TaylorMade P790 Irons Review: Are They Worth It?

The TaylorMade P790 irons are currently among the best players’ distance irons. TaylorMade has released three models of the P790 iron series. The first model came in 2017, the following model dropped in 2019, and then came out the third and latest model in 2021.

The TaylorMade P790 irons are one of the best overall irons because their new game improvement features add more distance, forgiveness, and have a reduced spin. They also feel good and have a higher launch. These players distance irons have a forged construction with a beautiful look. 

Not having the right set of irons in your bag can be punishing, as you can gain a lot of strokes from tee to green. Not knowing which irons to use depending on your game can leave you frustrated cause all your efforts won’t bear any fruits. 

If you’re wondering whether the TaylorMade irons might be right for you, keep reading this article. In this full review, I’ve tested and answered any questions you might have regarding the TaylorMade P790 irons. Ready? Let’s get into it!

Overview of the TaylorMade P790 Irons

Pros

• Higher launch angles.
• Thicker topline to induce confidence in golfers.
• Lower spin rates and soft buttery feel.
• The slick design looks great in a bag.
• Offers all-round performance and long distances.

Cons

• Thicker topline can be off-putting for lower handicappers. 
• “Sound” of mishits might not be forgiving.

Key Metrics To Consider

Overall	96
Star Rating	4.6 out of 5
Distance	97
Forgiveness	90
Feel	92
Workability	90
Aesthetics	96
Price	85

Note: All ratings are out of 100. 

Verdict

Overall, the P790s are not the most forgiving irons on the planet. They don’t have the highest launch angles in the market and certainly do not have the best sound off the face. 

But one thing that makes these irons great is the fact that they provide great value in all these categories. They have a little bit of everything in them, and all their qualities complement each other. 

Like for example, they might not be the most forgiving but still provide great carry distance and overall distance on bad strikes; not many iron sets can do that. 

You don’t buy these irons for any single feature. You purchase these irons for their superb performance all around. That’s why players of all categories prefer them, which is why these irons make a strong case in your consideration for a new iron set.

Who They’re Best For? Handicap Range

These clubs have been preferred by players of all categories, from the highest of handicappers to the top professional, an accomplishment not held by many iron sets. Their overall performance and an excellent feel for good strikes are the reason behind that. 

However, we recommend these irons to golfers with average to fast swing speeds trying to improve their games and take them to another level. 

Even though the TaylorMade P790 handicap range is low-mid handicapper golfers, these clubs have something to offer for all handicap ranges. 

The thicker topline is suitable for a high handicapper, giving you some sense of security as you put the club behind the ball.

Their distance and launch angle will benefit the mid-handicap golfer and give them a good sense of consistency.

As for the low-handicap golfers, they would love their responsiveness in the strike. Low-handicap irons need to induce confidence in your shots so you hit even better ones.

Below I will mention how these clubs can still help you out.

Read more: The Best Players Distance Irons

Things to Consider Before Buying The Taylormade P790 Irons

One of the main aspects TaylorMade focuses on is giving its customers a little bit of everything in the P790 irons. 

Consider the following things before buying the TaylorMade P790 irons to make an informed choice.

Budget

The P790s aren’t the most affordable irons on the market. I wouldn’t recommend beginner golfers spend this much money on irons so early in their golf career when they can find cheaper alternatives that are better suited to them.

However, if you’re improving your golf and you’re looking to buy golf irons, you would have to increase your budget to get the best out of your irons. And the P790s make a good choice in your situation. 

Your Golf Skill

Whether it’s forgiveness from mishits or maneuverability of the golf ball around obstacles, the P790s have something to give to all golfers of all handicap ranges.

If you have consistently improved and are starting to understand how your golf swing works. These irons will give you confidence when hitting shots, taking your game one step further. 

However, if you’re a beginner, purchasing the P790 irons won’t be the best choice since you can find better golf irons suited for beginners. You can find other TaylorMade irons that might suit you better. 

Current Golf Clubs

You want to make a big jump regarding performance while purchasing new irons and spending this much money on clubs. If your current golf irons are pretty old or you feel you’re not improving, you can consider buying new irons. 

Performance & Appearance of the P790 Irons

Over the years, TaylorMade has succeeded in perfecting the design and performance of these irons. Usually, companies release newer generations of the same model only if the previous ones were successful. 

These irons are by far the cleanest-looking models in the market; they are player irons that provide assistance and sustenance to your game.

Considering this is the third generation of P790 irons, it’s safe to say these irons will perform and improve your golf score. 

Read more: The Best Low Handicap Irons

How We Reviewed These Irons

Golfspan only shares equipment and brands we trust. 

As a full-time golfer and a part-time content writer, I thoroughly researched and evaluated the TaylorMade P790 irons. Then an editor reviewed and fact-checked the list. 

The information you get in this article is up-to-date because we conduct regular content audits to update and revise our reviews to ensure you receive the latest information. 

I considered these criteria to review these irons:

1. 1. Cost: Considering the prices of other irons in competition, I gave the P790 irons my own value for money. 
   2. Distance: I particularly focused on the distance of my shots and gave them a rating in terms of the results. 
   3. Forgiveness: I intentionally hit mishits to see how forgiving the P790 is and then gave them a rating based on its performance. 
   4. Feel, Appearance & Sound: I gave the P790s a rating on how they felt and how they sounded. 
   5. Launch & Accuracy: Using a launch monitor, I gave the TaylorMade P790 irons a rating based on their launch and accuracy. 

Read more: The Best Game Improvement Irons On The Market

TaylorMade P790 Irons Review: Features & Benefits

I got the chance to spend a day with these beautiful irons. I played a round on the course and hit some on the range. 

I noticed a significant difference straight off the first shot. The club head felt fast and strong through impact, and the feel of a center strike left me ecstatic. 

I quickly understood why the P790s are considered a unicorn iron set and why amateurs and professionals prefer these irons. This quality is something you’ll rarely find in an iron set.

I started hitting some shots with a short iron (8-iron) and moved up the bag to the 3-iron. I will share my thoughts with you below. Keep reading to find out why these clubs might belong in your bag. 

Overall

After a day with these irons, I was thinking – are p790 game improvement irons? Because they certainly have game improvement features even though they’re players’ distance.

The best thing about the TaylorMade P790 irons is that they’re a great fit for golfers of a wide range and skill. They’re not the most forgiving irons and don’t have the highest launch angles or sound, yet they perform great in all of these categories. 

These irons deliver decent forgiveness, carry distance, and launch angles. One thing I must admit is these are absolutely gorgeous irons. 

If you’re a mid to high handicapper, these irons will be ideal for you, bring value to your golf game, and help you lower your score. However, I’m unsure if you’d want to buy these irons as a complete beginner because you could find irons that would better suit beginner golfers. 

Distance 

The first thing I noticed immediately in my range session was my 8-iron which typically goes around 165 yards, instantly started to travel over 175 yards and an increased carry distance.

The strikes were fast and strong, and the ball came hot off the club’s face. As someone who hits the ball weakly and with less spin, the impact with the P790s was a great feeling.

Better players complained that the previous versions of the P790s gave inconsistent results on good shots. The shots hit hot (right out of the grooves) and sometimes flew further than the number. This is a significant factor in approach shots. 

I used my 7-iron to test this out. I hit five shots at a green on my local public course during my round. One out of five shots came hot off the face. The dispersion in the distance of all five shots was minimum. Except for one in which the strike was 2 inches behind the ball, but let’s not talk about that, shall we? Please. Thank you. 

I believe one factor of the added distance in the P790s is its hollow construction. The area behind the center or sweet spot of the club is hollow. This improves the flexibility of the face providing more distance and better launch conditions.

Forgiveness

Players’ irons are not known for their forgiveness, but the P790s are renowned for providing something in all aspects of a good iron such as forgiveness, distance, feel, and accuracy. Players of all handicaps can use P790s just for this reason. 

I noticed the deviation in my longer irons was not more than 15 yards. Which is okay, considering I hit some poor shots in there. Luckily, I was not having a great day on the course, so the forgiveness of these clubs was on full display. 

Considering I was aware of where I was trying to miss the ball, my misses were not excessively punishing, and I was able to get up and down on most of them.

My thin shots didn’t have poor results because of the lower CG of the club heads. The inverted cone technology did its trick on the dreaded right miss from toe shots. I was not expecting these clubs to be forgiving, but I was surprised by their modest results in this category. 

The added 31g of tungsten toe weighting also helps improve forgiveness in toe and heel strikes.

They might not be the most forgiving irons on the planet, but they provide reasonable compensation in this category for their remarkable other features. 

Accuracy

TaylorMade puts a lot of effort into accuracy. Similar shots providing repeatable results is a huge topic at TaylorMade research and design centers. 

I always use a trackman on the range to identify my shots’ performance. Regarding accuracy, I’m trying to determine how my good shots behave and how consistent the results are. 

With the P790, the results didn’t show a lot of deviation. The launch angles and spin rates were very consistent throughout. 

As a low-handicap golfer, I’m looking for consistency with my shots; I want repeatable results to predict how my shots will behave under critical situations. TaylorMade’s P790s did the trick for me, and they can help you find accuracy too.

The new 8620 carbon steel optimizes the face, so it’s up to 37.5% thinner at specific points. The thin wall construction concept is one of TaylorMades greatest innovations of the era and one of the core reasons behind the greatness and accuracy of these irons. 

The thinner wall construction allows for more tungsten in the club head, helping golfers with toe and heel mishits. 

Launch

Each new model of the P790s has improved on launch angles and stopping power. The P790s have stronger lofts against respective clubs compared to traditional loft angles. Considering this gaining height on shots can be difficult. 

The technology employed in these irons shows that TaylorMade’s design team has worked hard to provide optimal launch conditions even with stronger loft angles. 

During my testing, I noticed good launch angles with increased distance which is a great combination.

The intelligent sweet spot on these irons allows more space that helps the golfer to obtain more repeatable results and predict ball flights better.

Feel/Look

Upon first look, these clubs look stunning, and why wouldn’t they? The design for the 2021 P790s is immaculate. The back of these clubs looks like blade irons. No unnecessary material or design features are involved in these clubs’ structure. 

Behind the ball, these clubs looked great to me. The top line was slightly thicker than the previous models, and the face was slightly larger. This quality of these does not give the club a bulky feel/look but instead infused confidence in me to make better strikes. 

Center strikes felt great in the hands, body, mind, and soul. Pureing these irons gives you a completely different feel. It actually makes you think like you’re a good player. The thinner face and SpeedFoam Air produce a soft feel from center strikes. The SpeedFoam Air is a lighter material than the original Speedfoam, which provides additional flexibility and a better feel upon impact

Strikes off the toe and heel gave great feedback in the hands. You could feel bad strikes in your hand and instantly tell where the club impacted the ball. Although the results were forgiving, the feeling is crucial to making the right changes in your golf swing.

Sound

The sound of these irons is different but definitely better. The sound felt fast and strong. This is a good feature and makes you enjoy hitting golf shots with these irons. 

Read more: Best TaylorMade Irons

TaylorMade P790 Review: Specs

All this information has been obtained from TaylorMade.

2021 P790 Irons – Specs

CLUB	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	PW	AW
LOFT	19°	21°	23.5°	26.5°	30.5°	35°	40°	45°	50°
LIE	60.5°	61°	61.5°	62°	62.5°	63°	63.5°	64°	64°
OFFSET	3.5mm	3.4mm	3.1mm	2.9mm	2.7mm	2.4mm	2.1mm	1.8mm	1.6mm
LENGTH	39.00″	38.50″	38.00″	37.50″	37.00″	36.50″	36.00″	35.75″	35.50″

Stock Shafts & Grip

Here are the shafts and grip you can find with the P790 irons. 

• True Temper Dynamic Gold

• Mitsubishi MMT

• KBS Tour Lite

Stock Grip – Specs

The stock grip for the TaylorMade P790 irons is the Golf Pride Z 360.

Model	Color	Size	Weight	Round/Reminder	Butt Size	Feel	Logo
Z Grip 360	Grey/Black	Standard	52g	Round	0.58	Textured	TaylorMade

Comparing the P790s Over the Years: 2017 vs. 2019 vs. 2021

All three generations of the P790 have a slight improvement compared to its previous models. 

2017 vs. 2019

From the first to the second version, there were a few upgrades that the TaylorMade team couldn’t add in the first version. 

For a naive golfer, it was hard to notice any change in the shape of the club, but the 2019 irons were much more rounded and cleaner, giving it a traditional players iron look. TaylorMade, written on the back of the club, was reduced to just the TaylorMade logo. 

With a 7% thinner face and the introduction of the Inverted cone technology, the P790 2019 offered more distance and more forgiveness. 

2019 vs. 2021

The 2021 irons took the game to the next level with massive changes in technology and shape. The 2021 P790 upgrade on the original P790s was hard to believe. 

The 2021 model looked more suitable to how a player iron should look. They drastically changed the shape of the irons, and the 2021 model improved on the original design giving it a much neater look.

The thin face construction in the hollow club head design was improved to make a face lighter so you can benefit from more distance with a higher club head speed. 

“Intelligent sweet spot” positioning improved the original sweet spot, but the main feature of these clubs was using Speedfoam Air material instead of Speedfoam in the hollow construction. This new material is much lighter and provides improved flexibility on impact.

Read more: The Best Forged Irons

Alternatives To the Taylormade P790 Irons

If the TaylorMade P790 irons aren’t quite right for you, here are other options. 

TaylorMade Irons Options

Below is how these irons compare to some of the other options presented by TaylorMade.

Attributes	P7TW Irons	P7MB Irons	P7MC Irons	P770 Irons	P790 Irons
Forged	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
SpeedFoam	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Hand	RH	RH/LH	RH/LH	RH/LH	RH/LH
Launch	MID-LOW	LOW	MID-LOW	LOW	MID-LOW
Spin	MID	MID	MID	MID	MID-LOW
Distance (Rating)	3-star	3-star	4-star	4-star	5-star
Forgiveness	2-star	2-star	2-star	3-star	4-star
Workability	5-star	5-star	5-star	4-star	4-star

Callaway Apex 21 Irons

The Callaway Apex irons are one of the best alternatives to the TaylorMade P790 irons.

The Callaway Apex irons are priced in the same bracket as the P790. While testing both, I found that when it came to sound and feel, the P790 was a clear winner. And compared to the apex irons, the P790 has a sleeker and more elegant look. Not that I’m saying the Apex irons look bad. In reality, they’re beautiful. But if I had to choose between the P790 and Apex by appearance, I’d go for the P790s. 

However, the Apex irons were much better in terms of forgiveness and had marginally higher ball speed and distance. You can read more about the Apex 21 irons. 

Overall the feel, comfort, consistency, and confidence were more with the TaylorMade P790.

Mizuno Pro 225 Irons

Other brands that could be considered in this category would be Mizuno Pro 225.

The Mizuno Pro 225 series have 28.5g of tungsten weights and offers impressive control over your shots. However, they’re unsuitable for high-handicappers and don’t sit well with many golfers like the P790.

Read more: The Best 2 Irons

FAQs

Check out our blog for the most forgiving irons if you’re looking for forgiveness.

Final Thoughts 

Thank you for reading our TaylorMade P790 review till the end. After thoroughly analyzing these irons, I’ve concluded that the latest line of P790 irons will boost your golf ego, distance, launch, speed, and overall feel. And you’re not alone.

The P790 series took the gold industry by storm when Jason Day first held these irons shortly after release at the TaylorMade fitting center. 

He started hitting shots with long irons and immediately saw distances he hadn’t seen before. At this time, Jason Day was one of the best in the professional field. Day immediately removed his original clubs from the bag and told the TaylorMade executives, “won’t need these anymore.” This is the impact the P790s had on one of the best professionals. 

These irons clearly hit long and accurate shots that not only sound good but feel great as well. The P790 is a solid players distance iron that would benefit most golfers of all skills and handicaps, specifically mid-handicap golfers with average to fast swing speed.

Not having the “right” iron set can leave a dent in your game as you start losing strokes tee-to-green. The best way to avoid that is by using clubs that offer you the most utility. And if you’re having difficulty deciding, read our review and see if it helps. 

Hopefully, the P790s can provide whatever you’re looking for and help you take some strokes off your score.

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