Taylormade
From Rory’s bats to a set that offers ultimate forgiveness
P730 FORGIVENESS RATING
7-iron specs: Loft 35°; Offset 1.7mm; Forged one-piece 1025 carbon steel construction.
Who are they for? Rory, DJ and Tiger have versions of the P730 in their bags, which speaks volumes about who should be using them; ie only Tour stars and the very best amateur ball strikers need apply. The P730s are beautiful to look at, with a clean blade shape. They have the weakest lofts of any Taylormade iron on sale this year, the least amount of offset, the smallest heads and the lowest MOI (forgiveness rating). The very best players love the low MOI, as it means they can just think about hitting a fade or draw and it happens, without them needing to change their swing to manipulate shots into the tucked pin positions they find on Tour. The shortest irons here – because the likes of Rory Mcilroy don’t need any help at all to hit the ball further.
P760 FORGIVENESS RATING
7-iron specs: Loft 33°; Offset 2.3mm; Hollow body (3-7) with forged 1025 carbon steel bodies and light SUS630 faces. 8-PW are one-piece forged.
Who are they for? Taylormade retired both the P750s (favourites of Jon Rahm and Jason Day) and the P770s at the end of last year and replaced them with the ultimate combo set, the P760s. Hollow, forged bodies (3-7 iron) improve forgiveness over the P730 blade without compromising looks. With a 7-iron loft 2.5° weaker than the P790s, don’t expect the P760s to compete on ball speed or carry. But the type of golfer who uses them won’t be bothered about how far they go. P760 has won on tour (Adam Long), which shows their pedigree in the very best player’s hands. Most Category 2 golfers will in our opinion be better suited to the P790 or M5.
P790 FORGIVENESS RATING
7-iron specs: Loft 30.5°; Offset 2.7mm; Hollow body, with 4140 forged carbon steel faces and a 8620 cast body construction.
Who are they for? One of the first and very best “players distance” irons there’s been. P790 sits right on the fence between players’ irons and game improver models. They’re a potent combination of great looks, strong lofts, fast, flexible faces and a decent degree of forgiveness, so they won’t punish reasonably consistent ball strikers too harshly. A great set for golfers whose handicap has dropped close to single figures and are looking to take their game to the next level. P790s launched in August 2017, so after two years the time is right for an updated model.
M5 FORGIVENESS RATING
7-iron specs: Loft 30°; Offset 2.5mm; One-piece cast 450 stainless steel construction.
Who are they for? Golfers who know their game demands some sort of forgiveness, yet find themselves drawn to irons with a neat, tidy and compact look behind the ball. Before hollow body irons came along this was the style of iron that bridged the gap between player and game improvement irons. They’re still a great option, especially as cavity backs tend to come in for less cash than hollow alternatives. Look at our ball speed, peak height and carry distance numbers compared to the P760s and they spell out perfectly how much is put on the line (6mph of ball speed and 14 yards of carry) by choosing a set that’s above your ability. Drop-off consistency between on- and off-centre hits is also tighter with these larger and more forgiving heads.
M6 FORGIVENESS RATING
7-iron specs: Loft 28.5°; Offset 3.9mm; One-piece cast 450 stainless steel construction.
Who are they for? Realistically, the majority of club golfers. We love how the combination of very strong lofts and lightweight highlaunch shafts generate plenty of ball speed and carry, but also launch shots high enough, with decent levels of backspin, to stop them on the green. Extra offset, with a big deep cavity back and plenty of mass low, helps get shots airborne, increasing forgiveness and playability, too. Modern game improver irons have come a long way in terms of tech, looks and sound, and M6 are right at the top of the pile for across-the-board performance. We love how they give the sensation of not needing your Sunday best swing or strike to get decent results, which is comforting, especially when facing approaches over hazards.
M CGB FORGIVENESS RATING
7-iron specs: Loft 29.5°; Offset 4.7mm; One-piece cast 450 stainless steel construction.
Who are they for? Specifically designed for average-to-slower swing speed golfers, so lighter swing weights and shafts optimise launch, peak height, spin and carry. The heads are larger, the top edges and soles are wider and there’s low and deep tungsten weighting as well as vertical face slots and a speed pocket sole. Taylormade say every iron in the set has as much face flex as a driver, so average swing speeds will struggle to find a faster, longer or more forgiving iron. As you’d expect, these were the punchiest Taylormade irons for our pro, a full 25 yards longer than the P730s. Like the P790s they’ve been in the range for two years, so they’re likely to be updated this year.