Equipment

Breaking down Project X’s new HZRDUS Black Gen 4 wood shaft

Published

2 years ago

Oct 8, 2022

Project X introduced the HZRDUS in 2015 and since then we have seen quite a few updates and versions of the shaft. The HZRDUS Black was the low launch and low spin shaft that we saw all over the professional tours and in bags of us GolfWRXers. This fourth-generation shaft follows the very popular HZRDUS Black, HZRDUS Smoke Black, and HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX wood shafts.

The HZRDUS Black Gen 4 isn’t a flashy shaft and keeps the simple, yet updated, graphics scheme of the original. The new shaft now has a gloss back paint and an updated HZRDUS font that has a little extra rainbow effect in bright sunlight. The traditional 4 diamond logo with the shaft specs is up near the grip and on the tip section of the shaft is the “dual torsional design” logo and text in a grey color that blends in nicely. Overall I like the look and think it pays homage to the original while still being modern and different.

On the course the HZRDUS Gen 4 has a little different feel than the original. The original HZRDUS Black Hand Crafted had a little harshness to it and you got a good amount of vibration to the hands at impact. The hew Gen 4 is a far smoother and much more solid feeling shaft. Loading the shaft at the top of the swing takes less effort and you can feel it build up some energy on the way down. It has a little more kick at impact than the Smoke Black RDX. The feel is closer to the Smoke and Smoke RDX shafts in that it does delete that harsh vibration while still offering feedback on mishits. The overall stiff profile with extra stiff midsection gives you the feeling of control and stability even when you decide to “go after it.”

The HZRDUS Black Gen 4 is a really solid performer on the course. Project X lists the shaft as a low launch and low spin option on their website with a weight of 60g and 3.3 torque for the 6.5 (X-Stiff) flex. For me the Gen 4 was more mid/low launch and low spin out on the course. I feel like this new HZRDUS is more playable for a wider range of golfers who still need the spin reduction but don’t need the stiffest, lowest launching shaft on the market. Players can easily square up the HZRDUS Black Gen 4 but it still fights the ball going left. There is a good kick at impact and this Gen 4 definitely feels like it tries to create more ballspeed than the original. I have a quick tempo swing and the stiff handle gives a confident feeling of control and that the shaft stays with you the hole time. I usually hit hard snap hooks as my miss but every so often I get stuck and hit it high and right. Those shots usually go nowhere and just spin up and fall out of the sky. The Gen 4 has helped lower the trajectory of that shot and flatten it out, giving me a little more distance. In general the HZRDUS Black Gen 4 just offers a very straight ball flight and wants to keep your ball online.

The Project X HZRDUS Black Gen 4 is a solid option for players who are looking to lower their launch and spin. It could also add tighter dispersion if you have a swing tempo that is on the quicker side. Project X has done well to keep the HZRDUS DNA alive while upgrading the technology and materials for better performance. Take a listen to the Club Junkie podcast below, or on any podcast platform, to hear the full review.

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Equipment

Why Rory McIlroy will likely use the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper at the RBC Heritage

Published

5 hours ago

Apr 17, 2024

Andrew Tursky

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

Published

6 hours ago

Apr 17, 2024

Brian Knudson

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)

Published

7 hours ago

Apr 17, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

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

Check out more in-hand photos Collin Morikawa’s clubs here.

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)