Review: TaylorMade SIM UDI
By Golf Expert
Calvin Max
11 photos
The Curated Take
4.4/5
The TaylorMade SIM UDI driving iron is ideal for golfers desiring a long iron alternative. It's easy to use from various terrains, with a unique weight distribution ensuring effortless ball lift. SpeedFoam integration lightens the club and enhances shot feel, ensuring softness on centered hits. Primarily designed for straight shots, it excels on par 4s and par 5s, though it's not the top choice for high workability. The hollow design ensures a solid, muted impact sound. Best suited for those prioritizing distance, it delivers carries of 240-255 yards with minimal run-out.
Ideal for
- Very easy to hit, long iron
- Distance-delivering
- Very forgiving
- Universal for all different shots
- A clean, aggressive aesthetic that subtly fits into any bag scheme
Not ideal for
- Not the most workable club
- Not for higher handicap players who like hybrids
Workability
I need help keeping the ball in the fairway, and while there are times I am sure that would involve working the ball left to right or right to left,...Read more
Forgiveness
I look at workability and forgiveness on a spectrum because, traditionally, any increase in the capabilities of one means a decrease in the other. Enter the SIM UDI, a driving...Read more
Feel
There is not much I can say about the UDI's feel because it's great. It is a hollow club, but it feels very solid. Instead of a ringing sting up...Read more
Sound
The truth is there isn't a clear line between what I feel and what I hear with this club. Both feedback elements are intertwined, so even if I can tell...Read more
Distance
I have been looking for distance in a driving iron for a long time. Usually, when I find a driving iron that I can carry over 245, the trajectory it...Read more
Expert Reviews of the TaylorMade SIM UDI
Ari T This is one of the best driving irons on the market. It's really long and forgiving and easy to hit. The feel is not very soft, but it's a cannon off the tee. There aren't many better driving iron options out there. The only negative to me is I can see the back of the club at address poking out from behind the top line. It's ideal for someone looking for a long iron replacement or a long, forgiving driving iron.
Giovanni C. Everything I am looking for in a long iron! I used to play a 3-hybrid but had issues with hitting it. I thought I would try this long iron in a 19° (3-iron). I have to say I am so glad that I did! This club is so easy to hit from either the tee box, fairway, or rough! It is not only easy to hit, but it is extremely long and workable. It is very easy to get the ball up in the air because the weight is lowered and centered. It also has SpeedFoam injected inside the head to make the club lighter and improve the feel of every shot. The SpeedFoam combined with the forged head makes a centered hit shot feel much more soft and springy off the clubface.
Calvin Max I really enjoy the SIM UDI from TaylorMade because of its confidence-inspiring picture at address. The advent of the driving iron in recent years has been a real blessing to people like myself who don’t like the look or feel of a hybrid or rescue club. And looking down at the UDI, it feels like TaylorMade has finally poured all of that forgiveness and technology into a club that looks and feels like a player's club. The only knock I would give it would also be its primary selling point. It isn’t the easiest club to work left or right on the market. It wants to stay straight, and while it can be made to perform a salvationary hook or miraculous fade, it's more suited as a fairway finder for par 4s and a green-seeking missile launcher for short par 5s. Ultimately, the SIM would be a welcome addition to anyone looking to plug gaps in the top end of the bag, gain forgiveness on the high end of the irons, or wants more versatility than a hybrid can provide.
Product Specs
| Gender | Men's |
| Used (Y/N) | No |
| Club Type | Utility irons |
| Player type | Players |
| Shaft launch | Mid-Low |
| Adjustability | No |
Review Ratings
Workability
3/5
Calvin Max gave 3 of 5 stars. I need help keeping the ball in the fairway, and while there are times I am sure that would involve working the ball left to right or right to left, the vast majority of the time, that's simply not the case. It's not necessarily a club I would avoid if I needed to work something from a good lie in the fairway. Still, off the tee, it tends to overcook the player's intentions and turn a shot meant to gently go one way into one that is not so gently sailing out of bounds. Ultimately, the UDI is a great fit if a player stays within their limits and doesn't over-extend their ability.
Forgiveness
5/5
Calvin Max gave 5 of 5 stars. I look at workability and forgiveness on a spectrum because, traditionally, any increase in the capabilities of one means a decrease in the other. Enter the SIM UDI, a driving iron designed to ensure my ball does not deviate from its starting path but I can work it. Now, I do not naturally send a ball right. Fades take time for me to think about before I hit, and if I need to slice something around a corner, I may be there for 10 minutes figuring it out. I have a hard time getting the face to open. While nothing new for me, I try hard and long enough to assure myself that it does not like to be open at contact.
Feel
4/5
Calvin Max gave 4 of 5 stars. There is not much I can say about the UDI's feel because it's great. It is a hollow club, but it feels very solid. Instead of a ringing sting up my forearms, mishits just feel a little goofy. I am very impressed with the level of crispness at well-struck impact, given how much it feels like the club protects me during bad strikes.
Sound
5/5
Calvin Max gave 5 of 5 stars. The truth is there isn't a clear line between what I feel and what I hear with this club. Both feedback elements are intertwined, so even if I can tell where one begins and the other ends, I would not want to. I am most taken with the feel. For a few shots, I was unaware that it made much noise, but indeed it does, and that noise is both distinct and pleasant.
Distance
5/5
Calvin Max gave 5 of 5 stars. I have been looking for distance in a driving iron for a long time. Usually, when I find a driving iron that I can carry over 245, the trajectory it comes in at is practically useless. I have never seen much purpose in a driving iron from the fairway when I end up off the back of the green as a reward for a good shot. Why not just pummel a 5-wood over and find it nestled in the rough? This seems to have solved that for me. I carry it on average 247, with the lower end of my dispersion at around 240 and the upper at 255. All shots have had a great, steep descent with minimal run-out. I am surprised at the stopping power I observe in my shots.
FAQs
What was your favorite moment with this gear?
Calvin Max So, my friend who owns this club walks up to the first tee and says, "Hello." As we wait for the random twosome we are paired with to walk up, I notice the UDI in his bag, and we talk about it. I ask if I can hit one off the first tee with it, and right after that, the other two guys show up. So, cut to a few minutes later, and I am teeing off first, and I hit it 225 yards. I don't think the ball got more than the height of a golf cart off the ground, and it ran another 30 yards when it landed. I looked at my friend, and as I was about to say, "That was weird" out loud, the older gentleman in the twosome said he had never seen a stinger in person before. I let him think it was on purpose and continued with my day. As we separated to walk to our balls, Mike looked at me and said, "You don't know how to hit a stinger, do you?" "Nope," I said as I walked off toward my ball.
Why did you choose this product?
Calvin Max The first driving iron I ever carried was a TaylorMade GAPR. When I first saw it, I thought it was the most passable and aggressive-looking driving iron I had ever seen. I should have waited a couple of years. The very next model year, all that tech was rolled into a much sleeker but even more aggressive iron that vaulted from passable to desirable.
The SIM UDI is a beautiful club. The sole isn't so wide as to give a game-improvement vibe while sitting in the bag, but still wide enough to inspire confidence. The top line is slim, and the geometry hides the bulk of the sole at address. Put shortly, it looks like a player's iron, but when I hit it, there's a distinct feeling of bowling with bumpers. The ball goes straighter than I deserve.
What is the value for the money versus other options?
Calvin Max "What has value is worth paying" for is a maxim that I cling to when I feel the need to purchase premium options for golf clubs. The SIM UDI is a top-flight, premium driving iron and is priced accordingly. It outperforms virtually every club I have tested it against with better dispersion. It looks far better than any other driving irons on the market. But if value is a top priority, I might look elsewhere. It sits firmly at the market's top dollar for a driving iron.
What do you love about this product?
Calvin Max The most obvious thing to love about the UDI is the styling. It is decidedly an iron, but some aesthetic choices, like the black banding around the sole, give the impression of hidden technology and hint at the club's real potential as a distance-delivering driving iron. At address, it sets up wonderfully and presents a slimmer-than-expected top line to make the more advanced player feel at home. Overall, what I love most about this club is how it looks more than how it plays. However, that's not fair because it plays incredibly well. It just looks better.
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