TaylorMade’s P790 and p760 irons aren’t exactly twins, but, fair warning—we’ve never seen them in the same room together. The P790 has the movie-star looks of a traditional forged blade, but in terms of ballstriking feel, the P760 is equally glam.
The main difference is that the P790 is designed for lovers of the long ball—its active face, hollow construction, SpeedFoam filler and Speed Pocket technology generate lights-out ball speed. Better yet, they’ve engineered plenty of wiggle room for the times when your swing is less than perfect.
While much of this tech made its way into the P760, this set hangs its hat on delivering the benefits of a true progressive set, pairing SpeedFoam-injected long irons (3-7) with solid-construction short irons (8-AW). The transitional nature of the p760 is aimed at providing added distance and forgiveness in the longer irons, and spin and optimized performance with the scoring irons.
According to Matt Bovee, the senior director of product creation at TaylorMade, “The P790 transcends a player’s skill level—it can work for anyone, from low single-digit handicaps who want extra distance and forgiveness, to low double-digits and some higher-handicappers. Even older players who are still good ballstrikers but who appreciate the promise of enhanced performance will find the P790 a game-changer.”
So where does that leave the P760? “Pros, like staffer Jon Rahm, and single-digit players prefer the P760,” says Bovee, “but some 10-handicappers might like it as well.” In other words, if you’re more concerned with control and using spin to shape shots, the P760s might be the clubs for you. “They’re aimed at those who want traditional performance with some enhancements,” adds Bovee. “The P760s are not distance irons like the P790s, which have stronger lofts and a Speed Pocket in the sole.”
The desire for maximum distance on all iron shots (P790) vs. substantial distance and greater control when you’re taking dead aim at the flagstick (P760) would seem to be what you’re choosing between in these high-performance, separated-at-birth irons. A key question to consider, then, is this: Just how much longer will a ball fly off the face of a P790 iron when you put your best move on it? According to Bovee, a P790 7-iron will typically play about a club longer than a 7-iron from a P760 set. So, simply put, if you want distance performance throughout the set, the P790 is the way to go.
