To test golf equipment, we create a controlled indoor environment at Keele Golf Centre and use a premium tour-level golf ball (the TaylorMade TP5x). We collect all the data from every shot hit, using a Foresight GC Quad launch monitor.
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.
In 2025 we've 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.
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 for our test pro.
TaylorMade can claim to make some of the best golf irons for every type of golfer. From the tour-focused P7TW all the way down to the easy-to-launch, TaylorMade Qi HL, there is an iron that will work for your game. While there isn’t one iron in the family that is the best for everybody, there will be a best-performing model for you and every other individual.
But which model is worthy of going into your bag? To help you decide we’ve tested them all head-to-head, with TG test pro Neil Wain. His launch monitor data will help you better understand the traits of each model and highlight which will best suit you.
Best TaylorMade Iron At A Glance:
Best TaylorMade Muscleback Blade iron: TaylorMade P7TW – View Offer
Best TaylorMade Tour iron: TaylorMade P7CB – View Offer
Best TaylorMade Players’ iron: TaylorMade P770 – View Offer
Best TaylorMade Players’ Distance iron: TaylorMade P790 – View Offer
Best TaylorMade iron for forgiveness: TaylorMade Qi – View Offer
Best TaylorMade iron for slow swings: TaylorMade Qi HL – View Offer
Data comparison: How the best TaylorMade irons perform in numbers (Test Pro data)
Who are they for? It took hundreds of hours of testing and nine different prototype iterations over multiple years before TaylorMade produced an iron Tiger Woods was happy to put in his bag. The P7TW has been available to the public since 2019, and thanks to world #1 Scottie Scheffler and Tommy Fleetwood choosing the model for themselves TaylorMade sees this as the model for golfers who insist muscleback blades are the best option for their game.
While the previous P7MB are still available nobody can deny there’s a potent sell to having the world #1 and Tiger Woods (who many believe to be the greatest golfer of all time) playing the P7TW, a set the public can buy. In my opinion, it makes perfect sense for TaylorMade to focus on this set as the best blades they have.
If you find yourself attracted to the sleek and slender P7TW remember you will be playing a set designed for the world’s best. At address, the topline is super thin (the sole widths are also really narrow) and thanks to Tiger Woods liking inverted sets, where the long irons have shorter blade lengths than the short irons, anything above a 7-iron in this set is incredibly intimidating at address.
That said I completely understand why some golfers just want to play a set the greatest ever shot-maker chooses for his own game.
For the privilege of playing such an elite set, you will of course need to have zero concerns over distance. With the weakest lofts in the TaylorMade iron family, our test data highlights how compared to a best-game improver iron like the Qi the P7TW will potentially have you giving up 18 yards in carry distance.
Once you factor in the greater loss of carry distance and consistency when shots don’t hit centre face hopefully you’ve had plenty of warning to think carefully before opting for this beautiful elite players model. Read more about the TaylorMade P7TW iron.
Pros
Classic looks
Great feel
Played by the world's best
Cons
Unforgiving
Short distances
Forgiveness rating:
1.0
Category:
Muscleback Blade
Handicap range:
Four and below
Construction:
Forged from a single piece of 1025 carbon steel with tungsten weights
Who are they for? The CB is brand new for 2024, the model has been developed as while the previous P7MC (Muscle Cavity) hit the spot for an elite group of tour athletes it was ultimately too demanding for lots of TaylorMade brand ambassadors at the club pro level.
By employing a new Metal Matrix Composite (it's seven times lighter than steel) and dense tungsten construction TaylorMade up launch in the long irons and boost perimeter weighting in the short irons.
Thanks to the technology TaylorMade says the P7CB is a constant CG set, which is very rare in the forged iron market. The set-up boosts feel, consistency, and predictability as the CG is in the same position throughout the entire set.
I like that the P7CB has the appearance of a traditional forged cavity back players’ iron, and from what I’ve seen very few golfers are not going to like the extra degree of forgiveness over and above the previous P7MC. The head size is compact and the shape is perfectly proportioned, plus a straight leading edge and topline make them very desirable in the play position.
Our test pros data shows how the CB and P770 (thanks to having the same loft) are pretty evenly matched in terms of distance, but you will see more launch, spin, height, and a steeper landing angle from the P770 which could make the hollow body 770s a fantastic long iron option.
To play this model successfully you will need to be a consistent and reliable ball striker. Rory McIlroy won with the 4-iron in his bag in 2024 while other TaylorMade athletes like Collin Morikawa and Nelly Korda have been testing the model, so do not think this is in any way a forgiving cavity back for regular club golfers.
Who are they for? In the space of just a couple of generations, the P770 has established itself as THE modern-day players’ iron. Where just a few years ago dissenters would have point blank refused to entertain the best players’ irons could have thin fast faces, and hollow bodies but when Tiger Woods puts the model in play (he loved the 2023 3-iron) you know the market has changed.
The P770 is compact, its blade length is 77mm in length whereas the P790 is a couple of millimetres longer. All in that means the model was never designed with mid-handicappers and game improvers in mind, even though some YouTubers will insist it can suit players within these categories.
For decent low to mid-single-figure handicappers, the P770 are absolute beauties. While our data has the P770 and P7CB fairly evenly matched for carry distance there was 10 yards (and 4.2 mph of ball speed) between the P770 and P790 so choose between them carefully.
Expect the P790 with its stronger lofts to flight shots with a little less spin and shallower decent angle so make sure you're happy with the stopping power.
What we say: Another TaylorMade iron and another category winner! This time, we’re looking at the leading model in the Players Distance category instead of the Game Improver top performer in the Qi irons. It just goes to show that TaylorMade know their stuff when it comes to improving the games of everyday golfers – they’re at the forefront of technology in this regard.
The latest generation of the P790 have been refined in their technology but also in their sole design, with a wider camber across the whole base helping to improve the club-ground interaction from multiple different lies that will be encountered.
What our tester says: You can immediately see TaylorMade’s point about this iron being one you can fit to a massive range of golfers. It looks good, oozes class despite the power under the hood, and it feels even better than ever when you make contact. I didn’t think they’d improve on the previous version, but they’ve surprised me.
What we say: The winner of the Game Improver category across all the stats we look at, the TaylorMade Qi iron, despite being in its second year, proves it hasn’t lost any of its great quality.
TaylorMade have offered an update to the Qi finish options, in case you want to blend them in with a new Qi35 carbonwood set up, by giving you the choice between the original chrome and black, or you can pick the new gunmetal look for a smoky metal finish.
A tight, squared-off head shape looks good in any bag as well as at address, and the Cap Back and Speed Pocket designs help to provide impressive ball speed and consistency across the face.
What our tester says: TaylorMade have put together a good option here, considering it’s the only Game Improver iron they offer. It needs to work for higher handicaps as well as the mid-handicap guys who are on the border of the Players Distance models transition, and it should work for both. Really great iron.
Who are they for? High Launch irons have become a massive growth area over the last couple of years as brands switch on to slower-speed golfers needing more loft not less to play the game successfully. Callaway, Ping, and Mizuno all now have weaker lofted or lighter High Launch irons sat within their High Handicap/Moderate Speed iron families, and this is TaylorMade’s offering.
Compared to the standard Qi the HL comes with 2° more 7-iron loft, a 6g lighter head weight, and higher launching shafts. So, if your swing speed hovers anywhere close to 75mph with a 7-iron this will be a great option for you.
You’ll know whether your game is more suited to the HL or standard Qi by the ball flight you create. If your iron shots tend to fly quite low and run a lot rather than stopping when they hit the green the HL launching shots higher with more spin is highly likely to be your best high-handicap iron choice.
If for whatever reason you’re less keen on the size, shape or additional hosel offset of this model don’t forget TaylorMade offers golfers the chance to try (through their SelectFit hosel system) the standard Qi iron at this loft, which might just give the best of both worlds you’re looking for.
Since first being launched in 2017 the TaylorMade P790 has been hugely popular as it delivers incredible performance and appeals to a wide range of golfers. In terms of units sold though the brand's Mid-Handicap Qi iron that appeals to a wide audience of golfers will typically sell in greater numbers.
Rory McIlroy uses a TaylorMade P760 4-iron, and a custom set of TaylorMade Rors Proto in 5-iron to pitching wedge. Check out the full Rory McIlroy WITB.
The TaylorMade Qi irons which have cast heads and more hosel offset will typically be the best TaylorMade irons for beginners and high handicappers with decent swing speeds, while the TaylorMade Qi HL will be best for those with slower swing speeds.
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. These though were never the target golfer for the model.
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Best TaylorMade Irons 2025: Which should you put in your bag?
Best TaylorMade Irons 2025: Which should you put in your bag?
