50 Words or Less
The TaylorMade P790 irons are easily one of the most impressive irons I’ve ever hit with great feel and tons of easy distance.
Check out the 2023 TaylorMade P790 Irons HERE
Introduction
My first experience with the TaylorMade P790 irons was walking up to a group of TaylorMade haters who love being golf contrarians. Naturally, I expected a cynical report regarding the much-hyped new iron because that’s on-brand for these friends of mine. What I actually experienced was a group of faces that looked like they had seen a ghost. “Bill, TaylorMade made something really special here…” Following my testing, I had to agree with them. The P790 is indeed special.
Looks
Typically you’d expect an iron with the playing characteristics of the TaylorMade P790 to look more like a game improvement club. Aside from a chunkier cavity, the P790 isn’t much of a departure from the likes of the P750 and P770.
I wouldn’t exactly call the topline paper thin, but it’s reasonable along with the sole and offset. The head size is more compact like a players iron and looks great behind the ball. In an era where players want maximum distance and forgiveness with a player’s look, the P790 does just about everything it can to answer that call.
Sound & Feel
From a sound perspective, the TaylorMade P790 sounds a little less forged and clicky than a typical player’s iron. In a lot of ways, this is to be expected. Though forged, the P790 has a hollow cavity filled with TaylorMade’s proprietary SpeedFoam which increases ball speed but also controls the sound and feel. The SpeedFoam gives the P790 a muted “whack” at impact. Without the foam, it would sound more like a metal wood, so this makes a huge difference.
The best way I can describe the P790’s feel is “sweet.” It’s a perfect blend of hot, responsive, and satisfying. Every well-struck shot made me feel like “ooooh, got that one.” Mishits were noticeable but didn’t sting. As forgiving as this club is, you still want to find the center of the face.
Performance
A quick read of the TaylorMade product page for the P790 irons makes it obvious that there was a lot of thought put into getting these irons near perfect. If you have a minute, I encourage you to check it out here. What I will tell you is that everything they did paid off in a big way. The finely tuned CG and MOI make the P790 extremely easy to hit with great control. Getting the ball in the air comes easily and shot shaping is a breeze.
A key element of the P790 is ball speed. To achieve higher ball speeds, TaylorMade put a lot of focus into face flexibility. This flex, combined with slightly stronger lofts, is what creates the greater ball speed I was seeing. So what does higher ball speed mean? You guessed it – greater distance. Being able to hit a controlled six iron the distance I would normally hope for with a five iron all of the sudden makes the game a lot easier.
Conclusion
There have been very few irons in this player’s/distance category that have impressed me like the TaylorMade P790. I can’t remember the last time I felt so automatic with a set of irons right off the shelf. The TaylorMade P790 certainly has caught my attention along with many other golf gear fanatics. After you hit a properly fitted one for yourself, you’ll understand why.
TaylorMade P790 Irons Price & Specs
Bill Bush
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The lead-in to this story mentioned PXG was suing Taylormade over the P790. What’s the story?
Rick, I didn’t write the lead in for the newsletter, but I do know a little bit about that story. The short version is Parsons tried to go after TaylorMade saying the Speed Foam in the head was the “same design” as their irons. Nothing came of it and TaylorMade is good to go as I understand it.
Thx for the explanation. I’ll say one thing; this is the best looking TM iron I’ve seen in a long, long time.
How are the long irons 3/4 compared to the TMB?
Honestly, I couldn’t tell you. I haven’t hit the TMB yet.
I’ve hit both and the TMB feel harder. I bought a set of the P790 and wow! I’ve played well from the first swing. I’m not sure if I’ve gotten better or it’s the sticks, but my last round had 4 birdies on the back nine. Easy to work and they look great for what they are. Feel is amazing and the ball just goes like a hit seeking missle. Best clubs I’ve ever played.
Can a mid handicapper (15) play the P790 irons?
It’s not really a case of what handicap are they best for, it’s how well your swing fits with them and do they do what you want them to do. As a 15 handicap, there’s no reason they wouldn’t be in ththere realm of possibilities but you’ll still need to test and fit.
What are your thoughts on a blended set of P790 & P770 irons, was thinking 3-4-5 P790’s then P770’s. My only concern is gapping between the 5 & 6
I don’t really have a simple answer for this. Blended sets are typically based on your specific performance needs and are a result of some sort of fitting or testing process. If you you get fit for a set, you should address the distance gaps. I also can’t really comment because I don’t know how far you hit a P790 in 3, 4, 5 and a P770 the rest of the way up. Even if I did, your dispersion, feel, flight, etc would all be factors to consider.
So my conclusion is go get fit for the set(s) and analyze the data as well as the experience of hitting the clubs. Otherwise any other advice I give is a vague shot in the dark.
Best,
Bill
Can you bend the 790 tm irons to 2 or 3 degrees flat?
Efraim,
Yes.
Best,
Matt
Do you prefer these to the Apex CF16? In what ways is the performance different?
Alexander,
I haven’t hit them head to head, so I don’t have a preference one way or the other. Both are at the very top of the players distance iron conversation.
Best,
Matt
Were you able to demo the entire set?
I’ve recently demo’d the P790 but only in the 7i. I’m a bit concerned about creating large gaps in the higher lofted irons and wedges especially the 7 to 8i. Did you experience any larger than normal gaps?
Aaron,
Bill no longer writes for Plugged In Golf, but I would assume that if he experienced larger than normal gaps, he would have conveyed that in his review.
Best,
Matt
I had the wrong shafts for my P790 and I could not hit them. I installed new shafts on them project x shaft 5.5 and these are the best clubs I have every hit.
Been playing the P770 all season. Love them. Decided to see what the fuss is all about over the P790. Hate them. Feel is terrible, muted, dull, boring. Don’t know how else to describe them. So disappointed. They do look good however. But the party end there. They are def not for me.