TAYLORMADE

P7MB

Category Muscleback blade Forgiveness rating 1/5 Handicap range Four and below Construction Forged from a single piece of 1025 carbon steel 7-iron loft 35°

PERFECT FOR… The best ball strikers and ultimate shot shapers, which is why superstars including DJ and Rory had input into the design. A constant blade length means the PW is the same size as a 4-iron (a direct request from DJ), and means the short irons have slightly higher MOI than some blades. If you find yourself attracted to a set, remember what you're putting on the line. Our test pro launched the stronger-lofted P770s higher, with similar backspin and a steeper landing angle, while cutting his shot area almost in half. After two years in the line-up it's likely the P-series irons (except the P790) will be updated at some point in 2022.

P7MC

Category Players' Forgiveness rating 2/5 Handicap range Four and below Construction Forged from a single piece of 1025 carbon steel 7-iron loft 34°

PERFECT FOR… Good golfers who hit lots of straight shots, rather than working the ball around the course. With the 7-iron our pro produced similar ball speed, backspin and carry numbers to the P770, but how the ball got to its target was very different. The P770 launched and flighted shots higher, while descending onto the green at a steeper angle, which is really useful for longer approaches. The choice between the P7MC and P770 for club golfers will likely come down to whether you like the benefits that hollow body irons, with their thinner, faster faces and tungsten weighting, bring to the party over a single-piece forged iron (the MC). Remember, P Series irons can be bought individually to create your ideal set.

P770

Category Players' distance Forgiveness rating 2-2.5/5 Handicap range Eight and below Construction Hollow body with 8620 carbon steel body and 4140 forged face 7-iron loft 33°

PERFECT FOR… Tons of club golfers have hankered after a set of P770s since they launched back in 2020, and while some Youtubers have suggested mid-handicap players can get away with them, Taylormade say the model was designed for low single-figure players. The P770s are beauties and they'll do a brilliant job for consistent ball strikers who love great looking irons with a compact chassis. Just remember that the 7-iron loft is 2.5° weaker than the P790, which is a lot if your game demands keeping an eye on carry distance. For our test pro the extra loft and smaller head size gave up 10 yards of carry against the brilliant P790, which for most club golfers will be too much of a compromise for a 2mm reduction in blade length.

P790

Category Players' distance Forgiveness rating 2.5-3/5 Handicap range 14 and below Construction Hollow body with 8620 carbon steel body and 4140 forged face 7-iron loft 30.5°

PERFECT FOR… The original P790 (now in its third generation) sold to golfers from +4 to 24-handicappers, a vast audience who Taylormade never intended to cater for with a single iron. This new model is every bit as good. While it wasn't designed intentionally as a midhandicap iron (it targets the players' distance arena) it can just about suit some double digit players. We've nudged our handicap range up from 12 to 14 this year to reflect the new thinking. We love how a new, lighter regular flex shaft opens the model up to slightly more modest swing speeds. The vast majority of club golfers should see the P790 as a decent midway step between players' and mid-handicap irons, with the potential to add 10 yards of 7-iron carry distance over the brand's players' irons – as our test pro did. If distance is your priority, don't overlook the Stealth; our data has it down as 11 yards longer than this cracking model.

STEALTH

Category Mid-handicap Forgiveness rating 3.5/5 Handicap range 10 and above Construction Cast with 450 stainless steel face 7-iron loft 28°

PERFECT FOR… Rather than saying mid and high-handicappers need different iron models, Taylormade's new way of thinking says both players are best served with one design, but getting the correct loft for each individual's swing speed is crucial. So Stealth is sold with a standard 7-iron loft of 28°, but it can be set up to 1° stronger and 2° weaker, which will maximise carry based on your clubhead speed, which is a seriously clever idea.

Our pro's data has the Stealth down as our second longest mid-handicap iron of the year, behind only the Cobra King LTDX (which has a 1.5° stronger loft). That means it's a brilliant mid-handicap iron for plenty of club golfers this year.