TaylorMade knows how to create a set of golf irons that are forgiving, higher performing, great feeling, and provide impressive turf interaction.
However, not all TaylorMade irons will be a good fit for your game. Ensuring that you find a set that has the proper characteristics will help you perform and become a better overall player.
With the number of TaylorMade products on the market, we narrowed it down to two of the most popular choices, the P770 irons, and the P790 irons.
However, you may find these clubs to have some overlapping technology; they are built for two different golfers. Understanding the differences between the two sets will only help you have control over your iron game.
Here are the differences between the TaylorMade P770 and P790 irons and some insider information as to who should play with them.
No Time? Here A Overview
Features and Benefits of TaylorMade P770 Iron Set
The new TaylorMade P770 irons are players’ irons. The golfers that want the best the market has to offer when it comes to ball-striking, distance, a thinner top line, and impressive short game feel are going to enjoy the TaylorMade P770 irons.
Choosing an iron that is a player’s iron typically means that you get premium performance all around. You may wonder why everyone wouldn’t want this in their game. The answer is that all golfers want this performance, but most don’t have the game to be able to take advantage of it.
Compact Players Shape
The P770 irons are built as a player iron, and therefore the clubhead size and shape will be a bit smaller than it is with other irons on the market. The thinner top line looks, very minimal offset, and shorter blade length have helped the P770 become one of the more popular irons on the market.
Even though a compact player’s shape will leave less room for a sweet spot on the face of the iron, most better players would prefer the compact size. Overall the compact shape makes this club look great.
Hollow Body Construction
The TaylorMade P770 is a forged hollow body construction that has a thin forged face. The hollow body is what helps golfers get more distance. Even though the P770 is built for a better player, it does not mean that players are willing to give up the distance.
The thin face combined with the 46g of tungsten weighting also allows for an increased distance performance from the P770 irons.
Speed Foam
Speed Foam technology is something that TaylorMade uses in some of their most popular irons for mid to high handicap players.
However, there is no reason low handicap players can’t take advantage of this technology. Speed foam makes for a very lightweight version of a player’s iron, but it has an impressive feel as well.
Most players will not complain about a club that they can swing faster as long as t has the proper feel in the clubhead.
With the combination of the proper shaft and the forged face, the P770 stands out as one of the better feeling golf irons on the market.
Traditional Lofting
Club | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | PW | AW |
Loft | 19.5° | 22.5° | 25.5° | 29.0° | 33.0° | 37.0° | 41.5° | 46.0° | 51.0° |
Lie | 60.5° | 61° | 61.5° | 62° | 62.5° | 63° | 63.5° | 64° | 64° |
Offset | 3.6mm | 3.3mm | 3.0mm | 2.7mm | 2.4mm | 2.2mm | 1.9mm | 1.6mm | 1.6mm |
Length | 39.00″ | 38.50″ | 38.00″ | 37.50″ | 37.00″ | 36.50″ | 36.00″ | 35.75″ | 35.50″ |
Swing Weight | D2 | D2 | D2 | D2 | D2 | D2 | D2 | D3 | D3 |
The TaylorMade P770 golf irons have more traditional lofts when compared to the game improvement type irons. This means that a pitching wedge will be 46 degrees of loft compared to some of the newer models with 42 or 43 degrees.
Players may feel as though they can’t hit these golf irons quite as far as they can hit the game improvement clubs. However, the P770 delivers a different feel at impact that golfers will absolutely love. In addition, the ball flight can be controlled a bit more when traditional lofting is in place.
Features and Benefits of TaylorMade P790 Iron Set
The P790 are perhaps the most popular game improvement irons for mid handicappers. The thing about the P790 irons is that they allow golfers that need forgiveness to be able to hit the ball with plenty of distance but still get a great feel.
The P790 irons have been growing in popularity for quite some time, and many find them to be a better choice than traditional cavity back irons. Here are a few things that you should know about the p790 irons.
Forged Hollow Body Construction
The idea of this hollow body construction really starts to form and takes place with the TaylorMade P790 irons.
This iron is a performance-type club that is meant to increase distance. Since the center of the clubhead is hollow, it is considerably lighter and allows for higher ball flight as well.
Most of the golfers that will benefit from the TaylorMade P790 iron set are going to need help with both distance and launch in their shots. Inside of the clubhead is a very light urethane foam that is injected to help improve feel.
If you think that the hollow club head will feel clicky or unstable, the SpeedFoam will help to fix it. Even on those shots that miss the center of the club face, the overall feel is very smooth.
Tungsten Weighting
The tungsten weighting in the P790 irons is to help lower the center of gravity. If you are looking for an iron that helps you get the ball up higher in the air, the TaylorMade P790 is a great choice to consider.
The club has a very low center of gravity, and it helps players ground the club, make a more solid impact, and essentially hit the ball further and higher.
Progressive ICT Technology
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″ |
Swing Weight | D2 | D2 | D2 | D2 | D2 | D2 | D2 | D3 | D3 |
The Progressive ICT Technology is something that has really changed the world of golf irons. In the past, when a company like Titleist, Callaway, or TaylorMade put a golf iron on the market, each individual iron in the set had different lofts, but not much else was different.
However, in today’s world of golf irons, each clubhead of the set is strategically designed to work for the best possible launch and distance.
For instance, an eight iron is going to have a center of gravity and weight specifically made to improve accuracy and distance for that loft.
As you move through your golf set, the Progressive ICT Technology allows for a better feel and performance with each individual club in the bag.
Related: Best TaylorMade Irons On The Market
P770 vs. P790 Golf Irons
Now that you have a better understanding of the individual features and characteristics of the P770 and the P790 irons, it’s time to look at the differences you may see between these two clubs.
Right off the bat, we can tell you that the P770 and P790 are designed for different types of golfers, and that will explain some of the technological discrepancies between the two irons.
If you are having a hard time deciding which of these clubs to purchase, this information should clear things up.
Technology
Some of the same hollow body and speed pocket technology is going to be included in both TaylorMade irons. The technology on both sets is also going to be very relevant and new as they are both newer releases.
Even though the TaylorMade P790 has been around for quite some time, TaylorMade is always updating it, including new materials and technology and making it an even better design.
When it comes to technology, ball speed, and spin characteristics, we can’t say that one of these irons is better than another. Both clubs are going to have features that will benefit a large number of golfers.
Distance
The P790 is going to win when it comes to distance. When you compare the lofts of the two irons, it becomes difficult for the TaylorMade P770 to compete. TaylorMade P790 has a PW loft of 45, where the P770 is at 46.
Although neither of the irons really take place in that loft lowering game, the one degree will make a difference. Also, the larger club head of the P790 is going to allow for a higher ball speed even on shots that are missed.
Forgiveness
For a player’s iron, the P770 has more forgiveness than you may think. The club happens to have very impressive weighting and feel, and even though the sweet spot is small, there is enough forgiveness there for the mid to low handicap player.
The P790 has a much more forgiving feel, and you can see this to be the case just by looking at the club head.
The short irons may have a bit more forgiveness than we would like as you don’t get a ton of workability; still, if you struggle with everything from long irons to mid irons to short irons, the P790 is going to help you succeed.
Player Handicap
The P790 irons are for the mid to high handicap player, the P770 are for the mid to low. If you are in the high handicap range or the low handicap range, it will be very easy to choose between these two sets. It is the players in the middle that tend to struggle with their options.
If you feel as though your game is trending down and you want a better feel and performance from your irons, go with the P770.
If you are tired of fighting for that straight shot and just want to hit the ball long without having to worry about spin and control, the P790 is the smarter choice.
Pricing
Both the P770 and the P790 are priced quite high. These are without a doubt premium TaylorMade irons, and it is essential that you are prepared to spend a good amount of money on either of these sets.
With the pricing as high as it is, expect to get a great feel, feedback, and distance when you put either set into play.
With the pricing of both sets being rather high, don’t choose between the P770 or P790 based on price alone.
Pros & Cons Comparison
- Impressive feel and performance, especially in the short irons
- More spin around the greens
- Workability for lower handicap players
- Speed foam technology for extra speed and better feel
- Can make a great combo set paired with other TaylorMade irons
- Smaller, more compact head shape
- Thin top-down look
- Traditional loft in the irons
- Does not have all that much forgiveness
- Long irons can be a bit difficult to control
- Distance won’t be as long as other forged irons on the market
- Lower spin on long irons for increased control
- Speed foam technology
- Hollow back construction for increased speed
- Impressive distance from the thin club head
- Good feel for a game improvement golf iron
- Higher launching than other iron sets on the market
- Although lofts are adjusted, high ball flight is still possible
- Club head size may seem a bit bulky for some
- It can be priced rather high for newer or high handicap golfer
The Bottom Line: Which Is Better TaylorMade P790 or P770?
Now that you have a full breakdown of all of the positives and negatives of the P770 vs. P790, hopefully, you can make a better decision about which iron would be better suited for your golf game.
It’s hard to say if there is a clear winner between the P790 and the P770. The basic difference between the two irons is mostly based on who they are built for.
The P770 is designed to help lower handicap players become more precise; the P790 can allow average golfers more enjoyment out of their game.
The main difference is not necessarily in the technology or quality but more about the needs of the player they are designed to help.
Players aspiring to become low handicappers looking for increased performance all around will enjoy the P770. Those that finally want a game improvement iron that feels more like a player’s blade will be thrilled with what the P790 has to offer.
The great news is, both these TaylorMade irons are packed with impressive technology. The only thing you need to do is determine the best one to fit your individual golf game.