TaylorMade is back with a fourth-generation upgrade of their best-selling irons. As players’ distance irons, these have become extremely popular with low, mid and high handicappers and are one of the most popular irons on the market. So what’s new in 2023? Nicola Slater takes a closer look in her TaylorMade P790 2023 irons review.
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TaylorMade P790 2023 irons review: NCG Summary
NCG SUMMARY
The 2023 P790s story is that it’s all about what’s inside that counts. The new individually designed centre of gravity in each iron helps to provide the best support possible in each club. Longer irons offer a lower CoG to help with launch and forgiveness.
If you’re after an iron that has plenty of forgiveness without compromising on looks, this is a great option. The P790 range is renowned for being an iron for everyone, and that certainly hasn’t changed in 2023.
PROS
- Familiar looks
- Sleek design
- Great sound and feel
- Larger intelligent sweet spot
CONS
- Nothing!
First Impressions
The P790s have always held a place in my heart. Back in 2018, I got fitted for my first set, which I very much loved. I struggled a little with the odd flushed shot that came off like a rocket, and so I decided to swap. I spent a couple of years in the wilderness swapping between sets before coming to my senses in 2021, purchasing the third-generation set of the P790s. Now, in 2023 they still hold a firm place in my golf bag. With that said, you can imagine my excitement when I found out that there was a fourth generation.
I got sent a couple of irons to test a few weeks back, and straight away, I found myself visually comparing them with my current 2021 model. Visually there wasn’t a lot to make note of, the 2023 P790s just looked a lot sleeker, like it has had a subtle facelift.
The ‘Tungsten’ wording had been moved slightly so that it now sits on the back of the toe. Below that, the sound stabilisation bar has also had an upgrade, with the shape slightly altering to help refine the feel and audio feedback.
Whilst not much has changed on the outside, the inside has certainly been revamped. The forged hollow body construction is made from 8620 carbon steel with an internal thin wall construction.
New for this 2023 version is FLTD CG technology, a strategic design feature that positions the centre of gravity lowest in the long irons while moving it progressively higher as you move down the set. This has been done by redesigning the tungsten weighting in the long to mid irons. This is important as it makes the longer irons easier to launch while ensuring you hit the optimal spin and launch window with your middle irons.
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Tungsten weight in long irons is lower to help with the launch. This isn’t an issue with short irons and so the aim for those is to control ball flight and spin. All of this technology is packaged in forged 4140 high-speed face and topped with TaylorMade’s rounded SpeedFoam™ Air – which is 69% less dense than the 2019 SpeedFoam.
NCG Verdict
I got the chance to hit a couple of different irons in the new P790 range. The ones I used had the True Temper Dynamic Gold 95 (R300) shaft, which is different from my current Mitsubishi Chemical MMT 65R, which is also a returning stock shaft in this year’s P790s.
Whilst I had used these out on the course, I gathered some data using a GC Quad launch monitor in an indoor simulator bay using a TaylorMade TP5 golf ball.
In terms of carry distance, I would normally average 155 yards. These numbers are similar to what I would expect, but maybe a few yards down, given I was testing with a heavier shaft than normal and also steel rather than graphite. I did test these at the K Club in Ireland earlier in the year with my stock shaft, and the distance was the same or slightly up on my previous model.
When we look at the rest of the data the numbers are exactly as I would expect. They launched well at an average of 20.6 degrees which is nice to see off of the club face, I didn’t feel like I struggled whatsoever to get the ball in the air.
Much like previous P790s, I liked that a slight miss strike wasn’t a disaster. As you can see there is a variation in the carry numbers with roughly a 10-yard window of difference which I can certainly accept. This is where the FLTD CG™ really comes into play. With an upgraded centre of gravity in each iron, the long irons can now provide greater forgiveness thanks to the lowered centre of gravity that helps players get height easier on those stronger lofted irons.
Not only does the altered CoG play a part in the control of mishits, but the new internal shaping has allowed for a larger sweet spot area. This intelligent sweet spot means that more balls can be captured in this area of the golf club. Other than controlled off strikes, ball speed is more consistent, which is presented in my data with only a 4.8 mph range.
Overall, the 2023 P790 irons are everything you’d expect from P790s but better. I love the minimalistic design that you get that hasn’t really been altered, just refined. The feel isn’t miles away from what you would have felt in the previous model, but the mis-strikes definitely weren’t as destructive. This makes them a great option for those better players or mid-handicap golfers who like that comforting forgiveness these irons provide without having the chunky cavity-back design.
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TaylorMade P790 irons: The Details
Available: Now
RRP: £172
Grip: Golf Pride Z-Grip 52g 0.580 (Black/Grey)
Right-handed lofts: 3i- 19° 4i- 21° 5i-23.5° 6i-26.5° 7i-30.5° 8i-35° 9i-40° PW-45° AW-50°
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 (X100, S300), True Temper Dynamic Gold 95 (R300), Mitsubishi Chemical MMT (75S, 65R, 55A)
More information: TaylorMade website
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