What's it like to hit a modern 1 iron? TaylorMade UDI Testing Thread

[Arizonalefty59]

I really don't like Taylormade, but this club has my attention.

[KrazyTrain18]

Wonder if this will be coming to retail as a custom option soon ?

[nowski91381]

Curious to how this will compare to the Rapture DI which is currently my fav club in the bag. Anyone have a comparison? Thanks!

[Lesmond]

It may have been answered already, sorry if I missed it. I wanted to know if it was forged?

I am for sure getting one, Probably the 2 iron to replace my 5-wood on windy days.

I like the C-Taper lite, I am guessing you can get them in R and X flex as well, for off-the-rack purchase?

edit: Jamboy72 wrote that it is cast.

[CMBaviator_FR]

any info when this will be released in europe ?

[golf1010]

Having played the cleveland ldi for 3 years with great success ... I love the look of this but I need to see the ping side by side to test. I think ping will be only real challenger for this club. Ping obviously can't get the club to retail in any quantity so people may be forced to go with the Taylor ldi .. Also the 1 iron loft is not available in pings club

[Instant Offense]

I got my pre-order in last week. I can't wait to hit this thing. Haven't been this excited about a club in a long time. I've already stocked up on razors. I figure my golf bag will be so manly after I add this I'll have to shave it daily.

[Yellow Jacket]

[quote name='atursky' timestamp='1405378802' post='9700545']
The launch it produced was more like my 3 or 4 iron, but it was rolling out to about 290 yards (no joke), which is farther than I hit my 3 wood.

On mishits, I was still getting about 240-260 total yards out of it.
[/quote]
A 40 yard difference between mishits seems a bit crazy.

[quote name='BAlberstadt' timestamp='1405392389' post='9702029']

As a lover of the Mizuno Fli-Hi, this club was right up my alley. If you're a blade-and-woods-only purist, a "driving iron" is conceptually repugnant. Even if the concept turns your stomach, this club is worth test driving not because of its function out of the fairway, but because of the combination of distance and moderate forgiveness off the tee which my fellow writers have outlined. Simply, this UDI will replace your hybrid off the tee and maybe your 3-wood as well, depending on how you hit that club.[/quote]
A minor point, but as a blade and woods purist, I think I speak for my ilk when I say a driving iron is perfectly consistent with our preferences. We will always carry a driver, 3 wood, 3-PW, and 2 more wedges. Depending on the gapping, we may carry 3 wedges, but a "driving iron" is simply the modern evolution of the 2 or 1 iron we carried in the past, and I carried a 1 iron as recently as 2006.

[Yellow Jacket]

As a fellow Atlantan, can I meet up with you to give this a hit at the range? I'm 100% serious.

 

I'm very aware of being critical of TM, and I may bleed Titleist, but this looks much better to me than the 712U. The 16* model reminds me of the 17* Titleist 990 1 iron I played through high school and college much more than the 18* 712U.

[tkgolf5]

[quote name='KrazyTrain18' timestamp='1405400425' post='9702677']
Wonder if this will be coming to retail as a custom option soon ?
[/quote]

August 1st for sure for retail. July 17 on the vault

[BAlberstadt]

"A minor point, but as a blade and woods purist, I think I speak for my ilk when I say a driving iron is perfectly consistent with our preferences. We will always carry a driver, 3 wood, 3-PW, and 2 more wedges. Depending on the gapping, we may carry 3 wedges, but a "driving iron" is simply the modern evolution of the 2 or 1 iron we carried in the past, and I carried a 1 iron as recently as 2006."

I can see your point. Thanks for clarifying the preferences of this endangered species of golfer!

[Marks23]

Does the UDI have a hollow sound or feel?

[Jamboy72]

I didn't find it to feel or sound hollow or loud - It actually felt reasonably solid

[KaneC]

[quote name='Marks23' timestamp='1405432866' post='9704023']
Does the UDI have a hollow sound or feel?
[/quote]
I really liked the feel. Solid and powerful, not hollow.

[timnsr72]

Not really a Taylormade guy, but really like this club, would love to hit one.

[craniac76]

I'm trying to replace my 3 wood with a driving iron. But I'm a 18 handicap, Driver SS 95 Mph. Would this UDI 1 iron make a perfect replacement for 3 wood?

[QMany]

I need to get my hands on an UDI 3i and test it against my TEE CB ProH and Wishon 771. It looks great!

[Albatross85]

Anyone have any comparisons against the TEE CB ProH that JB Holmes is carrying?

[calvinclark11]

[quote name='craniac76' timestamp='1405447175' post='9705675']
I'm trying to replace my 3 wood with a driving iron. But I'm a 18 handicap, Driver SS 95 Mph. Would this UDI 1 iron make a perfect replacement for 3 wood?
[/quote]

Knowing nothing besides your handicap and swing speed, I think you may be better suited with a low lofted hybrid instead of a driving iron. Although, if you're like me and prefer looking at an iron instead of a wood/hybrid head...I'd give the UDI a try.

[Jamboy72]

[quote name='QMany' timestamp='1405448425' post='9705865']
I need to get my hands on an UDI 3i and test it against my TEE CB ProH and Wishon 771. It looks great!
[/quote]

That would be an awesome test!

[QuigleyDU]

I did not see anyone say anything. But how well did it do from the fairway.

[TheMoneyShot]

Looks like they will be selling these in limited quantity this Thursday at the TM vault.

[JohnnyDub]

Taylor Made UDI
Dynamic Gold S400
40 Inches

Off the tee this thing is insane! I was flying it 240-250 with ease and the ball rolls out much like the SLDR Driver. Off the deck was a little more challenging, I found that getting the ball up in the air consistently was a challenge. When I say get the ball up I mean to the height that a 5Wood could reach. For me there was no "soft shot" with the UDI, everything is a low missile. The other issue I had with it was the ability to play shots with it. My 5Wood is versatile for me in that I can beat down on it, trap it, curve it etc. The UDI is made for one thing, to hit it hard.

Overall, this club will be a big help to the boys at Hoy Lake, it seems it was designed for placement golf courses. I encourage anyone looking for an alternative off the tee to check it out.

Note to self, I should have gotten a lighter shaft in it. My version feels like an Easton Black Magic.

And this thing is the new and more insane version of this: They fly exactly the same.

[QuigleyDU]

In other words, "that there is a jigger"!

"bagger, my putter has more loft than this"

"Well sir, they just about the same"

"perfect I'll just putt the ball down the fairway, any other advice"?

"just bash the living sh!t out of it"

[youngwaldo]

[quote name='atursky' timestamp='1405378802' post='9700545']
Here's the first post in what's sure to be a fun thread. Five GolfWRX Featured Writers and myself received the new TaylorMade UDI 1 iron built to our specs for this testing thread.

We're here to answer your questions the best we can, so fire away!

[size=5]My new 1 iron[/size]

[attachment=2322991:UDI1.jpg]
[attachment=2322995:UDI2.jpg]
[attachment=2323191:IMG_7942.jpeg]

I got my UDI on Friday and had some time over the weekend to take it out on the course and range. Although its a 16-degree 1 iron, I wasn't intimidated by it. The thickness behind the face made the loft tolerable to my eye and it doesn't have that "butter knife" feel that 1 irons usually have.

The launch it produced was more like my 3 or 4 iron, but it was rolling out to about 290 yards (no joke), which is farther than I hit my 3 wood.

On mishits, I was still getting about 240-260 total yards out of it. It's actually really forgiving, which was unexpected given the number "1" written on the club. I felt in control of my trajectory and could hit it low and high. My only problem was turning it right-to-left (I'm a righty). It tended to come out too low and didn't turn as much as I wanted, but at 16 degrees there's nothing earth-shattering about that observation.

Although the sound is a little clunky and hollow, the ball really feels like it bounces off the face with a lot of trampoline-like effect. The power is pretty effortless. I also didn't have too much problem off the turf. I was getting it to fly about 210 or so off the ground and rolled out to about 250.

I normally play True Temper Project X 6.5's in my irons, but went with the slightly lighter Project X PXi 6.5. It matched well with the UDI since I needed the extra speed to help me launch it a bit higher with a little more spin.

Here's some of the technology in the Ultimate Driving Irons based on reports from TaylorMade:

[i]The UDI has a hollow body and a Speed Pocket that measures the same size as seen in the SpeedBlade irons from TaylorMade. This allows the face to flex efficiently and consistently and encourages a high launch. The weight of the club head was moved low and forward due to its engineering, also helping with forgiveness and high launch. The clubs also have a thicker topline than seen in the Tour Preferred MC irons, and the face has a lower profile as well.[/i]

Dare I say this club actually does what TaylorMade says it does? The answer is yes.

It's available in lofts of 16 degrees (1 iron), 18 degrees (2 iron) and 20 degrees (3 iron), with the lower lofts probably better left to golfers who are looking for a club to hit off the tee. While I didn't have the opportunity to test the 3 iron, my guess is that it's going to be a great 3-iron replacement for golfers who play TaylorMade's Tour Preferred CB, MC or MB irons, or similar-sized players irons from other manufacturers.
[/quote]

Hey Andrew where is mine to test out? Glad you hit yours so well.

Wk

[is1ander]

That's a mean club. Does TM require a Trackman-verified clubhead speed certificate to order one?

[w8liftr]

Nice job on the reviews! The UDI would be out of my comfort zone.

[deck]

Guys doing the reviews would you say this is more for a handicap range below like 6?

[JohnnyDub]

[quote name='deck' timestamp='1405465349' post='9707971']
Guys doing the reviews would you say this is more for a handicap range below like 6?
[/quote]

I wouldn't say its only for 6 or below as the club itself at address is not intimidating to look at. I do think to take FULL advantage of it you would need a faster swing speed 100+ with a driver. Im considering putting an I95 Aerotech in mine to see if that raises the flight a bit especially off the fairway. Like a bonehead I ordered mine with the shafts I play in my irons and its a beast weight wise. Im telling you all, off the tee if you just need to mash something out there that isn't a driver this is a sure thing.

[deck]

[quote name='JohnnyDub' timestamp='1405467639' post='9708181'][quote name='deck' timestamp='1405465349' post='9707971']
Guys doing the reviews would you say this is more for a handicap range below like 6?
[/quote]

I wouldn't say its only for 6 or below as the club itself at address is not intimidating to look at. I do think to take FULL advantage of it you would need a faster swing speed 100+ with a driver. Im considering putting an I95 Aerotech in mine to see if that raises the flight a bit especially off the fairway. Like a bonehead I ordered mine with the shafts I play in my irons and its a beast weight wise. Im telling you all, off the tee if you just need to mash something out there that isn't a driver this is a sure thing.[/quote]

Thank you!!! Appreciate the answer.


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