Equipment
Matrix TPHDe shafts
Matrix’s new TPHDe shafts use the latest materials in a new construction that can improve ball speed, feel and stability, according to the company.
Like its predecessor, Matrix’s TPHD shaft, the TPHEe uses exotic materials such as Zylon, Boron and Gmat to stabilize the shaft without increasing weight or making the shaft feel stiffer.
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In Matrix’s TPHD, the HD section, or 16-sided hexadecagonal internal platform, was located in the upper portion of the shaft. In the TPHDe, Matrix extended the HD section down the body of the shaft. According to Chris Nolan, Matrix’s executive vice president for global operations, that allowed the company to make improvements to the shaft’s design that were not possible with the TPHD.
“In car terms, we’re trying to make sure the chassis is as stiff as possible,” Nolan said. “By extending the HD section, we’re able to increase stability without losing feel.”
The exotic materials and the construction of those materials, however, come at a cost. With a $1200 MSRP, the TPHDe is one of the priciest shafts on the market.
“We’re dealing with different raw materials that have different properties, and it’s a very technical process to get those materials to stay together,” Nolan said.
The TPHDe shafts offer a mid-launch, mid-spin trajectory and are available in weights of 50 grams, 60 grams and 70 grams in eight different flexes ranging from lady to XX-stiff.
They have a balance point that is about 0.5 inches higher (toward the butt section) than the TPHD, which allows golfers to retain traditional swing weights with today’s heavier club heads or build the driver to a longer finished length to increased club head speed.
Matrix’s TPHDe shafts will ship to retailers later this month.
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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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xboxkilla
Jul 22, 2014 at 2:50 am
If you really want a $1200 shaft, but for way less than these guys are charging- go with a Penley shaft. They sell them on their site and the designer can be contacted almost anytime to answer questions-
check out the ET2 on there-
http://www.penleysports.com/products/penley-et2-shaft/
TheLegend
Apr 20, 2014 at 5:28 pm
lol nice trying to save this guy zak. He should never talk again. But you did a good job trying to find out what these shaft actually do better. But he had no real answer.
Zak Kozuchowski
Apr 20, 2014 at 7:43 pm
Guys,
I think you’re being a little hard on Chris. It was an impromptu interview about a very complex shaft. He’s an extremely kind, knowledgeable guy, and the fitters I speak to on a regular basis praise Matrix’s products as some of the best at creating a little extra ball speed.
Shaft companies spend a lot of time trying to explain their products to the masses, but the only real way to know how each will affect your performance is to find a custom fitter who stocks a lot of shafts and hit them for yourself. Most good club fitters will work within their customer’s budget, giving them several options at different price points. The TPHDe is certainly not for everyone, both in its cost and profile, but fitters such as Modern Golf in Toronto sell quite of few of them. To each is own.
brad
Apr 17, 2014 at 7:19 am
In his defense, it is quite difficult to push the tech boundary…these things are pricey in the beginning, but as it takes hold and materials and processes become more common, we’ll see similar shafts at “reasonable” prices. Remember, none of our wives or girlfriends understands why the thousand dollar irons we play are any better than the irons she saw at Target. If it were anyone but Matrix, I would call BS, but they’ve never let me down. Now we wait…
west
Apr 17, 2014 at 2:40 pm
Umm it’s not the price that I’m surprised by. Yes, the materials and processes used to make this shaft actually justify its cost. This shaft is like the Lamborghini of golf shafts, and while not everyone can afford an exotic or needs the performance of an exotic, it’s the people with excess cash who can justify the self indigence, no questions asked. What shocks the hell out of me is this “executive’s” piss-poor ability to market his company’s product. If I didn’t already know all the tech about golf shafts, and was just an average Joe golfer in the market, after seeing this interview I would not have any confidence in the TPHDe line or Matrix as a company. Just surprises me how unprepared this guy was to pitch his product…
west
Apr 17, 2014 at 4:04 am
This guy is the VP of operations? Seriously??
R
Apr 17, 2014 at 12:19 am
Gotta say I wasn’t impressed with this guys interview. Zak had to come in at the end and kind of bring some positivity back to it.
Nick
Apr 16, 2014 at 7:16 pm
For $1200 Im taking another golf vacation instead.
Petercybulski
Apr 16, 2014 at 7:42 pm
Well said
Petercybulski
Apr 16, 2014 at 5:17 pm
Gonna put those bad boys in my woods and irons!!!
Xreb
Apr 16, 2014 at 4:39 pm
You can see the guy struggling to explain the price point of the shaft, although I give him credit for keeping the BS to a minimum !