Best TaylorMade Irons 2023

Which TaylorMade is the best in 2022?

What is the best TaylorMade iron for your game? Here’s your complete guide to each iron in the TaylorMade range, who they are aimed at, and how they performed when tested by our pro.

JUMP TO: Best TaylorMade Irons | The Data | How We Test | Buying Advice & FAQs

TaylorMade truly can claim to have some of the best golf irons for every type of golfer. From the tour-focused P7MB all the way down to the easy-to-launch, draw-biased TaylorMade Stealth HD, there is an iron that will work for your game.

Let’s not forget the immensely popular TaylorMade P790, now in its third generation, which caters to a wide range of different handicaps.

TaylorMade make some of the best golf irons, but which model should go in your bag? We tested them all head-to-head on a launch monitor to find out.

Best TaylorMade Golf Irons

TaylorMade P7MB Golf Irons

RRP: £1,149 | VIEW UK OFFER
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: 34°
Pros: Beautiful looks | Nice feel | Can combo with P7MC
Cons: Unforgiving | Short distances

The fact Rory McIlroy and Collin Morikawa had direct input into the design of the TaylorMade P7MB should give you a clue as to the type of golfer this iron is aimed at. The latest version has an even shorter blade length than its predecessor and is aimed squarely at players who barely ever miss the middle of the face.

If you are good enough to use them, the TaylorMade P7MB give you exactly what you expect from one of the best blade golf clubs. You get out exactly what you put in, with no low-spin “jumpers” that can occasionally happen with hotter irons. And our test pro recorded his tightest dispersion area with the P7MB compared to any other TaylorMade iron. Bear in mind, though, that the P7MB’s weak lofts meant he was hitting them 170 yards, compared to 188-192 yards with some other models; on the course you’d be hitting at least one if not two clubs less with the other models, which you would therefore expect to hit more accurately.

With 9.1mph more ball speed and 18 yards extra carry distance, it’s little wonder that even some very good golfers go for the TaylorMade P790 over the P7MB. If you have an aversion to hollow body irons, however, the P7MB can be teamed with the slightly more forgiving TaylorMade P7MC to create a beautiful-looking combo set.

Read our full TaylorMade P7MB review.

TaylorMade P7MC Golf Irons

RRP: £1149 (s) | VIEW UK OFFER
Category: Players’ Iron | Forgiveness rating: 2/5 | Handicap range: Four and below | Construction: Forged from a single piece of 1025 carbon steel | 7-iron loft: 34°
Pros: Fantastic looks and feel | Works nicely in a combo set | Very consistent performance
Cons: Need to be a very good player to get the most from them | Blade-like distances

Although it’s a cavity-back, don’t be fooled into thinking the TaylorMade P7MC iron is a super-forgiving model that’s going to offer you a lot of help on mis-hits. The ‘MC’ stands for “muscle cavity” and this is very close to a muscleback, with only the shallowest of cavities and best in the hands of very good golfers.

If you’re considering the TaylorMade P7MC, it’s worth comparing its performance to that of the P770. From the same loft, our test saw the P770 produce 0.8mph more ball speed, launch 0.6° higher, carry one yard further and land at a steeper angle.

Some golfers will still opt for a forged head over a hollow-bodied iron, though, in which case the P7MC is the choice.

Read our full TaylorMade P7MC iron review.

TaylorMade P770 Golf Irons

RRP: £1,149 | VIEW UK OFFER | VIEW US OFFER
Category: Players’ Iron | 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°
Pros: Smart looks | Solid numbers | More forgiving than P7MC and P7MB
Cons: Much shorter distances than P790 | Mid-handicappers may struggle

The original P770 sold out within five days of being launched in 2020 and TaylorMade never quite managed to match the demand and get them totally restocked globally. The new P770, launched at the end of 2022, has been equally popular.

Contrary to what some YouTubers will tell you, the TaylorMade P770 was never designed with mid-handicap players in mind. TaylorMade themselves say the model will typically best suit low single-figure golfers.

If you’re considering putting a set of P770s in the bag, it’s worth testing out the P790 at the same time. In our test, the weaker loft and smaller head of the P770 saw it give up 7.7mph of ball speed and 15 yards of carry distance compared to the P790.

If you’re not interested in the extra distance, though, the P770 is a stunning iron and easily one of the best players’ irons around.

Read our full TaylorMade P770 review.

TaylorMade P790 Golf Irons

RRP: £1149 (s) £1349 (g) | VIEW UK OFFER | VIEW US OFFER
Category: Players’ Distance Iron | Forgiveness rating: 2.5 – 3 | Handicap range: 14 and below | Construction: Hollow body with 8620 carbon steel body and 4140 forged face | 7-iron loft: 30.5°
Pros: Fantastic performance in a good-looking head | Strong distance
Cons: May be replaced in 2023

The TaylorMade P790 has been a dominant force in the best players’ distance irons category for years. Now in its third generation, it remains a fantastic option for a huge range of golfers.

We’d place the P790 as a midway step between the players’ iron category and irons tailored to mid-handicap golfers. In our test, it produced 15-18 yards more carry distance than the likes of the TaylorMade P770 and P7MC, although if distance is your main focus it’s worth considering the TaylorMade Stealth too as that was four yards longer.

The total shot area was tighter than the P770’s and only a smidge larger than the P7MC’s, which is very impressive given the extra distance.

The current P790 model was launched in August 2021 so don’t be surprised if it’s replaced in 2023.

Read our full TaylorMade P790 review.

TaylorMade Stealth Golf Irons

RRP: £849 (s) £949 (g) | VIEW UK OFFER | VIEW US OFFER
Category: Mid Handicap Iron | Forgiveness rating: 3.5 | Handicap range: 10 and above | Construction: Cast cap back with 450 stainless steel face | 7-iron loft: 28°
Pros: Fantastic distances | Smart looks
Cons: Strong lofts

The TaylorMade Stealth’s cap back design has been designed with mid and high-handicap golfers in mind, and thanks to being available from 1° strong to 2° weak lofts it’s entirely possible to tailor this model down to your personal speed and launch conditions.

The Stealth was the longest TaylorMade iron in our test and was within five yards of the longest model across all manufacturers in the best mid-handicap irons category.

The spin rate is a little lower than some other TaylorMade irons, but a descent angle of more than 45° means you’ll still hold greens.

The strong lofts mean you need a decent swing speed to launch them; if your 7-iron swing speed is 75mph or below, you may find the TaylorMade Stealth HD irons easier to get airborne.

Read our full TaylorMade Stealth iron review.

TaylorMade Stealth HD Golf Irons

RRP: £129 (s) £143 (g) per club | VIEW UK OFFER | VIEW US OFFER.
Category: Moderate Speed/High-Handicap Iron | Forgiveness rating: 4/5 | Handicap range: 36 and below | Construction: Cast cap back with 450 stainless steel face | 7-iron loft: 30°
Pros: Easy to launch | Great for slow swings | Excellent distances
Cons: Not as long at higher speeds

The TaylorMade Stealth HD reflects the recent shift towards providing slower-swinging golfers with slightly weaker lofts in order to help them launch their irons more easily.

The Stealth HD iron has a very low-profile head, with a wide sole and plenty of hosel offset to position the center of gravity low and deep, making the model super easy to launch and flight for maximum carry distance at very average speeds.

Although it gave up nine yards of carry distance to the normal Stealth iron in our test, those with slower swing speeds than our test pro will get better performance from the Stealth HD iron.

Read our full TaylorMade Stealth HD iron review.

Launch monitor data: How the best TaylorMade irons performed in our test

How we tested the best TaylorMade irons

To test golf equipment, we create a controlled indoor environment at Keele Golf Centre and use a premium tour-level golf ball (the Srixon Z-Star). We collect all the data from every shot hit, using a Foresight GC Quad launch monitor.   

Why do we use a Srixon Z-Star golf ball?

It would be easy to use just one test golf ball brand every year, but that inevitably leads to criticism for being too closely aligned to one manufacturer, especially if that brand’s equipment performs particularly well. To ensure fairness we like to switch manufacturers for the Top Gear test ball each year. For 2023 we’ve used the Srizon Z-Star.

The brand have just revealed their eighth-generation model, and Srixon General Manager Brian Schielke says “finding the right ball for your game is just as important as finding the right irons or driver, it’s the one piece of equipment you use on every single shot”.

Thanks to the previous Z-Star mopping up 31 wins across all tour global tours last year (that’s 15.5% of the wins available) we know the model is trusted by the world’s very best.

Why do we use a pro tester?

Speak to any golf club engineer about product testing and they all talk about needing a repeatable, reliable strike to offer any sort of valuable comparison. So, whilst we accept not all of the equipment included within our tests was designed for our test pro, what our data shows is a great comparison of how clubs in each particular category differ, which is hugely valuable in helping you narrow your choice as a consumer.

We tested 83 different 7-irons, during which our test pro missed a target green at 170 to 200 yards no more than a dozen times. He got a hole-in-one, lipped out, and hit the flag several times, he also loves hitting golf balls all day long. In short, Neil Wain is the perfect club tester due to his consistency in delivering accurate and reliable comparative data.

We would of course always recommend attending a proper fitting session, to ensure any purchase is tailored to your game. 

Buying advice & FAQs

What is the most popular TaylorMade irons?

The TaylorMade P790 is the most popular iron as it delivers incredible performance and appeals to such a wide range of golfers.

What irons does Rory McIlroy use?

Rory McIlroy uses a TaylorMade P760 3-iron and 4-iron, and a custom set of TaylorMade Rors Proto in 5-iron to pitching wedge. Check out the full Rory McIlroy WITB.

What irons does Tiger Woods use?

Tiger Woods uses a custom set of TaylorMade P7TW irons. Here’s the full Tiger Woods WITB.

Which TaylorMade irons are best for beginners?

The Stealth irons will be the best TaylorMade irons for beginners and high handicappers with decent swing speeds, while the TaylorMade Stealth HD will be the best for those with slower swing speeds.

What handicap is TaylorMade P790 for?

The TaylorMade P790 irons are best for golfers with handicaps of 14 and below, although we know golfers with handicaps in the mid and high 20s who use them well, as well as very low handicap and even plus-handicap golfers.

READ NEXT: 
– Best Hybrids

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