Taylormade RBZ 3 Fairway Wood Review 2023

“Having a good 3-wood in your bag is always a good idea.”

A quality 3-wood will bail you out from the tee when your driver will send the ball sailing past the green. You will also want a 3-wood in the bag if you are facing a par 5 or a long par 4. And if you simply want a club that’s easier to hit off the tee, a 3-wood is a good option.

Today we will be taking a look at a particular 3-wood that may work wonders for your game: the Taylormade RBZ fairway wood. We know what you might be thinking, ‘isn’t the Taylormade RBZ over a decade old?’ Yes, it is. It debuted in 2012 but there is a reason you still see them being played.

The Taylormade RBZ fairway wood is a great game improvement club that gives you the versatility you need to attack any hole. We recently revisited the Taylormade RBZ 3-wood via a new round of testing and we share the results in the following review.

Key Features

Speed Pocket

The “Speed Pocket” is almost obligatory in all Taylormade clubs.

It’s a channel that has been bored in the sole directly under the face to allow the bottom portion of the face (where many players mis-hit) to flex more and generate more ball speed. So when you hit thin with the Taylormade RBZ, the effects aren’t so dramatic.

Low-Forward CG

Taylormade was a bit ahead of the times in 2012 because they added low-forward CG in a game improvement club – something that many manufacturers are starting to do these days.

The low and forward weighting combination still allows for high launch  (low weighting) but helps mute spin (forward weighting). We found that it was very easy to get under the ball and affect high launch with the Taylormade RBZ. Rollout distance was impressive as well.

Variable Thickness Crown

This feature works in tandem with the low-forward CG placement.

By thinning out some areas of the crown, Taylormade was able to shave off some weight. So more of that weight was placed low and forward in the head to produce that high launch/low spin combination.

Is it Good for High Handicappers?

“The Taylormade RBZ 3-wood is an excellent choice for high handicappers mainly because it is exceptionally easy to hit.”

Off the deck, it was very easy for our testers to make clean contact with the ball using the Taylormade RBZ 3-wood. Off the tee, what used to be slices for our testers were becoming line drives down the heart of the fairway. Something that makes the Taylormade RBZ easy to hit is its overall weight. It comes with a stock graphite shaft to help keep the overall weight down.

But even if you choose to plug an aftermarket shaft into it, we suggest staying with a lightweight shaft. Much of the appeal of the Taylormade RBZ is that it is light and fast so when you keep your aftermarket shaft choice light, you will reap the distance benefits. High handicappers will love the increased club head and ball speed.

The Taylormade RBZ also has a large, closed face profile. This means that even if you’re the kind of player that uses the entirety of the face, you will still get good ball speed and straight flight. The closed face profile, you guessed it, will help you keep the face closed on full swings.

Available Shafts

• TM Matrix X Con
• UST ProForce V2
• TM Matrix RocketFuel

Is the Taylormade RBZ 3-Wood Worth it?

“If forgiveness and distance are what you’re after, then yes, the Taylormade RBZ 3-wood is definitely worth it.”

Off the tee our testers were averaging a carry distance of 245.2 yards after three swings each with the Taylormade RBZ – a significant improvement for many of them. And only the worst high-toe misses were flying erratically off-line and losing ball speed. This definitely a worthwhile GI fairway wood.