Equipment
Tech Talk: UST Recoil Graphite Iron Shafts
In the last decade, graphite has become the material of choice on the PGA Tour for the shafts in drivers, fairway woods and hybrids.
It would make sense that graphite shafts would slowly have started to creep into irons as well, but almost every top player on Tour is still using steel shafts in his irons and wedges.
Mike Guerrette, vice president of brand development and Tour operations for UST Mamiya, said the reason why graphite shafts haven’t become popular with Tour players in their irons was because of a problem with their design.
According to Guerette, graphite iron shafts of the past had walls that were too thick, which decreased ovaling and resulted in poor energy transfer. That resulted in less feel and less distance — two things that never go together on Tour.
UST’s new Recoil iron shafts are made with denser graphite fibers that allowed engineers to decrease wall thickness. Because the fibers are denser, the shafts can be made as heavy as 110 to 125 grams, the weight range that is preferred on Tour. Click this link to read more about the Recoil Shafts.
Check out the video below, where Guerrette explains in detail the construction and benefits of the new shafts, which he says will give golfers more distance and a better feel than steel.
Read more and join the discussion in the forums
[youtube id=”yxA4LqQpKN0″ width=”620″ height=”360″]
Read more and join the discussion in the forums
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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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Equipment
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°
TaylorMade P-UDI 4-iron – 22°
- Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 RBC Heritage
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Whats in the Bag
Collin Morikawa WITB 2024 (April)
- 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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Rick
Mar 6, 2015 at 2:00 pm
Why should I take your word? Haven’t even heard your story. Have not seen any reviews on the 800 or 600 series but I’m sure they r out there.
Mike Boatright
Oct 6, 2014 at 3:25 pm
I like this concept but what I fear is breakage with let’s say a 9 iron over time. Your hitting down pretty hard vs a driver that never sees much ground impact.
Mike
Jan 26, 2014 at 7:41 pm
I purchased these shafts, F4, in the Callaway Apex irons. I own a Trackman, here’s the numbers with a 7i, club speed 83.6, ball speed 120.5, spin rate 5970, carry 177.5, total 185.9, launch angle 19.2, dynamic loft 24.1, spin loft 26.5, smash factor 1.44, angle of attack -2.2. Five shots all about the same. Look at ball position to adjust height, spin, carry, etc. Shafts feel great. Would love to feel these in my Ping S55’s with the 110 shaft and see the numbers. These shafts don’t feel like the graphite I’ve tried, tip soft, launch high. I know where the club is, I can feel it.
Gerald
Feb 18, 2013 at 3:43 pm
This sounds like the same comments I heard when people were being asked to put down their persimmon woods and try metal heads.
JEFF
Jan 31, 2013 at 12:37 pm
I shot a 68 yesterday with my crappy DG X 100 STEEL shafts. I got them for 6.00 each!
Bill Gabbert
Jan 31, 2013 at 12:27 pm
Do your homework fellows. You can buy these shafts from Hireko Golf fo only 44.99. And if you haven’t tried them maybe some people on here should try them first before you write such negative comments on a product that might just changed your golf game. I have one coming to demo in an extra TM 7 iron.
Sean
Jan 30, 2013 at 9:00 pm
I’d be very interested in these shafts, but the price is a bit out of my reach.
S
Jan 31, 2013 at 2:33 am
Yes. Me too
Pingback: Graphite Iron Shafts??? | Golf ETC in Hilton Head
Chris
Jan 28, 2013 at 9:21 pm
Wow – lots of negative comments. Have any of the previous people actually hit one of these? They feel great, the offer many of the positives of steel shafts without the negative vibrations. We’ve only had the demos in our shop for a couple of weeks and have already had a couple of “steel only” guys that don’t need or want a lighter weight shaft, make the switch after picking one up. They loved the distance, improved dispersion and feel. Maybe give them a shot???
S
Jan 31, 2013 at 2:34 am
I would love to, if you could sell each shaft for around $30, I would do it. $125 is a bit much, especially when there is nothing wrong with steel
Scott
Jan 28, 2013 at 3:54 pm
If these are so great why aren’t PGA Tour players playing them? Two guys on the Senior Tour are playing them, but that’s what they were always made for: old people.
Famous Davis
Jan 28, 2013 at 1:21 pm
The opening sentence of the article is a hoot. In the last decade, graphite has become the material of choice on the PGA Tour for the shafts in drivers, fairway woods and hybrids. Like graphite wasn’t already the default choice in 1998? GMAFB. To see my ungodly ballstriking for yourself, just come out to Admiral Baker any Tuesday. I’m the guy in the dumpy khakis.
Desmond
Jan 28, 2013 at 9:21 am
I like his hair, wish he spoke English instead of terminology. When he discussed torque towards the end, he reverted back to English. Interesting concept – they should go down to lighter weights and give Aerotech a run…
G
Jan 28, 2013 at 2:34 am
It has NOTHING to do with DESIGN. It’s all to do with COST!
Why would you want to pay $125 PER SHAFT for your irons!!!!!! That’s INSANE.
Andy
Jun 13, 2013 at 7:52 am
They are worth every penny! Take my word for it.