Equipment
INSIDER EXCLUSIVE: Maverick McNealy on custom 1-of-1 Callaway Apex MB irons
Maverick McNealy was once the No. 1 amateur in the world playing for Stanford University, and he signed with Callaway Golf upon turning professional in 2017.
Since then, McNealy has been switching back-and-forth between Callaway Apex MB prototype irons and Nike VR Pro irons. He played Nike irons in college, and he hasn’t yet been able to make a permanent switch into Callaway irons.
Throughout 2022, McNealy has been opting for the Nike irons, and he uses lead tape to get the weighting and CG (center of gravity) right for his swing. McNealy prefers a long heel-to-toe length and a CG that’s farther away from the hosel.
When he showed up to the 2022 Byron Nelson, however, he had a completely new version of Callaway Apex MB prototype irons that he’s never used before, in addition to his old Nike irons.
On Tuesday, we caught up with McNealy to get his take on the new Callaway irons and how they came about.
GolfWRX: So we noticed that you have a new set of Callaway blades in the bag, in addition to the Nike irons. What’s the story behind the new irons, and can you tell me a bit about the process of getting them in the bag?
McNealy: So, this process started just over a year ago. I’ve been working really closely with Tim Reed (Senior Vice President, Global Sports Marketing at Callaway) on this. It’s really trying to fill a gap in the performance blade market. There really isn’t anything with that much length heel-to-toe and a center of gravity far enough from the hosel.
For me, getting that center of gravity out towards the toe, or should I say, getting that center of gravity further away from the hosel, gives me more club head awareness on the way down. It slows down the closure rate and keeps the club face square longer. I found out with other blades, because they’re so short heel to toe, and the center of gravity is so close to the heel, that I was shutting them down too fast for me. So these help keep the club face square on the way back and give me that awareness on the way through.
So, Tim and I are taking a deep dive. We’re hitting them and really trying to dial them in in every way possible so that they’re consistent from iron to iron all the way through.
We’re measuring offsets, impact height, location, lead groove height, there’s just so many little details that change the way you deliver the club, the way you feel it. The next thing we’re looking at is making sure every iron is spinning exactly the way we want through the bag especially with the new golf ball, the prototype golf ball (Chrome Soft X) that I’ve been playing from Callaway, which is awesome.
It’s pretty cool to get to match an iron and a golf ball to hit exactly the flight I want to through the bag.
Are you trying to match up the look with the Nike irons? From address, they look very similar in terms of grooves, offset and topline.
The Nike’s trained me. When I became a one sport athlete, those were the irons I was using. That’s what my eye sees, so there’s a few things that really help me line up the club, especially the PAR area. The lead groove height matters a lot for delivering the club consistently and getting the contact.
Then the 10 and 11 iron is a fun project for us because I almost never chip with a pitching wedge or gap wedge, and if I do it’s a bump and run, so I just want something that’s going to flow straight through from my short irons to my approach irons, or however you want to call them. I’ve seen them launch lower with a little bit more spin, which is great for distance control, and they feel just like my irons, which is a pretty exciting project.
Which of the Callaway irons will you put in play this week? The whole set?
4-7. The 8 iron is a maybe. Honestly, I just want to get some reps under competition and see how they perform. As you can see, I’m slow to change, so it’s a big deal for me to throw a couple of them in, and we’re going to keep iterating until they’re exactly right.
See more photos and join the discussion about McNealy’s new irons here.
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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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MarkM
May 12, 2022 at 11:26 am
Good info here! And after Maverick and Callaway get those just right I want see them come to market!
MVan
May 12, 2022 at 10:00 am
I think I speak for a lot of us when I say that this is the content we come here for.
ThreeJ
May 12, 2022 at 11:47 am
100% agree!
Wilber
May 12, 2022 at 9:37 pm
Speak for yourself, I come here for Gianni’s hot takes on things that happen on Twitter