Tommy Fleetwood likes to keep his options open when it comes to clubs other than the TaylorMade BRNR Mini in his bag. Over the last few years, the 33-year-old has filled the gap between the Mini and 4-iron with a 5-wood, 7-wood, 9-wood, 3-iron and UDI.
The 9-wood received the call during the RBC Heritage, but things could change later this summer when he starts prepping for the Open Championship and needs a UDI or long-iron with a more penetrating flight. In Fleetwood’s eyes, there’s no such thing as a perfect club for every situation. It’s good to have options.
Weekend golfers don’t need to go to Fleetwood lengths to find the best club for their setup, but there’s something to be said for taking a closer look at the hole in the bag to determine if a long-iron, hybrid, fairway wood or utility iron is the best option.
This magic loft offers golfers endless options to build the perfect set
“I think it’s one of the least talked about areas of the bag,” Matt Bovee, TaylorMade’s director of iron and wedge product creation, told GOLF.com. “Many golfers default to hybrid [near the top]. We’ve seen a resurgence in the high-lofted fairway woods, too. With that spot in the bag, it comes down to what trajectory you want to see and number you’re trying to hit. That’s a conversation golfers need to be having with themselves or a fitter. There are a lot of options out there.”
TaylorMade P-UDI Custom Utility Iron
$249.99
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One of those options is TaylorMade’s new P·UDI and P·DHY which now fall under the company’s popular P-Series iron lineup. For weekend golfers, utility irons remain a distant second to hybrids when it comes to selecting a long-iron replacement. Hybrids boast a larger, more forgiving profile and are generally easier to launch than a utility iron — two attributes mid-to-high handicappers generally need.
On the flip side, utility irons have pipped hybrids on Tour and remain a popular option for better players who still want to play a more traditional profile but need some extra oomph.
To better understand who could benefit from P·UDI and P·DHY, TaylorMade’s engineering and product creation teams dug into the data to figure out who was purchasing utility irons on the company’s website. Research revealed UDI was being purchased by P-Series iron users in the 6-16 handicap range, while DHY ranged from 6 to 18 handicaps.
“If most of these golfers are already using P-Series irons, it makes sense to have the UDI and DHY live under the same lineup,” Bovee said. “You want to make it fit with the rest of their bag. If I’m a P790 player, I’m probably not looking for a Qi10 UDI. That doesn’t make a lot of sense. Make it flow together.”
For better players who are looking for a more traditional look at address, the mid-launching P·UDI is the obvious choice. Compared to previous versions, the latest iteration is more compact and features a thinner sole. The goal behind the smaller footprint was to make it a realistic option for golfers currently in P790 who required something slightly more forgiving at the top of the iron set.
Internally, the hollow cavity is concealed by a 4140 face and packed with SpeedFoam Air, along with upwards of 26 grams of tungsten to bump up off-center forgiveness. Feel and flight are further enhanced in each loft with the help of a thin back wall construction, sound stabilization bar and mass that was deliberately distributed to achieve certain performance goals. Golfers will also notice less offset in the UDI than they’ve seen in the past.
TaylorMade P-DHY Custom Utility Iron
$249.99
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“Regardless of where you are on the player spectrum, you’re going to see a little bit of meat behind the ball,” Bovee said. “But what you’ll notice is the mass isn’t noticeable on the UDI, while it’s still visible on the DHY for a confidence-inspiring look that some players really prefer.”
Of course, not everyone wants a utility iron that looks like an iron from their set. Golfers in need of more mass behind the hitting area and launch assistant will find P·DHY checks a lot of performance boxes. Boasting the same technologies as P·UDI, the DHY features a longer blade length and lower center of gravity. The result is a higher launch for those who can’t find a suitable high-lofted fairway wood or hybrid.
“We comb through every little piece during the design process, so you’re not getting a one-size-fits-most P·UDI or P·DHY,” Bovee said. “The goal is to be mindful of the performance of each product in the line. We accomplished that with both of these offerings.”
TaylorMade’s P·UDI (17, 20, 22 degrees) and P·DHY (18, 20, 22 degrees) retail for $249.99 (RH and LH offerings) and come standard with UST’s Mamiya’s Recoil Dart shaft (75R, 90S and 105X) and Golf Pride’s Z-Grip. Additional shaft and grip options are available through Fairway Jockey’s custom ordering department.
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