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Taylormade RBZ Stage 2 Hybrid Review

It is Long-ier, Straight-ier and Easy-ier

Ryan Heiman Profile Picture

Ryan Heiman
Founder and head author at Independent Golf Reviews

Taylormade RBZ Stage 2 Hybrid

This is the official Taylormade RBZ Stage 2 Hybrid review.

I wanted to see how the Stage 2 hybrid would perform because I have been using the 3 wood for a while now.

This was my experience and my thoughts.

Taylormade RBZ Stage 2 Hybrid
Taylormade RBZ Stage 2 Hybrid – Overview
OVERALL
RATING
MUST
TRY
What kind of hybrid do you like?  What do you need your hybrid to do?  Right now there are more options out there then ever.  You can find a hybrid that looks like a fat iron or a mini 3 wood.  You can get one that will rescue you from a tough situation or one that bombs it.  Hybrids need to fit into your bag so you can get the most out of them.  It probably also depends on the rest of your bag set-up.  Do you hit a 3 wood?  or a 5 wood?  What is your longest iron?  All those questions should be answered before hybrid shopping.  

Once you have those answered, then you can start narrowing down your options.  The Taylormade RBZ is like a mini fairway-wood rocket launcher.  It is big and long.  If you are considering dropping a 3 wood and like big headed hybrids or just need as much distance as possible with your hybrid, this is the one for you.

I’ve been hitting the Rocketballz Stage 2 3 wood so well early in the season, I really wanted to see how the hybrid would fit into the bag. I was surprised at how similar it looks at address.  It just looks like they deflated the 3 wood a little.  The Stage 2 is one of the most fairway-wood like hybrids you can find.   The crown graphics are identical to the fairway woods.  They really don’t bother me as much as I had anticipated.  They point down the target line and after the first swing or two, I  haven’t thought about them.  It has a sole slot like the 3 wood and an adjustable hosel in the Tour TP model.

I went with the TP tour model for a couple reasons.  First it comes with my favorite hybrid shaft stock, the Matrix Altus 85.  This shaft has been around for a while now, but seems to work best for me.  It offers a smooth higher launch that flattens out near apex and always feel under control.  It was no different in this hybrid.  It was predictable just the way I like it.  The second benefit of the TP model is the adjustable hosel. Now I’m not going to be adjusting it every round, but in order to get it dialed in to my needs, you can’t beat the adjustability.  They look very square to slightly open in the standard position and can be adjusted a couple degrees each way.  I liked it close to stock, just slightly higher for a little more square look and to get the right distance.
 
Because the RBZ 3 wood is so long, I have a pretty big gap to fill between that and my longest iron.  It can’t really be filled with 1 club so I needed to find a longer hybrid.  My old hybrid is great, but I hit it around that 205 yardage and I now need something around 220.  This is where the RBZ stage 2 hybrid fits perfectly.  I have the Tour 3 hybrid set at 19*  It is a perfect gap filler and consistently hits 220-225 yards.   This is my exact need.  I could lower the loft a little and can push it to 235+,  but then it gets close to my 3 wood and I don’t really need 2 clubs that hit the same yardage.  What I like about this little rocket launcher is how easily it hits that yardage.  With some other clubs it feels like I really have to go after it to get the full distance, this one feels like any solid swing is rewarded just the same as the “for the fences” swings.
 

This clubs shines from the fairway, which really isn’t a big surprise considering it’s size.  The large head sets up great and confidently behind the ball in the short grass.  The Rocketballz Stage 2 hybrid is very forgiving too.  It seems like I can hit it all over the face and still get it on-line and the right distance.  Again, not a big surprise considering the size.

The downside of the fairway wood like hybrid is the feeling isn’t as pure as some others.  It is in between that pop of a 3-wood and the solid feeling of a hybrid.  It is somewhat dead feeling.  It is not the greatest feeling hybrid other there, but the results are hard to argue with.  The other downside is that it isn’t an ideal rescue club.  I’ve struggled with this one from the mid to deep rough, basically anything past the 1st cut I’m probably not going to use this hybrid.  If you would consider hitting a 3 wood, then you can hit this club, it is only slightly easier to hit out of non-fairway conditions than a 3 wood.

Summary

The Taylormade RBZ Stage 2 hybrid is a mini fairway wood rocket launcher.  It hits the ball plenty long, does it with ease and is very forgiving.  It isn’t a true rescue club in my opinion, but a long distance gap filler.  This is the perfect club for your bag if you would like a mini fairway-wood that is forgiving and easy to hit long. 

Check the price online here

For more information: www.taylormadegolf.com

Quick Hits

➕ Mini fairway wood looks
➕ Adjustable, but still very long
➕ Amazing forgiveness in both direction and distance
➕ Matrix Altus TP stock shaft

➖ Dead feeling
➖ Not a true rescue hybrid

Photos

About The Author

Ryan Heiman – Founder and Head Author of Independent Golf Reviews
Ryan has over 10 years of experience testing and writing golf reviews of nearly every brand out there.
HCP: 3
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