Following up on last year’s successful launch of the RocketBallz, TaylorMade released details Thursday of its new products for 2013, most notably the RocketBallzStage 2 and R1 drivers.
The RBZ Stage 2 driver, which will be available Feb. 1 and retail for $300, offers 12 settings that can change the loft within a range of 1.5 degrees. The crown of the club features an arrow-like graphic that is designed at improving a golfer’s ability to align the club face. The Stage 2 will also be available in fairway woods (15, 17, 19, 21 and 22 degrees) and rescue clubs (19, 22, 25, 28).
TaylorMade’s other new driver is called the R1 and can be adjusted 168 different ways. (It will be available Feb. 1, with a street price of $399.) A player will notice that no loft is stamped on the bottom of the club; instead, the driver can be adjusted for any loft between 8 and 12 degrees. During an 800-player focus group, TaylorMade determined that 80 percent of golfers were using the wrong loft. The R1, the company says, also features up to 120 yards of left-and-right adjustability.
The R1 has a white crown, but it also features a new, sportier look, with diagonal orange-and-black stripes.