I'm currently deployed to Afghanistan and just wanted you to know what you do has helped me get through this experience. Just wanted to say thanks for what you do I love all the vlog cheers Bruh.
Mark I appreciate all the different camera angles in this particular video. It's a lot of work, but it takes your review to a new level. Titleist is lucky to have you.
Love the super high quality video, music, editing, and not to mention the content of your videos. Very relaxing for late night viewing. Seriously can't be matched by any other golf RUclips guys. Thank you!
I tested the 4,6 and 8 iron on the course today and I found very little drop offs in distance and very trig hit dispersion overall,I love the look and feel of these irons
As a 13 handicapper who uses the bottom grooves much too often, I am convinced the TM speed slots do make a modest difference. I had Mizuno MP52s which I loved but they got pushed out of my bag by TM TP MCs. It appeared that my bad shots with the speed slots would scramble to front edge (as per your vid) but come up short of the green with my MP52s. This would often be the difference between an easy two putts or a tricky up and down (all up and downs are tricky when you play off 13!).
Mark, First of all I love your vids! I’m a PGA in the States and I’m thinking about gaming the 790s. I think you’re 100% correct about them being a means to sell clubs, because they are. The lofts are strong for sure. Not Rogue strong but still, the difference is there. I have noticed that although the 7 iron is very close to my ap2 6 iron in loft, I hit it much further than even my 6 iron, about 10 yards further in carry. Even if the “speedfoam” isn’t the cause, I’m sure the hollow head thinner face design allows for a spike in ball speed somewhere. What worries me is the consistency of the distance. I average 180 ish carry but have had several shots fly 195-200 with the 7 iron. And that’s with no wind and high humidity here on the east coast. Keep up the good work!
I love this review. Especially the comparison from a not so well hit shot to an absolute flush strike with the 4 iron. That's what happens in everyday golf by all players good or bad. So to get that comparison of shot is very reassuring for people looking to purchase new clubs! I myself was literally ordering the P770's next week but after watching this video, that will be now on the back burner until I have tried these ON and OFF the course. Great vlog Mark.
Your multi-talented Mark, swinging a 4 iron and flying a drone at the same time...impressive :) Seriously would be great to see a behind the scenes video, what gear you are using etc..I think people might not realise how much effort goes into producing good video never mind getting decent audio quality. Cheers
Really enjoying the on course vlog. Cool to watch, even if I am not buying at the moment. Agree with Daniel's comments regarding the good and bad 4 iron shots from the tee, great method of demonstrating what actually happens.
Love the videos Mark! As you are well aware of, honest club reviews are very engaging to your audience. Everyone wants to know the true performance of a club versus the what the company boasts the club will do. I've been watching your videos for quite a bit of time but have never written in until today. I think that I may have a decent idea for one of your videos ( maybe...lol....unless you've already thought of it or have actually already done it....although I don't think anyone has) How about a video on the run down of which clubs were real innovations in the industry. For example, the Taylormade SLDR driver (where the weight was moved forward towards the face of the driver instead to the back). Whichever company introduced cupface technology into their irons(I'm assuming it's Callaway....the reason I think it's a significant innovation is that a lot of companies seem to have adopted it) Wedges.....I have no idea. And putter...maybe the Odyssey 2 ball or possibly the Taylormade Spider putter. (many reviews of the Spider putter claim that it's signifcantly stable.....and the 2 ball putter is just about as iconic as the classic Anser putter) Maybe you could do a WITB of all of the clubs that were actually tech breakthroughs in the golf industry! Just an idea that I had, as I drank my coffee this morning! Sorry for the super long comment brah! Cheers from Maryland!
Tested the P790 at the golf store today. I like the "speed foam" except for the name. But you can hardly blame them for not calling it vibration damping foam, which is its real function. I appreciated the softer feel that resulted. My main complaint is the strong lofts. The 7-iron has 30.5 degrees of loft, which will replace my 31 degree 6-iron. I plan on buying 5 clubs (6-PW) to replace my 5-9 and add 1/2" to each shaft to fit into my set between my 22 degree 4-hybrid and my 48 degree Vokey wedge.
Parfield strikes again... great vlog... don't read into too much about tech but it does give the options of mixing sets... cavity back long irons, semi cavity mid and blade short irons/wedges.
Forget about the tech in the clubs, let's talk about the tech in the filming. Seemed like you had a whole crew with you. I don't think you even had Coach helping. Wow. Love how you are coming up with different ways to use your tech from filming to editing. Great stuff. The more I watch your vids lately the more I realize there's more to you than golf. 😉
Mark your camerawork on this video is exceptional. The drone shots with shot tracer are crazy good... excellent production that is getting better and better. Would love to hear how you do all the drone angles...
I second that - this was a great production. I'd be interested to know how you do the shot tracer in general let alone the via the drone? Also how you pan for the putt at 5:19?
I agree with you on how much clubs "help." I have hit "players" irons, and I have hit game improvement irons and everything in between. I find that there is very little difference generally. I am still using Taylormade R9 irons because I have yet to hit an iron that will take them out of my bag. They work just as well as any new clubs I have tried. My golf swing and what I put into them is what really makes the difference.
Mark thanks again for another amazing club review. Love the new format. The all around approach from the screens to the course is seamless. Keep it up "speedy foam" love it!
Cheers from the US. I would love to see the ladies more, I really enjoy watching them take apart courses and honestly why don't they deserve to play Atlanta, Augusta, etc? They play at St. Amdrews, to me that means they should play everywhere. I do appreciate that they maybe draw attention to courses that the guys don't play but I agree, I'd very much like to see them play more of the same tracks (PGA Stadium West, TPC Sawgrass); I think it could only help grow the game.
I love these on-course reviews with the dry ball data side-by-side. I think too many will look at other reviews and pass judgement negatively on these clubs because of low spin, etc. when, in fact, the on-course performance really was quite good. As for the clubs, I think they look great and the tech "appears" to be working but that's debatable, of course. I personally can't wait to give these a hit and see how they feel with the filled cavity.
Taylormade are hitting it on the money with their 'better players' irons, all of the P series look fantastic. They describe them as 'better players' looks with max distance, and I think they've done that too. Also Mark, you have to consider that the loft on the 7 iron is 30.5 degrees, while the MP-5's you game are much more traditional than that, so naturally this should spin around your 6 iron spin and not 7 iron spin. Also, wanna know if you noticed that they got the ball up just as high as your 7 iron does with far less loft?
Thanks for the practical review Mark. Wish more on RUclips would take the on course review format that you have done. Well done all around, keep it up.
So, I won a set of these directly from Taylormade through a local Rep. I received them the day they were released, fully built. I have a 4-AW set makeup, shafted with KBS S-Taper shafts tuned to basically a 6.1 frequency. So, basically a Stiff + flex. 1.5* flat, standard lofts. My usual gamers are Adams Pro Black MB's w/ KBS Tour shafts in an X. I got in 3 practice sessions, and 3 rounds in in the 2 weeks, before last. And, I have to be honest here, these things are actually really sweet! They were obviously far too long, considering the lofts, a 30.5* 7 iron?!? Holy balls! Anyway, they do NOT play like a GI or even mid GI club (which is kind of what they are). They look basically identical to the AP2 at address and feel really, really good. Better than the AP2, I'd say (which isn't hard). They're workable, they're easy to hit and it's fun to hit it that long. A 212-15 yard 7 iron?? That's fun!! However, not really conducive to scoring, which is my focus. What is, or I should say, WAS missing from this set was the scorability factor. Because of the lofts, I had some weird gapping low in the set, and some other issues relating to loft. Last Thursday however (9/7), I went ahead and had them adjusted to match the lofts of my usual gamers, which is 34* on the 7 iron, and on from there. They're forged, so, they were easy to bend. And, once I did that, these things REALLY came alive for me personally. They're still about 1 club long, even matching loft to loft. My low this year was a 1 under, 71 (72). And my low in the last five years, was a 2 under 69 (71). After I adjusted these, I played my home track (which houses my State's Open Championship annually) to a 3 under 68 (72). Usually you've got to factor in putting, but honestly, I didn't have a great putting day, finishing with 34 putts. Where the difference was, frankly, was the iron play. Shots were better, and results were more consistent. I'm a high spin player, so, I have to go long, and let the ball come back. These spun less, but, still enough to nicely stop. These clubs, for whatever reason, are just very, very easy to hit. They're also laser accurate when you put a move on one. I can't tell you how many times I've ended up short when missing by just a hair with my blades. These allow that miss, and don't penalize you an ungodly amount. Other clubs are forgiving, but, not in this profile and not in this target demographic. Better players could play an i25, or i200, but, they're not a club that looks like a players club. I think TM is looking for the mid-handicapper who wants a blade, but, can't play it. And, they got this one right, because not only do they get that guy, they're also getting the guy who can play a blade, but, doesn't want to work that hard. Let me just also clarify, I am ABSOLUTELY NOT a TM fanboy. So, for me to compliment these, is saying something, because frankly, TM has been steamy dog poo (irons wise and IMO) for a long, long time and I've not even bothered to look there or demo any of their sticks, in the last 6-8 years. I don't know if the speed foam matters, but, PXG sells the shit out of their "foam" inserts in their 0311XFm which I have also hit, and they don't feel anywhere near as good as these do - at more than twice the cost..... Honestly, it's not even close. The only other foam filled hollow blade I've hit that felt close to this good was the KZG HB516, which was awesome - well, at least the first generation! At the end of the day, I think they're worth a look. If you're a blade or CB type player, and you're looking for something a little easier, and more consistent to hit, these would be a really nice option. They look good, they feel great, and the playability is off the chart. Overall a nice set, that will probably stay in my bag for a while.
Daymon Johnson TM is offering me these or the MCGB because my M2 face slots are coming apart and they didn't fix the defect for left golfers. I'm a 20 handicap that can hit my 8 150. Do you think I'd have trouble with this club? The MCGB is what I probably should lean towards but I hate large toplines and the M2s pushed it. Appreciate your thoughts.
No, I don't think you'd have any issue at all. In fact, I think a beginning golfer could use these and would have no real trouble. As I stated above, these may be not only the best feeling Irons I've hit in recent years (certainly better feeling than my Adams' and damn close to my old Miura Tourney blades), but, also BY FAR the easiest! They just work. Not sure why, but, they do. I don't know about you, but, I find it more difficult to hit a "game improvement" club than anything. No real clue as to why, but, I do. Probably has something to do with balance, weight and the top line. Thick toplines are a no go for me. But these don't feel like a "GI" club at all. I mean, not even a little bit. If you're gonna grab them, you better do it quick though! PXG filed a lawsuit against them for "various patent infringements" because of the foam inserts. They may be forced to change them, and if they do, who knows what you'll get. For me though, and I'm a 2.16 handicap as of today, these will probably stay in the bag for a good while. Once I get more familiar and build some trust with them, I expect that number goes down. I would say try them. Even if you hate them, odds are with the lawsuit, you'll be able to sell them pretty quickly.
I got them last Friday and have played two rounds with them. I really love them. They are slightly......I don't want to say difficult....but maybe different to hit than my M2s, but I think a lot of it is my swing rather than the clubs. I've hit a few solid shots in the sweet spot with a swing as close to perfect as I can get and it feels so nice. I can't wait to gain more consistency with them!
Your perspective as a 2 HCP is valuable. For my next set, I want a club that will get me to the single digits (from a 20-something). My current Speedblades are also too strongly lofted, and that adds to multiple gap problems. I am planning to have a few degrees of loft added to these P790's right off the bat. Maybe a mixed set with P770's in the short irons.
Enjoyed this. Haven't watched a video on this channel for some time - pleasantly surprised at the jump in video production quality - love how you mixed in the drone footage! Thumbs up!
I just did a club fitting today with TM, results with my JPX800 7 iron with S300 150-154 on trackman, same as on the course. P790 hit 5 in a row 165 with R flex TT105. I have to buy these!
I had a couple Exotic hybrids that had tungsten in them. I really think it helped with my off centered hits. They were 2012 models, I think your seeing a few manufacturers trying to make the longer irons easier to hit.
I like how these test include half shots. That is always my concern with these irons. A 30 degree club when struck well will go the same distance as any other 30 degree. Keep up the good work.
Marketing doesn't make my decision. I love how you course review instead of dry data. I agree what you said about more demo clubs to try on the course to make the consumer choose.
I played the old R9 irons several years ago. They were cast, but made use of "foam' in the long irons. Overall, a very decent set of irons that looked cool because of the black insert in the cavity. I will say, I loved the 3-6 irons. The feel/sound of them was better than the shorter irons.
Hollow head club would probably sound weird hence the addition of the foam. It will be interesting to see if any tour players decide to use them. There were some pre launch pictures of John Rahm using them.
Video on point as usual, great editing, great content. Strike will always be king, but golf is a game of fractions, so anything that gives a little help is always welcome. What works for some will not work for others, so as you say, get out and test them for yourselves and make your own mind up.
I've used the tour preferred MC irons for the last month as my Mizuno blades are back at home. The MC have the foam slottyness and I've seen that my off centre strikes have been more forgiving; especially longer irons. I'm taking the MC's back to he UK and they may replace the MP37's... (been cut to 4 handicap from 8 whilst using them too.)
I know the bolt in the toe is where they inject the speed foam but wouldn’t it be sort of a neat concept to make those screws different weights and make them removable to add an element of adjustability to the irons like they do with the drivers and woods?
Mark, great video! One thing that kind of bugs me is people criticize Taylormade for releasing multiple sets of new irons/ drivers etc... however Titelist released six sets of new irons at one time and nobody makes a peep..... what gives? Love the daily vlogs. Keep up the good work.
Tech in current clubs do help to a point. More so the higher handicapped players clubs then a club like this or P770 or P750 but as you said Mark, strike is key so that plays the biggest part in how the ball travels
Taylormade used foam before in the R9 irons i think. Didn't do much back then. But on the help side, I played AP2's and moved to JPX 900 Hot Metal this year. My scoring isn't better. But I can hit a 21* 4 iron in the JPX consistently. I never gamed the 21* AP2 3 iron in my bag. Much harder to hit. So, the tech does help me.
I just had a fitting for irons and tried a variety of ping, callaway, titliest, and taylormades. I am a high handicap 25-30. I was surprised that my best clubs tested were the Taylormade P790. I was sure I was going to be in the game improvement irons and not a players iron. My previous clubs were Ping Eye 2's. Now I will say I was even more surprised how much the shaft had to do with the feel, distance and dispersion.! I am a fairly technical person-although in golf it is new to me to learn the intracicies- and having a fitting is where I learned this. I would HIGHLY recommend getting a fitting before buying any clubs! nice vid...
I'd be curious to see a comparison in spin rate between the 8i and the 7i. Just wondering if the "speed slot" on the sole is a contributing factor to the lower spin. Spin is low-ish but if the peak height is high enough it can be playable.
Q - if I slept on a bed of speed foam, would I save an hour every day? It's just marketing, but foam may actually affect sound and feel. I suspect it will not actually change the "speed". They look decent.
Nice to see old technology in new irons ... These are similar to the old TaylorMade ICW5's, right? .. just goes to show that there's noting new in golf. Can't wait for the TM P730 and the MP-18 reviews.
The old metal woods used to put foam in them to make them sound and feel better (like wood). Taylormade was actually the exception which was fully hollow and was the most popular original metal wood. So I suspect the foam doesn't add speed but would make it sound and feel better (like forged).
I think it would be of great help to see you take out a few sets of different irons and compare these in one video. Can then see how each compare when strike not so pure
Reviews help my decisions, but it's tough to really think if I would like a set with looking at specifications. I have a big problem looking at loft numbers that are super strong.
Great review mark, although, not sure if it's camera angle... these clubs look more like a driving iron... a bit like the t-mb titleist have recent rocked. I have a combo set cb and mb... that sole looks too chunky. Or is that just camera?
The point of "speed foam" is not to cause speed. It's to avoid reducing speed. You can watch the interview with Tomo Bystedt of TM where this is explained. It's on the National Club Golfer site. The club is hollow and the face is thin and flexible, which increase ball speed. The foam is injected inside to provide support to the thin face and to improve sound and to dampen vibration. The problem is that most foam materials that could be used end up slowing down ball speed by inhibiting the flexing of the face. This particular foam has strength but very low density. So it does its job (support, sound, vibration dampening) while allowing the face to flex and thus, not inhibiting ball speed. Hence the name "speed foam". This seems to be the only way to get really high ball speed in an iron that looks like a blade. Solid forgings don't have thin faces. Cavity backs look like shovels. These try do perform like cavity backs while looking like blades. Whether they achieve that is not for me to say. I haven't hit them yet, but I've heard good things. I don't really like the idea of a 26.5 degree 6-iron and a 23.5 degree 5-iron. That makes the 3, 4 and 5 pretty useless for me and the 6 iron is borderline. My Mizunos have a 27 degree 5-iron which is playable from decent lies.
Cosmetically, I think they look great for a GI type iron. Better than most I've seen. Performance is not spectacular, apparently, but looking down on something that looks good inspires confidence for me!
I am more interested in looks than tech however if I can find an iron that looks as close to a blade as possible and provide a bit more help (like the P770) then I always try them. I don't think all that tech lingo does all that much in clubs but I think it has a placebo effect on people. I have a friend that laughs every time someone mentions Jailbreak tech in the callaway but he goes on and on about the surefit CG weight plug and the active recoil channel in his Titliest driver, that's when I start laughing! Great Vlog Bruh!!!
Liking the 770. Would like to see the differences between those two in the Protos that Rory games. I'd also like to see the differences between those new irons and my 8 year old s57's
Taylormade has talked about foam as far back as the R9 irons, which I still game. I'd be interested if Mark noticed a decrease in feedback because the R9's are pretty numb to off-center hits.
Just bought a couple of the milled grind wedges from Taylor Made, think these would compliment them rather well. Jeez - I wish golf companies would stop bringing out shiny new gear! Great year for players irons!
I mark, as I started playing only 1,5 years ago, my ball striking is not very consistent. I tried p790 and p770 recently and even if the design difference seems to be minor, at my level i really could feel the benefit of the 790 vs 770. It would be great for some of your reviews that you also involve players that are not hitting as good as you. Would help me a lot personally. Thanks
Exceptional review dealing with dry data and course experience. Well done, Mr Parfield. Except: midnight carried bunker, so improved MOI should be given credit;? discussion of tungsten placement toward toe (where manufacturers have found most handicap players miss) and higher than Titleist and Erixon to lower spin not mentioned; discussion of using PXG-type foam (Speed Pocket/Speed Foam: just branding; get over it people's) for sound and hollow out blade to enhance perimeter weighting would be valued.
Hey there....I just wanted to say that I really enjoy watching your club reviews and vlogs. You have a certain quirkiness that makes your videos easier to watch compared to others reviewers out there.....in terms of which type of review data I prefer... I would have to say I personally prefer the on course performance reviews over the range reviews. For me it is just more real... I don't have much experience with launch monitor data so they only thing I believe is seeing true ball flight under true course conditions....when it comes to golf jargon and club technology, to be honest, it gets my attention and makes me want to check out online reviews etc to see if they are any good, but at the end of the day when purchasing new gear I will always choose the club that "feels" best. Looks come second, but I will always take feel over looks. Anyways that's just my 2 cents worth. Look forward to the next review, I still haven't decided what clubs I'll go to next, I'll probably look at purchasing a set in the next 6-12 months once (if) my game is on the improve lol....
So does the speed foam function to keep the face collapsing, allowing them to keep the face lighter and move more weight back (or lower) or is it purely for sound for the player? I'm a pretty technical person but without the ability to test their statements, I don't really keep up on it very much. In the end, it isn't going to affect my purchase one way or the other. I'll go to the store based on price and how I strike that club and not the fact that they moved to a less dense speed foam.
Blah blah marketing... for most golfers the tech is negligible. Just look how similar Mark's results are with the huge variety of clubs he tests! And this is why these reviews are so good... not many more consistent swing's than Parfield's. Lockey's maybe.... or not :) I just want confidence when I look down, whatever I'm looking at. Keep up the good work Bruh!!
They look nice never really been a TM iron fan until the PSI forged came along as for the spin number The 790 7i is 30 degrees same as your mp5 6i the 730 is 31
I was thinking about getting the p770 irons. Do you think a combo set would be a good idea with these for example 4,5,6 irons in the p790 and the rest in p770? Would love to hear your thoughts.
Your camera work is really good. Do you have someone go out and assist you every time you are on course? If not, it must take a good amount of time to get all your cut shots done according to the script of shots you want. Either way, great job!
I have tried forged clubs before to no success. They were stiff and very hard to hit. I am a 24 handicapper. Should i stay with a cast club? Or are there improvements in technology that would bring a forged club to my game?
Not a clue with all the techno bumf. Always go on feel first with clubs. they look nice, strike is king what ever club you hit. Loving the daily vlogs, on course testing for me is the best, although you might not find many places that will allow you to do it.
TM have been using 'foam' for years. I still have a set of R9 that are filled with 'soft foam' and 'inverted cone technology' from 2009. If they work they can say they are filled with 'radioactive jam sponge' for all I care.
what are your thoughts on dispertion and accuracy ,, I know their long ,but can you work the ball with these ,, nobody mentions that ,, is the thing with game improvement irons ,, usually not as accurate or have the ability to bend the ball as much ,, cant tell this hitting into a net at the golf store ,, and they wont let me take them home for a day lol
great review (as usual) but as usual with spin numbers on irons I also get confused/concerned - how much spin do I need with a 7 iron (or 9 iron) is 6000 revs enough to stop on a green as opposed to 7000? could you maybe hit a 6 and a 7 iron with truer lofts and spins into a green and show the difference in roll out? I get that friendlier clubs have lower spin, stronger lofts lower weight to get the "correct" high launch etc. but is 6000 spin from a 7 playable?
I'm currently deployed to Afghanistan and just wanted you to know what you do has helped me get through this experience. Just wanted to say thanks for what you do I love all the vlog cheers Bruh.
+Javell Clay thanks for your service bruh. And it's a honour to be able to entertain 👍
Mark I appreciate all the different camera angles in this particular video. It's a lot of work, but it takes your review to a new level. Titleist is lucky to have you.
Love the super high quality video, music, editing, and not to mention the content of your videos. Very relaxing for late night viewing. Seriously can't be matched by any other golf RUclips guys. Thank you!
Crossfield showing he's one of the best reviewers by making you think 💭 about golf and what clubs can really do for you.
I tested the 4,6 and 8 iron on the course today and I found very little drop offs in distance and very trig hit dispersion overall,I love the look and feel of these irons
As a 13 handicapper who uses the bottom grooves much too often, I am convinced the TM speed slots do make a modest difference. I had Mizuno MP52s which I loved but they got pushed out of my bag by TM TP MCs. It appeared that my bad shots with the speed slots would scramble to front edge (as per your vid) but come up short of the green with my MP52s. This would often be the difference between an easy two putts or a tricky up and down (all up and downs are tricky when you play off 13!).
Andy M i
I love the new reviews on the course rather than the range.I think how they feel on the course is the biggest thing.
I fell in love with these as soon as I hit them!
Mark,
First of all I love your vids! I’m a PGA in the States and I’m thinking about gaming the 790s. I think you’re 100% correct about them being a means to sell clubs, because they are. The lofts are strong for sure. Not Rogue strong but still, the difference is there. I have noticed that although the 7 iron is very close to my ap2 6 iron in loft, I hit it much further than even my 6 iron, about 10 yards further in carry. Even if the “speedfoam” isn’t the cause, I’m sure the hollow head thinner face design allows for a spike in ball speed somewhere. What worries me is the consistency of the distance. I average 180 ish carry but have had several shots fly 195-200 with the 7 iron. And that’s with no wind and high humidity here on the east coast. Keep up the good work!
I just tried them out. Fell in love with them. I got some on the way!! Great video buddy
how do you like them a year later?
I love this review. Especially the comparison from a not so well hit shot to an absolute flush strike with the 4 iron. That's what happens in everyday golf by all players good or bad. So to get that comparison of shot is very reassuring for people looking to purchase new clubs!
I myself was literally ordering the P770's next week but after watching this video, that will be now on the back burner until I have tried these ON and OFF the course.
Great vlog Mark.
+Daniel Batten 👍
I love your real world performance reviews. Your the best Mark!
loving the overhead drone shots!
Your multi-talented Mark, swinging a 4 iron and flying a drone at the same time...impressive :) Seriously would be great to see a behind the scenes video, what gear you are using etc..I think people might not realise how much effort goes into producing good video never mind getting decent audio quality. Cheers
Really enjoying the on course vlog. Cool to watch, even if I am not buying at the moment. Agree with Daniel's comments regarding the good and bad 4 iron shots from the tee, great method of demonstrating what actually happens.
Love the videos Mark! As you are well aware of, honest club reviews are very engaging to your audience. Everyone wants to know the true performance of a club versus the what the company boasts the club will do. I've been watching your videos for quite a bit of time but have never written in until today. I think that I may have a decent idea for one of your videos ( maybe...lol....unless you've already thought of it or have actually already done it....although I don't think anyone has) How about a video on the run down of which clubs were real innovations in the industry. For example, the Taylormade SLDR driver (where the weight was moved forward towards the face of the driver instead to the back). Whichever company introduced cupface technology into their irons(I'm assuming it's Callaway....the reason I think it's a significant innovation is that a lot of companies seem to have adopted it) Wedges.....I have no idea. And putter...maybe the Odyssey 2 ball or possibly the Taylormade Spider putter. (many reviews of the Spider putter claim that it's signifcantly stable.....and the 2 ball putter is just about as iconic as the classic Anser putter) Maybe you could do a WITB of all of the clubs that were actually tech breakthroughs in the golf industry! Just an idea that I had, as I drank my coffee this morning! Sorry for the super long comment brah! Cheers from Maryland!
Tested the P790 at the golf store today. I like the "speed foam" except for the name. But you can hardly blame them for not calling it vibration damping foam, which is its real function. I appreciated the softer feel that resulted. My main complaint is the strong lofts. The 7-iron has 30.5 degrees of loft, which will replace my 31 degree 6-iron. I plan on buying 5 clubs (6-PW) to replace my 5-9 and add 1/2" to each shaft to fit into my set between my 22 degree 4-hybrid and my 48 degree Vokey wedge.
Parfield strikes again... great vlog... don't read into too much about tech but it does give the options of mixing sets... cavity back long irons, semi cavity mid and blade short irons/wedges.
Forget about the tech in the clubs, let's talk about the tech in the filming. Seemed like you had a whole crew with you. I don't think you even had Coach helping. Wow. Love how you are coming up with different ways to use your tech from filming to editing. Great stuff. The more I watch your vids lately the more I realize there's more to you than golf. 😉
Mark your camerawork on this video is exceptional. The drone shots with shot tracer are crazy good... excellent production that is getting better and better. Would love to hear how you do all the drone angles...
I second that - this was a great production. I'd be interested to know how you do the shot tracer in general let alone the via the drone? Also how you pan for the putt at 5:19?
I agree with you on how much clubs "help." I have hit "players" irons, and I have hit game improvement irons and everything in between. I find that there is very little difference generally. I am still using Taylormade R9 irons because I have yet to hit an iron that will take them out of my bag. They work just as well as any new clubs I have tried. My golf swing and what I put into them is what really makes the difference.
Mark thanks again for another amazing club review. Love the new format. The all around approach from the screens to the course is seamless. Keep it up "speedy foam" love it!
Cheers from the US. I would love to see the ladies more, I really enjoy watching them take apart courses and honestly why don't they deserve to play Atlanta, Augusta, etc? They play at St. Amdrews, to me that means they should play everywhere. I do appreciate that they maybe draw attention to courses that the guys don't play but I agree, I'd very much like to see them play more of the same tracks (PGA Stadium West, TPC Sawgrass); I think it could only help grow the game.
i agree but i really like your point that the lpga brings attention to courses that the pga doesn’t play
Another enjoyable club report. Cheers Mark.
I love these on-course reviews with the dry ball data side-by-side. I think too many will look at other reviews and pass judgement negatively on these clubs because of low spin, etc. when, in fact, the on-course performance really was quite good. As for the clubs, I think they look great and the tech "appears" to be working but that's debatable, of course. I personally can't wait to give these a hit and see how they feel with the filled cavity.
Taylormade are hitting it on the money with their 'better players' irons, all of the P series look fantastic. They describe them as 'better players' looks with max distance, and I think they've done that too. Also Mark, you have to consider that the loft on the 7 iron is 30.5 degrees, while the MP-5's you game are much more traditional than that, so naturally this should spin around your 6 iron spin and not 7 iron spin. Also, wanna know if you noticed that they got the ball up just as high as your 7 iron does with far less loft?
Brilliant production quality Mark
The way you do reviews now is a great fresh new look, cheers 🍻 Mark
Thanks for the practical review Mark. Wish more on RUclips would take the on course review format that you have done. Well done all around, keep it up.
One of the best produced club reviews i have seen.. and i have seen a few.
+Rodney Blackwell cheers Rodney
So, I won a set of these directly from Taylormade through a local Rep. I received them the day they were released, fully built. I have a 4-AW set makeup, shafted with KBS S-Taper shafts tuned to basically a 6.1 frequency. So, basically a Stiff + flex. 1.5* flat, standard lofts. My usual gamers are Adams Pro Black MB's w/ KBS Tour shafts in an X.
I got in 3 practice sessions, and 3 rounds in in the 2 weeks, before last. And, I have to be honest here, these things are actually really sweet! They were obviously far too long, considering the lofts, a 30.5* 7 iron?!? Holy balls! Anyway, they do NOT play like a GI or even mid GI club (which is kind of what they are). They look basically identical to the AP2 at address and feel really, really good. Better than the AP2, I'd say (which isn't hard). They're workable, they're easy to hit and it's fun to hit it that long. A 212-15 yard 7 iron?? That's fun!! However, not really conducive to scoring, which is my focus.
What is, or I should say, WAS missing from this set was the scorability factor. Because of the lofts, I had some weird gapping low in the set, and some other issues relating to loft. Last Thursday however (9/7), I went ahead and had them adjusted to match the lofts of my usual gamers, which is 34* on the 7 iron, and on from there. They're forged, so, they were easy to bend. And, once I did that, these things REALLY came alive for me personally. They're still about 1 club long, even matching loft to loft.
My low this year was a 1 under, 71 (72). And my low in the last five years, was a 2 under 69 (71). After I adjusted these, I played my home track (which houses my State's Open Championship annually) to a 3 under 68 (72). Usually you've got to factor in putting, but honestly, I didn't have a great putting day, finishing with 34 putts. Where the difference was, frankly, was the iron play. Shots were better, and results were more consistent. I'm a high spin player, so, I have to go long, and let the ball come back. These spun less, but, still enough to nicely stop.
These clubs, for whatever reason, are just very, very easy to hit. They're also laser accurate when you put a move on one. I can't tell you how many times I've ended up short when missing by just a hair with my blades. These allow that miss, and don't penalize you an ungodly amount. Other clubs are forgiving, but, not in this profile and not in this target demographic. Better players could play an i25, or i200, but, they're not a club that looks like a players club.
I think TM is looking for the mid-handicapper who wants a blade, but, can't play it. And, they got this one right, because not only do they get that guy, they're also getting the guy who can play a blade, but, doesn't want to work that hard. Let me just also clarify, I am ABSOLUTELY NOT a TM fanboy. So, for me to compliment these, is saying something, because frankly, TM has been steamy dog poo (irons wise and IMO) for a long, long time and I've not even bothered to look there or demo any of their sticks, in the last 6-8 years.
I don't know if the speed foam matters, but, PXG sells the shit out of their "foam" inserts in their 0311XFm which I have also hit, and they don't feel anywhere near as good as these do - at more than twice the cost..... Honestly, it's not even close. The only other foam filled hollow blade I've hit that felt close to this good was the KZG HB516, which was awesome - well, at least the first generation!
At the end of the day, I think they're worth a look. If you're a blade or CB type player, and you're looking for something a little easier, and more consistent to hit, these would be a really nice option. They look good, they feel great, and the playability is off the chart. Overall a nice set, that will probably stay in my bag for a while.
Daymon Johnson TM is offering me these or the MCGB because my M2 face slots are coming apart and they didn't fix the defect for left golfers. I'm a 20 handicap that can hit my 8 150. Do you think I'd have trouble with this club? The MCGB is what I probably should lean towards but I hate large toplines and the M2s pushed it. Appreciate your thoughts.
No, I don't think you'd have any issue at all. In fact, I think a beginning golfer could use these and would have no real trouble. As I stated above, these may be not only the best feeling Irons I've hit in recent years (certainly better feeling than my Adams' and damn close to my old Miura Tourney blades), but, also BY FAR the easiest! They just work. Not sure why, but, they do.
I don't know about you, but, I find it more difficult to hit a "game improvement" club than anything. No real clue as to why, but, I do. Probably has something to do with balance, weight and the top line. Thick toplines are a no go for me. But these don't feel like a "GI" club at all. I mean, not even a little bit.
If you're gonna grab them, you better do it quick though! PXG filed a lawsuit against them for "various patent infringements" because of the foam inserts. They may be forced to change them, and if they do, who knows what you'll get. For me though, and I'm a 2.16 handicap as of today, these will probably stay in the bag for a good while. Once I get more familiar and build some trust with them, I expect that number goes down. I would say try them. Even if you hate them, odds are with the lawsuit, you'll be able to sell them pretty quickly.
Rob Suslowicz I'm a beginner golfer and getting these next week. They are great as a GI iron for me as a beginner according to my fitting stats.
I got them last Friday and have played two rounds with them. I really love them. They are slightly......I don't want to say difficult....but maybe different to hit than my M2s, but I think a lot of it is my swing rather than the clubs. I've hit a few solid shots in the sweet spot with a swing as close to perfect as I can get and it feels so nice. I can't wait to gain more consistency with them!
Your perspective as a 2 HCP is valuable. For my next set, I want a club that will get me to the single digits (from a 20-something). My current Speedblades are also too strongly lofted, and that adds to multiple gap problems. I am planning to have a few degrees of loft added to these P790's right off the bat. Maybe a mixed set with P770's in the short irons.
Enjoyed this. Haven't watched a video on this channel for some time - pleasantly surprised at the jump in video production quality - love how you mixed in the drone footage! Thumbs up!
I just did a club fitting today with TM, results with my JPX800 7 iron with S300 150-154 on trackman, same as on the course. P790 hit 5 in a row 165 with R flex TT105. I have to buy these!
I had a couple Exotic hybrids that had tungsten in them. I really think it helped with my off centered hits. They were 2012 models, I think your seeing a few manufacturers trying to make the longer irons easier to hit.
I like how these test include half shots. That is always my concern with these irons. A 30 degree club when struck well will go the same distance as any other 30 degree. Keep up the good work.
Marketing doesn't make my decision. I love how you course review instead of dry data. I agree what you said about more demo clubs to try on the course to make the consumer choose.
I played the old R9 irons several years ago. They were cast, but made use of "foam' in the long irons. Overall, a very decent set of irons that looked cool because of the black insert in the cavity. I will say, I loved the 3-6 irons. The feel/sound of them was better than the shorter irons.
Hollow head club would probably sound weird hence the addition of the foam. It will be interesting to see if any tour players decide to use them. There were some pre launch pictures of John Rahm using them.
Video on point as usual, great editing, great content. Strike will always be king, but golf is a game of fractions, so anything that gives a little help is always welcome. What works for some will not work for others, so as you say, get out and test them for yourselves and make your own mind up.
I've used the tour preferred MC irons for the last month as my Mizuno blades are back at home. The MC have the foam slottyness and I've seen that my off centre strikes have been more forgiving; especially longer irons. I'm taking the MC's back to he UK and they may replace the MP37's... (been cut to 4 handicap from 8 whilst using them too.)
I know the bolt in the toe is where they inject the speed foam but wouldn’t it be sort of a neat concept to make those screws different weights and make them removable to add an element of adjustability to the irons like they do with the drivers and woods?
Mark, great video! One thing that kind of bugs me is people criticize Taylormade for releasing multiple sets of new irons/ drivers etc... however Titelist released six sets of new irons at one time and nobody makes a peep..... what gives? Love the daily vlogs. Keep up the good work.
Tech in current clubs do help to a point. More so the higher handicapped players clubs then a club like this or P770 or P750 but as you said Mark, strike is key so that plays the biggest part in how the ball travels
I could definitely see players who are used to using players irons but who have lost a bit of distance over the years liking this 👍
This is some next level editing. Looks good bruh.
Great video Mark! We love what you do, keep it up mate !
Enjoying the daily vlogs. Keep up the good work.
Now this is a golf review! Great filming and mixture of course data vs GCquad
Taylormade used foam before in the R9 irons i think. Didn't do much back then. But on the help side, I played AP2's and moved to JPX 900 Hot Metal this year. My scoring isn't better. But I can hit a 21* 4 iron in the JPX consistently. I never gamed the 21* AP2 3 iron in my bag. Much harder to hit. So, the tech does help me.
I just had a fitting for irons and tried a variety of ping, callaway, titliest, and taylormades. I am a high handicap 25-30. I was surprised that my best clubs tested were the Taylormade P790. I was sure I was going to be in the game improvement irons and not a players iron. My previous clubs were Ping Eye 2's. Now I will say I was even more surprised how much the shaft had to do with the feel, distance and dispersion.! I am a fairly technical person-although in golf it is new to me to learn the intracicies- and having a fitting is where I learned this. I would HIGHLY recommend getting a fitting before buying any clubs! nice vid...
I'd be curious to see a comparison in spin rate between the 8i and the 7i. Just wondering if the "speed slot" on the sole is a contributing factor to the lower spin. Spin is low-ish but if the peak height is high enough it can be playable.
Q - if I slept on a bed of speed foam, would I save an hour every day? It's just marketing, but foam may actually affect sound and feel. I suspect it will not actually change the "speed". They look decent.
Nice to see old technology in new irons ... These are similar to the old TaylorMade ICW5's, right? .. just goes to show that there's noting new in golf. Can't wait for the TM P730 and the MP-18 reviews.
The old metal woods used to put foam in them to make them sound and feel better (like wood). Taylormade was actually the exception which was fully hollow and was the most popular original metal wood. So I suspect the foam doesn't add speed but would make it sound and feel better (like forged).
I think it would be of great help to see you take out a few sets of different irons and compare these in one video. Can then see how each compare when strike not so pure
Played in a tourney with a guy who just got his set of P90's. Distance and playability beats my Callaways. He flew the 8iron 179 yards. I'm sold!
That was because his P790 8 iron has the same loft as your 7 iron.
Absolutely love the videos mark !!
+HarryRemblance cheers Harry
Reviews help my decisions, but it's tough to really think if I would like a set with looking at specifications. I have a big problem looking at loft numbers that are super strong.
I really like the clean look of the club.😊
Great review mark, although, not sure if it's camera angle... these clubs look more like a driving iron... a bit like the t-mb titleist have recent rocked. I have a combo set cb and mb... that sole looks too chunky. Or is that just camera?
The point of "speed foam" is not to cause speed. It's to avoid reducing speed. You can watch the interview with Tomo Bystedt of TM where this is explained. It's on the National Club Golfer site. The club is hollow and the face is thin and flexible, which increase ball speed. The foam is injected inside to provide support to the thin face and to improve sound and to dampen vibration. The problem is that most foam materials that could be used end up slowing down ball speed by inhibiting the flexing of the face. This particular foam has strength but very low density. So it does its job (support, sound, vibration dampening) while allowing the face to flex and thus, not inhibiting ball speed. Hence the name "speed foam". This seems to be the only way to get really high ball speed in an iron that looks like a blade. Solid forgings don't have thin faces. Cavity backs look like shovels. These try do perform like cavity backs while looking like blades. Whether they achieve that is not for me to say. I haven't hit them yet, but I've heard good things. I don't really like the idea of a 26.5 degree 6-iron and a 23.5 degree 5-iron. That makes the 3, 4 and 5 pretty useless for me and the 6 iron is borderline. My Mizunos have a 27 degree 5-iron which is playable from decent lies.
Cracking editing in this one Mark, love it 💪🏼
Some would say you could regain status as top putter over lockey after watching that! Great vlog bruh
Cosmetically, I think they look great for a GI type iron. Better than most I've seen. Performance is not spectacular, apparently, but looking down on something that looks good inspires confidence for me!
I am more interested in looks than tech however if I can find an iron that looks as close to a blade as possible and provide a bit more help (like the P770) then I always try them. I don't think all that tech lingo does all that much in clubs but I think it has a placebo effect on people. I have a friend that laughs every time someone mentions Jailbreak tech in the callaway but he goes on and on about the surefit CG weight plug and the active recoil channel in his Titliest driver, that's when I start laughing! Great Vlog Bruh!!!
Liking the 770. Would like to see the differences between those two in the Protos that Rory games. I'd also like to see the differences between those new irons and my 8 year old s57's
I think they look sharpe but I'll stay with my RSI2's for now. I like my velocity slots. :)
Tried these, it a 7 iron 185 yards. I usually hit a 7 like 130-140. Probably just the loft tho. Sound and feel was awesome.
i love the look of them i would buy them just for that reason probably the best reason to buy any club
The Versa is back,it was only a matter of time Mark :)
Nice review,they look quite nice irons.
great way to club review...much more useful info
Best club reviews out there, these are on my shortlist now....great review brah!
Taylormade has talked about foam as far back as the R9 irons, which I still game. I'd be interested if Mark noticed a decrease in feedback because the R9's are pretty numb to off-center hits.
What are the lofts like strong I am assuming given spin numbers
30.5 degree 7 iron is closer to a 6 iron in a "normal" set. So 6000 spin is about right.
Just bought a couple of the milled grind wedges from Taylor Made, think these would compliment them rather well. Jeez - I wish golf companies would stop bringing out shiny new gear! Great year for players irons!
What's with the hole on the toe area on the 4iron? Or a screw or something.
It's where they inject the "fast, speedy foam".
it's the tungsten insert
Michael Battlefield it's where they inject the foam, not the Tungsten. Hope that helps.
I mark, as I started playing only 1,5 years ago, my ball striking is not very consistent. I tried p790 and p770 recently and even if the design difference seems to be minor, at my level i really could feel the benefit of the 790 vs 770. It would be great for some of your reviews that you also involve players that are not hitting as good as you. Would help me a lot personally. Thanks
Good looking. Sounds pretty good in the video.
Exceptional review dealing with dry data and course experience. Well done, Mr Parfield. Except: midnight carried bunker, so improved MOI should be given credit;? discussion of tungsten placement toward toe (where manufacturers have found most handicap players miss) and higher than Titleist and Erixon to lower spin not mentioned; discussion of using PXG-type foam (Speed Pocket/Speed Foam: just branding; get over it people's) for sound and hollow out blade to enhance perimeter weighting would be valued.
Good work Dan
I'd love to see some track man numbers vs p770
Hey there....I just wanted to say that I really enjoy watching your club reviews and vlogs. You have a certain quirkiness that makes your videos easier to watch compared to others reviewers out there.....in terms of which type of review data I prefer... I would have to say I personally prefer the on course performance reviews over the range reviews. For me it is just more real... I don't have much experience with launch monitor data so they only thing I believe is seeing true ball flight under true course conditions....when it comes to golf jargon and club technology, to be honest, it gets my attention and makes me want to check out online reviews etc to see if they are any good, but at the end of the day when purchasing new gear I will always choose the club that "feels" best. Looks come second, but I will always take feel over looks. Anyways that's just my 2 cents worth. Look forward to the next review, I still haven't decided what clubs I'll go to next, I'll probably look at purchasing a set in the next 6-12 months once (if) my game is on the improve lol....
So does the speed foam function to keep the face collapsing, allowing them to keep the face lighter and move more weight back (or lower) or is it purely for sound for the player? I'm a pretty technical person but without the ability to test their statements, I don't really keep up on it very much. In the end, it isn't going to affect my purchase one way or the other. I'll go to the store based on price and how I strike that club and not the fact that they moved to a less dense speed foam.
Blah blah marketing... for most golfers the tech is negligible. Just look how similar Mark's results are with the huge variety of clubs he tests! And this is why these reviews are so good... not many more consistent swing's than Parfield's. Lockey's maybe.... or not :) I just want confidence when I look down, whatever I'm looking at. Keep up the good work Bruh!!
They look nice never really been a TM iron fan until the PSI forged came along as for the spin number The 790 7i is 30 degrees same as your mp5 6i the 730 is 31
I was thinking about getting the p770 irons. Do you think a combo set would be a good idea with these for example 4,5,6 irons in the p790 and the rest in p770? Would love to hear your thoughts.
Mark how do these compare with the Mizuno JPX900 forged ? I currently play the 900’s but really like the look of the P790’s
Your camera work is really good. Do you have someone go out and assist you every time you are on course? If not, it must take a good amount of time to get all your cut shots done according to the script of shots you want. Either way, great job!
I have tried forged clubs before to no success. They were stiff and very hard to hit. I am a 24 handicapper. Should i stay with a cast club? Or are there improvements in technology that would bring a forged club to my game?
Wilson had slots in the sole of their irons YEARS AGO! All I know is I hit it thin with an iron with a slot, it doesn't feel so harsh.
Just ordered a set with kbs tour flt shafts. Look great and feel great
It’s a nice iron.
These are seriously good clubs, great feel and distance. Love the look at address
Not a clue with all the techno bumf. Always go on feel first with clubs. they look nice, strike is king what ever club you hit. Loving the daily vlogs, on course testing for me is the best, although you might not find many places that will allow you to do it.
TM have been using 'foam' for years. I still have a set of R9 that are filled with 'soft foam' and 'inverted cone technology' from 2009. If they work they can say they are filled with 'radioactive jam sponge' for all I care.
Thanks for the quality info and content!
what are your thoughts on dispertion and accuracy ,, I know their long ,but can you work the ball with these ,, nobody mentions that ,, is the thing with game improvement irons ,, usually not as accurate or have the ability to bend the ball as much ,, cant tell this hitting into a net at the golf store ,, and they wont let me take them home for a day lol
Your so consistent,how the heck can the coach compete,,,lol love all your vids,.thanks
I tried these out yesterday, increased my 7 iron distance at least 30 yards compared to my Mizuno TPZ but couldn't quite get the accuracy.
I reckon this club would make a beautiful driving iron. 3 iron at 19* would be perfect.
just picked up the p790. im regretting not getting the black ones tho.
great review (as usual) but as usual with spin numbers on irons I also get confused/concerned - how much spin do I need with a 7 iron (or 9 iron) is 6000 revs enough to stop on a green as opposed to 7000? could you maybe hit a 6 and a 7 iron with truer lofts and spins into a green and show the difference in roll out? I get that friendlier clubs have lower spin, stronger lofts lower weight to get the "correct" high launch etc. but is 6000 spin from a 7 playable?
It is when it's really a 6-iron in disguise (30.5 degree loft).
General rule of thumb is multiply the number on the bottom by 1000, ie a 4 iron should have ~4000, 7 iron ~7000, etc.