Equipment
Everything you need to know about TaylorMade’s new GAPR Lo, Mid and Hi clubs
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.
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Whats in the Bag
Alejandro Tosti WITB 2024 (April)
- Alejandro Tosti what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic.
Driver: Srixon ZX5 Mk II LS (9.5 degrees @10.5)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS T1100 75 6.5
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Black 80 TX
Hybrid: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour Rescue (22 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX 6.5 100
Irons: Srixon ZX7 Mk II (4-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Mid Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Cleveland RTX6 ZipCore Tour Rack (50-10 MID, 54-10 MID, 58-10 MID, 60-06 LOW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Mid Tour Issue X100, S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron
Grips: Golf Pride MCC Plus4
Check out more in-hand photos of Alejandro Tosti’s WITB in the forums.
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Whats in the Bag
Drew Brees WITB 2024 (April)
View this post on Instagram
Driver: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus (10.5 degrees)
Mini driver: TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper (13.5 degrees)
5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth Plus (19 degrees)
Irons: TaylorMade P790 (4-8, PW), TaylorMade P760 (9)
Wedges: TaylorMade MG Hi-Toe (52-09, 56-10, 60)
Putter: Scotty Cameron Select Newport 2 Prototype
Check out more in-hand photos of Drew Brees’ clubs here.
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Equipment
Putter Roundup: 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans
We always get some great photos of some phenomenal putters at tour events and love to share them. Here are a few from the 2024 Zurich Classic that caught our eye and seemed interesting. (And as a reminder, you can check out all our photos from New Orleans here)
MJ Daffue’s Scotty Cameron T-11 Prototype
MJ is going with the new Scotty Cameron T-11 Prototype this week. The putter is a multi-piece mallet that puts an emphasis on stability with the wings on the back. Daffue’s putter does have a design that differs from retail with a monotone finish, which eliminates the black paint on the aluminum parts that we see at retail. He also has a half siteline milled into the top and an L-neck welded on for some additional toe hang. The face features a deeper milling that should offer a softer feel and slightly quieter sound.
Scotty Cameron T-7.5 Prototype
We spotted a few different Scotty Cameron Phantom models with modified rear flanges. It looks like the straight black flange was cut into a half circle for a little softer look at address. On this T-7.5, you can still see the raw aluminum from the back view, so this might have been a last-minute job to get them out on tour. The semi-circle also has a white line on it, maybe to frame the ball differently.
Alex Fitzpatrick’s Bettinardi SS16 DASS
Alex’s SS16 is made from Bettinardi’s famous D.A.S.S., or double-aged stainless steel, for a softer and more responsive feel. The face has a unique diamond pattern milling and features a logo that I feel like I have seen before, but can’t put a name to. The putter is a classic mid-mallet style with a simple, single white siteline on the top. The sole is clean with just the SS16, DASS, and a green triangle logo on it.
Steve Stricker’s Odyssey White Hot No. 2
This putter has made some amazing putts in its long career! Stricker’s White Hot No. 2 might be in the top 10 of most famous putters in golf. When you see all the dents and lead tape, you know the heel will be up and it will be sinking putts! The soft White Hot insert looks to be in good shape and has less wear on it than the rest of the putter. We don’t know how much lead tape is on the sole, but it has to be multiple layers compacted down over the years.
Doug Ghim’s Scotty Cameron T-7 Prototype
This T-7 should win the award for “best color finish” in this list with its deep chromatic bronze. It looks like Scotty added a cherry bomb dot to the heel of the deep-milled face and filled it with a very dark blue paint. The rest of the putter looks pretty stock with its single site line on the topline and twin site lines down the “fangs” of the putter. Twin 5-gram weights are installed in the sole and the putter is finished off with a gloss black double bend shaft with a fill shaft offset.
- Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 Zurich Classic
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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.
Tom
Aug 29, 2018 at 10:37 pm
The hollow GAPR is filled with some kind of gooper? WOW!
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.
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?
Mat
Jul 23, 2018 at 11:02 pm
Who “struggles” with a 9-wood?
GC
Jul 18, 2018 at 12:04 pm
Their marketing team needs to be fired. GAPR? really? Twistface? c’mon man
Don
Jul 31, 2018 at 5:18 pm
“RocketBallz”
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?
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.
Max
Jul 17, 2018 at 11:16 am
“Everything I need to know….” except what they look like at address.
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
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?
Evan
Jul 19, 2018 at 1:49 pm
Bingo!
Geohogan
Aug 16, 2018 at 11:49 am
Twist face will be next marketing blitz (pronounced “suckers”) in 2019.
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.
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.
Man
Jul 17, 2018 at 3:35 am
Yeah so? What’s the problem?
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.