Equipment

Everything you need to know about TaylorMade’s new GAPR Lo, Mid and Hi clubs

Published

6 years ago

Jul 16, 2018

The Golden Years of wood-style hybrids and hybrid innovation in the marketplace are over, Tomo Bystedt, the Senior Director of Product Creation for TaylorMade, told GolfWRX.

Based on data collected from the company’s myRoundPro app and TrackMan data from its fitting facility, called “The Kingdom,” Bystedt says TaylorMade has found that most golfers are “not very good” with irons higher than a 5-iron, and while some hit the 3 wood very well, they struggle with 5/7/9 woods and hybrid-style clubs. Bystedt also acknowledges that Tour players have moved away from hybrid-style golf clubs as we know them, and into driving-iron-style clubs instead; they provide better control and offer greater distance in certain conditions, he says.

So, golfers of all skill levels need to fill the gap between a 5-iron and a 3-wood, and thus, TaylorMade has designed a new family of golf clubs called GAPR, pronounced “gapper.”

The family consists of a GAPR Lo, a GAPR Mid and a GAPR Hi. The clubs are made with C300 faces and 450 stainless steel bodies, with the company’s familiar SpeedFoam between the faces and bodies for durability of the face and to improve overall sound and feel due to the vibration dampening qualities of the foam. They also have “blind slots,” according to Bystedt, or in other words, speed slots on their soles that are not bore-thru slots. Each of the GAPR irons have adjustable loft sleeves, as well.

TaylorMade’s new GAPR clubs will be available on August 24 and sell for $250 apiece with stock KBS graphite shafts and Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 grips. More specs and info on each of the offerings below.

See what GolfWRX Members are saying about GAPR irons in our forums.

GAPR Lo

We’ve spotted Tiger Woods testing a GAPR Lo at Carnoustie, and Bystedt says other big name pros including Dustin Johnson are testing it, as well. There are a few GAPR Lo irons that have a fixed hosel that are floating around in Tour bags, but the retail versions have an adjustable hosel.

The GAPR Lo irons have a weight port (filled with either steel or tungsten weights) placed in the back for head weight purposes and are not interchangeable weights by the user. The head shape of the GAPR Lo is slightly bigger than the P-790 UDI clubs, according to Bystedt, and more similar to the Tour Preferred UDI. That’s because player feedback suggested the P-790 UDI was a bit too small, and players wanted a slightly bigger size.

Retail offerings of the GAPR Lo will include 17, 19 and 22 degree options, ranging from 40.25 inches to 39.25 inches, respectively.

GAPR Mid

The GAPR Mid iron has a bigger profile than the GAPR Lo, and has CG (center of gravity) lower in the club head for higher launch and more forgiveness. The weight port is on the sole of the club, as opposed to the back cavity as seen on the GAPR Lo iron. The soles are also wider, making these more playable for players from the turf.

The GAPR Mid irons are offered in 18, 21 and 24 degree lofts, ranging from 40.25 to 39.25 inches, respectively.

GAPR Hi

TaylorMade’s GAPR Hi irons have an even bigger profile and wider soles than the GAPR Mid irons, and the CG is lower and deeper for an even higher launch and greater forgiveness. The shaping of the club is like the child of a driving iron and a wood-style hybrid; according to a TaylorMade press release, it “features modern Rescue shaping with a high-toe, peanut shaped clubhead.” It also has bulge and roll on the face to help with off-center hits. Additionally, the SpeedFoam in the GAPR Hi is slightly less dense than the rest of the offerings, according to Bystedt, because the density of the original foam was raising CG and deadening sound too much; he calls it “SpeedFoam lite” in the GAPR Hi.

The GAPR Hi is offered in 19, 22, 25 and 28 degree lofts, ranging from 40.75 inches to 39.25 inches, respectively.

See what GolfWRX Members are saying about GAPR irons in our forums.

Your Reaction?

LIKE221
LEGIT42
WOW26
LOL16
IDHT14
FLOP22
OB14
SHANK110

Related Topics:

Up Next

Titleist introduces new premium Scotty Cameron Concept X Putters

Don't Miss

Hand-painted Callaway Create headcovers are now up for auction

GolfWRX Staff

We share your golf passion. You can follow GolfWRX on Twitter @GolfWRX, Facebook and Instagram.

18 Comments

KC

Nov 11, 2021 at 10:06 am

I have purchased the GAPR Lo 2 and it is amazing. The club has a smaller head which I like, the profile at address is very reasonable. The feel off the club face is slightly deadened but still very acceptable. The most amazing part is, I can’t seem to miss the center of the club face with it. Believe me I am very capable of missing the sweet spot on most clubs but this seems to square itself on every shot and the ball goes a mile. On what I consider poor swings, it still travels a very respectable distance.

Reply Report comment
Tom

Aug 29, 2018 at 10:37 pm

The hollow GAPR is filled with some kind of gooper? WOW!

Reply Report comment
JR

Jul 26, 2018 at 3:53 am

TM contradict themselves with every new release. Hybrids were supposed to be the cure for those who struggle with long irons. Now we have this eyesore for those who struggle with hybrids?! If you can’t play long irons or hybrids then you aren’t going to fare any better with this – better to spend the money on some coaching.

Reply Report comment
- Jim McPherson
  
  Aug 11, 2018 at 1:05 pm
  
  That doesn’t sell clubs to the sheeple though!!! Lessons are for morons that don’t want manufacturers to get rich. Where would these executives get their huge bonuses from if we all paid for lessons?
  
  Reply Report comment
Mat

Jul 23, 2018 at 11:02 pm

Who “struggles” with a 9-wood?

Reply Report comment
GC

Jul 18, 2018 at 12:04 pm

Their marketing team needs to be fired. GAPR? really? Twistface? c’mon man

Reply Report comment
- Don
  
  Jul 31, 2018 at 5:18 pm
  
  “RocketBallz”
  
  Reply Report comment
Jim McPherson

Jul 18, 2018 at 2:01 am

WTF does GAPR mean? Gap Rescue? Is it an acronym for something?

Either way, it’s ugly. Should’ve kept it looking like the 790.

And TM says players have a tough time with anything past a 5 iron and struggle with hybrids. Yet the GAPR Hi looks just like a hybrid! So why is this hybrid better than any other hybrid?

Reply Report comment
commoner

Jul 17, 2018 at 4:06 pm

Carnival barking with no shame. Simply cannot see an 8 to 16 handicapper getting what he hopes for from this stick. For this group, nowhere is it explained the source of this wand’s magic that makes others inferior and obsolete.

Reply Report comment
Max

Jul 17, 2018 at 11:16 am

“Everything I need to know….” except what they look like at address.

Reply Report comment
Rand

Jul 17, 2018 at 10:15 am

“TaylorMade has found that most golfers are “not very good” with irons higher than a 5-iron and … struggle with … hybrid-style clubs.”

So TM came up with two long irons and a hybrid to solve that problem. TM Marketing at its finest. Lol

Reply Report comment
Man

Jul 17, 2018 at 3:35 am

No Twist Face on the GAPR Hi? Why not? Perfect opportunity to put one in, if it has bulge and roll. Why didn’t they?

Reply Report comment
- Evan
  
  Jul 19, 2018 at 1:49 pm
  
  Bingo!
  
  Reply Report comment
- Geohogan
  
  Aug 16, 2018 at 11:49 am
  
  Twist face will be next marketing blitz (pronounced “suckers”) in 2019.
  
  Reply Report comment
Fingers

Jul 17, 2018 at 1:57 am

I feel like Taylormade has become “that guy” at the party that doesnt stop talking and when they realize nobody is listening they just start yelling louder.

Reply Report comment
saveva

Jul 16, 2018 at 11:18 pm

“TaylorMade has found that most golfers are “not very good” with irons higher than a 5-iron and … struggle with … hybrid-style clubs.” So to solve this problem we developed “long driving style irons” called GAPR lo and GAPR mid and a “hybrid-style club” called the GAPR Hi but they aren’t long irons or hybrids, they are GAPRs so no more problems.

Reply Report comment
- Man
  
  Jul 17, 2018 at 3:35 am
  
  Yeah so? What’s the problem?
  
  Reply Report comment
- DB
  
  Jul 17, 2018 at 8:42 am
  
  To be fair, what do you expect them to come up with? If they are saying players struggle with traditional long irons and also hybrid-style clubs, then it does make sense that another choice would be a high-tech driving-style long iron. It’s basically a “hybrid” between hybrids and long irons.
  
  Reply Report comment

Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Equipment

A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic

Published

17 hours ago

Apr 25, 2024

Andrew Tursky

Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.

Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.

We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.

Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).

See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here

Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge

Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GolfWRX (@golfwrx)

A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.

See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here

Turning Back the clock

Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.

But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.

For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.

Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.

The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.

The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.

Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter

Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.

Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GolfWRX (@golfwrx)

It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.

If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.

Brilliant.

See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here

Stricker’s unrecognizable putter

Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.

Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GolfWRX (@golfwrx)

Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates

Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.

Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.

It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.

Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines

Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.

Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.

FitzMagic teams back up

Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.

See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here

And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.

We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!

Your Reaction?