Taylormade P790 Irons Review – Good For High Or Mid Handicappers?

Taylormade P790 Irons Review – Good For High Or Mid Handicappers?

The TaylorMade P7 range has earned a reputation for its workable irons designed for superior golfers.

But are all P7’s unforgiving players irons? In this post, I address the question of are TaylorMade P790 irons good for high or mid-handicappers?

We will look at the pros and cons of these irons to see if they offer additional benefits to low, mid or high handicappers.

 

 Taylormade P790 Set Overview

Compared to sets such as the P7 TW and P770’s, the TaylorMade P790 irons deliver increased forgiveness and distance. As a result of this setup, they reduce your ability to shape shots.

Despite the employment of game-improvement features, I don’t suggest higher-handicappers add them to the bag.

I have played with TaylorMade game-improvement irons for twelve years. And this set best suits established golfers looking for a moderate level of assistance.

 

Who Are Taylormade P790 Irons For?

The P790 irons include game-improvement features such as forgiveness, an expanded sweet spot and rapid ball speed.

However, they are ideally suited to faster swinging low to mid-handicappers looking for less workability and increased distance.

If anything, the P790’s resemble game-improvement irons in a players irons body.

It is a view shared by Golf Digest on their list of the best Players Distance irons for 2021.

 

How Forgiving Are They?

In this comparison to the P770’s TaylorMade suggest that the P790’s offer increased forgiveness.

It may be true as it may be in the context of the P7 range.

However, they do not offer the forgiveness provided by super-game improvement irons or even regualr ones for that matter.

They are great for a high handicapper with their irons on switching to a more player friendly model as they improve.

 

Are They Easy To Hit?

According to TaylorMade, the P790’s generate mid to low levels of spin, promoting a lower launch.

While this feature is ideal for players who naturally launch their irons high, it is problematic for those who cannot generate sufficient spin.

While excessive spin is the enemy, insufficient levels cause your ball to drop out of the sky rapidly, resulting in a loss of distance. 

 

Key Technology That Makes Them Good For Beginners

As we touched on earlier, the P790 irons feature several game-improvement features. On the surface, they seem like the ideal option for high handicappers.

The inclusion of SpeedFoam Air and a Thru-Slot speed pocket combine to increase the flex of your clubface and the size of the sweet spot.

As a result, it accelerates ball speed across the face.

Furthermore, the engineers precisely positioned the sweet spot in high-impact areas to provide forgiveness on off-centre strikes.

Finally, a low Centre of Gravity (CG) stabilizes the clubhead at impact to help you get your ball airborne every shot.

 

Are They Good For Mid Handicappers?

Despite the game-improvement features of these irons, the compact Forged Hollow Body Construction leaves less room for error than with cavity-back irons.

As a result, the combination of a compact head profile and game-improvement technology makes them an ideal set for mid-handicappers.

 

Are They Good For Low Handicappers?

Low handicappers tend to prefer irons that enable optimal workability. That helps to optimize your distance control on approach.

Since the P790’s are less workable than the P7 TW, P7MB’s and P7MC’s. We can agree that there are better options out there for low handicappers.

However, if you can deal with reduced shot-shaping capabilities and prefer the forgiveness of the P790’s, they may be worth considering.

 

What Are Their Lofts Like?

If we compare the lofts of the TaylorMade P790 irons to averages in this Golf Monthly article.

We see that the long and mid-iron lofts are slightly stronger. The 4-iron is set at 21-degrees, whereas Elliot Heath suggests that the standard is 24-degrees.

As a result, the stronger lofts are difficult for slow swinging golfers to launch consistently. Therefore it may be worth substituting the long irons for hybrids.

 

How Is Their Performance On Distance

The P790’s produce impressive yardage and are the second-longest irons in the P7 family, after the P790 TIs.

 

Pros And Cons Of The P790’s

Pros

• Its flexible face helps to increase ball speed
• Generates explosive ball speed
• Speed foam makes them more forgiving
• Maintains ball-speed on low-face mishits
• Soft feel
• Delivers optimal distance

Cons

• Reduced workability compared to other P7 range irons
• Slower swinging golfers may find the long and mid irons difficult to launch
• Less forgiving than game-improvement irons

Overall Score: 96/100

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Other Beginner Iron Sets To Consider For High Handicappers

Callaway Mavrik

The Callaway Mavrik’s are game-improvement irons built to produce maximum ball speed and spin robustness for a high, powerful launch with longer carry.

A Thru-slot speed pocket combines with an intelligent sweet spot to maintain ball speed on low-face mishits. As a result, you enjoy superior distance and accuracy.

Added to its forgiveness and ball speed is the inclusion of tungsten weights to lower the CG of the long and mid-irons to optimize your launch.

They also come in a Max version with larger heads, more offset, increased distance and forgiviness with less workability and a pro version for the mid to low handicappers.

Overall Score: 96/100

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Taylormade Sim 2 Max OS

The SIM 2 Max OS irons offer high handicappers a stable oversized clubhead, built to enhance your launch for maximum distance from the fairway.

Its Cap-Back design pairs with Thru-Slot speed pockets to precisely position the sweet spot in high impact areas, resulting in exceptional forgiveness across the face.

Furthermore, the engineers at TaylorMade enclosed an Echo Damping System between the face and the Cap Back to improve the feel and acoustics of the irons.

As far as game improvement features go, it produces all the distance, forgiveness and consistency to make golf enjoyable for higher handicaps.

Overall Score: 98/100

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Titleist T300

You have to appreciate the confidence of Titleist who refer to the T300’s as the ultimate game improvement irons.

Max Impact technology takes centre stage as the enhanced polymer core works to induce superb feel, acoustics and explosive ball speed off the face.

Titleist’s engineers included 40% extra dense tungsten weight to help lower the CG. This design promotes consistent ball speed on low-face mis-hits, a high, powerful launch and optimal forgiveness.

In conclusion, the design of these golf irons assists those of us that struggle to launch long and mid-irons.

Overall Score: 96/100

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Which Irons Do We Recommend Overall For Beginners?

As a beginner or higher handicap, your prerogative is forgiveness.

Forget maximizing your distance. Your focus is to stay in play. That is why I suggest considering the all-around performance of TaylorMade’s SIM2 Max OS irons.

 

Pros and Cons of the TaylorMade SIM2 Max OS Irons

Pros

• Produces maximum ball speed across the face
• High launching
• Combats slices
• Soft feel
• Crisp acoustics
• Stable oversized frame

Cons

• Oversized profile does not appeal to lower handicappers
• Limited workability
• The high launch is not suited to faster swinging golfers
• The draw bias profile can cause you to hook your shots

Overall Score: 98/100

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Final Thoughts On The TaylorMade P790 Irons For High Or Mid-Handicappers

At the start of this post, we set out to answer the question, are TaylorMade P790 irons good for high or mid-handicappers?

After looking at the benefits and disadvantages of the set and comparing it to alternative options, high-handicappers should consider alternative options.

Although it includes some game-improvement technology like the speed foam, the compact shape and Hollow Body construction make them better suited to mid-handicappers.

If you are a mid-handicapper looking for explosive distance and moderate to optimal forgiveness and workability, the P790’s are worth taking for a test drive.

Overall Score: 96/100

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