TaylorMade P790

The Bogey Medic is never afraid to admit when he is wrong. Believe me, I am wrong a lot. Just ask my wife. I tell friends and family who are looking into new clubs to never get too fixed on the indoor numbers. I do believe they are important, but how a club performs out on the course is the golden standard. We sometimes don’t even take a product to indoor testing; we will go straight to the golf course and use that performance as the backbone of the review. I believe deep down that is the best way for the average golfer to choose products. Yet, here I am, eating crow.

I have been so critical and judgmental of the TaylorMade P790 irons, from the first 2017 model to the current 2023 design. I have acted like a real father-in-law, never thinking the club was good enough for my bag, always quick to point out the flaws, and never seeing the potential. The worst instance of this was when I went in for a paid iron fitting and tested the P790, Rogue ST Pro, and ZX5. I can remember when the fitter handed me the P790. I subconsciously messed up my swing to make it look like the iron was the problem. When I first tested the P790 irons, I did like them; however, the occasional moonball scared me. Since then, I have been more and more hard on these irons every time I test them. The big reasons why were the spin and price. Every time I tested out the P790 models I always had issues with them being very low spin. Now, during this time I was one of those people who cared way too much about indoor testing numbers than on-course performance. I felt I would never be able to hold a green and the ball would just roll right on through. It seemed these irons would spin 750 rpm less, maybe even more. They were also overpriced for what you were getting, in my opinion. I didn’t feel that the technology and forged feel were enough to justify the higher price point.

Several weeks ago, I came across a set of 2017 P790s preowned with KBS Tour FLT 120S shafts. I decided "what the heck, I want to take these onto the course and give them a chance to prove themselves." I did not have high hopes, but I was disappointed. These irons performed brilliantly out on the course. Compared to my set of i500s, the spin, launch, and distance were about the same. The looks were comparable too. The i500s have a more brushed look and I think a taller club head, whereas the P790s had a more chrome look and fatter blade. I normally hit draws with my irons. That has been the shot shape that is easy for me, and my go-to. I try to hit fades and the hosel rocket show starts. I decided I wanted to try hitting fades with these irons, and watching several Jake Hutt videos inspired me to give it a chance. By the end of the day I was hitting very comfortable fades with a predictable ball flight and a good solid divot. The turf interaction I felt was ok with these irons. I don’t know how to describe it other than they got through the turf and took a divot, but it didn’t feel as crispy as other irons I have tried. Maybe the bigger club head has something to do with this, and a P770 might have better turf interaction, but I am not sure. I drove home from that round of golf stunned. I could only think of how many good ball-striking rounds I had given up over the years by overlooking these irons. I also must mention the shaft that these irons have. I have always had a soft spot for KBS shafts, I have never tried anything heavier than 105 grams though, and these performed well. I never felt like I was losing the club head. I always had good control of the face and they felt easy to swing.

I decided to give them a proper test though. I played with them in a completive round with a local golf league. I wanted to see how they could hold up with some added pressure. I had 2 bad swings with these irons all day. Those were on par 3s and both led to double bogey. Other than that, I was on the green with several birdie putts, making 2 of them. One thing I did was take one extra club, grip down a bit, and hold the follow-through. I found this helped me control the shot more and I found the middle of the green. 13/18 greens hit in regulation helps these irons make their case as well. Also, no moonball on the course. Not one! Walking away with an 84 for that round sold me. These irons are the real deal.

I took them out again to the local short course in my neighborhood for a follow-up test, especially after my poor performance on the par 3s. I discovered that for some reason wooden tees presented no issues for me, and not teeing the ball up was fine. For some reason, plastic tees resulted in poor hits. It could be me, but it was still an interesting discovery I had. I also want to try some different golf balls. I had previously used the TP5/TP5x and wanted to see how other balls paired with the P790s. Prov1, Z Star, Kirkland, and Vice Pro Plus all showed similar results. Nothing greatly separated the performance from what I could see. Yet, there was one clear winner, the Chrome Soft X. I felt this golf ball gave me really good stopping power on the greens, a tighter cut ball flight, and a firmer feel that resulted in good feedback to my hands. I do know that CSX does promote more iron spin than most balls, and I was a huge fan of this combination. I continued to try that 80% shot with more club and felt like I had even more control of the ball in doing so.

Trying these 2017 P790s, I can say these irons proved me wrong. There is a very clear reason why the P790 range has been one of - if not the - most successful iron lines in history. Many direct-to-consumer brands that offer a player's iron are almost identical to the P790. There was one issue though. I now have been searching high and low on 2nd Swing for the 2019, 2021, and 2023 models to get ahold of and compare. You can join my search on 2nd swing right here for your own set.