As someone who has gamed every single TaylorMade UDI product at some point from the original Tour Preferred UDI all the way through to the latest P-790 UDI, I was excited to see the delivery note letting me know that the newest iteration, the P-UDI was heading my way alongside its new higher launching sibling the P-DHY. This franchise has consistently hit the mark for me, always sitting amongst the best utility irons on the market, so I was keen to see what the P-UDI had to offer.
Out of the box, the visual is extremely premium. The pearl satin finish is nicely contrasted by a new mirror-black ridge that stretches across the middle and the curves are in all the right places like a high-end sports car. Truth be told, there is not a ground-breaking difference between this aesthetic and the previous iteration, the P-790 UDI but sometimes a subtle tweak is all that is required and I believe that to be the case here. Down behind the ball, however, there are some more notable changes and I really like them.
There is noticeably less offset in the P-UDI than in previous versions and despite what TaylorMade is saying, I feel like the topline is a little thicker than its predecessor which I think is a great look. Couple this with the back bar being slightly more visible at address and you have a much meatier-looking utility iron that really inspires confidence behind the ball. My one slight criticism of the previous model was that it just looked marginally too long and skinny to me, so these are really welcome refinements.
In terms of technology, once again, we are talking refinements rather than wholesale changes. In addition to the shaping, a new internal weighting structure has been added to deliver increased forgiveness and enhanced consistency, with each gram strategically placed to achieve the required launch and spin characteristics. TaylorMade tried and tested technologies such as SpeedFoam Air and Thru Slot Speed pocket remain.
The performance of the P-UDI was outstanding. I tested the utility iron on the course and practice ground of Saunton Golf Club using my FullSwing KIT launch monitor and TaylorMade TP5 golf balls and was impressed by what I saw. Across the board the data was strong, high ball speeds, strong distance output, and aggressive peak heights are exactly what I look for in my utility iron.
For context, I requested and tested the 2-iron model at 17˚ as I tend to use this style of club as an aggressive tee shot alternative rather than for floaty approach shots into the green, more akin to one of the best driving irons. Those who are looking for the latter may want to try some of the other loft options available because the flight I saw from the 2-iron was far from soft! I thoroughly enjoyed piercing some crisply struck shots through a decent headwind with the P-UDI and watched on as the wind barely affected it.
It was more the immeasurable, unquantifiable factors that really impressed me about the P-UDI over and above the excellent data. The feel off the face is just about perfect for me, not too harsh, but also not too soft. You get a real sense that you have struck a powerful shot, without any unwanted vibrations through the hands, and the acoustics are well balanced also.
As someone who likes to manipulate ball flight, I found the reduced offset a fantastic change. I felt this just gave me a touch more control of the face, facilitating slight draws and fades on demand, which is exactly what I want in this important area of my bag.
The P-UDI is available at retail from May 3rd for £229. It is available in RH and LH offerings and is equipped with UST Mamiya’s Recoil DART shaft in 105 X, and 90 S with Golf Pride’s Z-Grip 52g 0.580 (Black/Grey). Additional shaft and grip options are available through custom ordering.
The P-UDI does exactly what I want of a utility iron. Firstly it looks great at address, framing the ball nicely with a powerful yet confidence-inspiring profile, the ball speed and distance output are excellent, and the sound and feel are right out of the top drawer. Combine this with exceptional workability, there really is not much to dislike here. In a strong category, the P-UDI is a must-try.
