I went and hit a 6 iron today with a KBS 90, DG S300, and the stock graphite shaft. Honestly I really hated the DGs and lost a lot of distance on them. Was able to hit the 6 iron 180 yards which was a nice little change of pace lol. I still want to compare these to the CG Blacks but I really am impressed with these.

 

[10YardDraw]

With my pervious clubs and Taylormades I never ever used the AW as i strongly disliked it. They never blended with me at all. And i would never make a good shot with them. After talking too a few THP members they said it was great on the R11's so I went with it and the AW with the R11 is not like any other. I use it as much as my P. Its a great club and feels amazing on top of that with awesome launch.

BUT every-club feels different to each person, so it's all on what you like.

That says something IMO, these are just that good.

 

[Buckjob]

I have the AW and love it. It is my solid 100 yd club when I hit it smooth. I can work it up to 110 if I get on it. It does a great job around the green and I don't see myself replacing it down with any other club. I think it is one of the best clubs in the bag!

i am seeing the same exact thing with my AW... i have a 56* 60* and 64* also but i don't carry any woods besides my driver. my 52* was to close to my AW for me to keep it in my bag.

 

[2Shoes]

i am seeing the same exact thing with my AW... i have a 56* 60* and 64* also but i don't carry any woods besides my driver. my 52* was to close to my AW for me to keep it in my bag.

I'd like to try the same thing. I find that I rarely end up hitting my 3w and would like to add the R11 3i to try out. I've been pretty successful with the R11 4i. I'd like to get to where I'm better with the wedges to carry a bigger selection. Right now I'm only carrying PW, AW, 56*, & 60*. I'm not happy with the open gap between the AW and 56*.

 

[White Rhino]

I'd like to try the same thing. I find that I rarely end up hitting my 3w and would like to add the R11 3i to try out. I've been pretty successful with the R11 4i. I'd like to get to where I'm better with the wedges to carry a bigger selection. Right now I'm only carrying PW, AW, 56*, & 60*. I'm not happy with the open gap between the AW and 56*.

Have you considered bending the 56* down to a 55* to give move even spacing?

 

[Buckjob]

Have you considered bending the 56* down to a 55* to give move even spacing?

i wanted to get the 588s at 55* but i think they only come in 56* so i might have my xft bent.

 

[Buckjob]

Taylormade R11 Iron Testing
Date- 11/25/11
Irons Used- Taylormade R11 Irons 4-AW Stiff Flex KBS Steel Shafts
Previous Irons-Taylormade Burner 2.0 4-AW Stiff Flex Steel Shafts
Ball Used-Topflite Range Balls
Testing Conditions- Sunny 50*
Location- Range hitting off grass


Well its been a while since i was able to get out and hit some balls at the range. I have been going to my lessons weekly but my golf time has been dwindled down by bad weather and doing a lot of drills to get my swing finally fixed. I am gonna be going through some growing pains with my game over the winter but its nice to see how these clubs handle it and i got a decent taste of the forgiveness again this past range session. I am in no way down on my game right now i understand that this winter would be difficult for me and to get my game to the next level i would have to take a step or 2 back to move forward. Anyway.... I started off by hitting some AW to warm up. I know some people don't believe that this AW is different than other sets they have played but honestly for me that just isn't true at all. And with all the talk on the thread lately i wanted to touch on this again a bit. I had a 52* xft wedge that i was hitting great before i received the R11s and i just feel more comfortable with the AW all around It has been good in any lie ive had on full and chip shots. I just feel confident with it even more than my 52* and since it is so close distance wise with my AW i have taken it out of my bag currently. I am so glad TM sent me the AW it has by far been the best club and most used club in my set. That being said i mainly worked on getting a proper shoulder turn again (been a struggle for me but im finally seeing progress) and not over swinging in my back swing yesterday. so i even was stopping at the top of my backswing on some shots to make sure things were on plane and i was doing what i was supposed to. yesterday only hit my 8 and 6 irons. I have been hitting a lot of balls off the heel lately since changing my backswing and shooting balls right. after doing this a few times i moved the ball a little bit farther away from me in my stance(this was just a "bandaid" fix for now) and i was seeing much better results. i was seeing great ball flight and distance again. I cant get over how forgiving these clubs are for how much more of a players iron they are compared to what i had played before. I still think the 2.0s are a little more forgiving and def longer but the forgiveness is so much closer than i expected. wasn't hitting my shots anywhere close to as center on the club face as i am used to doing and i wasn't losing much distance on most shots no more than 10 yards on even poorly hit shots off the toe and heel. I can expect to really test the forgiveness the next few months more than before we just started the transition to the downswing this past week in my lessons just the first move down cause i still need to get the backswing instilled in my head but from what i have read and with talking to my instructor the transition and downswing is gonna be difficult to get down. so these irons will have their work cut out for them to keep me from going nuts! Again yesterday i was rewarded when i took a smoother swing i know this new swing is gonna slow me down and help my tempo and it will use my energy properly so should be interesting to see if i gain or lose distance. i also was still seeing a great ball flight with them and i have been still hitting that shot that you know is perfect as soon as you hit it cause the feel with these clubs is great. i still strive to have that feel every time i swing the club. I ended my full swing practice with a perfect shot that just felt amazing and finished with some pitching with my AW. still trying to keep my feel with my 3/4 and 1/2 shots over the winter so i usually finish with some 60-80 yard shots. was dropping a lot of shots in tight yesterday which made me happy. i spend so much time getting the feel with these shots over the summer i really don't want to lose it over the winter months. Anyway i am very excited to see how after i get my swing "fixed" how these clubs perform. i really think i will be even more pleased with them and be able to work the ball finally. Why i am glad Tad is leading the way with starting to work the ball both ways. Anyway just wanted to update the thread. Hoping to get out and play this week sometime weather permitting.

 

[coolbreeze]

Very nice update Buck, like you I had the 51* xft wedge in the bag and I really liked that wedge, but the R11 AW kicked him out of the bag in one range session. I'm better with it with full shots from the fairway, and it handles all the shots around the greens that I typically play with an AW. Its has/is going to interesting following along on how the R11's and you get along as you do your swing change.

For me, I am playing a round of golf for the first time in over a month tomorrow (work has been killing me lately, see Rant of the day thread) but I'm really excited to get the R11 irons out there tomorrow. I've been working on my swing when I can and I actually think this layoff has been good for me in some ways. I will have a lengthy update tomorrow after I swing these guys again. I have to say I miss swinging them.

 

[Buckjob]

Very nice update Buck, like you I had the 51* xft wedge in the bag and I really liked that wedge, but the R11 AW kicked him out of the bag in one range session. I'm better with it with full shots from the fairway, and it handles all the shots around the greens that I typically play with an AW. Its has/is going to interesting following along on how the R11's and you get along as you do your swing change.

For me, I am playing a round of golf for the first time in over a month tomorrow (work has been killing me lately, see Rant of the day thread) but I'm really excited to get the R11 irons out there tomorrow. I've been working on my swing when I can and I actually think this layoff has been good for me in some ways. I will have a lengthy update tomorrow after I swing these guys again. I have to say I miss swinging them.

good luck CB i know how you feel i get depressed when i can't go hit them... Yeah the lessons have been very eye opening i have known for years that my swing was really wrong but i always made it work. I didn't know how wrong till recently and i laughed at when someone posted on one of my R11 videos on you tube saying it looked like i was chopping wood. Really hoping this takes me to the next level. As for how the R11s take to the swing change i really think they will perform even better once i get all the kinks out.... smoother has seemed to always work better than my swing for the fences shot.