The gap between a golfer’s 3-wood and lowest-lofted iron has always been a bit of a puzzle. Do you opt for a 5-wood, hybrid or driving iron to fill that distance space?
So far on the PGA Tour in 2020, more and more golfers have filled that gap in their bags with a hybrid. More specifically, TaylorMade SIM Max Rescue clubs. Due to its design, golfers such as Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Tommy Fleetwood have had at least one SIM hybrid in their competition bag.
Now, TaylorMade is looking to build on the success of its SIM Max Rescue with new SIM UDI and SIM DHY utility clubs. Like the SIM rescues, the new SIM UDI and SIM DHY clubs occupy the space between a three-wood and longest iron, except the new utilities serve slightly different purposes in terms of performance and ball flight.
The SIM UDI (“ultimate driving iron”) looks like a long iron with a thin topline, less offset and slim sole width, and it’s made for the golfer who wants workability and a more penetrating ball flight. Most golfers will find this club helpful off the tee, but it’s still plenty usable from the fairway, too.
The SIM DHY (“driving hybrid”), on the other hand, is a bit more like the SIM Max Rescue in that it has a low and deep CG (center of gravity), made for higher launch. Described as more of a game-improvement club, this is for the golfer who plans on using a utility club as more of an approach-shot club to help the ball land soft on the green.
Both the SIM UDI and the SIM DHY have forged C300 steel faces and hollow-body constructions filled with TaylorMade’s familiar SpeedFoam technology. Actually, the SpeedFoam used in these new DHY club is 35 percent thinner than the material used in previous TaylorMade irons in order to help further lower CG. The UDI is designed to have a slightly higher CG, in comparison, to achieve its more penetrating ball flight. The difference in CG goals is also why the SpeedFoam port is on the sole of the DHY utility (low CG), while it’s on the back cavity of the UDI (higher CG).
While previous TaylorMade GAPR utility clubs had adjustable loft sleeves to help dial in trajectory, the SIM utility clubs will have bonded hosels that are bendable by +/- 2 degrees for loft and lie configurations. TaylorMade says the new bonded hosels were implemented based on feedback from expert club fitters.
Learning from the success of the SIM Max Rescue, TaylorMade constructed the soles of the new utilities a bit more rounded to improve versatility and turf interaction. The SIM UDI has a slightly taller face to promote a low trajectory, while the SIM DHY has a shallower face for a higher flight.
Both the UDI and the DHY will be available for preorder on Aug. 14 and hit retail Sept. 4. The UDI ($249) comes in lofts of 18 and 20 degrees in right-handed and left-handed, and the DHY ($249) comes in 17-, 19-, 22- and 25-degree lofts in both right- and left-handed, as well.
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