Equipment

TaylorMade releases Tour Preferred UDI (Ultimate Driving iron)

Published

10 years ago

Jul 14, 2014

TaylorMade’s new Tour Preferred UDI (Ultimate Driving Irons) are low-lofted, hollow-bodied long irons designed to launch the ball higher and with more ball speed than traditional long irons.

“We designed the Tour Preferred UDI for players seeking a club that delivers incredible distance off the tee and a high-performance alternative from the fairway,” said Tomo Bystedt, TaylorMade’s Director of Iron Creation. “The clean, traditional look at address inspires confidence and the SpeedPocket technology provides amazing distance and consistency.”

TaylorMade achieved this performance by moving weight lower and more forward in the club head, which produces a higher launch angle with lower spin. The driving iron’s hollow body is made from 450 stainless steel, while its clubface is made from stronger, thinner 455 Carpenter Steel that helps the club produce faster ball speeds.

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TaylorMade’s Speed Pocket, a 3-millimeter slot in the sole of the iron, is said to allow the face to flex more efficiently for distance and consistency and further encourage high launch characteristics in the UDI. It’s the same pocket that’s used in the company’s SpeedBlade irons, which are some of the longest-flying irons in golf.

Although the UDI’s look similar to TaylorMade’s Tour Preferred MC irons, they have thicker toplines and lower face profiles that better suit the design of driving irons.

The UDI’s are available in three models: a 1 iron (16 degrees), 2 iron (19 degrees) and 3 iron (20 degrees), and will carry an MSRP of $199. A KBS C-Taper Lite shaft comes stock in the driving irons, which the company says also promotes a mid-to-high trajectory and controlled spin.

TaylorMade staffer Justin Rose had a UDI 3 iron (20 degrees) in his bag during his wins at both the Quicken Loans National and the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open last week.

See the rest of Rose’s Winning WITB here.

Rose is expected to have a UDI in play this week at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England for the Open Championship, and TaylorMade expects other golfers to put the club in play as well.

Click here to see what GolfWRX Members are saying about TaylorMade’s UDI in our official testing thread.

Click here to see what GolfWRX Members are saying about TaylorMade’s UDI in our official testing thread.

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Andrew Tursky

He played on the Hawaii Pacific University Men's Golf team and earned a Masters degree in Communications. He also played college golf at Rutgers University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

23 Comments

Bigleftygolfer

May 28, 2015 at 1:21 pm

I can’t hit a hybrid to save my life I am a struggling 5 HC (my low is a +4 when I played competitive as an amateur after a short pro career as a point of reference) and this Udi is the best / most versatile / easy to hit club I have ever owned I have miura lh prototype baby tournament blades and honestly the 2 iron Udi is easier to hit than my six iron! It flies much higher than I expected and I have verified that it can be bent by 2.5 degrees on a Mitchell press even though it is cast. Since I am a stinky lefty with no endorsements anymore I had to “adjust” my 2 iron to replace an old driving iron so for people wondering I was able to re shaft it with a kbs c taper s+ firm tip 41″ and adjust the lie to down -1 also adjusting loft by 2.5 degree strong (which is max) I now have a club that is about 10 yards shorter than a perfectly struck 3 wood with a much better workability and forgiveness factor. I am actually considering pulling my 3 wood and buying another 2 iron (although that may get confusing as I will have two identical looking clubs in the bag after swapping out shafts maybe paintfill or something to represent which one is the one iron lol). This club flies about as high as my 4 iron without ballooning and rolls for days. It has a carry for me with this setup of about 225 with a total distance of around 250 verified on trackman. I wish TM made a club labelled with a 1 and a 3 for the lefty player but once again us lefties get no love! My three wood maxes out from the deck at around 260 on a well struck ball. Hope this information answered any questions about this club oh yeah it is also very easy to flight in the wind which is something hybrids just can not accommodate!

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dunn2500

Jul 17, 2014 at 3:12 am

Cmon…. $200 for a thicker mc iron….you can buy single irons for $100….why are these utility irons so much….I’ll stick to my fli hi which started all this buzz anyway

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Jake

Jul 16, 2014 at 11:03 am

Just received this information from TM support: “The 2 and 1 UDI are going to be 18 and 16 degree lofts. They are going to have a higher trajectory than the Rocketbladez Tour irons. The UDI will be a longer 2 iron than the Rocketbladez Tour. It is built with driver DNA.”

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Rich

Jul 15, 2014 at 9:41 am

Not to be a nark but I think there’s a typo in the story. The 2 iron is 18 degrees, not 19. It even says so on the hosel in one of the photo’s.

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Matt Wiseley

Jul 15, 2014 at 12:30 am

Jake,
Like yourself I am an iron guy to. I say get the 2 iron, if you end up needing more yards, have it bent a degree or so. Since the club is forged, this is an easy fix.

Good luck

Reply Report comment
- Billy
  
  Jul 15, 2014 at 3:51 am
  
  It’s CAST. Not forged.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Jake
    
    Jul 15, 2014 at 10:40 am
    
    Are you able to bend cast, just not as easy as forged?
    
    Reply Report comment
    - K
      
      Jul 15, 2014 at 11:53 am
      
      You can bend most cast, just be careful.
      Or just put a heavier shaft in it, in my mind its pointless to make a 2 iron with a 110 gram shaft. Toss a S400 in there and let it hit the ground early.
      
      Reply Report comment
Quintin Carr

Jul 14, 2014 at 10:07 pm

Are these going to be a limited release or a general release. I’d really like to get my hands on the 1 iron.

Reply Report comment
- Billy
  
  Jul 14, 2014 at 11:30 pm
  
  It’a General Release on 8/1/14.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Quintin Carr
    
    Jul 14, 2014 at 11:40 pm
    
    Thanks Billy!
    
    Reply Report comment
Jason P.

Jul 14, 2014 at 8:00 pm

If you want to buy a driving iron with basically the same technology go to hireko.com and order their new Dynacraft Driving Irons. They have 3 lofts to choose from. I use their 18 degree model and it is flat out hot and straight off the tee for those short par 4’s . Plus it is 3-4 times cheaper and you can have it built with the shaft and grips you want.

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Jim

Jul 14, 2014 at 5:51 pm

Still sounds like a form of birth control . The udi

Reply Report comment
- Rich
  
  Jul 15, 2014 at 9:37 am
  
  Good call, LOL!
  
  Reply Report comment
Pingback: TaylorMade’s Tour Preferred UDI is Open-ready | Spacetimeandi.com
Jake

Jul 14, 2014 at 2:01 pm

I currently play the rocketbladez tour 19* 3-iron. I’m looking for a club to fill between my driver and 3-iron and saw these come in 19* 2 iron and 16* 1-iron. Would it be redundant to get the 2-iron or is this a lower trajectory driving iron?

Reply Report comment
- Curt
  
  Jul 14, 2014 at 3:25 pm
  
  It states both head slot technology and shaft helps to launch the ball high.
  
  Reply Report comment
- MHendon
  
  Jul 14, 2014 at 4:38 pm
  
  How about a 3 wood.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Jake
    
    Jul 14, 2014 at 4:56 pm
    
    Appreciate the snarky comment. Havent used a 3 wood in years. I like the feel of irons. Do you have suggestion of a different (non-driving iron) 2 iron to help fill gap? What is the point of a high trajectory 2 iron?
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Cal
      
      Jul 14, 2014 at 5:30 pm
      
      I play a fli hi 3 iron right now but will be getting one of these when they’re released. The purpose, I think, of the high(er) launching 2 iron is to be more versatile from the tee AND the fairway during long approach shots. While this iron is supposed to launch higher than the MC line, I’ve read that it spins less than a normal iron leading me to believe it will still have a piercing flight even if it is high. As for your first question…if it were me, I would get the 2 iron and see what kind of yardage gap I had. Then I would adjust the loft to whatever I needed. The hollow design and new speed pocket may help you eek out a couple more yards and still have a landing angle that could help you hold a green if needed. Good luck!
      
      Reply Report comment
    - mhendon
      
      Jul 14, 2014 at 6:44 pm
      
      can’t beat Adams hybrids, got two in my bag. Try one of their tour models in a real strong loft.
      
      Reply Report comment
    - Jeff Trigger
      
      Jul 14, 2014 at 6:58 pm
      
      TM’s thing is high launch, low spin. I guess this is the Tour Preferred UDI featuring SLDR technology. I doubt these launch that high, just higher than the low ball hitting TP irons.
      
      Reply Report comment
      - Zak Kozuchowski
        
        Jul 14, 2014 at 7:57 pm
        
        Our testing found that the 2014 Tour Preferred CB irons were actually pretty high-launching for their size. I wouldn’t call the Tour Preferred MC irons low-launching, either.
        
        Reply Report comment

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Equipment

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

Published

12 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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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