R11 3 Wood or RBZ 3 Wood

[eich41]

I am looking to pick up a new 3 wood and have it narrowed down to these two.  Anybody have any experience/feedback with either of these?

Right now I'm leaning towards the R11 due to the cheaper price and the ability to adjust the club.  Are the RBZ's that much better FWs?  It's odd that the R11 is the premium driver line from TM, but the RBZ seems to be the premium FW/hybrid line.

Anyways, any thoughts or comments?

[WUTiger]

If it's a standard RBZ 3W, be aware it has a slight draw bias, and the stock shaft is 45 gr. and has above average torque at 4.5, and has a low kickpoint. All these encourage a higher launch and a right-to-left ball curve (for right-handers).

At a 6.7 HDCP, I assume you have fairly good clubhead speed. You might the RBZ Tour FW; it has a square face, and comes with heavier shafts. You might want to print out the specs for RBZ vs. RBZ Tour, and take them with you to the fitter.

I have the RBZ 3.HL (really a 4W) and the 7W after a fitting. I got lessons afterward from the pro and fitter, and he has got me going through the ball better, and I am now about 85 mph on my driver. The driver and irons have improved nicely, but I started hooking the RBZ family. If I play with an open stance, I get a straight or slight draw shot, aside from an occasional superhook miss.

So, on RBZ, make sure the shafts aren't too soft. On the R11, you can make adjustments, so you can fine tune it a bit.

Also, you might drop a line to Beachcomber . He's a better golfer like you with RBZ FWs, and maybe could speak to your game better than I can.

[goin_low]

I actually just switched from the R11 to the RBZ Tour and love it.  It's a good bit longer and for me has been a great alternative to driver on shorter par 4's because it's pretty long and still easy to hit straight. Hope this helps.

[x1mlf]

Hi, I'll try to keep it short, but here's my experience after playing with an R11S and RBZ Tour 3 wood.  I left both in their standard configuration, and I opted for stiff shafts.  My quick take:

• RBZ Tour was longer for me by about 5-10 yards per drive
• The R11S was the more accurate of the two - less dispersion
• The R11S seemed less wobbly (I know, great technical term), hence, stiffer - which I like
• RBZ Tour seemed lighter, but I didn't compare the weight, so it may be a symptom of the wobble
• White crowns are growing on me, but the green on the RBZ was slightly less appealing

In the end, I went with the R11S, because of the tighter dispersion.  I know I'm losing about 5-10 yards per drive, but I felt more confident with the R11, which negates one of my biggest problems - the gap between my ears.

[Mr. Desmond]

Originally Posted by eich41

Right now I'm leaning towards the R11 due to the cheaper price and the ability to adjust the club.  Are the RBZ's that much better FWs?  It's odd that the R11 is the premium driver line from TM, but the RBZ seems to be the premium FW/hybrid line.

Anyways, any thoughts or comments?

The R11 fairway (not the R11S) had terrible reviews - did not read of anyone who liked it.

Go for the RBZ, should be on sale now, and fit it with the right shaft and length for you.

[Bullitt5339]

I bought an R11 (non-S) when it came out in a 4 Wood and it lasted about a month.  I hated it and went back to my R9 for a while.  Tried the standard RBZ and didn't care for it either.  The shaft was light and whippy and while it went a mile, it was very inconsistent.  Then I demo'd the RBZ Tour with the heavier shaft and it was money for me and went in the bag.

I would choose the RBZ Tour everyday over the R11.  The R11S is a better club than the R11, but I still chose the RBZ, it just gave me better launch numbers.

[CanuckAaron]

I spent some time at Carl's Golfland (in Michigan) hitting balls with both of these clubs before I settled on the R11s 3 wood. Personally I found that the R11s had much more control and the head/shaft was heavier which I like because you knew where it was during the swing. I am content with my distances so the added distance with the RBZ was not a factor in my purchase (maybe 10 yards on a perfect strike but it was 38 degrees farenheit when I was hitting balls).

The feeling the RBZ gave me was that it was a "grip and rip" (hence the rocketballs designation I guess) type of club which was designed to bomb it down the fairway where as the R11s was more of a finesse club which is what I am looking for in a 3 wood. Also, the R11s has .5 degrees more loft and had a very nice high trajectory which suited me since I only carry one fairway wood and use it for approaching long par 5s.

In either case, you cannot go wrong they are both excellent clubs and this is coming from someone who used Callaway woods exclusively until I bought the R11s.