Gear: TaylorMade SIM DHy, SIM UDI irons
Price: SIM DHy: $249 each with Mitsubishi Diamana Hybrid shaft and Lamkin Crossline 360 grip; SIM UDI: $249 each with Mitsubishi Diamana Thump shaft
Specs: Foam-filled, hollow-bodied irons with a stainless steel face. SIM DHy available in 17, 19, 22 and 25 degrees. SIM UDI available in 18 (2) and 20 (3) degrees
Available: Sept. 4
Two seasons ago, TaylorMade released a new family of hybrid-irons, the GAPR Low, Mid and Hi. They were made to appeal to golfers who wanted hybrid-like performance in clubs that looked more like an iron. They were hollow, and each had a different center of gravity height to encourage a different ball flight.
While the GAPR line has been discontinued, the demand for clubs like those has not gone away because some golfers simply do not like the look of hybrids, yet they want a club that delivers more ball speed and height than their long irons. For those players, TaylorMade is releasing the SIM DHy and the SIM UDI.
While the basic construction of both clubs is the same, the SIM DHy and the SIM UDI likely will appeal to different players.
The SIM DHy (DHy stands for Driving Hybrid) is the larger of the two clubs and features a forged C300 stainless steel face shaped like an L. It not only covers the hitting area but wraps under the leading edge and into the sole.
The hollow cavity between the face and the 450 stainless steel body is filled with a light material that TaylorMade calls Speed Foam Lite. It is 35 percent less dense than the foam injected into the P-770 and P-790 irons but still absorbs excessive vibrations to enhance sound and feel. Using a less-dense foam allows the center of gravity to stay lower, which will encourage a higher-flying shot.
To improve performance on shots hit low in the face, TaylorMade designed the SIM DHy with a slot called a Speed Pocket in the sole. It is covered by a polymer to keep grass and debris from getting into the head, but it lets the lower portion of the hitting area flex more on thin shots, so players are not robbed of distance on mis-hits.
While the SIM DHy does not have an adjustable hosel, the neck is bendable, so TaylorMade said a custom fitter should be able to increase or decrease the loft by up to 2 degrees. That will allow golfers to hit a specific yardage number more consistently.
The SIM UDI (UDI stands for Ultimate Driving Iron) has the same basic construction as the SIM DHy, but the shape of the club is more like an iron. It has a thinner topline, less offset and a thinner sole. Like the DHy, it has a pass-through Speed Pocket in the sole, but the hollow cavity in the head of the SIM UDI is filled with standard Speed Foam to improve feel and sound. That should make it feel more like an iron at impact, too.
Like the SIM DHy, the neck of the SIM UDI is bendable, so a fitter can change the loft by up to 2 degrees.
While golfers will see a large portion of the SIM DHy’s back flange when looking down at the club in the address position, that area is hidden from view in the SIM UDI because it would make the club less visually appealing to many better players.
With a center of gravity that is higher than the SIM DHy, the SIM UDI will create a lower, more piercing ball flight and less spin. For that reason, it should be a good option off the tee for players who want to keep the ball below the wind or who are looking for increased accuracy.