Are Taylormade R9 Irons Still Good? Are They Forgiving for High Handicappers?

Are Taylormade R9 Irons Still Good? Are They Forgiving for High Handicappers?

 

“The Taylormade R9 irons came out in 2009 which may make you wonder if they have any value in 2023.”

Taylormade is a company that isn’t sentimental about golf club design. They have shown that they will ditch any design element at the drop of a hat if a new technology is discovered. So it’s easy to see how Taylormade irons in 2023 are so different from ones they’ve made back in 2009.

However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the Taylormade R9 irons aren’t any good. You just have to know what kind of player they suit. So without further ado, let’s answer the question once and for all…

Are the Taylormade R9 Irons Still Good?

“The answer is an easy yes.”

While the Taylormade R9 irons may have very different features than modern Taylormade irons, some things never go out of style because they simply work. The Taylormade R9 irons have the Inverted Cone face design that you still see in Taylormade golf clubs today.

This stretches the sweet spot over more of the face. The Taylormade R9 are cast, cavity back irons and they have a pretty big footprint. So right away, you get a naturally forgiving set of irons.

And while the heads are substantial, the offset has been kept in check. This keeps the look of these irons traditional. When we tested these irons, we noted that they played really fast and had a smooth feel that belied their cast construction.

While they may not add 15 yards to your shots, they were built more with forgiveness and feel in mind. So if you are the kind of player who is in need of more forgiveness and better feel, the Taylormade R9 irons are certainly still a good choice.

Are the Taylormade R9 Irons Forgiving for High Handicappers?

 

“The Taylormade R9 irons have a naturally straight launch that would be good for most high handicappers.”

Our testers found it a bit difficult to get anything but a straight flight out of these irons. And while that may be a deal-breaker for better players who like to work the ball, it is probably music to the ears of high handicappers.

When we intentionally mis-hit near the toe and heel, we weren’t losing very much ball speed at all. Even more surprising, we weren’t getting very much divergence. It’s hard to fade and draw the ball with these irons.

Again, you shouldn’t expect tremendous distance gains from these irons. On average, our testers were seeing gains of 3-5 yards. But these irons weren’t really designed to be rocket launchers. But they are absolutely forgiving enough for high handicappers.

Taylormade R9 Vs Taylormade R7 Irons

“The Taylormade R7 irons are actually very similar to the Taylormade R9 in most respects.”

For instance, the R7 irons have the inverted cone face design and technology to smooth out the feel. Like the Taylormade R9 irons, the R7 irons are cavity backs with a moderate footprint and offset. As you can imagine, the R7 irons are also made to be supremely forgiving.

However, when we tested the Taylormade R9 and R7 irons side-by-side, we found that the R7 irons reacted much stronger to mis-hits. When you get away from the sweet spot, you will notice a lot of divergence in your shots. So some accuracy is lost. But that’s only to be expected as the Taylormade R9 irons are essentially refined versions of the R7’s.

We should also note that the Taylormade R7 irons simply don’t look as nice as the Taylormade R9 irons.

Taylormade R9 First Impressions

“The first thing we noticed about the Taylormade R9 irons is that they look really nice.”

They have a simple cavity back design with a plastic badge; but the all black badge with the chevron emblem gives these irons a really sleek, clean and attractive look. The black cavity badge plays off of the chrome nickel of the body very effectively.

Other than the size of these irons, the looks suggest a much better-quality iron set. In terms of performance, our testers noticed almost immediately that it was very easy to launch the ball high in the air. The loft profile of these irons is pretty strong on paper. However, the undercut cavity and perimeter weighting help to increase your launch angles.

Taylormade R9 Irons Selling Points

• Heel and toe weighting
• Inverted Cone Technology
• Velocity Control Chamber
• Chrome nickel bodies
• Cavity back design
• Internal layer of foam

Taylormade R9 Key Technology

“Some of the tech that went into these irons is still being used for Taylormade irons in 2023.”

Inverted Cone Technology: This is a very specialized and deliberate face design that expands the sweet spot for more forgiveness.

Velocity Control Chamber: Inside the deep cavity, the Taylormade R9 irons feature a badge that is supposed to increase stability for faster ball speeds.

Internal Foam Layer: The Taylormade R9 irons also feature a soft layer of foam to help smooth out the feel at impact.

Taylormade R9 Loft & Lie

Club	Loft	Lie
3 iron	20	61
4 iron	22	61.5
5 iron	25	62
6 iron	28	62.5
7 iron	32	63
8 iron	36	63.5
9 iron	41	64

Who Should Buy the Taylormade R9 Irons?

“The Taylormade R9 irons would be great for mid to high handicappers who are having trouble staying on the fairway.”

The strongest performance aspect of these irons is that they are nearly impossible to draw or fade. If you are swinging from the middle, you can expect to stay in the middle with these irons which is really nice if accuracy has been your bane.

If you’re expecting a ton of distance, you may want to look elsewhere. The Taylormade R9 irons emphasize forgiveness, accuracy and feel. They look really nice too.

Distance: 93/100

Forgiveness: 95/100

Workability: 92/100

Overall Performance: 95/100

Value: 95/100

Overall Score: 95/100

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