TaylorMade Stealth UDI driving iron, Stealth DHY driving hybrid
Gear: TaylorMade Stealth UDI, Stealth DHY
Price: $249 each with Aldila Ascent Black graphite shaft and Super Stroke S-Tech grip
Specs: Forged stainless steel body and face with vibration-damping foam
Available: July 15
Who It’s For: Golfers looking for options to fill the distance gaps between fairway woods and their longest iron.
The Skinny: The Stealth UDI is a hollow-bodied driving iron designed to create a piercing ball flight and hybrid-style distance, while the Stealth DHY is a compact rescue club intended to produce a slightly higher flight and more carry distance.
The Deep Dive: Nearly every golfer carries a driver and at least one fairway wood in addition to his or her irons, but when it comes to bridging the distance gap between that fairway wood and the longest-hitting iron, things get personal. Some carry more fairway woods, such as a 5-wood and a 7-wood, while others prefer one fairway wood along with a hybrid club. Driving irons are an option for players who want a lower ball flight too.
With the release of the new Stealth UDI and Stealth DHY, TaylorMade is trying to give players options that provide both distance and feel with different flights and looks.
Stealth UDI
TaylorMade Stealth UDI (TaylorMade)
TaylorMade has offered UDIs for several seasons (the most recent was last season’s P•790 UDI), with the letters standing for ultimate driving iron. The new Stealth UDI is offered in 18-, 20- and 23-degree options, lofts that are similar to the Stealth 4-, 5- and 6-irons.
Visually, the Stealth UDI looks like a cross between the Stealth irons and the TaylorMade P•790. It has some offset and a moderately wide sole to go along with a reassuringly wide topline. While many accomplished golfers prefer a thin topline, driving irons – which tend to be more distance-oriented – usually have a thicker topline.
The body of the club is cast using 450 stainless steel, and it has a thin, L-shaped face that is forged using 4140 stainless steel, the same material used in the P•790 face. The hitting area is slightly thicker in the center and thinner near the perimeter, allowing the face to flex more effectively. A Speed Pocket slot in the sole helps the lower portion of the face flex more efficiently on thin shots.
The Stealth UDI is filled with Speed Foam 2.0 to absorb vibrations and improve the sound. (TaylorMade)
Inside the head, TaylorMade added Speed Foam 2.0, a lighter version of the original foam material added to the first P•790 irons. This updated material soaks up excessive vibrations to enhance feel, but because it is lighter, more of the overall head weight shifts to the perimeter to increase stability.
The Stealth UDI produces less spin and a lower ball flight than the Stealth DHY and has less offset, a thinner sole and a thinner topline than the standard Stealth long irons.
Stealth DHY
TaylorMade Stealth DHY (TaylorMade)
While the Stealth UDI was made to appeal to iron lovers, the Stealth DHY (driving hybrid) is for players who want the distance and forgiveness of a hybrid with a slightly lower ball flight.
In the address position, this club appears larger than an iron, more like a hybrid, with the back of the cast 450 stainless steel body easily visible. It also has a wide sole, thick topline and more offset than the Stealth UDI.
The Stealth DHY has a forged 4140 stainless steel face, a Speed Pocket slot in the sole, and inside the head TaylorMade added vibration-dampening Speed Foam 2.0.
TaylorMade Stealth DHY (TaylorMade)
Along with the difference in size, the Stealth DHY also differs from the Stealth UDI in terms of the center of gravity. With a small weight in the sole behind the Speed Pocket slot, the center of gravity in the Stealth DHY is lower, so it should produce a higher launch and more spin than the Stealth UDI, which should result in more carry distance.
Which is right for you?
TaylorMade Stealth UDI and Stealth DHY (TaylorMade)
Some golfers prefer the look and control of driving irons over hybrids, while others like the forgiveness that hybrid-style clubs deliver over driving irons. That’s subjective.
Golfers who tend to play in locations where the wind is a significant factor may prefer the lower-flying Stealth UDI. If the courses you play most often are soft, the Stealth UDI may not produce shots that deliver much roll, so the Stealth DHY may provide more carry and overall distance.
Working with a good custom fitter who has access to a launch monitor can reveal if either the Stealth UDI or Stealth DHY is a good gap-filling option for you.
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