Royal Collection has a pretty big spread lined up for 2014 and at the Japan Golf Fair they were out in full force focusing the attention on the new RC 6 Series which includes the following new items:
- BBD 106V – Driver
- BBD 306V – Fairway Wood
- BBD 506V – Hybrid Wood
- BBD 706V – Hybrid Driving Iron
- BBD 706V – Forged Irons
- DB Double Milled Forged Wedge
Ready to see the rest of the line up? Click Read More and follow the jump to see pictures and a breakdown on RC’s latest 6 series models.
Let’s start with the big dog, the BBD 106V Driver, Royal Collection appears to have this design well thought out. It’s 435cc’s making for a nice look from above and the good news is it’s made at Endo of using their proprietary VL Titanium cup face and it’s definitely pear shaped designed for the stronger athlete who wants a more penetrating trajectroy.
Available in 9.5 & 10.5 in stock form it’s 199 grams which is on the heavy side when it comes to Japanese driver head weights. It’s a 4 piece cup faced driver that features what’s called a Multi oval structure behind the face to create a more powerful rebound off the face. Looking at the CG height and depth its definitely designed for a medium trajectory. Stock shaft is a Fujikura Rombax BBD collaboration shaft with a 3 axis weave available in 55,60,& 70 gram range weights but of course you have access to a variety of the top Japanese shafts with TSG as usual.
Next up is the new Royal Collection BBD 306V Fairway wood. It’s compact with a 3 wood at 156cc as it gets smaller toward the 7wd. Made using a 2 piece construction the body is SUS630 while the face is 455 stainless steel. All face angles for each loft is slightly open.
The new 306V features a V cut cavity sole to help get through various conditions while keeping a straighter path for a better more tight dispersion. The face was thinned further at 2.0mm making it very thing for a fairway wood providing a hotter face for more distance and based on CG numbers combined with the face height it appears this will be a fairway wood easier to get up while creating a flatter mid trajectory.
Above the new Royal Collection BBD 506V Utility Wood and like the FW it features the same SUS630 body with a 455 SS face, It’s available in 18/21/24/27* lofts with a dead square face angle. The shaft selection is also pretty robust RC offers 60,65,75 gram Fujikura rombax utility shafts or the 98 gram NS950GH UT shaft in steel.
The Hybrid driving iron is named the 706V Hybrid. Very different than the 506 wood style hybrid as most driving irons get a lower trajectory while maintaining a tighter dispersion. The main difference is how a wood hybrid vs an iron hybrid land on the green most often wood versions land softer coming in from a higher angle while the iron spec comes in often with more roll.
The materials are a little different in this one, the body is made of 455 stainless while the face is SUS450 so it is very much like a hot faced 2 piece iron made of stainless. The face wall thickness is also pretty thin at 2mm and the head is a hollow structure with a low center of gravity helping you get it in the air.
With the 706V Driving Iron you have shaft options like the popular Modus3, NS950, or DGS200 and the head itself is available in 18/20/23* lofts. I’m looking forward to this DI to go up against the Epon AF-903, it seems this one is a bit more pure in design and compact overall while the Epon should feel softer as it’s forged.
The Royal Collection 706V Forged Iron is a beauty isn’t it? It’s forged of S25C with a laser etched face milling process and within the cavity a TPU vibration absorbing material. Finished of in both brushed satin and mirror satin it has a really clean modern look to it. I also like how RC has the driving iron blend flawlessly into not on the shape of this iron but also loft & lie angle. The 706V irons are available 4-PW a nice addition would be the 706 driving iron as well.
It’s close to mid sized, about 40% bigger than the previous iron it replaces. RC did a couple of cool things with it providing a thin sole with a good sized leading edge grind so you can be less afraid of it digging or bouncing so much against the turf. I’m actually more excited to find how it feels with that TPU shock absorber piece combined with the forged S25C. The whole purpose of this is to make mis hits feel softer and les harsh.
Finishing up the new line up is the Royal Collection DB Forged Double Milled Wedge. S25C, with a brushed satin finish. RC has made it available in 50/52/56/58* lofts with a laser etched face similar to the 706V Forged irons.
Hope you enjoyed the brief breakdown of the RC 6 series. look forward to real world reviews coming early 2014.
