Filling that last gap - GAPR Mid 4 vs Taylormade DHY 4?

[wcdixon]

Pretty happy with my bag right now after having replaced it top to bottom this spring with new-ish clubs - only area that needs addressing is the 195-215 yard shot, whether as the approach shot on long par 4 or tee shot on a shorter but tight fairway. As well and ideally, something that can also hit longer shots lower in windy rounds.

 

I used a Cobra f6 hybrid with loft set to 20.5 degrees or GAPR Hi 4 set to 21 degrees for those length shots this summer and had moderate success with both -  negatives really only being 1) higher ball flight than I always wanted and 2) distanced maxed out at around 200-205 yards for either when I really nutted them.

 

The obvious fix would be too add a 4 or 3 iron but my smooth deliberate swing with Driver SS topping out around 94 mph has always struggled with hitting the long irons well. So am thinking a utility iron/club set at 20-21 degrees could do the trick, leading me to my question - the GAPR Mid 4 vs DHY 4? Both will flight the ball lower than my Cobra or GAPR Hi, but I can get a used GAPR mid 4 in near new condition for half the cost of a new DHY 4. Is the DHY worth the cost difference (since the DHY basically looks/feels like a dressed up GAPR Mid) - anyone hit them both and can offer insight?

 

Or is there a third utility/crossover club option I don't know about. Thoughts or advice welcome.

Edited October 20, 2020 by wcdixon
clarity

[noaces06]

I'm in this exact situation - and I pulled the trigger on the GAPR mid 4 based on cost.  For me, I just couldn't justify the cost difference on a club I wasn't sure about.  

 

GAPR should be here later this week and once I get it shafted up I'll be sure to let you know my findings.  

[WVP]

Well the DHY certainly looks a lot better, both in the bag and at address.

 

I'm also looking to overhaul that part of my bag and am considering the 4 DHY for 200 yard par 3's and long approaches to get it near the green. My consistency with a normal hybrid seems to come and go unfortunately - it's either the best club ever or the worst....

[chippa13]

I grabbed a GAPR Mid 4 a few weeks back to complement the Mid 3 I've had for the past year plus. I just don't think there would have been enough "upgrade" between GAPR and DHY to justify the extra money.

[Flip4000]

I have used a GAPR low before, and it was an excellent club. I had a 3iron low version and the only issue I had is it felt 1 dimensional. Excellent off the tee but not great off the deck ( too low) for me and could hold greens. I really liked the Titleist 510 U which gave me great tee performance and good launch off the deck. I imagine its properties are quite similar to the DHY so that's where I would be leaning. However if price is an issue, I would go for the GPR mid for the extra help. 

[Krt22]

IMHO they are nearly the same club, the sim UDI just has better cosmetics. The GAPRs performance wise were great, the only issue was the polarizing look. 

 

With that being said, based on your speed,  the current GAPR hi you seems pretty optimal. Why do you want to lower the ball flight?  You might get 5-10 more yards out of the mid, but roll out is going to be harder to control

[wcdixon]

1 hour ago, Krt22 said:

IMHO they are nearly the same club, the sim UDI just has better cosmetics. The GAPRs performance wise were great, the only issue was the polarizing look. 

 

With that being said, based on your speed,  the current GAPR hi you seems pretty optimal. Why do you want to lower the ball flight?  You might get 5-10 more yards out of the mid, but roll out is going to be harder to control

Good question Krt22...I'm not even sure if what I'm proposing will even give me what I want and unable to test either club where I live means guessing I suppose. Short answer is where I live/play it is windy most of the time...like open prairie 20-30 mph windy. I found a used GAPR 2 Low last fall and tried it in a handful of rounds and loved the low ball flight WHEN I caught it square -  problem was it's a tougher club to hit solid consistently and I presumed my swing speed had something to do with it, so sold it to friend who swings harder/faster and he likes it.

Bought the GAPR Hi 4 and happy with it but kept thinking as this year wound down I could use a 200-215 low stinger shot for long par 3's, tight par 4 tee shots, or really windy days into the wind. I tried hitting my GAPR HI lower but never got the distance/run out I was hoping for...and tried hitting my Steelhead XR 5w easier and lower but since I hit that club pretty solid generally was getting more like 225-230 plus always higher ball flight.

So I thought the GAPR Mid 4 might be something in the middle that could work and wouldn't cost too much to try (tho perhaps I should be looking for a GAPR Mid 3 instead for the lower flight)...and will likely go that way unless someone told me here the DHY is like butter and so much easier to hit solid and consistently than the GAPR i.e. - it offers more than just nicer cosmetics.

Also considered a used Ping G or G400 3 crossover utility iron but hear so much about how they sound funny i'm not sure I want to take chance.

Sorry...long-winded answer haha. 

[wcdixon]

On 10/20/2020 at 8:32 AM, noaces06 said:

I'm in this exact situation - and I pulled the trigger on the GAPR mid 4 based on cost.  For me, I just couldn't justify the cost difference on a club I wasn't sure about.  

 

GAPR should be here later this week and once I get it shafted up I'll be sure to let you know my findings.  

 

Looking forward to what you find out...thanks!

[noaces06]

Hoping to have it in play Thursday - the adapter didn't fit and had to order a new one.

[noaces06]

So after some delays I've finally got a couple of rounds in with the GAPR Mid... short story, it's EXACTLY what I've been looking for.  I shafted it up with a HZRDOUS Black 6.0 hybrid shaft and the combination has been lovely - the ball jumps off the face in a nice, high launch.  Great distance and SO easy to hit off the deck.  

 

Definitely worth the $80 investment in the head!

[wcdixon]

56 minutes ago, noaces06 said:

So after some delays I've finally got a couple of rounds in with the GAPR Mid... short story, it's EXACTLY what I've been looking for.  I shafted it up with a HZRDOUS Black 6.0 hybrid shaft and the combination has been lovely - the ball jumps off the face in a nice, high launch.  Great distance and SO easy to hit off the deck.  

 

Definitely worth the $80 investment in the head!

 

Thanks for following up with an update and glad it's been working out - and since it will just be an experiment that I hope works out I didn't wait and went ahead and ordered a GAPR Mid 4 yesterday haha. Will try it first with the stock KBS Hybrid 70 shaft (since I don't mind that shaft in the GAPR HI I used earlier this year) but if like the head enough will consider reshafting. Question: were you hitting it at 21* and still getting high launch? I am hoping for more of a safe-shot stinger (or shots into long par 3's) so likely will loft it down to 20*.

[chippa13]

I'm playing both my 3 and 4 down to 16.5 and 19.5, respectively, and loving it.

[wcdixon]

55 minutes ago, chippa13 said:

I'm playing both my 3 and 4 down to 16.5 and 19.5, respectively, and loving it.

 

The GAPR Mid 4 can be lofted down to 19.5? Good to know...I thought 20* (- 1 degree) was as low as it could go.

[noaces06]

18 hours ago, wcdixon said:

 

Thanks for following up with an update and glad it's been working out - and since it will just be an experiment that I hope works out I didn't wait and went ahead and ordered a GAPR Mid 4 yesterday haha. Will try it first with the stock KBS Hybrid 70 shaft (since I don't mind that shaft in the GAPR HI I used earlier this year) but if like the head enough will consider reshafting. Question: were you hitting it at 21* and still getting high launch? I am hoping for more of a safe-shot stinger (or shots into long par 3's) so likely will loft it down to 20*.

I have it turned down 2 places to open the face up a bit.  Still getting a high launch, but I launch almost everything high - the good news is that I can still easily flight the ball down without too much work so it should still be good for your 'safe shot' stinger.