TaylorMade adds RocketBallz line

TaylorMade was the story of the golf equipment world early in 2011 with the launch of its white-headed clubs including the R11 adjustable driver.
The company is at it again for 2012, with another product line that will likely draw attention first for the name, then the product itself.
The name: RocketBallz.

TaylorMade
Really.
TaylorMade’s new line of drivers will be priced at $299 when they hit the market in February, filling the gap between its top-end R11S (renamed and retooled for 2012) and value-priced Burner line. Two clubhead options are available, RocketBallz and RocketBallz Tour, and the company said PGA TOUR pros such as Jason Day and Camilo Villegas will play the clubs.
Drivers will be adjustable for face angle, loft and lie and packaged with a lightweight 50-gram shaft. The product line also extends to fairway woods, rescue clubs and irons, with only the irons not having white heads.
TaylorMade says the fairway woods are the first such steel-headed models to reach USGA/R&A speed limits, and from there came the RocketBallz name.
“I brought the prototype out to some players and Dustin Johnson was the first one to test it,” said Todd Chew, tour product specialist for TaylorMade. “He’s unbelievably long, as we all know, but he was just blown away by how far the Rescue was going. Dustin said a couple of times, ‘It’s like a rocket.’”
The name caught on, was etched into a prototype and stuck, even though some in the company weren’t quite sure about such an in-your-face label. “Obviously polarizing,” executive vice president Sean Toulon said.
The new R11S features a new five-way adjustable sole plate, which combined with the tuning sleeve and movable weights, creates 80 different launch settings.