TaylorMade Raylor
Rankmark is an independent equipment testing company that do not have advertisements on their reports which means their objective could in no way be clouded and among equipment testers, they rank at the top of my list in their methods and a broad range of golfers were used to do these testings especially, golfers like you and I since the pros could use any piece of equipment and will still do a good job.
In selecting and reporting the best hybrid of 2009, I was quite surprised by who came out tops. Overall results for 14 and under handicaps: 1st - Taylormade Raylor, 2nd - Adams A7, 3rd - Titleist 909H, 4th - Bobby Jones, 5th - Cobra Baffler. Overall results for 15+ handicappers: 1st (tie) - TaylorMade Raylor / Bobby Jones, 2nd - Nike SQ Sumo, 3rd - Callaway Diablo, 4th - Cobra Baffler, 5th - Adams A7. Sometimes, I may not agree with their results. Maybe I have my own preference. Besides, tests are all American. What is good for America may not all be good for Asia and the rest of the world?
History
The name Raylor harks back to a time for golfers of a certain age who will remember with a smile as it was first introduced in 1988 when it was the most the most useful and popular utility club created to get out of thick rough from wayward tee shots. The end result was a shot that got onto the green or near it despite the condition. So after more than 20 years, TaylorMade has launched this hybird cum utility cum wood claiming it is now superior and yet different from the original. They now come in only 19 and 22 degrees.
Raylor
It has a gradual sharp and pointed edge created so that you can slide it down through thick grass to have a more impactful shot. The "Raylor" sole is shaped like a ship's hull. It is built for you to separate the spinach (that's how thick rough really look like) you are hitting from allowing the club head to slide through rather than normal hybrids or irons/woods that can get caught slowing down and stuck. It prevents stalling and promotes clean face to ball full contact. One look and you can see that it has a more compact heel/toe club head size (head is actually 6% shorter in length than regular hybrids) to give it a whack with more "oomph" from thick lies. It has super-low CG (centre of gravity) with a 41% deeper face to aid in getting the ball up high, long-carrying, soft-landing flight and approach to the green.
The "Raylor sole" is supposed to help pry open grass blades in the rough so that they offer no resistance or snagging. This sole combined with the leading edge will cause a 23% reduction in the club head area that would cause other clubs to stall or twist. Because of its shape, it also makes sidehill lies easier to hit. The radius of its sole measures 17 degrees as compared to the Burner Rescue's 10 degrees and actually provides 70% extra relief making more solid contacts with the ball when the ball is played below or above your feet when resting on slopes.
It comes with a RE*AX 65g shaft which is about an inch longer than standard hybrids of equal loft to compensate and provide leverage from the rough, increase club head speed and therefore, distance. I know the question mark on your mind could be: "What about playing from clean lines on a flat fairway with that "V" sole?" I was having the same thoughts too. Kenny Perry used it recently in the US Open which has treacherous rough and was pretty successful.
The "Raylor sole" is supposed to help pry open grass blades in the rough so that they offer no resistance or snagging. This sole combined with the leading edge will cause a 23% reduction in the club head area that would cause other clubs to stall or twist. Because of its shape, it also makes sidehill lies easier to hit. The radius of its sole measures 17 degrees as compared to the Burner Rescue's 10 degrees and actually provides 70% extra relief making more solid contacts with the ball when the ball is played below or above your feet when resting on slopes.
It comes with a RE*AX 65g shaft which is about an inch longer than standard hybrids of equal loft to compensate and provide leverage from the rough, increase club head speed and therefore, distance. I know the question mark on your mind could be: "What about playing from clean lines on a flat fairway with that "V" sole?" I was having the same thoughts too. Kenny Perry used it recently in the US Open which has treacherous rough and was pretty successful.
So I asked myself two questions: 1) Is it really a piece of cake coming out of the rough? 2) Can it hit like other hybrids when played from fairway turf?
I do believe you may have also experience situation where when you played from a much easier course and you recorded a poorer score than when you have played from a tougher one. The reasons could as simple as you were off form on the day with the bad score or because things look simpler, you became complacent and you got careless. On tougher courses with narrower fairways, more water and obstacles, etc. you tend to be more attentive and paid attention to details. Could it also mean that when we play with more difficult clubs or at least more difficult looking clubs, we then may have the tendency to hit better? Therefore, the more compact head of the Raylor could possibly force us to concentrate and focus more.
I do believe you may have also experience situation where when you played from a much easier course and you recorded a poorer score than when you have played from a tougher one. The reasons could as simple as you were off form on the day with the bad score or because things look simpler, you became complacent and you got careless. On tougher courses with narrower fairways, more water and obstacles, etc. you tend to be more attentive and paid attention to details. Could it also mean that when we play with more difficult clubs or at least more difficult looking clubs, we then may have the tendency to hit better? Therefore, the more compact head of the Raylor could possibly force us to concentrate and focus more.
Range Test
I got a good hit every time. I never completely trusted shots at the range for any club because we are always standing a a flat terrain on the carpet. Besides, the ball will seem to go even when you hit behind or too much under. So despite the ship-shaped "V" hull, all shots seems good even though it came with a stiff shaft. You either hit it straight or with a slight draw. That was the result for me.
The TaylorMade Raylor hybrid came on the scene at a retail price of S$299. After sometime, they bundled it together for sale with the R9 460 at S$449. Either way you look at it, it seems like a steal, kind of like buying a driver and getting the hybrid free. Unfortunately, they ran out of stock for close to two months and though I had wanted a 19 degrees Regular flex (since it's American specification, the same flex shaft is stiffer than a Japanese version), they could only offer me a 22 degrees with Stiff flex (American). The head also seems heavier to make an overall heavier club. Couple that with a stiff flex (American) it can be harder to hit it really well. Maybe it was psychological, due to its ship-shaped "V" hull, I had trouble connecting it well for a few shots from the flat fairway but out of the rough this is super! It's a spinach cutter. It is also possible that an American Spec Stiff flex is just too much for me. Need more getting use to thw weight and stiff flex as I noticed that when connected well it was pretty good.
Experiment
Further testing is required with other ways to experiment like playing from side hill lies. I like to experiment in golf and at times take some risks. Sticking to the same and more keeps us stagnant and a spirit to explore can lead us to conquer new heights. We have to make decisions if we should at a certain moment in time take that more difficult shot rather than to play it safe. However, be warned that you should know yourself. You should at least be reasonably proficient to do shot-making otherwise, do the lay up. Sometimes you see the most audacious goals in soccer but you never realized that the player was making a bold attempt for the impossible.
We just marvel at it and say: "he's good, what a goal!" Did you know that those who also attempted shots but landed in the stands at Row Z look ridiculous? It could just be a one second or an inch of a miss when the foot connected with the ball. Well, I make mistakes from time to time but when you see me making a ridiculous shot, I wasn't being stupid, I was attempting a new shot that when executed better would give a great super result that sets the adrenalin flowing by the double. Haha, do you believe me? This was what Phil Mickelson did at the Augusta Masters recently against all odds. Just remember this - you either end up looking like Einstein or Frankenstein!
We just marvel at it and say: "he's good, what a goal!" Did you know that those who also attempted shots but landed in the stands at Row Z look ridiculous? It could just be a one second or an inch of a miss when the foot connected with the ball. Well, I make mistakes from time to time but when you see me making a ridiculous shot, I wasn't being stupid, I was attempting a new shot that when executed better would give a great super result that sets the adrenalin flowing by the double. Haha, do you believe me? This was what Phil Mickelson did at the Augusta Masters recently against all odds. Just remember this - you either end up looking like Einstein or Frankenstein!
Golf as in life, play as it lies!
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