The new TaylorMade SIM DHY and UDI utility irons represent both a jump to the left and a step to right for the company. In either case, both are a giant step away from the GAPR experiment.
If you’re the kind of golfer who finds utility irons exciting, we could probably hang out. Sure, irons are sexy, wedges are cool, and putters are fun, but utility irons are kinda like kale. They are potentially good for you, but they’re no meat-lovers pizza with extra everything.
You may or may not find the new TaylorMade DHY and UDI utility irons exciting, but they are interesting, especially within the context of GAPR. And depending on your game, you may find something that fills a, uhh, gap.
GAPR: Folly or Forethought
Two years ago, TaylorMade took a stab at creating a new category in that undiscovered country between driving irons and hybrids. GAPR LO, MID, and HI bridged a gap many of us didn’t know existed and did so rather garishly. They performed, but looks-wise they were, well, an acquired taste.
Do golfers need three options between irons and metal woods that aren’t hybrids? Apparently not, as GAPR is gone and TaylorMade is calling the new models what they are: utility irons.