UP AGAINST…
TAYLORMADE P760
7-iron loft: 33° 7-iron offset: 2.3mm Stock shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold 120
P760 has been described as the ultimate combo set, with hollow forged heads (with Speed Foam inside) in the long and mid irons (3-7) and one-piece forged heads in the scoring irons (8-PW). Make no mistake, they are a players’ iron and should find their way into the hands of confident ball strikers. With a 7-iron loft 2.5° weaker than the new P790, don’t expect P760 to compete on ball speed or carry distance. P760s have forged heads, whereas P790 have forged faces.
TAYLORMADE M5
7-iron loft: 30° 7-iron offset: 2.5mm Stock shaft: True Temper XP100 (s) Mitsubishi Tensei Orange (g)
M5 approaches iron design very differently to the P790. A traditional cavity back design reduces cost, as does casting the head instead of forging it. It doesn’t mean M5 lacks tech, though, it doesn’t. A Speed Bridge connects the top rail to the sole which helps the head take on more impact load and bend, to aid ball speeds and carry distance. M5 is a strong player-style iron, which brings a healthy dollop of forgiveness to the table.
TAYLORMADE P790 (2017)
7-iron loft: 30.5° 7-iron offset: 2.7mm Stock shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 (s) UST Recoil 780 (g)
The original P790 was a potent combination of great looks, strong lofts, fast, flexible faces and a decent degree of forgiveness. It was one of the very first “players distance” irons, and they convinced golfers of the benefits of hollow body constructions, and we loved them. Taylormade say they ended up in the hands of golfers from +4 to 24-handicaps, which certainly can’t be said of many players’ models.