WATCH: How this golfer can easily get 15 more yards without having to swing faster
This week we analyze another one of our Patreon member’s driver setups to see how we can help Dan gain some yardage off the tee with his driver! See how we can optimize his launch conditions including launch angle, spin rate and swing delivery to gain more distance without swinging any faster.
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Equipment
Why Rory McIlroy will likely use the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper at the RBC Heritage
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.”
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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
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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°
TaylorMade P-UDI 4-iron – 22°
- Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 RBC Heritage
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- Collin Morikawa what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. More photos from the event here.
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 LS (9 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 60 TX (45 inches)
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (13.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX
5-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P770 (4), P7MC (5-6), P730 (7-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Mid 115 X100 (4-6), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (7-PW)
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (50-SB09, 56-LB08), TaylorMade MG4 TW (60-TW11)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: TaylorMade TP Soto
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 2.0
Grips: Golf Pride Z-Grip Cord
Ball: TaylorMade TP5x
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garry
Jan 5, 2019 at 8:56 pm
Want to quickly get 15 more yards? Tee up at the forward (ladies) blue tee box… simple….
larrybud
Jan 6, 2019 at 10:04 am
and if he gets fit right, he would add 30. What’s your point? Some people play competitions where you all play from the same tee boxes. An extra 15 on the table is important.
Skip
Jan 8, 2019 at 3:27 pm
Wrong. His clubs are perfectly fine. He needs to deliver with a positive AoA to maximize distance.
stevek
Jan 4, 2019 at 8:38 pm
Dan is an older gentleman and his body type is short and stocky with a smallish belly. He would be clas sified as a “W” or Width swinger with a flatter swing path according to “LAWs of the Golf Swing” book. The remedies suggested are not applicable to his physique.
stevek
Jan 4, 2019 at 8:44 pm
Regardless of his D-plane ball flight data, you must consider his 87 mph driver head speed will fall down to perhaps 77 mph towards the end of 4 hours of play due to fatigue. Trying to jig his ball data backwards into his body is very wrong and misleading. Also he is playing a 12º driver which will match his dropping club speed towards the end of the round.
stevek
Jan 4, 2019 at 8:51 pm
Dan’s physical capabilities are limited by his obvious core inflexibility with virtually no X-factor between his hips and shoulders going from the top to impact. To suggest a backward spinal tilt will destabilize his whole swing pattern, and create a reverse weight shift. He will injure his lower spine for sure trying to do this as well as messing up his ball flight. He has a stable swing and has likely peaked at his age. His only option is a longer shaft but even that will upset his consistency. Stay with what you got, Dan, because it’s all downhill from here.
larrybud
Jan 6, 2019 at 10:05 am
x-factor is bunk. Even MacLean has said so since “inventing” it.
geohogan
Jan 11, 2019 at 1:24 pm
restricting hip turn, in order to achieve the nonsensical X Factor
will do more to damage the lower back than any other method.
I understand that there is a theory in golf today that the hips shouldn’t turn on the backswing. The idea seems to be that the less you turn your hips, while still turning your shoulders, the more leverage you’ll generate.
It’s hogwash, and here’s why.
Stand erect with your arms at your sides and keep them there. Now hold your hips still and turn your shoulders.
Impossible, right? Even the slightest shoulder turn forces some hip turn. And the more the shoulders turn, the more the hips are forced to turn, right?
… unless he’s incredibly supple or some kind of contortionist.
Thus you should never try to restrict your hip turn if you want to hit the ball a long way. “Golf My Way”, Jack Nicklaus 1974