Unforgettable and Forgiveness TaylorMade R9 Max iron

I was able to spend the last week playing around with both the R9 and R9 Max iron so I thought I'd give some feedback on these Japan market models even though people are probably sick to death of hearing about the R9 with all the exposure this line got this year. Taylormade is one of the most if not the most focused American brands in the Japanese market. With exclusive models released just for Japan and top models like the R9 Max is being released first in Japan before anywhere else in the world, Taylormade has always given that extra little attention to the demanding Japanese market.

 

When comparing the two irons side by side, the Max is not much bigger but you can clearly see the slightly expanded dimensions. Overall the R9 Max is not in any ways huge though the top line is on the thick side. The wider sole leads do a deeper cavity and more weight lower in the head for a high trajectory launch, coupled with the strong lofts we are talking about a distance iron here. Interestingly, while both share the inverted cone technology, what players usually perceive as a sign of extra forgiveness, the pocket cavity is actually on the R9 iron and not the R9 Max.

 

I could hit a high soft draw with the R9 Max as advertised but I still need to hone my game to properly play the R9. Size wise the R9 will satisfy a lot of players, it is relatively small, almost as small as a compact player's cavity like the Epon AF-302 whose dimensions match up favorably. The difference being the R9 is longer heel to toe than the Epon and has a slightly thicker tapered top line. I believe it will suit the player with a 10 handicap or above but lower handicappers may not want the pocket cavity and longer heel to toe.  This may in fact be the case as it appears the R9 iron may not have sold well as expected.

 

So to top it off, the R9 Max is a forgiving distance iron. It's lightweight and easy to swing, it's not overly large but the top line is a bit too thick for my liking. If however you do not care how thick the top line is and you are a higher handicapper needing a forgiving easy launch Taylormade iron then the R9 Max is a good choice. As for the R9 I can't judge it as a players cavity since I myself am not as player, but I can say from a feel standpoint, its not the soft casting people are raving about with the Burner TP, the pocket cavity helps with forgiveness and low to mid cappers may appreciate this iron for its technology however if it is feel you want, wait for the R9 Forged or try the Burner TP. I wish I had the R9 Max iron in graphite to make a better comparison since I admittedly play graphite most of the time in my irons.