Taylormade P770 Irons. My thoughts

[Cizzle52]

I was able to get the new P770s as they came out and I am definitely impressed. Background on me, Im a 12 HCP golfer who has started to play seriously this summer. I have played the Sim 2 Max irons for the last 4 years and felt like i had improved enough for an upgrade. I went and got fitted at my local Golf Galaxy. I tried a few different irons but ended up feeling the best with the P770s (Maybe subconscious brand loyalty). I had them built with standard loft and lie and a +.5" shaft length adjustment. I went to the range a couple times with them and then played one round where my score wasn't particularly different than normal.

 

First thing i noticed was the feel and sound. When you catch the ball in the sweet spot, the P770s offer a pleasing feel. The feedback is both crisp and soft, providing a satisfying response without being overly harsh making good strikes feel rewarding.

I felt much more comfortable with the shorter irons. They provide reliable distance control and accuracy, which is particularly useful for approach shots. I struggled with the longer irons in the P770 set. The smaller head and lower profile can make them less forgiving on off-center hits. If you’re used to larger, more forgiving irons, the transition to these might require some adjustment. With the different lofts of the P770s compared to the Sim 2s, I may keep my 5 and 6 in addition to the new clubs. I lost about 10-20 yards per club with the switch but I was hitting my old irons far to begin with.

Range session using the Rapsodo MLM

The compact head design is a double-edged sword. I love the view at address but, it also means there’s less margin for error. This smaller profile can be less forgiving, particularly on mishits but I think of it as aim-small, miss-small. It forces me to slow my swing down and focus on consistent contact. 

View at address of 6 Iron. P770 (left) Sim 2 Max (right)

My distances based on the launch monitor on average was :

5: 182 yards Carry, 195 yards total

6: 173, 182

7: 162, 168

8: 150, 153

9: 142, 146

P: 129, 131

To conclude, the TaylorMade P770 irons have been a fun addition to my bag. The exceptional feel and sound, particularly on well-struck shots, make them a pleasure to play. While the shorter irons excel in distance control and accuracy, the longer irons are a bit tougher due to their less forgiving nature. The compact head design is a mixed bag—offering a clean look but demanding more from my swing. Overall, I'm happy with the upgrade and after two range sessions and a round on the course, it has made me excited to keep playing.

Thanks for reading!

Edited September 4 by Cizzle52
Adjusted some word choice.

[Tsunami18]

I can relate, this is a spot-on review! I have not tried the new 2024 version of p770, but I did purchase a set of the previous version just this spring. My old irons were 2014 Nike Covert 2.0, which was more of a game improvement iron compared to the p770. I was looking for updated technology and something with a more traditional non-cavity back look. I  did a lot of research, tried multiple brands and clubs hitting hundreds of balls at indoor golf store ranges, and followed the advice of getting fitted before finally deciding to take the plunge on this set of irons. 

8 months later I have a very similar take on my p770 clubs. For reference, I fluctuate between 10-15 handicap and play regularly, 1-3 times per week, at a 9 hole municipal course. For those considering purchasing these irons I will reiterate and substantiate what was said above in this review. I still love the look and feel of my p770s in my bag, even after a newer version has been recently released. If you like the look of the p770 at the store now, you will continue to be pleased with the look of them in your bag at the course.

On the performance side, they are not the longest irons out there. I did not gain any distance from my 2014 irons. However, I was also fitted into a lighter and higher flighted shaft (KBS Tour Light) compared to my old set. This gives me a higher angle of descent onto the green, and has proven to work out to plan. When I do hit a good shot onto the green from 150 yards out or more, the ball will almost always still drop and stop from those longer irons, rather than rolling out off the green. THAT can be more satisfying than an extra 5 or 10 yards of “distance”. So while I did not get the anticipated upgrade in distance that I was hoping for I did get an upgrade in control.

Also, as noted in the review, p770s are also not the most forgiving irons available. They are less forgiving even than my 2014 game improvement irons. When you hit the sweet spot they feel like butter and the ball soars long, straight and true. But when you miss the sweet spot, depending on how badly you miss it, there is a noticeable loss of distance and performance. So, I would not recommend them for everyone, since many people would prefer a more forgiving club. And I will even admit that when I am having a bad day striking the ball I do wish I had a more forgiving club. However, overall I feel like this is actually helping to make me a better golfer and striker of the ball, because there is true reward on hitting near the center of the club face. My focus on hitting the center at impact has really improved and I feel like this should be improving my game in the long run.

Bottom line, I love my p770s , love how they look and feel, and love the performance on solid shots. But I have not seen a noticeable improvement in my average scores. 

[Andrew75]

TaylorMade is a brand I would refuse unless it was given to me. I don't like them for various reasons. Too many gimmicks, too much and too aggressive advertising, poor performance when I have tried them, poor stock offerings for shafts, too many models- the brand tries to be everything at once without doing anything well.  Players muscle backs are the only offering I'd look at.

[GolfSpy_APH]

48 minutes ago, Andrew75 said:

TaylorMade is a brand I would refuse unless it was given to me. I don't like them for various reasons. Too many gimmicks, too much and too aggressive advertising, poor performance when I have tried them, poor stock offerings for shafts, too many models- the brand tries to be everything at once without doing anything well.  Players muscle backs are the only offering I'd look at.

I get it some of that during their SLDR Jetspeed phase, but have been pretty consistent with their lines since and yeah they she "gimmicks" if you want to call them that, others would call it innovation. 

I have never got on with their drivers, tried but just didn't jive with me. Hard to argue how well their irons and wedges have improved and in terms of irons pushed the market forward.... Imagine if there was no original p790... It kinda redefined that space and elevated a whole category. Is that a gimmick?

[Andrew75]

Long ago, around 1981-82 TaylorMade had a hollow iron that wasn't too bad. 

I really know nothing about the p790 except it's hollow. 

I'm currently gaming Mizuno Pro 225s, having previously tried hollow Honma irons. The Mizunos are quite different from the Honmas. I've played a lot of Honma previously, but moving away.  Don't know what debt Mizuno owes TM.  Mizuno 225s aren't really about getting it airborne. Now even Miura is coming out with hollow irons.

[cnosil]

25 minutes ago, Andrew75 said:

Long ago, around 1981-82 TaylorMade had a hollow iron that wasn't too bad. 

I really know nothing about the p790 except it's hollow. 

I'm currently gaming Mizuno Pro 225s, having previously tried hollow Honma irons. The Mizunos are quite different from the Honmas. I've played a lot of Honma previously, but moving away.  Don't know what debt Mizuno owes TM.  Mizuno 225s aren't really about getting it airborne. Now even Miura is coming out with hollow irons.

Most OEMs make hollow body irons;  it is a design choice to assist with weight placement.  Why are you against hollow body irons or at least appear to be?

[Cizzle52]

7 hours ago, Andrew75 said:

TaylorMade is a brand I would refuse unless it was given to me. I don't like them for various reasons. Too many gimmicks, too much and too aggressive advertising, poor performance when I have tried them, poor stock offerings for shafts, too many models- the brand tries to be everything at once without doing anything well.  Players muscle backs are the only offering I'd look at.

I went into my fitting not expecting to get TM irons but I hit them the best out of what I tried. I do think they are very aggressive with their marketing but I definitely place more stock on the results vs the logo. 
I guess that’s why so many brands exist, different strokes for different folks!

[Cizzle52]

8 hours ago, Tsunami18 said:

I can relate, this is a spot-on review! I have not tried the new 2024 version of p770, but I did purchase a set of the previous version just this spring. My old irons were 2014 Nike Covert 2.0, which was more of a game improvement iron compared to the p770. I was looking for updated technology and something with a more traditional non-cavity back look. I  did a lot of research, tried multiple brands and clubs hitting hundreds of balls at indoor golf store ranges, and followed the advice of getting fitted before finally deciding to take the plunge on this set of irons. 

8 months later I have a very similar take on my p770 clubs. For reference, I fluctuate between 10-15 handicap and play regularly, 1-3 times per week, at a 9 hole municipal course. For those considering purchasing these irons I will reiterate and substantiate what was said above in this review. I still love the look and feel of my p770s in my bag, even after a newer version has been recently released. If you like the look of the p770 at the store now, you will continue to be pleased with the look of them in your bag at the course.

On the performance side, they are not the longest irons out there. I did not gain any distance from my 2014 irons. However, I was also fitted into a lighter and higher flighted shaft (KBS Tour Light) compared to my old set. This gives me a higher angle of descent onto the green, and has proven to work out to plan. When I do hit a good shot onto the green from 150 yards out or more, the ball will almost always still drop and stop from those longer irons, rather than rolling out off the green. THAT can be more satisfying than an extra 5 or 10 yards of “distance”. So while I did not get the anticipated upgrade in distance that I was hoping for I did get an upgrade in control.

Also, as noted in the review, p770s are also not the most forgiving irons available. They are less forgiving even than my 2014 game improvement irons. When you hit the sweet spot they feel like butter and the ball soars long, straight and true. But when you miss the sweet spot, depending on how badly you miss it, there is a noticeable loss of distance and performance. So, I would not recommend them for everyone, since many people would prefer a more forgiving club. And I will even admit that when I am having a bad day striking the ball I do wish I had a more forgiving club. However, overall I feel like this is actually helping to make me a better golfer and striker of the ball, because there is true reward on hitting near the center of the club face. My focus on hitting the center at impact has really improved and I feel like this should be improving my game in the long run.

Bottom line, I love my p770s , love how they look and feel, and love the performance on solid shots. But I have not seen a noticeable improvement in my average scores. 

Exactly where I’m at. Played again today and felt like I was striking the ball much better. The feedback at the range makes me realize I wasn’t as consistent as I thought I was playing the Sim 2s. I Imagine the lack of forgiveness will make me a better player in the long run. 
On a somewhat wet day here in the mid-Atlantic, the balls were sticking to the green on approach shots. Like you said, such a great feeling.

[Andrew75]

5 hours ago, cnosil said:

Most OEMs make hollow body irons;  it is a design choice to assist with weight placement.  Why are you against hollow body irons or at least appear to be?

My experience with them has been odd feels at contact, and inability to consistently flight the ball down. I hit a lot of low half shots and work it mostly right to lect, and the hollow irons for the most part just kind of send it up like a rainbow arc.