Equipment
Cobra Design Lab offers totally custom Bio Cell+ drivers
One of the most impressive performers in our 2014 Gear Trials: Best Drivers club test was Cobra’s Bio Cell+ driver, even though it didn’t crack the top-5 in our “Distance-First,” “Forgiveness-First” and Balanced Performance” categories.
How do we explain that? The No. 1 reason for the snubbing of the Bio Cell+ was the solid performance of the Bio Cell driver, which offers more forgiveness than the Bio Cell+ thanks to its 20cc-larger head size, as well as a very similar launch and spin.
For some players who struggle to keep their spin down, however, the Bio Cell+ driver will be a better choice. Its smaller head and Venollum alloy crown insert lower the driver’s center of gravity, which can knock off about 300-to-500 rpm of spin depending on a golfer’s swing characteristics and contact point. That can lead to quite a few more yards if the driver is properly fit.
Above: A stock Bio Cell+ driver in orange.
Although looks don’t play a factor in our Gear Trials testing process, several members of our panel of custom fitters expressed concern over the look of the Bio Cell+’s dual-colored crown. That’s why Cobra’s new Design Lab makes so much sense. It allows the minority of players who need the Bio Cell+’s low-spin performance — they ones who are usually the pickiest about the looks and shafts in their driver, by the way — to customize the head, shaft and grip of the driver to their preference.
Choosing a blue Venollum insert resulted in Cobra adding blue paint fill to the sole of the driver.
Pricing starts as low as $449, which allows golfers to choose two different head colors (white and black), as well as eight different Venollum insert colors. Those insert colors can be customized to have different patterns as well, such as “Matte,” “Bio Cell,” “Matte DigiCamo” and “Marble.”
Cobra also offers 39 different grips options and 58 different shaft options, some of which have an upcharge. There’s even a special requests section, where golfers can specify how much the want the shaft tipped and how golfers would like Cobra to align the driver’s shaft and grip logos (logo up, logo down, and if golfers want those alignments to correspond to a specific MyFly8 loft and lie angle setting).
Cobra sent me a custom Bio Cell+ to show off just how detailed the Design Lab is. I opted for a Bio Cell+ with a black crown and a blue marble Venollum insert. The shaft is a Mitsubishi Rayon Kai’li 70X ($150 upcharge) tipped 1 inch at 45.5 inches, which is 0.25 inches longer than Cobra’s stock loft. The shaft and Golf Pride Z-Cord grip ($5 upcharge) are alignmed to be logo down in the driver’s 9.5-degree setting.
To experience the Cobra Design Lab for yourself, click here.
Click here to see what GolfWRX Members are saying about Cobra’s Design Lab in our forum.
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Whats in the Bag
Kris Kim WITB 2024 (May)
- 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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Equipment
Welcome to the family: TaylorMade launches PUDI and PDHY utility irons
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
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
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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RAT
May 19, 2014 at 5:38 pm
This is a turn to the right direction , but we want a gut bust,n bad hombre of a driver that not only does it look the part it is the part distance and roll out.But 500 bucks ain’t going to cut it.This needs to be a Henry Ford priced monster.. Lead the rest don’t follow..
Mat
May 19, 2014 at 1:32 pm
As for everyone offering it, I’d really like to see stickers for IRONS. Little cutouts that sit in there and change the whole look. There have been a few sticker companies for drivers, and they haven’t seemed to catch on. I think OEMs might have better luck because who wants to screw with a driver… but wedges get stamped and no one cares. I think those stamps look very cheap, and would love to see more finished, higher quality ways to individualize.
paul
May 20, 2014 at 9:11 am
I can’t tell if this is sarcastic… Stickers? Really?
Mat
May 19, 2014 at 1:29 pm
No way to change total club head mass without tape… no thanks.
Curt
May 19, 2014 at 1:18 pm
All the manufacturers need to offer this……..