Equipment
Wunder: Launch season is coming – Top 4 things I’m excited about
In normal times, October represents the kickoff to one of the best times of the year: launch season!
OEMs will start to tease, release, seed, and ultimately get the golf heads of the world all jacked up on what’s coming.
Golf is bigger than ever, and from the rumblings I hear from marketing, engineers, and tour reps, the excitement around what’s coming is a few ticks short of total pandemonium. We always talk about “best ever,” and I have heard that term thrown around more than normal.
I guess we will only know when we know, but from where I sit, I’m fired up. I know these people well, and I can tell when something special is coming. Even late last year, the whispers about TaylorMade’s new “P790B” and Titleist’s “new idea” driver was something that brought smiles to the folks that were dying to discuss but just couldn’t yet. In those cases, the excitement was real as both products are top of the class.
So, what else is coming?
Here are my top 4 things to get excited about and why
New TaylorMade Driver
I’ve heard very little, but what I have heard is TaylorMade has something serious coming to market. In my opinion, SIM was TM’s best driver to date, so to hear that something is coming that makes SIM a potential afterthought is certainly newsworthy.
I’m not sure what direction they will go after the leap they took with SIM, but I guess we shall see. The point is, when I hear whispers like this (and it’s not very often) history has shown me something special is coming. The last time I heard anything like this was in the summer of 2018 and the buzz was about some new Cobra driver…
The Ping I210 and IBlade Replacement…or a new idea
The driver cat is out of the bag with the USGA posting pics of the soon to be released G425, so no need to dive into that quite yet.
Ping is Fort Knox when it comes to early info. So much so to the point that I personally don’t even chase it down—it’s a fool’s errand.
Personally, all my info on what Ping has coming is pure speculation and personal opinion. That’s it. What I do know is, based on launch cycles, Ping is due for a new players cavity back and something to fit in between that and the Blueprint.
However, If I was to guess, I’d bet they blend the two ideas and make a players type version of the I210 and give players a chance to either blend or for the traditionalists get into the Blueprint.
That leaves room for Ping to focus on its hollow body category and make that more appealing to better players. In that scenario, the lineup would have all boxes checked off and options that can be mixed and matched to fit any player’s needs. Just a thought. It’s kind of the way to go these days.
Callaway’s New Apex MB/CB Line
I got my first glimpse of the idea back at RSM late last year. Aaron Price was testing the new MBs with the screw in the muscle, and up close, the profile looks pretty amazing. The idea of putting more mass behind the hitting area is not a new one, but it’s one that has proven to work. Callaway has always done a great job in the MB category, like Titleist, engineers keep things fairly simple and try to make something that satisfies the tour staff.
The official version can be seen in our tour photos, and it’s almost identical to the prototype—beyond the raw finish.
Spy pics of the CB are floating around on different platforms, but any info on them is nil. The Apex Pro is still an iron the tour staff adores, and my hunch is Callaway had to really dig deep to find its replacement.
New Srixon Irons
Ask any fitter across North America, and I’d bet a good majority would say Srixon more or less rules the conversation in the players iron category. Not to say that other OEMs aren’t competitive, but for the last four or five years, Z series irons have been the darlings for fitters and builders. Feel, quality and consistency are the keywords used and now finally the popular Z785 has its new iteration. The ZX7.
No details as to when they will hit the market or the story behind them, but what I’ve heard is, they took the cult classic Z745 and last year’s Z785 and blended them together to make an iron that finally converts the die-hard Z745 user into the ZX7. The 745 has been an iron that even Tour staff have had a hard time getting out of. Keegan Bradley, Graeme McDowell. Jerry Kelly, Brian Gay, and a few others still have them in play—and keep in mind Srixon has launched two new irons since that time. That’s why the ZX7 needed to be a game-changer.
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- Kris Kim what’s in the bag accurate as of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. More photos from the event here.
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees @7)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 60 TX
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour (15 degrees @13.5)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana WB 73 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P770 (2, 4), TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX (2), Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 120 X
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (50-09SB, 56-12SB, 60-11TW)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 WV 125
Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Check out more in-hand photos of Kris Kim’s equipment here.
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TaylorMade is continuing its UDI/DHY series with the successor to the Stealth UDI and DHY utility irons: PUDI and PDHY (which the company styles as P·UDI and P·DHY). TaylorMade is folding the designs in with its P Series of irons.
TaylorMade outlined the process of developing its new utilities this way. The company started with the data on utility iron usage. Not surprisingly, better players — i.e. those who generate more clubhead speed and strike the ball more precisely — were found to gravitate toward the UDI model. DHY usage, however, covered a wider swath than the company might have expected with six-to-18 handicappers found to be bagging the club.
TaylorMade also found that the majority of golfers playing UDI or DHY utilities were playing P Series irons at the top of their iron configurations.
Can you see where this is going?
Matt Bovee, Director of Product Creation, Iron and Wedge at TaylorMade: “As we look to the future, beyond the tech and the design language, we are excited about repositioning our utility irons into the P·Series family. P·UDI is an easy pair for players that currently play P·Series product and P·DHY is an extremely forgiving option for players of all skill levels. It is a natural fit to give these players the performance in this category that they are looking for.”
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TaylorMade PUDI
TaylorMade PUDI technology cutaway (via TaylorMade)
Crafted with tour player input, TaylorMade sought to develop a confidence-inspiring utility iron that blends with the rest of the P Series irons. Also of note: Interestingly, the PUDI has a more compact head than the P790.
In comparison to past UDI products, the PUDI has a more traditional iron shape, slimmer toplines, and less offset with a little of the backbar visible at address.
TaylorMade PDHY
TaylorMade PDHY tech cutaway (via TaylorMade).
Larger in profile than the PUDI, the PDHY seeks to position center of gravity (CG) lower in the club for ease of launch. The toe height is larger and the profile is larger at address — roughly five millimeters longer than PUDI — the sole of the club is wider for improved forgiveness.
Club Junkie’s take
Golfers who feel like they are missing something at the top of the bag could find the PUDI or PDHY a great option. The look of the PUDI should fit the most discerning eye with a more compact look, less offset, and a thinner topline. If you want a little more confidence looking down the P-DHY will be slightly larger while still being a good-looking utility iron.
For being small packages both models pack a pretty good punch with fast ball speeds, even off-center. The feel is soft and you get a solid feel of the ball compressing off the face when you strike it well. Your ears are greeted with a nice heavy thud as the ball and club come together. The PDHY will launch a little higher for players who need it while the PUDI offers a more penetrating ball flight. Both utility irons could be the cure for an open spot in the top end of the bag.
PUDI, PDHY, or Rescue?
TaylorMade offers the following notes to assist golfers in filling out their bags:
- PUDI has mid-CG right behind the center face to create a more penetrating mid-to-low ball flight
- PDHY has a lower center of gravity to produce an easier-to-launch mid-to-high ball flight.
- Both PUDI and PDHY are lower-flying than the company’s hybrid/Rescue clubs.
- PUDI is more forgiving than P790.
- PDHY is the most forgiving iron in the entire TaylorMade iron family
Pricing, specs, and availability
Price: $249.99
At retail: Now
Stock shafts: UST Mamiya’s Recoil DART (105 X, 90 S and 75 R – only in PDHY)
Stock grip: Golf Pride’s ZGrip (black/grey)
PUDI lofts: 2-17°, 3-20°, 4-22° in both left and right-handed
PDHY lofts: 2-18°, 3-20° and 4-22° in both left and right-handed
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Equipment
Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (5/3/24): Scotty Cameron Champions Choice 2.5+ putter
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a Scotty Cameron Champions Choice 2.5+ putter
From the seller: (@wwcl): “Has been gamed as pics show. 33.5 includes original h/c and grip. $575 includes shipping and PP fees.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: Scotty Cameron Champions Choice 2.5+ putter
This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules
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Kris Dunn
Oct 5, 2020 at 8:27 pm
Excited to see Srixon irons, 765 are the best thing I’ve ever hit. Apex MB’s don’t look as nice as the New Hogan Ft Worth (Apex). Taylor Made has a new driver every 3-6 months, and none ever go straight, Sergio was hooking or fading everything yesterday from Driver – 5W. He’s one of the best drivers on tour. Gotta get a TSI or Ping driver.
Trevino
Oct 5, 2020 at 9:19 pm
Twist face is something Taylormade needs to figure out how to get away from ASAP. They boxed themselves into a corner with twist face being “more accurate,” but it’s significantly less accurate. They need to do some serious marketing spin to get themselves back into a traditional face.
Craig
Oct 6, 2020 at 5:43 am
Agree with the TM drivers, not sure how the author thinks SIM is their best to date. The last couple of models since the 2017 have basically been terrible off the rack and need some serious fitting to get right.
Cobralegit
Oct 5, 2020 at 8:10 pm
FYI the new COBRA line will be called RAD. The color scheme is neon yellow but they kept matte black in line.
Dan
Oct 5, 2020 at 5:00 pm
I was a titleist guy until I saw the Z785’s in a pro shop and was sold on the profile alone. Now I game Z785 with Modus3 Tour 105R Hard-Stepped and love them. I can’t wait to see the new Z’s in person. Srixon irons are a best kept secret around my area.