One is a 2018 Tour winner, the other is a retail special... So how do they compare?
Potentially the best thing about the Taylormade Driver RBZ is the Look, Sound and Feel. (aside from the price!) If you like the Burner Driver that Taylormade put out many years ago you will love this TaylorMade Rocketballz. TaylorMade as a company tries to put out solid hitting, long, titanium options to fit a wide customer base. Charlie Rymer demonstrates what happens when you change your loft on an adjustable driver. Watch Morning Drive on Golf Channel.
TaylorMade’s current M3 and M4 drivers are played by many of the game’s biggest names including Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose, Jason Day and Tiger Woods.
But for all the hype these two clubs have generated in 2018, they aren’t TaylorMade’s only new 2018 models.
Walk into any American Golf shop across the UK and you’ll find the M3 and M4 sat on a rack right next to a reincarnated RBZ Black driver, one of golfers favourite drivers from a few years ago.
Yet you won’t find any mention of it on TaylorMade’s website (either in the UK, Europe or USA) or see it on tour. So why has is been launched?
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It’s hitting a price point, giving golfers the chance to buy a brand new TaylorMade big stick for less than £240 (a new M4 retails at almost £370). But is it any good? And who does it appeal to? We wanted to find out by testing the RBZ and an M4 back to back.
How we did it
We asked American Golf to let us borrow an RBZ Black for our test. We got our pro Ben Frost to hit both the RBZ in its stock, stiff shaft against the M4 with its stock, stiff shaft. Our launch monitor gathered the data, and thanks to our pro’s repeatable swing we were able to accurately compare both models. After all shots were hit we analysed the data to see how each performed.
The details
M4 - Price: £369 Lofts: 8.5°, 9.5°, 10.5°, 12° Stock shaft: Fujikura Atmos Red 5
RBZ Black - Price: £229 (only at American Golf) Lofts: 10.5° or 12° Stock shaft: Matrix White Tie MFS 55
How the RBZ compares to M4
TaylorMade’s original RBZ was one of our favourite all-titanium drivers, ever. So it’s no surprise they’ve resurrected the name for American Golf and other large retailers who know there’s a big market out there for a £200 drivers.
On raw numbers alone the RBZ holds up pretty well against a proven tour winner in the M4.
Ball speed was 3mph slower, which isn’t terrible – but it’s not great if you’re trying to rinse every last yard out of your game. The RBZ also launched higher with more spin, which is the same equation the best club designers try to balance through clever weight positioning in premium drivers. But all in, a carry distance seven yards down on the M4 (total distance was 10 yards shorter) isn’t disastrous, and for some golfers would be a worthwhile trade-off for keeping an extra £140 in their pocket.
Our test pro said the sound from the RBZ was solid for an all-titanium head (with no carbon-fibre to absorb vibration like the M4), and it sits really nicely at address.
See our 2018 drivers test here
Does TwistFace actually work? Three testers found out
You pay more for the latest tech
As loudly as TaylorMade beat the drum about the benefits of carbon crowns for freeing up useless weight (and dampening vibration) in the M4 and M3 drivers, the RBZ doesn’t have a carbon lid. Why?
Because by using titanium, costs can be controlled, enabling both TaylorMade and American Golf to hit the all-important price point. Don’t expect to find Twist Face or a Hammerhead slot like the M4 either; that’s TaylorMade’s very latest tech, reserved for their premium big sticks.
How different are they?
Read the RBZs description on American Golf’s website (and Dicks Sporting Goods in the USA) and there’s absolutely no mention of whether the head’s cast or forged. But with forging (for drivers, not irons) being cheaper than casting, it's probably a safe bet to say the RBZ’s head is forged. What does it mean to you?
Cast heads like M4 (and most premium drivers) have a skeleton cast from molten titanium, which allows liquid to run into very intricate shapes and designs, which forging (essentially stamping into shape) can’t achieve. Forged heads usually come in four pieces and need welding together, and these welds position mass in areas designers/engineers really don’t want it. That’s why there’s no visible weight positioned on the RBZ’s head, because thanks to the heavy welds there isn’t any left to position to influence launch, spin or shot bias.
Shaft question mark
Do a search for the Fujikura Atmos 5 shaft in the M4 and you’ll find the shaft’s specs on the company’s website. But for the Matrix MFS White Tie X4 in the RBZ you won’t find a single shaft on either the TaylorMade or Matrix website with the same name. It means the specs could be anything, even though the paint job might look similar to other models in their line. And if the specs could be anything, how do you know if it suits you or not?
How does the M4 compare to the Ping G400 MAX and Callaway Rogue?
Our verdict
We know there’s a good number of golfers who don’t want to pay much more than £200 for a new driver, whether Rory uses it or not. So if TaylorMade doesn’t make a club to fill the gap (even though it doesn’t feature their latest tech) there are plenty of other brands who will. Looking at both drivers on paper there isn’t a huge gap between these two. But the tech TaylorMade’s engineers spend hours developing for their premium clubs does make a difference (no matter how big or small) – and it comes at a cost.
For less serious golfers who don’t want to spend a fortune, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the RBZ. It looks good, plays well (even if there aren’t lots of options when it comes to lofts and shafts) and it’s more than capable of doing a job for plenty of club golfers. But for anyone who takes their game seriously, there’s no getting away from the fact that premium drivers like the M4 offer ultimate performance, which rightly comes at a cost.
In A Hurry? Our Top Reasons To Buy
Taylor Made RBZ Driver
- A large, 460 CC Titanium Head
- Adjustable Loft-Sleeve
- Premium matrix White Tie 55 Shaft
- Max Distance and Smooth Feel
- Legendary Speed Pocket Performance
- TM Texture and Lightweight.
As with any club at TaylorMade, you can perform top-notch as the company has established itself as one of the most trusted golf brands. If you are looking for a more affordable, well-built, and great performance driver, then their 460cc RBZ male driver is the right choice.
TaylorMade Golf Clubs is always supportive of top performances. The company has established itself as one of the most trusted golf brands.
If you have come here for a well built and high performing driver, their 460cc RBZ men’s driver is an ideal choice. This cheap club has a lot to offer from the unique TaylorMade velocity Pocket to the ultralight titanium core and a unique graphite shaft.
To top it all, it comes with a beautiful satin black finish and a free headcover.
Below, you will find a selection of independent reviews taken by us to highlight both good and bad points.
If you are considering purchasing this driver, you can also check out our Best Golf Drivers reviews.
So let’s go through it in more depth.
Taylormade Rbz Driver Adjustment Chart
TaylorMade RBZ Driver Review: First Impressions
The Good
- It comes with high projection and low spin.
- This allows for easy trajectory control.
- It is relatively more affordable.
- It comes with an adjustable loft-sleeve.
- Its 460 CC strong head allows for optimized launch and trajectory.
- It has an ultralight Titanium-Core for high launch.
- It is a better choice for high launch and low spin.
- It comes with TM texture and lightweight.
- It has a comfortable standard size grip.
- It comes whit a fantastic look at the address.
The Bad
- Can larger its sweet spot.
Detailed Review
Large 460cc Head
The largest is the 460cc clubhead, which is much better for use in tournaments. What most golfers love most about it is that it creates a larger clubface that provides more power to off-center hits.
The larger size also helps to produce more powerful shots. This more massive titanium-head also ensures maximum playability and more confidence at the address for golfers.
Ultralight Titanium Core
Taylormade Rocketballz Rbz Driver
With this core, the manufacturer can transfer more mass towards the periphery of the clubhead. This results in a more forgiving driver, higher launch conditions, and gives golfers more control over their shots.
Adjustable Loft Sleeve
You can use it to make your game better and stable. The loft sleeve is designed to make it a more customizable driver as it will allow golfers to customize both the trajectory and launch to suit their specific preferences.
Speed Pocket
Many of your other drivers and other Golf clubs may have used it, but you may not have got the speed-pocket feature like this. TaylorMade has used its famous speed-pocket on the RBZ-driver to promote high-launch conditions.
Additionally, for a greater distance than the tee spin, the ball helps to reduce the spin, giving the ball a perfect range.
Shaft
The TaylorMade uses a unique graphite material to create a shaft on this driver that provides perfect stiff flex during the swing. For a better hit, it is necessary to have the correct swing, which is possible through its shaft.
Finish
Appearance always matters for a golfer because a driver not only needs to perform well but must also look good to boost their confidence during the course. It is a highly attractive satin-black finish driver that meets this golfer’s demand. Apart from this, the RBZ driver also comes with some elegant details, which help with the alignment.
Final Verdict
Built by TaylorMade, this club is useful for regular, stiff, and senior golfers. It can use 9.5 ° for driver stiff, 10.5 ° regular flex, and 12 ° senior as per your choice.
Experience the next generation of RBZ with the TaylorMade RBZ Black. Engineered to deliver aggressive styling and powerful performance, the RBZ Black Driver has built a large, 460CC head for playability and confidence.
An Ultralite titanium core strategically weighs in the perimeter to increase MOI and accuracy. TaylorMade’s created speed-pocket unlocks higher launches and lower spins for better distance.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is the TaylorMade RBZ driver-adjustable?
TheTaylorMade RBZ Black driver is using up-to-date technology and produces tour-level results, but at half the cost (or less) than most other premium titanium drivers. It’s lightweight and very well made, offering moderate forgiveness and maximum- distance.
2. What is the best degree driver for distance?
Choose a loft to try based on your assessed club-head speed. If it is between 95 and 104 mph, a 10- or 11-degree loft will be appropriate. If it is between 105 and 115 mph, a loft between 7 and 9 degrees should be considered. Golfers with club-head speeds below 85 mph should use a loft angle between 14 and 20 degrees.
3. Is a 9.5 or 10.5 driver better?
Drivers are typically lofted between 8 and 11 degrees, so drivers with lofts of 9.5 and 10.5 degrees are standard. If your tee shot trajectory is too low, then choose a 10.5-degree driver rather than its 9.5-degree counterpart. All else being equal, you’ll hit the ball higher with a greater-lofted club.