taylormade tour preferred irons specs

Taylormade Tour Preferred irons review

Get a review of the TaylorMade Tour Preferred irons at golf-monthly. Get TaylorMade Tour Preferred irons review at golf monthly

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These TaylorMade Tour Preferred (TP) irons sit at the opposite end of the scale to the TaylorMade Burner Plus. The flight is far more penetrating and what you loose in forgiveness you make up for in feedback and looks. We found we could shape approach shots with these irons with relative ease. Where next? More On Test: - TaylorMade Tour Burner driver review - TaylorMade r7 Limited driver review - TaylorMade Z TP Wedge review - TaylorMade r7 Steel review Galleries: - TaylorMade Tour Preferred Irons pictures - TaylorMade Burner Plus Irons pictures Blogs: - Sergio Garcia wins with new TaylorMade r7 Limited driver

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A thin topline and shorter head from heel to toe help to create a classic look . The shallow cavity helps distribute weight to the perimeter of the head to increase the moment of inertia (MOI) for extra forgiveness. The sole has softer edges to discourage digging.

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The Sand Trap

Golf News, Reviews, and Commentary

TaylorMade Tour Preferred CB Irons Review

TaylorMade’s flagship amateur irons have been updated for 2014, and we take them for a spin.

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You might not expect it, but these have already made it into the bags of PGA Tour players and weekend hackers alike. Let’s see if they should earn a spot in your bag. Design and Technology In terms of technology, the Tour Preferred CBs are more of a refinement than a reinvention. The SpeedPocket, introduced last year and filled with a 3M polymer, is back with a few twists. Still present only in the 3- through 7-irons, it has been expanded, with thicker pockets towards the heel and toe.

TaylorMade says that the SpeedPocket now includes “micro-slots,” which increase ball speed and raise the launch angle. This has allowed them to bring down the lofts one degree throughout the set without losing any height, which should increase distance.

When you increase the size of the SpeedPocket, as TM has done here, you’re presented the challenge of doing something with that removed weight. Polymer is, after all, lighter than steel. TaylorMade has widened the sole a bit to make up for that loss of CoG-lowering steel. That’s great for launch, not so much for playability.

The main design conceit of these irons is that they’re a balancing act: on one hand, they have the “Tour Preferred” branding, they come with KBS Tour shafts, they have a somewhat traditional look, they have a satin chrome finish (which TM says is preferred by better players), and a few professionals have put them in play ( Justin Rose , Trevor Immelman , Camilo Villegas ); on the other hand, the toplines and soles are thicker, there’s a decent amount of offset, the lofts are low, and the irons are built to launch the ball way up in the air. That’s only a breakthrough if they’ve struck the right balance.

Esthetics I noted in my review of the RocketBladez Tour irons that they were very grey-heavy, which is a design choice that TaylorMade has continued with the Tour Preferred line. I don’t mind that; they certainly look classy. The über-chrome finish is evocative of Mizuno’s MP line, which is not a bad target to aspire to.

The cavity is styled very similarly to the RocketBladez, with the “TaylorMade” script on the muscle and a plastic sticker in the cavity. The words “Tour Preferred” are written in white and red, with “CB” in white closer to the heel.

The undercut cavity extends to the hosel of the club, where a small cutout has been made, presumably to remove weight from the heel of the club. The RocketBladez Tour irons had a similar hosel cutout, but it’s grown to Ping-sized proportions .

Keeping with the “Tour Preferred” design style, the toe of the club is more angular than, say, the TaylorMade SpeedBlade irons. That’s a nice touch that, along with the polished chrome, helps to give the club a relatively classic look from the back.

Moving to the soles, the polyurethane slot has been filled in a bit more, and is now flush with the surrounding steel. I never had any problem with dirt caking in the slots of the RocketBladez Tour irons, and can’t imagine there would be any with these. The soles are otherwise interrupted only by the club number.

The address position reveals that the Tour Preferred CB irons, while they do share superficial designs and the same metal forming process, are somewhat more of a game-improvement set of irons than the RocketBladez Tours. The toplines are noticeably thicker, and the entire head looks ever-so-slightly larger. The TP CBs have a bit more offset, and the soles and muscle portion of the back of the club are both thicker on the Tour Preferreds, so with some of the long irons you can see them at address. That’s not a huge deal, but if you’re someone like me who generally plays smaller irons, it can be slightly unnerving.

One last thing I noticed is that the face, which had a swirl-milled pattern on the RocketBladez Tour irons, has returned to a simple sandblasted finish. Not a huge deal, I suppose, though golfers who use their pitching wedge around the green might see a small bit less spin.

Though the thicker sole isn’t my favorite feature of the club, it really helps out of longer grass. Clubheads this thick have enough weight that moving through the thicker grass presented no problem.

Performance Through some sort of engineering wizardry, I was quite surprised by how high the RocketBladez Tour irons launched last year, and I’m similarly surprised here. I was a bit worried that the stronger lofts would lower my launch, but in practice (and in a few cuts I got to take on a launch monitor) they took off at about the same angle, and reached about the same maximum height.

That also led to about the same length. I hit them approximately the same distance as the RocketBladez Tour.

Last year I remarked at how the RocketBladez irons that had the SpeedPocket almost felt like I was double hitting the ball (imagine: hit-hit, hit-hit, hit-hit), but I didn’t get that with the Tour Preferred CBs. Maybe the polymer is denser, maybe slot is cut differently or a bit farther from the face, I don’t know. But it felt like any other iron.

I’m not particularly happy or upset about that because the longer irons, the ones with the SpeedPocket, are still among the softest irons that I’ve ever hit. Especially soft for cast irons made of a steel that’s among the firmer steels used in clubmaking. I was somewhat disappointed with the short irons – the ones without the polymer. They felt a bit dull. Not harsh, but not a great feeling. They felt like game improvement irons, basically.

What did impress me, however, was the feel on mishits. They increased the size of the SpeedPocket towards the heel and toe of the club, and that added polymer really did help. I could still feel when a shot was off-center based on the twisting of the club in my hands, but I certainly wasn’t met with the hand-stinging sensation that most irons give you. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case with the SpeedPocket-less short irons, which did feel a bit harsh. I wouldn’t worry so much about that though: how often are you badly missing the center of the face with your pitching wedge?

And if you are, the performance of these irons on mishits is great. Both ball speed and launch angle (in the x- and y-directions) were shockingly close to shots on the center of the face.

I liked the sound of the Tour Preferred CB irons. A bit muted, but enough of a metallic “pop” that I was satisfied.

Specifications The Tour Preferred CB irons come in an assortment of configurations, including 3-PW (which retails for $899.99), 4-AW ($899.99), 4-PW ($789.99), 5-PW ($674.99), 5-AW ($789.99), and 6-PW ($564.99). This allows for plenty of mixing and matching, and is a good effort to adapt to the hybrids and wedges already in your bag. TaylorMade also offers individual irons for $112.99, so if you change your mind later, don’t sweat it.

The individual irons also let you create a combo set using the three Tour Preferred styles of irons, similar to what Justin Rose has had in his bag this year (the CB 3-iron is hiding behind the 4-iron).

It’s an imperfect system, however, which is a disappointing result of the constant strengthening of lofts. I carry 60- and 54-degree wedges, so the 46-degree PW included is beginning to stretch the limits of my loft gapping. I had a similar problem at the long end. I carry a 17-degree hybrid, and the included 21-degree 4-iron leaves just enough space between those two that I’m not exactly sure what to do.

I’m used to carrying a set of better-player irons though, so golfers used to stronger lofts like this might not have much of a problem.

KBS calls their Tour shafts their most versatile shafts, and for good reason. All of the Tour Preferred irons (MB, MC, and CB) come stock with KBS Tour shafts. They fit my game well, and most golfers of average strength shouldn’t have much of a problem with their modest weight.

They come with a very basic Tour Velvet grip, with the logo on the underside. I’d replace them right away.

Conclusions The first thing I noticed about these irons is that they feel and swing like a game improvement iron, even more so than they look. The toplines are thick, as are the soles, and the clubs have that top-heavy feel that most game improvement irons have. No one’s confusing the CBs for blades, but it goes a bit beyond that.

These clubs have to play the balancing game between game improvement and low-handicap irons. Both groups of golfers have to find them appealing to look at and both groups have to find them enjoyable to swing.

And to that effect, TaylorMade has pulled that off pretty well. The clubs are a little clunky, but all in all they’ve managed to keep much of that clunkiness out of the way. And though I’m not thrilled with the lofts, these irons really rocket the ball. They’re soft, they sound great, and they are oh so shiny.

2 thoughts on “TaylorMade Tour Preferred CB Irons Review”

Absolutely the best irons I’ve ever owned. I’ve had the AP2 and Nike Pro Tour Combos…top to bottom, I’m getting great results from these sticks. I have never gravitated to TaylorMade, so these irons were a very pleasant surprise. I love the distance, control and feel. And completing the set with The JetSpeed driver, 4 hybrid, and the TaylorMade Tour Preferred wedges, I couldn’t be happier.

These irons are high performance for me. I’m typically a high ball hitter however with clubs I can hit it low or high. I played the titleist ap2, no disrespect to titleist or forged club owners. I love the feel and solid performance of these irons. I traded my titleist ap2 as soon as I hit one shot with these irons!! All the way with taylormade tp CB irons. KBS shafts worked wonders for my game period!!

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TaylorMade releases 2014 Tour Preferred irons

TaylorMade has released its long-awaited line of 2014 Tour Preferred CB, MC and MB irons, which will hit stores on Jan. 6. TaylorMade will be hosting a live chat about the new irons on its website from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET.

Tour Preferred CB irons: $899

The CB irons are the largest of the Tour Preferred irons and feature a cast construction. The 3 through 7 irons have TaylorMade’s refined handle-bar shaped Speed Pocket, while the 8 iron through ‘A wedge’ do not. The 3 through 6 irons are cast from 17-4 stainless steel, while the 7 iron through A wedge are cast from 431 stainless steel.

Click on the photo specification sheets below to enlarge them, and make sure to check out the comparison photos below of TaylorMade’s new Tour Preferred CB and MC irons along with the  SpeedBlade ,  RocketBladez Tour  and  2012 Tour Preferred MC irons .

Tour Preferred MC irons: $999

The Tour Preferred MC irons are smaller than the company’s CB irons. Speed Pockets were added to the 3 through 7 irons, where most golfers could use more distance and forgiveness, while the 8 iron through PW are forged to improve feel and control. The 3 iron through 7 iron are cast from 431 stainless steel, while the short irons are forged from 1025 carbon steel.

Tour Preferred MB irons: $1099

The MB irons are fully forged from 1025 carbon steel, and are the company’s smallest-sized iron for 2014. The do not feature TaylorMade’s Speed Pocket, giving purists the traditional feel that comes from a forged muscle back iron.

Photos of TaylorMade Tour Preferred CB 3 Iron

Photos of TaylorMade’s Tour Preferred MC 7 Iron

Photos of TaylorMade’s Tour Preferred MC PW (Forged, No Slot)

2014 Tour Preferred CB compared to 2012 TaylorMade TP MC

2014 Tour Preferred CB compared to the 2013/2014 TaylorMade SpeedBlade

2014 Tour Preferred MC compared to the 2013 TaylorMade RocketBladez Tour

2014 Tour Preferred MC compared to the 2013/2014 SpeedBlade

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76 Comments

Apr 2, 2014 at 1:16 pm

I hit every forged combo set; ap2s & cb/mbs, nike, mizuno and callaway, the TM Tour Preferred had the best overall feel, best carry distance and shortest roll out. The Nike vrs forged combo was nice as well. Hit C Tapers stiff, DG X100 and KBS Tour X. All were nice, good carry but averaged 18 feet of roll out with a 7 iron. Carry was 175, stopping at 180-182. Switched to a KBS Tour Stiff and got longer carry and shorter roll out. I’ve always hit X Flex, who knew. Got the MC/MB 4-W, love them. I’m a 12 hc.

Mar 22, 2014 at 7:08 am

I am going to eat my words a little here. While I still don’t like all the TMAG garbage they go in with and the new products every five minutes, I hit these tour preferred CB irons today and they were great. Have been using Ping S57 and S56 for a while now and I’ve got to be honest, they blew them away. While we might debate the TMAG way so to speak, you can’t argue with they way their clubs perform. I will be getting a set of these as soon as I can. I preferred them to Titleist AP2’s as well.

Feb 7, 2014 at 5:34 pm

why all the tm haters? I use a lot of tm equipment and am very satisfied. currently use rac lt2 irons, rocketballz tour driver and a tm 3 wood. if you don’t like tm stuff that’s fine, go use something else. cutting down good equipment because you don’t have game seems pretty immature to me. maybe practice a little more!

Feb 20, 2014 at 2:03 am

Hello Anyone else noticed that the MB blade looks exactly the same as a Mizuno MP 37

Jan 28, 2014 at 11:53 pm

Have yet to hit, but how bout just re-releasing smoke RAC MB’s and call it a day? I’m not a TMAG hater, but they haven’t put anything out as of late that really has a place on my gotta have list. Just my .02

Mar 4, 2014 at 8:12 pm

wonder if you’re going by looks or if you’ve actually hit what TM has to offer on a monitor compared to what you currently play.

I was always a TM hater, until I actually started comparing their irons to the others…better distance, better height, better spin (in my case means less)….

Gary hacker

Aug 26, 2014 at 3:16 pm

Just look at those new callaways they’re exact rac clones

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Jan 8, 2014 at 3:46 pm

My local golf store is installing a conveyer belt for all the TM equipment. The items that don’t end up in your trunk, end up in the dumpster out back.

JAMES WILSON

Feb 1, 2014 at 9:12 pm

I was a TM hater for years until 8 months ago. I was looking at drivers to upgrade from my Ping G15. I tried all the new models except TM. I average 220-230 and really didn’t get any extra distance from the ones I tested except the Calloway X Hot which I was hitting around 225 – 235 but not enough distance to shell out $300. On my way out the door I reluctant grabbed an R1 R flex just for heck of it. First drive, 256, all others 240-260. I have hit this driver 300 plus with a slight tail wind. Ball jumps off the face and gets up in a hurry. Needless to say I am a TM believer and will be on the TM band wagon until I can be proven wrong.

Sep 29, 2014 at 10:03 pm

but I’m a bit worried about my enigslh level and I think I just coulsnt be able to follow any classes … you need to make a “french” one Amanda and I’ll be there for sure 😉

Jan 8, 2014 at 11:35 am

kinda dumb the MC isn’t all forged and command a 999 price tag. I hit the CB last night and they are pretty nice. A big upgrade from the previous CB.

Jan 7, 2014 at 6:29 am

Whoa! whoa! Whoa! TM has a new club out? Now that’s news! sarcasm intended. If they keep up at this pace, they’ll have an iron that you can hit 1000 yards.

Jan 6, 2014 at 7:07 pm

I was fortunate to be in one of our local golf stores when the Taylormade rep came in with a bag full of the new releases to promo to the sales staff. I got to hit the MCs for about 45 minutes on a flightscope. I am a 1.8 index. I can tell you the irons felt great and I did gain about 6-7 yards over my current AP2s (that I had in my trunk and got out to hit at the same time). Spin rates and flights were very consistent as well. To me, they are much better looking at address than the RB Tours and Speedblades. Improved looks, consistent flight, spin and improved distance coupled with a great feel. What’s not to like. At least to me, they are much different than the clubs they are designed to replace and not just a cosmetic change for marketing/sales. Just for the record, I am not a Taylormade guy. I’ve bagged nothing but Mizuno and Titleist for a long time other than a R7 driver that I just can’t move out of the bag. I’ve tried every new driver that has come out but none out perform the incumbent.

Feb 1, 2014 at 9:20 pm

I’m was not a TM guy either but the R1 and RB2 5 wood made me a believer. My Ping G15 driver was 220-230, R1 240-260. Ping G15 3 wood was 190-200 and I was looking for something in the 180-190 so I tried several until I came to the TM RB2. 210-220 all day long. I now use my TM 5 wood for a 3 wood and my Ping 3 wood for a 5 wood if that makes any sense.

Jan 6, 2014 at 6:28 pm

Mc set are half forged? The old line was all forged incl the cb line… Poor effort I’d say even tho tmag forging a aren’t very good anyways some people say they are ‘fake forged’ simply pressed while kzg muria etc are heavily stamped to ensure no air bubbles etc for pure feel and cinsitancy.. Kzg are where it’s at.. Good luck with yet another huge release Tm I will not be buying into it sorry…

David Smith

Jan 6, 2014 at 3:30 pm

Yawwwwwwwn. These are just hideous much like the rest of TaylorMade’s stuff. I wish they hadn’t taken this route.

Jan 6, 2014 at 1:38 pm

I’m currently gaming RBZ Tours with the stock standard KBS Tour shafts. These irons are highly under rated and very easy to hit for a semi blade. Although I love the look of the new MC’s I see no reason to switch…

Mar 16, 2014 at 9:35 pm

I agree. While prettier, I don’t see any added benefit to RBZ Tour.

Jan 6, 2014 at 9:35 am

This is just a warning about some of the Taylor made equipment.

I do not hate taylormade in any way. I use one of their drivers and one of their hybrids and have no complaints about them.

I purchases two custom built irons from taylormade to replace my long irons about five months ago and have had nothing but trouble with them. The shafts have snapped at the hosel 3 Times since buying them. Taylormade replaced the shaft the first time this happened but due to the fact that they are custom irons there was a 6 week delay to get them back. The second time they broke I asked if Taylor made would replace the shafts with a different one as I had my doubts about the standard ones, they refused. I send the clubs to be repaired again, another 6 weeks to get them back…3 weeks later the shafts broke again.

Taylor made are not responding to any emails I send them now. I guess they are to busy preparing for the release of “rocket jet blade super distance” or whatever. All in all very very poor.

Jan 6, 2014 at 8:51 am

I dont mind the new looks. But i already committed to titleist irons so i wont change up any time soon.

Jan 6, 2014 at 12:00 am

Sep 29, 2014 at 11:31 am

Good weblog! When i dilenitefy adore how it set up on my own eye balls plus the stats are well written. We’re asking yourself generate an income can be warned as the innovative article has been produced. I’ve subscribed for your feed that need to be able to do just as well! Possess a nice morning!

gocanucksfan123

Jan 5, 2014 at 10:28 pm

CB seems awfully similar to the Speedblades. Since they’re both cast wouldn’t it make more sense to buy the Speedblades instead of the CB because of the price difference?

Jan 5, 2014 at 10:41 pm

Yes, but the CB “looks” way cooler because of its simple silver color with the red writing as opposed to the funky blue of the SpeedBlade.

Jan 5, 2014 at 11:23 pm

so basically there’s going to be about a $200 difference just because of a different colour and a 1mm thinner top line. Got it.

Jan 5, 2014 at 9:08 pm

“TaylorMade has released its long-awaited line of 2014 Tour Preferred CB, MC and MB irons, which will hit stores on Dec. 6.”

I assume you meant Jan 6?

Sep 29, 2014 at 12:35 pm

The kind of people who can aoffrd these kinds of services are already rich enough not to be seriously affected by recessions. Although people often think of theme parks as only for those who are old enough for all the attractions, there is still something for even the tiniest of thrill seekers.

Jan 2, 2014 at 6:51 am

Was looking forward to the MC’s to replace my old trustworthy irons….woulda gone straight into the bag if the whole MC set looked like the PW in the pictures. But this slot crap? No thanks, distance irons. Bye TM, hello Cobra!!

Dec 28, 2013 at 7:29 am

I know there’s loads of people excited about TMAG products when they come out and I know it’s been said before but is anyone else really bored with the rate at which TMAG releases products? They have released 7 drivers in 2013. 7! And rocket blades then speed bladez within 6-8 months give or take? Really? I will never buy a new TMAG product ever again. Wait 6 mths and you’ll get it for half price (or less). Callaway’s going the same way with their hard goods too. I’m going Ping and Titleist all the way now. Only OEM’s that make products with integrity and longenvity.

Dec 29, 2013 at 3:59 pm

Ahh, I see… You want less choice in the marketplace vs more. And you’d prefer to see less innovation, or rather you want to wait till you see it everyone else’s bag for five years first. That makes sense.

Seriously, folks… what negative difference does it make to anyone if Cally and TMag release many products really fast? You don’t have to buy them. A fast product release schedule with planned obsolescence means rapid regular price drops for the savvy shopper! Don’t weep over the depreciation of a $399 driver, rejoice that you will be able to buy that driver for $175 in short order (if not immediately)!

All this carping of the plethora of TMag offerings comes down to one thing — Buyer’s Regret. This is different than Buyer’s Remorse, which is the fear you bought something bad. Buyer’s Regret is the fear you DIDN’T buy the best available option. Stop worrying about it and just find something that is good for your game.

I laud TMag for offering so many types of clearly differentiated irons from pure forged blades to super game improvements. Odds are I’ll find something that fits me.

Dec 29, 2013 at 7:34 pm

Very well said. I can’t wait for TMaG to come out with another TP set so I can get the new MC for 1/4 of the price.

Jan 5, 2014 at 9:48 pm

What if you owned the golf shop at a golf course? Every time you sell a new TM driver in 2-3 months there is a new one. Now you just sold your customer that the one he bought is the newest, latest and greatest, and then they drop a “better”, “longer”, and “more forgiving” driver. Everything you sold to that customer is out of the window. He thinks you sold him a driver that’s not what you said and you loose a customer for good. Just a thought!!! Seriously will consider not keeping TM in the golf shop for this very reason.

Jan 5, 2014 at 10:43 pm

“you loose a customer for good. ”

You don’t know golf addicts very well

Jan 6, 2014 at 8:36 am

Or spelling.

Dino from Australia

Jun 4, 2014 at 6:13 am

Jan 28, 2014 at 1:50 am

IF you owned a golf shop you would be on your knees thanking TaylorMade for helping improve your bottom line so much. They move the most product, they have the best range of choices for all types of players, and the new MC irons are sick! Ask Segio after Qatar…

ForgedIronsRBest

Jan 6, 2014 at 5:47 pm

Sadly, even when they finally cough up a clean, satin finished 100% forged iron set, they’re STILL offset yet say “Tour Preferred” ?? With the massive plethora of options out there, one would think TM would have the decency of at least releasing a forged i-set with 0 offset. There are players using Onset for God’s sake (I’m not one of them but they’re out there). If they’re going to step up to the attempted magic of yesteryear when some of their now decade-old RAC forged sets were pure magic, why not step it up all the way?? To weed through all the game improvement, half-forged, half-cast, progressive, injected, foam filled, this’s & that’s iron sets just to cough up 1 forged set that still isn’t really set up like Titleist or even Nike does/did with their MBs is difficult to fathom. TM should stick to the dozens of new released drivers they crank out every year & just about give up on irons all together if this is as good as it’s gonna get. Bottom line: even their “elite” products like these MBs are really more elite in price than in utmost performance compared to their competitors. With the amount of club options they offer, that’s just not good enough. :/

Feb 4, 2014 at 1:18 pm

What is an example of an onset iron. Ive been looking for years…

Jan 7, 2014 at 7:45 am

Where did you get your psych degree from? You got me in one bud. I’m going to regret it my whole life, buying that TMAG driver too soon. What am I to do?

Do you really believe TMAG when they said it took them years to perfect the first speed pocket and that they reinvented it in 6 months to release a second iron in quick succession that was so much better. Man, you’ll believe anything.

Have you noticed how TMAG haven’t released a new wedge in years. They know as well as everyone else that there’s no buzz in wedges (except when you tak about vokeys) so that means there’s no money.

TMAG don’t give a rat’s about innovation or technology. They are only interested in the $$$$$ and no one can disagree with that. Innovation and technology are only buzz words to them.

You might think I hate TMAG. I don’t. I often game a couple of their clubs from the past (R11 metal’s mostly). I just think it’s amazing (and boring) that they keep pushing out all these products and say each one is so much better then the last.

They must sit back and laugh that the golf community swallows their rubbish. I know I would if I were them.

Geoffrey Alter

Jan 7, 2014 at 9:20 pm

Rich, you are dead on. Unless we are pros, we won’t be able to discern the difference between the variances of mid year technology advances. Mostly, of we would all take the money from buying new clubs and out it into learning how to flush it, we would all be on the right oath. MArketing, consuming… Lather, rinse, repeat.

Jan 7, 2014 at 7:59 pm

And if you wait 6 months you will get a screaming deal. Odds are technology won’t change so much that you will be able to tell. Unless you are a plus 2 or 3 like everyone else on WRX. They don’t let people post on this site unless someone is that good, do they?

Sep 29, 2014 at 10:55 am

There are some interesting cut-off dates in this alctire but I don? know if I see all of them center to heart. There may be some validity but I will take maintain opinion until I look into it further. Good alctire , thanks and we would like more! Added to FeedBurner as well

Jan 29, 2014 at 12:10 am

How is it that “the others” can make an iron that holds its value, and satisfy its player for two years, not two months. You can take all the offerings from this company you want every couple of months, bottom line, your a sucker if you buy into their inferior product, and will never be satisfied, therefore you continue to replace with their “next best”. Have fun! At least their half off:)

Would anyone play these irons over Titleist, Ping, Mizuno? Majority who cares about a great product will say NO.

Jan 29, 2014 at 12:20 am

Keep playing inferior equipment and typing novels to support a gimmick we have seen through for years that you have yet to see, or play real gear.

May 14, 2014 at 11:33 pm

You must get smoked on the course regularly by someone who plays TM gear, why else would you care so much for a product you don’t care for? Just go buy some TM gear, old stuff if it makes feel any better about it, and get it over with. I’m sure everyone is tired of your whining. Just do it! (Ha ha)

Feb 1, 2014 at 9:28 pm

You nailed it. I was a TM hater but now own their R1 and RB2 five wood. I hit both 30 to 40 yards longer than my Ping G15 driver and 5 wood. Like you said, don’t have to buy them as there are plenty of substandard clubs in the market.

Feb 1, 2014 at 9:33 pm

You nailed it. I was a TM hater but now own their R1 and RB2 five wood. I hit both 30 to 40 yards longer than my Ping G15 driver and 5 wood. Like you said, don’t have to buy them as there are plenty of substandard clubs in the market.

Jan 5, 2014 at 10:29 pm

I have to agree with Rich here… BUT we being the consumers are the ones that are making the choice to buy the product… I think the worst is when you are really looking for that new club and settle on it.. and then 1 month later, another one comes out and you watch your “new” club drop $100 in price.. that’s what hurts the most.. TMAG is always saying X yards longer on everything they sell.. that’s their marketing strategy and it draws a lot of people to the product. I know Im looking at the SLDR stuff now, in the back of my mind I’m thinking wait another 2 months cause you know TMAG already has SLDR 2 TP ABCXYZ on the production line waiting for us…

Jan 6, 2014 at 12:25 pm

I think that you must get the equipment that will improve your game. I had the R11 and hit a Sunday best 290 yd drive from time to time on kikuyu fairways. I had been battling with high spin rates, so when I heard about the low-spinning SLDR I got fitted for one. The consequence was low bullet drives averaging +290. When I really crank one, I easily reach 350. In the same vein I changed my previous face-balanced putter to a Yes! Pippi-12 and am now averaging under 30 putts per round.

May 14, 2014 at 11:48 pm

I’ve got news for you Chris, that new club didn’t drop $100 when the new stuff came out. It dropped $100 the second you hit a ball with it, they all do, because it became a used club.

Brady Wilson

Jan 5, 2014 at 11:58 pm

yeah, products with integrity and longevity that don’t perform as well. Enjoy!

Jan 6, 2014 at 7:55 am

I wonder how many people got sucked into the RBZ being “17 yards longer” I play all TMAG stuff and I admit it.. I like the stuff, but the marketing hype is kind of ridiculous… the average guy on the street gets sucked into a lot of it.. and the big brand stores are gonna push it like crazy!!!!!! I wish I owned a golf shop so I could retire!!!

Jan 6, 2014 at 11:47 am

They perform only as well as the hands that hold them.

Jan 7, 2014 at 7:31 am

According to TMAG anyway. Guess they sucked you in with their marketing rubbish.

Sep 29, 2014 at 8:42 pm

My husband watned this club and it was a much better deal here than on other sites or at the sporting good stores in our area. He loves it and was really pleased. We also got a deal for a free golf magazine.

Dec 27, 2013 at 9:40 pm

I have had them for two weeks and I can tell you that they feel as soft as butter. Even the long irons feel much softer than the RBladez tour. I have the MCs and if you are looking for height in your mid-long irons you may want to consider the CB model as the MCs launch it pretty low.

Jeffrey Trigger

Dec 26, 2013 at 3:20 pm

These are the best looking TaylorMade irons in quite some time. I’m glad they finally toned down all the weird colors (seriously, yellow, on an iron?), funky gimmicks, and just made a solid iron. Those CB’s look like a great set, it looks like a mid handicapper who is solid with irons could play those. I’m hoping to blend the CB’s in the slotted irons with MC’s in the short, you know, in my fantasy world in which I can actually afford a set of tour irons.

Dec 27, 2013 at 2:29 am

Shame that they feel like sh_t in the mid to long irons with the slot.

Dec 27, 2013 at 12:17 pm

How do you know that? Did you hit then? I bet you didnt

Dec 27, 2013 at 5:11 pm

I could give a rats butt about feel. I care about score.

Jan 5, 2014 at 10:45 pm

You will care when you can’t feel whether you hit it good or not and can’t figure out what the club head is actually doing, not giving you enough feedback to be able to control the next time you hit it because you don’t really know if it’s going to do what you want it to do because you can’t feel the hit

Jan 8, 2014 at 6:00 pm

I play 17-4 steel irons now, and have never had a problem identifying where I hit the ball. I’ve played golf for 26 of my 34 years playing everything from a Persimmon Whale, Mizuno MP-14, to the RBZ irons I’m playing now. I’ve never had a problem identifying a good shot from a bad shot, ever.

Jan 5, 2014 at 11:10 pm

I’ve hit the long irons…they are butter! Besides who needs feel in those irons anyway!

Jan 20, 2014 at 3:57 pm

Well, I’m an idiot, and spent a lot of money. I put the CB 4 through AW in my bag. The A wedge is absolutely beautiful, and I can’t believe doesn’t have a complete wedge set. The irons are ridiculously long, unbelievably forgiving for their size, and unlike some game improvement irons, really consistent gaps between clubs. Today was the first time I’ve played in 2014, and I broke 40, with steady winds and cold temperatures. I absolutely can’t wait for better golf weather to see what these irons can do!

Dec 26, 2013 at 1:44 pm

I really appreciate the comparison photos because I couldn’t see the subtle differences between the Speedblades and the CB’s, I thought it was purely badging. Now I can. CB’s have ever so slightly less offset. This tells me that I should stay with my SB’s because I need that extra offset and any other changes or advantages would probably be minimal.

Dec 28, 2013 at 2:33 pm

When are they going to be released to consumers ?

Jan 6, 2014 at 12:01 am

speedblades are out, Tour Preferred irons drop this week.

Markymark032884

Dec 26, 2013 at 12:25 pm

Why do the comparison shots show the old MC vs. the new CB and last years RBZ tour vs. the new MC….. Why no pics of the old MC vs. the new MC?

Dec 26, 2013 at 12:29 pm

Not complaining its cool to see the comparison pics.. just would have been even cooler to see the (old MC vs. the new MC)…. and the (RBZ tours VS the new CB’s)

WarrenPeace

Jan 1, 2014 at 2:38 pm

Because the old MC is better and more reliable distance wise. The higher lofted irons without slot look ok- sort of a Mizuno remake but the older MC/MBs feels like butter all the way through the set. Combine the old head design with the right shaft and you have a great iron.

Shawn Smith

Dec 26, 2013 at 11:20 am

So these are just speedblade tours then? Was thinking of getting the MC’s but the wife bought me a set of mizuno 825 pros for christmas to replace my old burners. The wife just might have saved me from myself…

Dec 26, 2013 at 2:10 pm

She’s a keeper 😉

Dec 27, 2013 at 2:30 am

Dec 27, 2013 at 6:25 am

Thanks for the affirmation. 🙂

Dec 27, 2013 at 12:19 pm

These are way harder to hit then the speed blades, the only thing that is the same is te slot.

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Although we spotted Rory McIlroy testing the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper last week during practice rounds at the Masters, he ultimately didn’t decide to use the club in competition.

It seems that will change this week at the 2024 RBC Heritage, played at the short-and-tight Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head.

When asked on Wednesday following his morning Pro-Am if he’d be using the new, nostalgic BRNR Copper this week, McIlroy said, “I think so.”

“I like it,” McIlroy told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday regarding the BRNR. “This would be a good week for it.”

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by GolfWRX (@golfwrx)

According to Adrian Rietveld, the Senior Manager of Tour at TaylorMade, the BRNR Mini Driver can help McIlroy position himself properly off the tee at the tight layout.

Here’s what Rietveld told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday:

“For someone like Rory, who’s that long at the top end of the bag, and then you put him on a course like Harbour Town, it’s tough off the tee. It’s tight into the greens, and you have to put yourself in position off the tee to have a shot into the green. It kind of reminds me of Valderrama in Spain, where you can be in the fairway and have no shot into the green.

“I’m caddying for Tommy [Fleetwood] this week, so I was walking the course last night and looking at a few things. There’s just such a small margin for error. You can be standing in the fairway at 300 yards and have a shot, but at 320 you don’t. So if you don’t hit a perfect shot, you could be stuck behind a tree. And then if you’re back at 280, it might be a really tough shot into the small greens.

“So for Rory [with the BRNR], it’s a nice course-specific golf club for him. He’s got both shots with it; he can move it right-to-left or left-to-right. And the main thing about this club has been the accuracy and the dispersion with it. I mean, it’s been amazing for Tommy.

“This was the first event Tommy used a BRNR last year, and I remember talking to him about it, and he said he couldn’t wait to play it at Augusta next year. And he just never took it out of the bag because he’s so comfortable with it, and hitting it off the deck.

“So you look at Rory, and you want to have the tools working to your advantage out here, and the driver could hand-cuff him a bit with all of the shots you’d have to manufacture.”

So, although McIlroy might not be making a permanent switch into the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper, he’s likely to switch into it this week.

His version is lofted at 13.5 degrees, and equipped with a Fujikura Ventus Black 7X shaft.

See more photos of Rory testing the BRNR Mini here

Spotted: TaylorMade P-UDI driving iron

It seems like the RBC Heritage is full of new gear to be spotted, and you can add TaylorMade’s P-UDI utility irons to that list.

We spotted a 17-degree P-UDI 2-iron in Nick Dunlap’s bag yesterday, and now have some photos of both the 3- and 4-irons. Nick has his P-UDI 2-iron setup with a Project X HZRDUS Black 4th Gen 105g TX shaft.

From what we can tell, this new P-UDI utility iron looks to have some of the usual TaylorMade technology as we can see the Speed Slot on the sole of the club for additional face flexibility. A toe screw is usually used to close off the hollow body design that will probably be filled with a version of TaylorMade’s Speed Foam that is present in the current iron lineup. This hollow body, foam-filled design should offer additional ball speed, soft feel, and sound, as well as an optimized CG for ball flight.

“Forged” is etched into the hosel, so we can assume that either the face, body, or both are forged for a soft and responsive feel. The club looks good from behind and at address, where we can see just a little offset and a topline that I would consider medium thickness. We don’t have the full details on what is under the hood or how many loft options will be available yet.

TaylorMade P-UDI 3-iron – 20°

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Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 LS (9 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 60 TX (45 inches)

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• Home > TaylorMade Tour Preferred CB Forged Iron Set

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TaylorMade Tour Preferred CB Forged Iron Set

• Sale Price $799.95 (11% off)
• MSRP $899.95
• Product Code: TM-TPCB
• Manufacturer: TaylorMade Golf
• Availability: Discontinued
• RH or LH: Right Handed Left Handed
• Set: 3-PW 4-PW, SW 4-PW, AW 5-PW, SW, AW
• Flex: Regular Stiff X-Stiff
• Shaft: True Temper Dynalite 90 Graphite (+$200)
• Quantity in Basket: None
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• Free Shipping On Orders Over $75 (Continental United States Only)

"Uniting a forged face with a cast cavity allows us to deliver the best of both worlds: the soft feel of a forging with the stability and forgiveness of a deep undercut cavity." said Wahl.

The Tour Preferred CB Forged iron set boasts the highest MOI of the three new irons. That, combined with its Inverted Cone Technology (the only iron of the three with ICT), which promotes faster ball speed on off-center hits, helps make the TPCB extremely forgiving for consistent distance from shot to shot The Tour Preferred CB Forged iron also features a precision-weighting port that guarantees consistent swingweight throughout the set while ensuring optimal CG location in every clubhead to promote optimal ball flight every iron. Additionally, the Tour Preferred CB Forged irons features the same new, advanced groove design to promote more spin and control from the rough.

The Tour Preferred CB Forged iron set is the only model of the three being offered in both steel and graphite shafts. The steel is a new, 110-gram, mid-flight True Temper Dynamic Golf XP, which is lighter and promotes higher flight compared to the standard Dynamic Gold steel shaft. The graphite shaft options, developed by Fujikura, are offered in 90-gram stiff flex and 80-gram regular flex. Tour Velvet grips are also standard.

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In Transit: Notes from the Underground

Jun 06 2018.

Spend some time in one of Moscow’s finest museums.

Subterranean commuting might not be anyone’s idea of a good time, but even in a city packing the war-games treasures and priceless bejeweled eggs of the Kremlin Armoury and the colossal Soviet pavilions of the VDNKh , the Metro holds up as one of Moscow’s finest museums. Just avoid rush hour.

The Metro is stunning and provides an unrivaled insight into the city’s psyche, past and present, but it also happens to be the best way to get around. Moscow has Uber, and the Russian version called Yandex Taxi , but also some nasty traffic. Metro trains come around every 90 seconds or so, at a more than 99 percent on-time rate. It’s also reasonably priced, with a single ride at 55 cents (and cheaper in bulk). From history to tickets to rules — official and not — here’s what you need to know to get started.

A Brief Introduction Buying Tickets Know Before You Go (Down) Rules An Easy Tour

A Brief Introduction

Moscow’s Metro was a long time coming. Plans for rapid transit to relieve the city’s beleaguered tram system date back to the Imperial era, but a couple of wars and a revolution held up its development. Stalin revived it as part of his grand plan to modernize the Soviet Union in the 1920s and 30s. The first lines and tunnels were constructed with help from engineers from the London Underground, although Stalin’s secret police decided that they had learned too much about Moscow’s layout and had them arrested on espionage charges and deported.

The beauty of its stations (if not its trains) is well-documented, and certainly no accident. In its illustrious first phases and particularly after the Second World War, the greatest architects of Soviet era were recruited to create gleaming temples celebrating the Revolution, the USSR, and the war triumph. No two stations are exactly alike, and each of the classic showpieces has a theme. There are world-famous shrines to Futurist architecture, a celebration of electricity, tributes to individuals and regions of the former Soviet Union. Each marble slab, mosaic tile, or light fixture was placed with intent, all in service to a station’s aesthetic; each element, f rom the smallest brass ear of corn to a large blood-spattered sword on a World War II mural, is an essential part of the whole.

The Metro is a monument to the Soviet propaganda project it was intended to be when it opened in 1935 with the slogan “Building a Palace for the People”. It brought the grand interiors of Imperial Russia to ordinary Muscovites, celebrated the Soviet Union’s past achievements while promising its citizens a bright Soviet future, and of course, it was a show-piece for the world to witness the might and sophistication of life in the Soviet Union.

It may be a museum, but it’s no relic. U p to nine million people use it daily, more than the London Underground and New York Subway combined. (Along with, at one time, about 20 stray dogs that learned to commute on the Metro.)

In its 80+ year history, the Metro has expanded in phases and fits and starts, in step with the fortunes of Moscow and Russia. Now, partly in preparation for the World Cup 2018, it’s also modernizing. New trains allow passengers to walk the entire length of the train without having to change carriages. The system is becoming more visitor-friendly. (There are helpful stickers on the floor marking out the best selfie spots .) But there’s a price to modernity: it’s phasing out one of its beloved institutions, the escalator attendants. Often they are middle-aged or elderly women—“ escalator grandmas ” in news accounts—who have held the post for decades, sitting in their tiny kiosks, scolding commuters for bad escalator etiquette or even bad posture, or telling jokes . They are slated to be replaced, when at all, by members of the escalator maintenance staff.

For all its achievements, the Metro lags behind Moscow’s above-ground growth, as Russia’s capital sprawls ever outwards, generating some of the world’s worst traffic jams . But since 2011, the Metro has been in the middle of an ambitious and long-overdue enlargement; 60 new stations are opening by 2020. If all goes to plan, the 2011-2020 period will have brought 125 miles of new tracks and over 100 new stations — a 40 percent increase — the fastest and largest expansion phase in any period in the Metro’s history.

Facts: 14 lines Opening hours: 5 a.m-1 a.m. Rush hour(s): 8-10 a.m, 4-8 p.m. Single ride: 55₽ (about 85 cents) Wi-Fi network-wide

Buying Tickets

• Ticket machines have a button to switch to English.
• You can buy specific numbers of rides: 1, 2, 5, 11, 20, or 60. Hold up fingers to show how many rides you want to buy.
• There is also a 90-minute ticket , which gets you 1 trip on the metro plus an unlimited number of transfers on other transport (bus, tram, etc) within 90 minutes.
• Or, you can buy day tickets with unlimited rides: one day (218₽/ US$4), three days (415₽/US$7) or seven days (830₽/US$15). Check the rates here to stay up-to-date.
• If you’re going to be using the Metro regularly over a few days, it’s worth getting a Troika card , a contactless, refillable card you can use on all public transport. Using the Metro is cheaper with one of these: a single ride is 36₽, not 55₽. Buy them and refill them in the Metro stations, and they’re valid for 5 years, so you can keep it for next time. Or, if you have a lot of cash left on it when you leave, you can get it refunded at the Metro Service Centers at Ulitsa 1905 Goda, 25 or at Staraya Basmannaya 20, Building 1.
• You can also buy silicone bracelets and keychains with built-in transport chips that you can use as a Troika card. (A Moscow Metro Fitbit!) So far, you can only get these at the Pushkinskaya metro station Live Helpdesk and souvenir shops in the Mayakovskaya and Trubnaya metro stations. The fare is the same as for the Troika card.
• You can also use Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.

Rules, spoken and unspoken

No smoking, no drinking, no filming, no littering. Photography is allowed, although it used to be banned.

Stand to the right on the escalator. Break this rule and you risk the wrath of the legendary escalator attendants. (No shenanigans on the escalators in general.)

Get out of the way. Find an empty corner to hide in when you get off a train and need to stare at your phone. Watch out getting out of the train in general; when your train doors open, people tend to appear from nowhere or from behind ornate marble columns, walking full-speed.

Always offer your seat to elderly ladies (what are you, a monster?).

An Easy Tour

This is no Metro Marathon ( 199 stations in 20 hours ). It’s an easy tour, taking in most—though not all—of the notable stations, the bulk of it going clockwise along the Circle line, with a couple of short detours. These stations are within minutes of one another, and the whole tour should take about 1-2 hours.

Start at Mayakovskaya Metro station , at the corner of Tverskaya and Garden Ring,  Triumfalnaya Square, Moskva, Russia, 125047.

1. Mayakovskaya.  Named for Russian Futurist Movement poet Vladimir Mayakovsky and an attempt to bring to life the future he imagined in his poems. (The Futurist Movement, natch, was all about a rejecting the past and celebrating all things speed, industry, modern machines, youth, modernity.) The result: an Art Deco masterpiece that won the National Grand Prix for architecture at the New York World’s Fair in 1939. It’s all smooth, rounded shine and light, and gentle arches supported by columns of dark pink marble and stainless aircraft steel. Each of its 34 ceiling niches has a mosaic. During World War II, the station was used as an air-raid shelter and, at one point, a bunker for Stalin. He gave a subdued but rousing speech here in Nov. 6, 1941 as the Nazis bombed the city above.

Take the 3/Green line one station to:

2. Belorusskaya. Opened in 1952, named after the connected Belarussky Rail Terminal, which runs trains between Moscow and Belarus. This is a light marble affair with a white, cake-like ceiling, lined with Belorussian patterns and 12 Florentine ceiling mosaics depicting life in Belarussia when it was built.

Transfer onto the 1/Brown line. Then, one stop (clockwise) t o:

3. Novoslobodskaya.  This station was designed around the stained-glass panels, which were made in Latvia, because Alexey Dushkin, the Soviet starchitect who dreamed it up (and also designed Mayakovskaya station) couldn’t find the glass and craft locally. The stained glass is the same used for Riga’s Cathedral, and the panels feature plants, flowers, members of the Soviet intelligentsia (musician, artist, architect) and geometric shapes.

Go two stops east on the 1/Circle line to:

4. Komsomolskaya. Named after the Komsomol, or the Young Communist League, this might just be peak Stalin Metro style. Underneath the hub for three regional railways, it was intended to be a grand gateway to Moscow and is today its busiest station. It has chandeliers; a yellow ceiling with Baroque embellishments; and in the main hall, a colossal red star overlaid on golden, shimmering tiles. Designer Alexey Shchusev designed it as an homage to the speech Stalin gave at Red Square on Nov. 7, 1941, in which he invoked Russia’s illustrious military leaders as a pep talk to Soviet soldiers through the first catastrophic year of the war.   The station’s eight large mosaics are of the leaders referenced in the speech, such as Alexander Nevsky, a 13th-century prince and military commander who bested German and Swedish invading armies.

One more stop clockwise to Kurskaya station,  and change onto the 3/Blue  line, and go one stop to:

5. Baumanskaya.   Opened in 1944. Named for the Bolshevik Revolutionary Nikolai Bauman , whose monument and namesake district are aboveground here. Though he seemed like a nasty piece of work (he apparently once publicly mocked a woman he had impregnated, who later hung herself), he became a Revolutionary martyr when he was killed in 1905 in a skirmish with a monarchist, who hit him on the head with part of a steel pipe. The station is in Art Deco style with atmospherically dim lighting, and a series of bronze sculptures of soldiers and homefront heroes during the War. At one end, there is a large mosaic portrait of Lenin.

Stay on that train direction one more east to:

6. Elektrozavodskaya. As you may have guessed from the name, this station is the Metro’s tribute to all thing electrical, built in 1944 and named after a nearby lightbulb factory. It has marble bas-relief sculptures of important figures in electrical engineering, and others illustrating the Soviet Union’s war-time struggles at home. The ceiling’s recurring rows of circular lamps give the station’s main tunnel a comforting glow, and a pleasing visual effect.

Double back two stops to Kurskaya station , and change back to the 1/Circle line. Sit tight for six stations to:

7. Kiyevskaya. This was the last station on the Circle line to be built, in 1954, completed under Nikita Khrushchev’ s guidance, as a tribute to his homeland, Ukraine. Its three large station halls feature images celebrating Ukraine’s contributions to the Soviet Union and Russo-Ukrainian unity, depicting musicians, textile-working, soldiers, farmers. (One hall has frescoes, one mosaics, and the third murals.) Shortly after it was completed, Khrushchev condemned the architectural excesses and unnecessary luxury of the Stalin era, which ushered in an epoch of more austere Metro stations. According to the legend at least, he timed the policy in part to ensure no Metro station built after could outshine Kiyevskaya.

Change to the 3/Blue line and go one stop west.

8. Park Pobedy. This is the deepest station on the Metro, with one of the world’s longest escalators, at 413 feet. If you stand still, the escalator ride to the surface takes about three minutes .) Opened in 2003 at Victory Park, the station celebrates two of Russia’s great military victories. Each end has a mural by Georgian artist Zurab Tsereteli, who also designed the “ Good Defeats Evil ” statue at the UN headquarters in New York. One mural depicts the Russian generals’ victory over the French in 1812 and the other, the German surrender of 1945. The latter is particularly striking; equal parts dramatic, triumphant, and gruesome. To the side, Red Army soldiers trample Nazi flags, and if you look closely there’s some blood spatter among the detail. Still, the biggest impressions here are the marble shine of the chessboard floor pattern and the pleasingly geometric effect if you view from one end to the other.

Keep going one more stop west to:

9. Slavyansky Bulvar.  One of the Metro’s youngest stations, it opened in 2008. With far higher ceilings than many other stations—which tend to have covered central tunnels on the platforms—it has an “open-air” feel (or as close to it as you can get, one hundred feet under). It’s an homage to French architect Hector Guimard, he of the Art Nouveau entrances for the Paris M é tro, and that’s precisely what this looks like: A Moscow homage to the Paris M é tro, with an additional forest theme. A Cyrillic twist on Guimard’s Metro-style lettering over the benches, furnished with t rees and branch motifs, including creeping vines as towering lamp-posts.

Stay on the 3/Blue line and double back four stations to:

10. Arbatskaya. Its first iteration, Arbatskaya-Smolenskaya station, was damaged by German bombs in 1941. It was rebuilt in 1953, and designed to double as a bomb shelter in the event of nuclear war, although unusually for stations built in the post-war phase, this one doesn’t have a war theme. It may also be one of the system’s most elegant: Baroque, but toned down a little, with red marble floors and white ceilings with gilded bronze c handeliers.

Jump back on the 3/Blue line  in the same direction and take it one more stop:

11. Ploshchad Revolyutsii (Revolution Square). Opened in 1938, and serving Red Square and the Kremlin . Its renowned central hall has marble columns flanked by 76 bronze statues of Soviet heroes: soldiers, students, farmers, athletes, writers, parents. Some of these statues’ appendages have a yellow sheen from decades of Moscow’s commuters rubbing them for good luck. Among the most popular for a superstitious walk-by rub: the snout of a frontier guard’s dog, a soldier’s gun (where the touch of millions of human hands have tapered the gun barrel into a fine, pointy blade), a baby’s foot, and a woman’s knee. (A brass rooster also sports the telltale gold sheen, though I am told that rubbing the rooster is thought to bring bad luck. )

Now take the escalator up, and get some fresh air.

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