Equipment
Mickelson confirms plan to use “Phrankenwood”
Phil Mickelson confirmed that he will use a small-headed driver called a “Phrankenwood” at the Masters this week in a Tuesday afternoon press conference.
The club’s official name is the Callaway X Hot Phrankenwood, which was rumored to a 2 wood, something between a driver and a 3 wood that Mickelson could control better than a driver and hit off the ground in certain cases.
As it turns out, the club is actually more of a driver. Mickelson said that the Phrankenwood has 8.5 degrees of loft, only about 0.5 degrees more than his Callaway Razr Fit Xtreme driver, and the same Mitsubishi Rayon Fubuki K 70X shaft, at 45 inches.
According to Scott Goryl, senior manager of global communications at Callaway, Mickelson began searching for a fairway wood that went as far as his driver early this year, one that launched with less spin and allowed him to more easily hit the ball left-to-right, a draw for Mickelson.
Mickelson said that the Phrankenwood “knocks the spin off the ball,” which allowed his practice round tee shots on No. 9 at Augusta to get to the bottom of the hill, a feat he said he hasn’t been able to accomplish in years.
The Phrankenwood measures 250 cubic centimeters, 190 CC’s less than Mickelson’s Razr Fit Xtreme driver that he has used for much of 2013. But it’s 65 CC’s larger than Mickelson’s 3 wood, a 13-degree Callaway X Hot Pro 3 Deep, which Mickelson used as the longest club in his bag at the Shell Houston Open two weeks ago.
The Phrankenwood features the same key constructions as Callaway’s X Hot fairway woods, a 455-Carpenter stainless steel “Speed Frame Face Cup,” an ultra-thin stainless steel cast body and an “Internal Standing Wave” that moves the center of gravity of the club head lower and more forward than previous models.
The USGA’s limitation on coefficient of restitution mandates that no club have a COR rating, or spring-like effect, of more than 0.830, which means the Phrankenwood can’t have faster ball speeds on center hits than a driver. But its unique size, shape and construction is obviously giving Mickelson less spin on his tee shots, which likely limits carry distance but apparently more than makes up for that in roll.
It’s not clear where Mickelson needs to hit the Phrankenwood off the deck at Augusta, but the slots in the sole and the club’s small size indicate that he can if he needs to.
Expect Mickelson to use the Phrankenwood exclusively on tee shots where he needs to hit the ball left-to-right, and for him to opt for his 13-degree 3Deep on holes that bend right-to-left, much like the two-driver strategy he employed in his 2006 Masters win.
Note: Unlike the X Hot drivers, fairway woods and hybrids, which feature dark grey paint with a matte finish on their crowns, the X Hot Phrankenwood features a shiny black-painted crown like the Razr Fit Xtreme. Check out the photos below, which include shots we captured during Wednesday and Thursday’s practice rounds.
Click here to see what people are saying in the forums.
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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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Bill
Apr 14, 2013 at 10:14 pm
Never mind. Found the stats for Phil. He was in the 290s with the Frankenwood. Pretty darn good. Will have to check the rest of the stats to see where he faltered.
Bill
Apr 14, 2013 at 10:09 pm
Wonder what Phils take on his Frankenwood is now. I’d like to see his driving stats from Augusta. I give him points for trying new things but he won at Pebble with the Razr Fit Xtreme and left it in the garage for a 2 wood. I agree that 460cc heads have their problems but the 440cc xtreme driver sets up well and he had success with it. Paddy Harrington is the poster boy for what happens when you over tinker.
To be fair, Phil is getting towards the end of his peak and is looking for an edge. Still, while I get the 3 deep, I don’t really buy into the Frankenwood.
Jack
Apr 11, 2013 at 3:07 am
So after all this stuff with bigger clubheads more forgiving, now we are going back to smaller heads to reduce spin?
Pingback: Mickelson Set To Tee Off With Phrankenwood | Mulligang Golf
Bob Sailer
Apr 10, 2013 at 2:29 pm
.830 COR is for all clubs. If you shoot a ball at a clubface out of an Air Cannon at 100mph and it rebounds back faster then 83mph then it is too hot and is illegal (hence the .83). This was the way they did the original tests. Now they use Characteristic Time (CT) which is a differnent test.
Jim A
Apr 10, 2013 at 2:23 pm
I’ve been playing a “phrankenwood” for the better part of the past 15 years. It’s called an Orlimar TriMetal Plus 12* strong 3-wood. It’s also a “spin killer.” So I can carry and roll it as long as any oversize titanium diver I’ve ever hit. And at just 43.5″, I rarely miss the sweet spot. The tungsten sole weights and rails allow me to chase par 5’s off the deck, the only situation in which I ever need a fairway wood (since the emergence of hybrids). So now I can carry an extra hybrid (a #2H to go along with my #3H), both of which round out my irons (4-PW, GW, SW, and LW).
MattK
Apr 10, 2013 at 2:20 pm
In about 3 months, this will be available for $300 at your local golf shop. LOL
Jeremy
Apr 9, 2013 at 10:48 pm
Zak,
I’m going to somehow agree with both you and Rob. The rules states that drivers are limited in COR. It does not simply say “woods are limited” which would make it much easier to understand for all. However, unless clubheads in 2/3 woods are greatly increased and deepened, getting to a .830 just isn’t going to happen. I think the USGA and R/A are going to have to very shortly have to define what a driver is with CC regulations and so on. Otherwise we are going to be pushing close to it very shortly Technology is just growing faster than courses can.
Sailer
Apr 9, 2013 at 9:49 pm
Sounds like familiar hype after Phil won the Phoenix open and was bragging about his new driver and how it was the best thing ever. He is currently 166th on Tour in driving accuracy@ 52%. Better run out and by one, eh? What a crock!!
Zak Kozuchowski
Apr 9, 2013 at 8:14 pm
Rob,
If 3 woods could have higher COR ratings than drivers, none of the tour players would be playing drivers anymore. They’d be obsolete!
Thanks for reading.
– Zak
Rob
Apr 9, 2013 at 7:57 pm
The USGA’s limitation on coefficient of restitution mandates that no club have a COR rating, or spring-like effect, of more than 0.830,
I don’t think this is true for fairway woods as the ERC II driver was rulled non-conforming but the 3 wood was due to it being a fairway wood
Rob
Apr 9, 2013 at 8:00 pm
you are right I relooked at the archives! LOL
Yamoms
Apr 10, 2013 at 4:59 pm
False. There just isn’t a 3 wood that has achieved the .830 core. So while drivers have reached the limit and can’t make improvements on core, fairway woods still can get hotter.