Are Taylormade M5 Irons Good for High Handicappers? – Are They Forgiving for Beginners?

Are Taylormade M5 Irons Good for High Handicappers? – Are They Forgiving for Beginners?

“The Taylormade M5 irons are a bit of an anomaly. They are shaped to look like players distance irons; but are packed with forgiveness features.”

Apparently this was by design. Taylormade wanted to create an iron that was at its heart, a game improvement iron. But they wanted it to have a traditional look at address at the same time.

The Taylormade M5 irons were unique when they first came out and are still a bit of an enigma in 2023.

In the following review, we will be taking a look at the Taylormade M5 irons through the specific purview of the beginner and high handicap golfer.

Will they be any good for this class of player? Let’s find out.

Overview of the Taylormade M5 Irons

“The Taylormade M5 irons do in fact have a clean look at address.”

The players distance illusion is aided by the fact that the Taylormade M5 irons have virtually no offset.

The length from heel to toe is relatively short and the topline is on the thin side. You get moderate sole widths and a clean leading edge.

The Taylormade M5’s also have relatively strong lofts. This is apparently to compensate for the fact that they spin rather high.

Taylormade wanted to make a set of irons that combined low launch and high spin in order to make them more effective from the rough and semi rough.

What Type of Irons Are They?

This is a tricky question to answer.

In the end though, we came to the conclusion that the Taylormade M5’s are hybrid game improvement/players distance irons.

The shaping is compact but there is enough forgiveness packed into these irons to appease most high handicappers.

How Forgiving Are the Taylormade M5 Irons for High Handicappers?

“The Taylormade M5 irons have stiffened perimeters in the head to keep the ball on-line and keep ball speed up on mis-hits.”

The perimeter stiffness coupled with the inverted cone technology (a technology that moves the sweet spot over towards the high-toe area) makes for a really forgiving iron.

When we mis-hit (intentionally or otherwise) we noted only a slight drop-off in ball speed compared to pure strikes.

Furthermore, the ball stayed in play on mis-hits. Most of them anyway. If you miss severely near the heel you will get a nasty slice that veers far from the center of the fairway.

High handicappers will benefit from the Taylormade M5’s ability to keep them in play with minimal effort.

Shaft Options

“Stock shaft options from the manufacturer are limited.”

You only get two options straight from Taylormade. However, they’re both very nice.

You can choose from a Mitsubishi Tensei Orange in regular or stiff flex or a True Temper XP100 shaft in regular or stiff flex.

Workability Assessment

“The Taylormade M5 irons were surprisingly workable.”

Especially from the rough. The Taylormade M5’s feature a chamfered leading edge which feels really smooth in any lie.

Plus, the higher spin rates will allow you to actually land the green from the cabbage. The compact shaping also allows you to work the ball from the fairway to a moderate degree.

Distance Assessment

“The Taylormade M5’s feature the Speed Bridge which braces the head from sole to crown.”

This allows for a very hot, active face. Our testers mentioned that the ball seems to spring off of the faces of these irons. A

fter three swings each, our average distance with the 7-iron was 153.9 yards – a full club’s worth of extra distance for some of our testers.

Accuracy & Consistency Assessment

“Accuracy and consistency were both satisfactory.”

Repeatable distances were reliable and the feedback was clear.

Our only gripe was that flight and ball speed were inconsistent on heelside mis-hits. However, very few irons can help with such mis-hits.

Do They Have A Beginner Friendly Price?

The Taylormade M5 irons are actually moderately priced.

You can pick up a brand new set straight from Taylormade for about $800.

Taylormade M5 Pros & Cons

Pros:

• They have very active faces
• Very forgiving on toeside mis-hits
• The Speed Pocket preserves ball speeds on low-face strikes
• The feedback is clear
• Great distance
• They play really well from the rough

Cons:

• The compact shape may turn some beginners off
• Launch is a little low in the short irons
• A bit on the heavy side

Overall Score: 97/100

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Other Beginner Irons to Consider

Callaway Big Bertha Irons

“The Callaway Big Bertha irons have wide soles and thick toplines.”

This is what you want to see as a beginner. The Big Bertha irons also feature tungsten weighting to help lower CG and improve consistency on off-center strikes.

The best thing about these irons for beginners is that it’s supremely easy to nail the sweet spot on full swings.

Overall Score: 96/100

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Callaway Epic Irons

“Like the Taylormade M5 irons, the Callaway Epic irons have stiffer perimeter body builds.”

There is also tungsten weighting to help lower the CG. We liked that the high-toe area was exaggerated a bit.

This made the Epic irons more forgiving on, you guessed it, high-toe mis-hits. The shaping is also more on the game improvement side.

Overall Score: 95/100

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Callaway Mavrik Irons

“The Callaway Mavrik irons feature progressive CG.”

The CG is as low as it can get in the long irons. But as you work your way to the scoring irons, the CG gets higher and higher.

This allows for great control throughout  the set. The tungsten weighting also helps stabilize ball flight even on severe mis-hits.

Overall Score: 96/100

Check Out More Reviews Here:

Our Recommendation

“If you are a beginner or high handicapper, the Taylormade M5 irons will give you something to aspire to.”

Are the Taylormade M5 irons the best irons for beginners and high handicappers? Probably not.

But there is still enough forgiveness in them to make them viable for the beginner/high handicapper who is really serious about improving his/her game.

15-22 handicappers can easily find something to love about the Taylormade M5’s.