Matt Bovee, TaylorMade’s senior director of product creation, was very aware of the challenges involved in improving the company’s P·790 line, which first hit the market in 2017. “It is one of the most successful irons launched in recent years,” he said. “The goal was to take something that was already pretty great and make it even better.”
The P·790 line generated a lot of excitement from a wide spectrum of golfers—from those higher handicaps who loved the look of it, with its blade-like aesthetic, to lower handicap players who loved the distance and workability of the irons. It was a game changer in a lot of ways.
Bovee says TaylorMade has taken everything that made P·790 successful and refined it without reinventing them. That means the medium-size of the head stays relatively similar, but the blade length is compacted, and there’s less offset, making the irons more appealing to lower handicaps.
“A lot of golfers really loved the P·790s,” Bovee says, “and I think the new version will appeal to even a greater number.”
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Key technologies
Thinner face
The face design on the new P·790s are 7 percent thinner, which means an even faster face, and TaylorMade incorporated the Progressive Inverted Cone technology into the irons to improve accuracy and reduce the tendency to cut the ball with longer irons. The thinner face also improves sound and feel across the clubhead.
SpeedFoam
One of the keys to the irons, SpeedFoam, a development unique to TaylorMade, helps generate ball speed, as well as make the clubs sound like a classic iron set. SpeedFoam is injected into the head to support the face.
Improved CG
“If golfers who played 790 told us one thing they’d want to improve, it was the launch angle on some shots,” says Bovee. What he’s referring to is the tendency for P·790 irons to fly a little lower than many sets that walk the fine line between being player’s irons and game improvement clubs. By using a larger mass of tungsten in the irons—15 percent more than the first iteration—the center of gravity is lowered and shots fly a little higher.
Shape
Less offset and the pursuit of the perfect player’s distance iron shape—that was the goal of Bovee’s team when recrafting the P·790s. That meant a couple of things in the development—less offset in the longer irons (6 to 3-iron) and a more compact shape for the scoring irons (7 and up). Finally, the sole was tweaked to make them less likely to dig on shots from the fairway.
Who are they for?
Bovee says the big surprise in the P·790 original line was how widely they were played—being used by everyone from lower handicappers looking for added distance, to higher handicap players who loved the look. The refinements on the new generation shouldn’t change that target audience all that much.
P·790UDI
The forged driving iron that matches the set, the P·790UDI is tour-inspired and includes SpeedFoam, and a soft, 8620 carbon steel body with a forged face. A smaller inverted cone in the UDIs allowed engineers to reduce face thickness and optimize ball speed across the entire clubface. Available in right-hand only, in select stores and online beginning September 6. Pre-order starts August 19.
P·790TI
TaylorMade also dipped its toes into irons are targeted at the ultra-premium market who are willing to pay more for a product that will turn heads.
“This is for the golfer who really wants to stand apart,” says Bovee. The P·790TI line is the first premium iron line created by TaylorMade, and golfers who aren’t concerned about price will find a game improvement line packed with technology.
It starts with a titanium body.
“It is almost like we made every iron like a driver,” says Bovee. Titanium is strong and light, allowing engineers to create an ultra-low center of gravity. Beyond that, you’ll find a refined aesthetic and a Thru Slot Speed Pocket to expand the flexible area of the face and offer faster ball speeds.
The P·790TI is aimed at golfers for whom cost isn’t a hurdle and who might be keen on Japanese forged irons, or intrigued by brands like PXG or Honma.
Available in select Golf Town locations and online November 8.
TaylorMade fall 2019 releases are now available. The Patina Putter Collection & MG2 wedges.