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TaylorMade GAPR HI Review

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JB

JB

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Nice review James. I like the addition if speedfoam to the product. Also the smaller profile heads that are reminiscent of Adams has me intrigued, those were some of my favorite hybrids ever.
 
Excellent write up James! This falls in line with the others in the lineup quite nicely it seems. Again just a solid product from TM and it’s nice to see them going outside of the box a little in their offerings.
 
Very well written and enjoyable read. 228y carry numbers are driver numbers for me (but so is land angle in the 30s). Do you feel that is enough descent to hold greens when you go for it on two?


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TaylorMade GAPR HI Review

obedt said:
Very well written and enjoyable read. 228y carry numbers are driver numbers for me (but so is land angle in the 30s). Do you feel that is enough descent to hold greens when you go for it on two?


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Eh, depends on the situation. But that said, it’s why I mentioned in there I believed some fitting could be done to improve the numbers for me. For me, a 19 degree hybrid is never going to be a land it and stick it club, but, I’ve now been working with a UST Recoil Hybrid Proto and an ACCRA FX 2.0 hybrid shaft and the numbers did improve immediately.

Yesterday on the GC2 from the tee I was hitting 237 carry with a much improved launch 28 yard peak (5 yd improvement) and descent was in the 36 range which would be way more comfortable to hit into greens for me. I had a feeling the entire review that a shaft change could unlock more for me, and it has. The KBS hybrid shaft just isn’t a good fit for me, and it hasn’t been in every club I’ve tried it.
 
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Jman said:
Eh, depends on the situation. But that said, it’s why I mentioned in there I believed some fitting could be done to improve the numbers for me. For me, a 19 degree hybrid is never going to be a land it and stick it club, but, I’ve now been working with a UST Recoil Hybrid Proto and an ACCRA FX 2.0 hybrid shaft and the numbers did improve immediately.

Yesterday on the GC2 from the tee I was hitting 237 carry with a much improved launch 28 yard peak (5 yd improvement) and descent was in the 36 range which would be way more comfortable to hit into greens for me. I had a feeling the entire review that a shaft change could unlock more for me, and it has. The KBS hybrid shaft just isn’t a good fit for me, and it hasn’t been in every club I’ve tried it.
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Excellent feedback! Thx man.


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obedt said:
Excellent feedback! Thx man.


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Happy to help. It’s a club I’m going to keep tinkering with, it’s more than earned that.
 
Great write-up James, covered all the bases as usual. Not sure I am sold on the head design but haven't seen one in person yet but if it delivers, who knows. Thanks.
 
I’m really intrigued by the HI in my 4iron spot. Great write up
 
Those numbers looked great for a low running tee shot. If you are playing with shafts in this are you keeping the stock length?

Additionally what would be target ballspeed, launch, spin, descent angle, and carry for this portion of the bag? 200+ yards carry seems to lean towards par 5 approaches and tee shots.

How would you compare this to the Callaway apex that you were found of?
 
M2Giles said:
Those numbers looked great for a low running tee shot. If you are playing with shafts in this are you keeping the stock length?

Additionally what would be target ballspeed, launch, spin, descent angle, and carry for this portion of the bag? 200+ yards carry seems to lean towards par 5 approaches and tee shots.

How would you compare this to the Callaway apex that you were found of?
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Yeah, as is, it would definitely be a lower, running, overall distance club for me, but I am a lower launch guy and know guys who could elevate this much easier.

As for ideal, depends on the person. I'm a 110+ driver swing speed player so ming might be different than yours. For this spot on PGA Tour averages it settles in around 146 ball speed, 10 launch, 29 peak, 4400 spin and 225 carry. For me, 230 fills the slot there between my 4w and 4u pretty ideally. With the ACCRA installed, I'm seeing more ideal launch, spin, peak, and total distance as well as more versatility, I can really flight it up now off the tee especially.

I think there is more ballspeed here, more than I anticipated for sure, there is something to be said for the SpeedFoam and we KNOW that TM's slot tech works on their hybrids and fairways for ballspeed creation. I don't have a 19-20* Apex to compare head to head, but I have no problem estimating these to be longer.

This one has one true competitor for my bag right now, and that is the TEE CBX, hoping to get some side by sides of those two as well as against the Cobra F9 Speedback I'm reviewing right now.
 
Little afternoon bump.
 
Enjoyed the review, James. With all the distance improvements made over the last 15-20 years, gaps appear that need to be filled. I appreciate Taylormade's emphasis on this very thing with 3 different offerings all alone. You hit the nail on the head with Adams hybrid model analogy, it was screaming at me big time and when you said it the light bulb went off. I like that! It looks like it performed well for you and, like you mentioned, could be even better with a little fine tuning. A little concerning the loss of feel sensation, but I think most amateurs won't mind feeling pure on every shot.
 
Great review James, I personally feel like the mid will better suit my game and the gaps in my bag but I'll definitely be trying this one. I love the consistency in the numbers you posted, thanks for doing that, adds a ton of helpful info to the review. Great work as always!
 
Thanks for comments. I'm really looking forward to your thoughts about the f9 as well in this slot. Without a doubt this is the hardest part of the bag to fit for me.
 
Maybe I missed it in the various reviews, but will there be any comparison across the Lo/mid/hi range at the same loft? Curious how much differential there really is across the range.
 
TaylorMade GAPR HI Review

JayB said:
Maybe I missed it in the various reviews, but will there be any comparison across the Lo/mid/hi range at the same loft? Curious how much differential there really is across the range.
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None of us have all three and even then the lofts are different for each of the ones we received iirc, so likely not.
 
Jman said:
None of us have all three and even then the lofts are different for each of the ones we received iirc, so likely not.
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Bummer. If the opportunity presents itself, it would be a great read. I don’t recall there ever being such a great array of options and flighting in hybrids until now.
 
I wouldn't worry too much about the 3 profiles. I think there will be one or two each golfer would gravitate too. I would say jman would do best with hi bases off his tendencies, while someone that likes a traditional long iron do better with the lo. The mid looks exciting for someone who likes a thicker sole long iron. I would say any comparison will be biased by that. Not every club fits every golfer.
 
M2Giles said:
I wouldn't worry too much about the 3 profiles. I think there will be one or two each golfer would gravitate too. I would say jman would do best with hi bases off his tendencies, while someone that likes a traditional long iron do better with the lo. The mid looks exciting for someone who likes a thicker sole long iron. I would say any comparison will be biased by that. Not every club fits every golfer.
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I agree a bit, but I think it’s also important to remember each of these profiles cover different loft gaps too. There definitely an interesting set of profiles.
 
Oh definitely. I think all of these could work into a bag but say at the same/similar loft of 19* results in that remark.
 
Great review James... as always! I’ve been pondering of late and with today’s round played where I was in between distances of comfort with 4i and 5w set at 17.5* and went for the green in two (played back 9 twice) both times from almost the exact same 220-225 yd distance... the first time I went 4i & I pured but was 10 yds short of the green....

The second 9 I used 5w and carried through the green into a green side bunker... made par from both but man, it’s nice to have an opportunity for birdie or even eagle....

Need some time at PGA superstore to help be decisive... thanks for the info


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Stemmy66 said:
Great review James... as always! I’ve been pondering of late and with today’s round played where I was in between distances of comfort with 4i and 5w set at 17.5* and went for the green in two (played back 9 twice) both times from almost the exact same 220-225 yd distance... the first time I went 4i & I pured but was 10 yds short of the green....

The second 9 I used 5w and carried through the green into a green side bunker... made par from both but man, it’s nice to have an opportunity for birdie or even eagle....

Need some time at PGA superstore to help be decisive... thanks for the info


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Glad you enjoyed it and thank you for taking the time to read! It means a ton to us writers!
 
This down time really has me pondering and tinkering! I had a couple of these a while back and really loved the way they gapped the top of my bag and once again I'm going to put one into play, I just don't feel confident with irons higher than the 7, so why fight it, now I'll have 1 FW, 1 FY and 2 hybrids, sounds about right for my handicap!

The great thing I like about the GAPR Hi is really transitions well for me, between the hybrids and the irons, the shape and feel just give me confidence.
 
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