Review: TaylorMade P790 Irons
By Curated Experts
Darnell Jones and Lionel Noel
TaylorMade 2021 P790 Irons
$1,219.99
$1,299.99
27% off
12 photos
The Curated Take
4.5/5
The TaylorMade P790 Irons are an excellent choice for low-to-mid handicappers seeking a blend of distance, feel, and forgiveness. These irons feature a forged hollow body construction with speed foam air, enhancing ball speed and playability. The irons provide a large sweet spot and consistent carry, even on mishits, particularly benefiting shots hit low on the face. While they offer a soft feel on good strikes, they can be harsh on mishits and have thicker toplines than similar-sized irons. The P790s are ideal for players looking to improve their game, offering a great balance between distance, forgiveness, and control.
Ideal for
- Suitable for low-to-mid handicappers
- Great irons for players who want a soft feel
- Ideal for players seeking more distance
Not ideal for
- Can feel a bit harsh on mishits
- Toplines are thicker than most irons of similar size
- Not ideal for players needing extra help launching the ball
Forgiveness
The 2021 irons improved when TaylorMade increased the sweet spot by 35%. This improvement fixed the loss of distance on mishits in the heel and toe from the previous version....Read more
I have found this set to be particularly forgiving in the lower portion of the face. The thin miss is not harshly punished, and I see almost no loss in...Read more
Feel
These can produce a firm, slightly clicky feel on off-center hits. Good strikes have a softer, more muted feel and sound. I notice that a ball hit slightly in the...Read more
Workability
As my golf game has improved, I have learned to shape shots. Learning to do this is difficult with game improvement irons. They are designed to go straight and far....Read more
The DNA of this club is such that distance and forgiveness are at the forefront. With that comes the ability to hit high soft landing shots without much curve. But...Read more
Launch
Tungsten and the hollow body design make them very easy to get in the air. The thin wall construction on the forged L-face provides massive ball speed....Read more
Sound
There are certain sounds that golfers want and expect to hear, like the sound of the shaft cutting through the wind and that satisfying muted smash as players make solid...Read more
I don’t think one will confuse these with a one-piece forged iron in terms of sound. Their powerful sound lets me know the ball is coming hot off the face....Read more
Distance
There have been times when I laser the pin and grab my iron, and visually, I think I need more club. I trust my equipment and make a good swing....Read more
The 2021 P790 excels in the distance arena. The longest in the players distance irons, these clubs are the best of both worlds. They are rocket launchers in terms of...Read more
Curated Experts are not sponsored by brands. Their reviews are based on their honest experiences testing products.
Darnell Jones
About the irons
- Model: TaylorMade 2021 P790 Irons
Test conditions
- When I bought these: May 2019
- Where I’ve used them: Variety of courses and conditions
- How many times I've used it: 150
Expert Reviews of the TaylorMade 2021 P790 Irons
Darnell Jones The P790s are great irons for those looking to upgrade their current irons or upgrade their game. Low-to-mid handicap players will be pleased with the distance and feel produced by P790 irons. The forged hollow body construction combined with speed foam air creates excellent ball speed off the face. They are easy to play, including the launch and descent angles. The P790s allow my 4-iron to stop with about 10 feet of rollout. The sounds of these irons making contact are so good. I am sometimes happier on the range where I can make that sound repeatedly. These irons look great. They are sleek and inspire confidence at address. I have KBS tour shafts that fit my swing and topped it off with SuperStroke grips. If golfers want distance, forgiveness, great looks and feel, the P790 checks all the boxes.
Lionel Noel With higher launching and more consistency than the 2019 model, the 2021 P790 delivers a faster ball speed, a larger sweet spot, and tungsten weighting to make a huge splash in the players distance category. I tested these in the stock stiff Dynamic Gold VSS shaft setup and had no problem launching the ball in the air. Consistency of carry numbers was noticeably better than previous models, allowing for the occasional “jumper“ causing a long miss. Good strikes have a spring-like feel, not forged soft but satisfying. They do particularly well with shots hit low on the face. These irons suit a wide variety of playing levels and handicaps. With its generous look behind the ball and improved thin wall construction, the 2021 P790 tops the list of must-test irons.
Product Specs
| Iron Set Type | Iron Set |
| Player type | Players distance |
| Used (Y/N) | No |
| Club Type | Irons |
| Gender | Men's |
| Grip name | Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 |
| Item | Club length | Lie angle | Loft degrees | Offset degrees | Swing weight (graphite) | Swing weight (steel) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 39'' | 60.5° | 19° | 3.5mm | D0 | D2 |
| 4 | 38.5'' | 61° | 21° | 3.4mm | D0 | D2 |
| 5 | 38'' | 61.5° | 23.5° | 3.1mm | D0 | D2 |
| 6 | 37.5'' | 62° | 26.5° | 2.9mm | D0 | D2 |
| 7 | 37'' | 62.5° | 30.5° | 2.7mm | D0 | D2 |
| 8 | 36.5'' | 63° | 35° | 2.4mm | D0 | D2 |
| 9 | 36'' | 63.5° | 40° | 2.1mm | D0 | D2 |
| PW | 35.75'' | 64° | 45° | 1.8mm | D1 | D3 |
| AW | 35.5'' | 64° | 50° | 1.6mm | D1 | D3 |
Review Ratings
Averaged between reviewers, view below how all experts voted.
Forgiveness
5/5
Darnell Jones gave 4 of 5 stars. The 2021 irons improved when TaylorMade increased the sweet spot by 35%. This improvement fixed the loss of distance on mishits in the heel and toe from the previous version. They also managed to reposition some weight to help with mishits high/low on the face. The result is a forgiving distance iron that did not increase in size.
Lionel Noel gave 5 of 5 stars. I have found this set to be particularly forgiving in the lower portion of the face. The thin miss is not harshly punished, and I see almost no loss in carry compared to a well-struck shot. Misses in the toe and heel certainly have distance drops, but nothing that keeps me from putting with my next shot. I'm talking in front of the green instead of the middle.
Feel
4/5
Lionel Noel gave 4 of 5 stars. These can produce a firm, slightly clicky feel on off-center hits. Good strikes have a softer, more muted feel and sound. I notice that a ball hit slightly in the heel or toe feels like a good strike, and as a result, some players may say the P790 lacks the feedback of a poor strike. I don't mind this, as the clubs are so consistent, even on mishits, that the feel is nice across the face.
Workability
4/5
Darnell Jones gave 3 of 5 stars. As my golf game has improved, I have learned to shape shots. Learning to do this is difficult with game improvement irons. They are designed to go straight and far. Players distance irons give me a level of control that allows me to take on the course in a new manner. P790s are long and forgiving but also workable. The most complete irons available, in my opinion.
Lionel Noel gave 4 of 5 stars. The DNA of this club is such that distance and forgiveness are at the forefront. With that comes the ability to hit high soft landing shots without much curve. But I find moving the ball high, low, left, and right is achievable. It’s not what they do best, but it’s in the toolbox.
Launch
4/5
Darnell Jones gave 4 of 5 stars. Tungsten and the hollow body design make them very easy to get in the air. The thin wall construction on the forged L-face provides massive ball speed.
Sound
5/5
Darnell Jones gave 5 of 5 stars. There are certain sounds that golfers want and expect to hear, like the sound of the shaft cutting through the wind and that satisfying muted smash as players make solid contact. However, golfers also want feedback when they don't make solid contact. They will know where they hit their last shot and adjust as needed. The P790 provides this.
Lionel Noel gave 5 of 5 stars. I don’t think one will confuse these with a one-piece forged iron in terms of sound. Their powerful sound lets me know the ball is coming hot off the face. Match that with the tech provided, and I can almost hear the distance packed into every well-struck shot.
Distance
5/5
Darnell Jones gave 4 of 5 stars. There have been times when I laser the pin and grab my iron, and visually, I think I need more club. I trust my equipment and make a good swing. If I miss left or right, I usually pin high. P790 irons have distance I can trust. Even a slight off-center hit will not penalize me too severely.
Lionel Noel gave 5 of 5 stars. The 2021 P790 excels in the distance arena. The longest in the players distance irons, these clubs are the best of both worlds. They are rocket launchers in terms of total yardage per club but also provide a proper descent angle to stop shots consistently on the greens. Slightly stronger lofts combined with the speed slot in the sole and larger effective sweet spot make these the longest irons I tested.
FAQs
What do you love about this product?
Darnell Jones There are many things I love about these irons. We can start with the exceptional feel during contact and the feedback it gives me. Buttery soft on center contact, a bit harsher on mishits, letting me know where I hit on the clubface. This allows for adjustments and corrections. The sound of these irons is second to none, somehow managing to sound both muted and powerful simultaneously. The P790s provide great distance in a compact package, giving me the look, feel, and distance to play my best.
Lionel Noel They are fast, forgiving and consistent. The 2021 P790s sport the best of modern tech packed into an attractive profile.
Why did you choose this product?
Darnell Jones I was a PXG guy until I went to a TaylorMade fitting for the P790s. I liked the looks of the P790s but fell in love after several nice 7 irons into a green 165 yards away. They are the same length as my previous set. Combining those qualities with a great sound and feel, I converted to the P790s.
Lionel Noel Numbers first, followed by looks and feel, drew me to the P790s. This was my first time testing irons from the players distance category. As a players cavity user for many years, there were certain aspects I wanted to improve but also maintain. The profile is slightly larger than I’m used to, but it is not off-putting. The feel of the strikes is solid yet on the soft side. And the bottom line is they performed better than the other irons I tested from this head style.
What is the value for the money versus other options?
Darnell Jones TaylorMade P790s are an excellent value. They pack a ton of tech in a sleek, powerful package that is a joy to play with. These irons have been a staple in the TaylorMade lineup, proving their playability and performance live up to the accolades. They have made small tweaks here and there over the past version, but nothing major. While other iron sets offer distance or forgiveness, this often comes with a trade-off of looks, feel, or sound. However, the P790s is the complete package.
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Darnell Jones
Golf ExpertLionel Noel
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