Geotech New GT U-0379 and GT ISOFIT shafts!

Back in February we got the chance to get a sneak peak at Geotech’s all new revised GT lineup. The GT line is Geotech’s bread and butter and represents the best in performance and design and technology, all without breaking the bank. We’ve watched the GT line evolve over the years and with Geotech’s metal wood manufacturing experience, get better with every new release. I had already been a firm believer of the GT line having bagged the GT N SWS FW and Utility in my bag last year. I was very excited to see the all new black GT lineup at the show and could not wait to get my hands on the clubs for some first hand testing.

I typically do not hit a 5 iron in my bag (play strong lofts) so I was looking for something to fill that slot.  I immediately thought of the new GT U-0379 so I contacted Geotech and ordered a 24* assembled for me right at the Geotech shop (while Geotech are components, any custom assembled clubs are built for the customer directly at Geotech).  The U-0379 is a good looking club, and available in 4 lofts, 17 19 21 and 24* lofts. One thing that got my attention was the heavier heads of the GT utility. By going with heavier heads, it allows for each build to have a shorter club length. We see many utilities today over 40.00″ in length and longer but with the heavy heads, the GT models come out a 1.00 to 1.50″ shorter.  Depending on shaft, this can also result in a heavier overall club build. There are a few reasons that this is good. The shorter length club results in more accurate ball striking and more consistency. This results in a good balanced between both distance and direction control/stability.  My GT utility was built using the new GT/Fujikura collaboration ISOFIT shaft (71 grams but more on this later) and came out at 360g and D2 swing weight at 38.25″.  Compared with other 24* type utilities on the Japanese market we are looking at about 1.00″ or more shorter plus 15-25g heavier.   I can get too quick with the swing sometimes especially with a lighter club resulting in either pulls or hooks and topping shots (hitting them thin). I was very happy with this as the extra weight can help control my tempo and help me hit the sweet spot more often.

As I’ve discussed on the blog before, maraging steel is a common alternative to titanium in fairway woods and utilities and even irons. Ti is pricier and not as strong when made very thin however maraging which has similar feel and performance to Ti is stronger and more durable and most importantly costs less.  A few years ago most fairway woods and utilities were either stainless steel or Ti faces with stainless aimed at stronger players and faster swingers while Ti faced models were much more rare and premium and aimed at slower swingers or those desiring more distance. Maraging is much more common now and has found a place in between Ti and stainless steel. Geotech notes that the Custom 455 maraging face is not only thinner than stainless steel but more durable which results in less energy loss when you strike the face off center. Maraging has elastic characteristics similar to Ti which help increase ball speeds at impact. The face of the GT U-0379 is all black PVD as you see in the image above. It is mid height and slightly longer from heel to toe which help  the average golfer who typically misses towards the toe or heel. The thinner face does result in a higher pitched impact sound but it is not loud by any means. The sound is crisp and pleasing.

One of the new design features of the new GT series woods is the stepped sole you see in the image above.  This multi level sole creates a V channel down the middle of the sole which helps reduce friction with the turf so that golfers can not only stay online to the ball but also not worry about losing swing speed due to contact with the ground.  Like the previous GT lines, the GT U-0379 features Geotech’s Stability Weight System or SWS which features interchangeable weights in the toe and heel of the club. This can alter not only the weight of the head which can help with swing weight or different length installs but, also with trajectory and head bias.  The standard head comes with 1g in the toe and 4g in the heel. The extra weight in the heel helps the head rotate square at impact for a straight to very soft draw ball.  Geotech also offers weights ranging from 1g to 7g  as options.

The 24* GT U-0379 features a 102cc head which is on the compact side. The all black finish sets up well (especially with a contrasting white ball) and unlike the previous GT N SWS utility looks quite a bit smaller at address. Even with the smaller head, its shallow back design still allow for the CG to be placed lower in the head for an easy launch. The sole of the UT is the heaviest and most rigid part of the club which also help bring the center of gravity down. I very much liked looking down at this setup and even with the size of the head, it was more than forgiving and again very good feeling at address. It was rather easy to launch the ball which can come in handy when in trouble spots.

While many may not know it, Geotech has been producing their own shafts lines including several high modulus models (XDB) which were carried on TSG.  This year Geotech has joined forces with Fujikura Shaft to create a new model shaft called the GT ISOFIT.  Two Types of models were created TM (tip to middle) and MB (middle to butt) classifying the kick points of each shaft. An advanced 3 Axis by 4 Axis weave in the tip section (TM models) increases shaft acceleration and stability thanks to more consistent load and unload at impact. In the TB models, the 3×4 weave is placed in the mid section for more control and stability which favor the more aggressive swinger.  The new GT ISOFIT models include driver shafts in the 50 and 60g range as well as FW shafts in the 60 and 70g range, a utility shaft in the 70g range and an iron shaft in the 70g range. I chose the 7i model which is the 70g iron shaft to match with the GT U-0379 utility.  The iron shaft is is a TM model meaning tip to middle kick point for a higher launch while the 7U utility model is a TB or tip to butt kick point.  Since I was building the utility to come very close to my iron club length I stuck with the iron version and I’m very happy I did as it is very stable and accurate but still with good feel thanks to 3.4* of torque. Overall the UT performs and is right up there with utilities twice its price.

Geotech has strived to improve their product line up year in and year out without increasing prices, making their products attractive for players of all levels and all budgets.  Anyone wanting a well balanced utility with great feel and pretty good looks to boot, the GT U-0379 is a definite option, especially if you want money left over after your purchase.  The U-0379 is available as head only but can be built with any shaft available in Japan by Geotech. Just contact us for a quote!