I tried it: These new driving irons offer ball-flight variety and forgiveness

Golfers are always trying to fill gaps in their setup — whether it be at the top or the bottom of the bag, a set that has consistent gapping makes shot selection easier and improves confidence when approaching targets.

One part of the bag that is generally the biggest problem for most golfers is between the highest lofted fairway wood and the lowest lofted iron. This area, which is usually around 20 degrees, I like to call “the magic loft.” This area of the bag allows golfers to pick any club option from a fairway wood all the way down to a standard long iron depending on a player’s clubhead speed and impact dynamics.

The general rule of thumb for this selection process is that the bigger-headed options tend to fit lower-speed players better, while smaller and more iron-like clubs fit faster players. Again, that’s just a general rule, and many PGA Tour players carrying 7-woods are proof of that.

TaylorMade P-DHY Custom Utility Iron

$249.99

Shallower face height, increased sole width and longer blade length create a super forgiving and versitile long iron. Designed with a low CG for a mid-high launch and mid-range spin. INDIVIDUAL MASS OPTIMIZATION Featuring advanced thick-thin back wall construction, sound stabilization bar, and deliberately distributed mass to maximize forgiveness. Each iron is uniquely designed with every gram strategically placed to achieve specific performance goals with premium forged feel. OPTIMAL LAUNCH AND FORGIVENESS Designed to deliver easy launch, increased forgiveness and enhanced consistency. The new internal weighting structure combines with proven technologies such as the forged 4140 OptiFace, Speed Pocket™ and up to 26g of tungsten. THRU-SLOT SPEEDPOCKET The Thru-Slot Speed Pocket™ provides increased face flexibility while preserving ball speed and distance on low face strikes.

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So with faster players who are looking to control trajectory as the focus today, we’re going to talk about TaylorMade’s newest P-UDI and P-DHY driving irons.

Testing TaylorMade’s P-UDI and P-DHY driving irons

As advertised, the P-UDI and P-DHY offer more forgiveness and a higher launch window than a comparable iron in a similar loft.

To test this I used my P790 4-iron with 21 degrees of loft and put it head to head with both options (with 20 degrees of loft) to see how they stack up.

The P-UDI feels like a beefed-up P790 and provides a lot of extra confidence when using it off the tee and hitting it off the ground. Although I’m in the swing speed range where this club at 20 degrees is a great option off the tee, I didn’t find it as useful off the ground because it was (as designed) launching the ball at a flatter trajectory. That makes it the perfect club for rolling it up to an intended target.

TaylorMade P-UDI Custom Utility Iron

$249.99

Tour inspired shaping for a playable and balanced look at address. Strategically positioned CG for a penetrating ball flight with backspin for players who demand shot making with long irons. INDIVIDUAL MASS OPTIMIZATION Featuring advanced thick-thin back wall construction, sound stabilization bar, and deliberately distributed mass to maximize forgiveness. Each iron is uniquely designed with every gram strategically placed to achieve specific performance goals with premium forged feel. OPTIMAL LAUNCH AND FORGIVENESS Designed to deliver easy launch, increased forgiveness and enhanced consistency. The new internal weighting structure combines with proven technologies such as the forged 4140 OptiFace, Speed Pocket™ and up to 26g of tungsten. THRU-SLOT SPEEDPOCKET The Thru-Slot Speed Pocket™ provides increased face flexibility while preserving ball speed and distance on low face strikes.

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With the P-UDI coming in lofts of 18, 20 and 22, I thought the 22 was a lovely option to replace a traditional 4-iron to help those who are looking for a little extra launch without going directly to a hybrid. As for the 18 degree, for golfers with a lot of clubhead speed, this one could be a rocket off the tee, and I fully expect to see a lot of these in play come the Open Championship.

Now to the P-DHY, which was my preferred club in this test based on its ability to launch the ball higher while still maintaining a flatter trajectory.

The first thing that stands out with the new P-DHY is how it looks. Compared to the previous generation Stealth DHY, the lighter contrast between the scorelines and the rest of the club makes it look smaller from the address position. Also, the reshaping of the rear to make it more parallel to the topline and less round helps the new P-DHY appear more compact.

As for performance, I found this new P-DHY the most forgiving version of the DHY TaylorMade has ever produced. Sure, it’s still no hybrid or 7-wood, but the launch and spin made it more manageable for me to hit it higher and land the ball a bit softer when approaching targets.

In more windy and firmer conditions I’ve already locked the 20-degree P-DHY in to replace my 7-wood.

So if you’re a golfer looking to find a secondary option off the tee or are a faster player who tends to struggle with hybrids, the new P-UDI and P-DHY driving irons (available lofts for both are 18, 20 and 22 degrees) could be the next magic lofted club in your bag.

Want to overhaul your bag for 2024? Find a fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.