2024 New Taylormade P-790 vs the last release model

[North Shore Golfer21]

New ‘23 version will spin ~ 150rpm more in the 7i without losing any carry distance over ‘21 version. 

[BirdieBob]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 20, 2023 by BirdieBob

[BirdieBob]

 

[BirdieBob]

 

[Tiptx1122]

On 8/7/2023 at 10:48 PM, Lefty87 said:

I’m guessing there’s another redistribution of weight in the new model. More weight lower and to the toe. Maybe a slight modification under the hood to help even more with sound and feel. That seems to be the recipe for minor performance upgrades anymore. It’s unfortunate, but everyone expects these massive performance upgrades from one iteration to the next. The P790 is an incredible iron as it is. For those expecting wholesale changes, you’ll never see them with this club. There’s no need. 
 

I, for one, really appreciate the visual update…subtle but beautiful. I’m sure there will be a slight enhancement to performance as well. For an iron that’s already incredible, these minor changes will be enough to continue the P790 market dominance. 
 

It’s like being disappointed that the iPhone doesn’t look drastically different from one year to the next. It always looks good, it always performs well, why screw that up? 

That was perfectly said as these will sell very well I’m sure. If it were not for the major improvements Titleist made in the T-350’s I might have tried these new 790’s as the original one got me started in playing a players distance iron. I need all the help I can get as a senior so I’m very satisfied with my decision with the T-350 and the Stealth HD irons didn’t impress me. I’m not so sure if the new P790’s will still dominate that category as the competition has been getting much tougher but they will sell. Why couldn’t they have put that speed pocket slot and speed foam in the 7-PW as then they would have made a bigger improvement visually 

Edited August 26, 2023 by Tiptx1122

[PickItUpGolf]

7 hours ago, BirdieBob said:

 

Rick Mate, you couldn't even hit them.

 

I couldn't hit something very well the other day, wasn't the clubs though, it was me. 

Pretty terrible review tbh.
 

Also, he goes on about how much he likes the older model, but then they're nowhere to be seen?

A good reviewer would compare the two on the day wouldn't they?

[BirdieBob]

T200 vs. Comparison to the TM P790.....

 

 

[Jeff58]

Today I had a fitting with TaylorMade corporate for both the 2023 P790 irons and MG4 wedges. I currently play the 2021 P790 or Srixon ZX5. I previously had 2019 P790’s. I compared the 2021 with DG105 S to the new version with a variety of steel shafts from 95 to 120 grams. My club head speed was running from 110-112, mostly.

 

Looks - They appear thinner in the top line and sole. For the sole, that’s real. For the top line, it’s been curved, colored, and chamfered such that it looks thin by almost any measure. Frankly, for me this was initially slightly off putting, as the thinness also made it look longer, and the overall proportion slightly odd.

 

Feel - The 2023 is softer feeling, but more in an i210 way than a soft/forged one. Compared to the 2021, the 2023 is “nicer” on non-centered impacts, but I’d hesitate to call it better. Personal call here. The ZX5, for instance, has a superb forged feel. If that type of feel is high on your wish list, these are not the clubs you’re looking for.

 

Height/distance - with the same DG105S shaft, the 2023 launched about a half degree higher and spun 250 rpms less. It also had 3-4 yards more carry and a higher landing angle, such that the amount of roll was virtually identical. The fitter and my conclusion was that that was exactly what was designed to happen. There is no magic. It’s the best balance that wins.

 

Accuracy - Looking back, the 2019’s most notable feature was “fliers”. My belief at the time was that an iron with an elevated COR was bound to be hotter towards the center, since it had a larger flex zone. Rather bizarrely, at least to me, the 2021 version absolutely eliminated that. That change obviously improved front to back dispersion. 

 

IMO the most significant performance change between 2021 and 2023 is the resistance to curvature. The 2023 is as resistant to curvature as the 2021 is to fliers. The 2023’s target is again dispersion, but now left-right. Compared to the 2021, it’s significant. Compared to the ZX5, it’s not comparable. The ZX5’s almost always have some degree of curve. As you may have already concluded, the virtual elimination of curvature isn’t entirely a positive attribute. On my home course, which has lots of trees and wooded areas, several times per round it’s advantageous to be able to move the ball. With the ZX5, that’s fairly trivial. With the 2021, it’s already difficult enough that I use the ZX5’s more often. With the 2023, I don’t think I would try.

 

Shaft matching - many clubs work best with whatever shafts you have found to work well in previous sets. Others, the 2021 P790 included IMO, “need” a certain shaft profile to achieve optimal numbers. The DG105 S works extremely well with the 2021. It launches high enough to creat good landing angles without ballooning. Those players who needed heavier and stiffer shafts to achieve control typically ended up with low height, low spin, poor distance control, and general unhappiness.

 

The 2023 is unique in my experience, in that it is a chameleon. If you’ve ever been into stereo equipment, the best speakers are usually considered to be those that have no sound/flavor/signature at all. Rather, they pass the signal/music with transparency. The 2023 P790 is very much in this vein. Different shafts produce very significantly different results. Combined with the “clear” impact feel, you get an unusual feeling that the head is just getting out of the way and allowing the shaft and ball to interact as designed. I do believe that, as with its straight flying manners, that this characteristic can be a bit of a double edged sword. The only sane way of configuring these clubs is with a very sophisticated fitter. To not do so is wrong on many levels.

 

The UTuber’s make the standard comments concerning this iron set, and even more than normal, their comments and data are of little value in any way. Mostly to me, they appear to either not understand or care about what makes them unique either good or bad. This is without a doubt the most technically sophisticated golf iron yet produced, and it’s treated like cheap cheese from the Quicky Mart. Poor. Very poor.

[PickItUpGolf]

So which would you go for if you had to chose one set @Jeff58?

2023 p790s or ZX5 MKIIs?

[BirdieBob]

2023 P790 vs i525

 

 

[Jeff58]

4 hours ago, PickItUpGolf said:

So which would you go for if you had to chose one set @Jeff58?

2023 p790s or ZX5 MKIIs?

ZX5 MkII. Because they make me feel like a “player”, not because they’re superior.

 

 IMO there are a few truly great iron sets available at this point, and these are two of them. Another is the i210/30. What TM has made here is a “i230 distance iron”. While the ZX5 sole configuration is grossly better than the original version, the P790’s is as good as any set I’ve ever hit.

 

i’d *really* like to see how the rest of the P790 set perform. When you see the advertisement/copy, the unique aspect is that each iron is uniquely designed. However, even with a TM fitting, you still only get the 7 iron. That’s not really useful. I went to a Srixon introduction event, and they had the entire set Zx4/5/7 available, and in left hand.

[PickItUpGolf]

I've gone and ordered a set, despite finding it a super tough choice between these and the ZX5 MKIIs.

There's always a set of Srixons just an order (and sale of the p790s) away, if I made the wrong choice.

I'm sure I'm going to love them though.

 

Other deciding factor was the MG4s, loved them when I tested them and they'd make a great set all together.

[Tiptx1122]

Surprised to see the numbers between the PING i525 and 23' P790 were nearly identical. Looks like it would only come down to what you feel looks betters as there is no clear winner. 

[Wonderboy]

I am not really into foam filled irons but I watched Rich Shiels review the new P790 and it left a lot to be desired in looks and performance.  Not sure if its because of the new design.  

[PickItUpGolf]

1 hour ago, Wonderboy said:

I am not really into foam filled irons but I watched Rich Shiels review the new P790 and it left a lot to be desired in looks and performance.  Not sure if its because of the new design.  

It was because of him.

 

Nobody else seems to have a problem hitting them.

[FISHSTIX]

Had a chance to hit these on grass this weekend with a bunch of different shafts. I've played every version of P790 through the years. To my eye, these are slightly smaller and overall the best looking to date. The feel is good - not as soft as my Gen6 Ps - but overall more appealing for me behind the ball than the PXGs. Personally I also love the matte finish - I found the new T200 to be an excellent iron but I don't like how shiny it is. I found the new 790 to spin slightly more with the right shaft than my Gen6Ps by ~200RPM. I was reliably getting 5700RPM with $-Taper 120s. Main reason they are on order and going in the bag (aside from general WRXer reasons) is they were incredibly consistent for me. Spin was within 150RPM on every shot - thin, flushed - didn't matter. And the distances and ball speed numbers were great on mishits as well. I think TM has hit a stealthy homerun here. There are so many options in the category but these continue to be awesome. Sort of like a BMW M5. It's been around forever and isn't always top of mind when you ask people what's the best car, but $ for $ is there a better car that exists that happens to be insanely good at everything even if it's not the absolute best in any one category? I think that's the 790. 

Edited August 29, 2023 by FISHSTIX

[csiachos]

Exactly, I don't listen to Rick's reviews, bc frankly, he can't hit the ball consistently

[Tiptx1122]

18 minutes ago, csiachos said:

Exactly, I don't listen to Rick's reviews, bc frankly, he can't hit the ball consistently

Oh and I'm sure he doesn't hit or play that awful, maybe by your standards since maybe you're a scratch golfer I guess. So is a person who is a mid handi capper going to do anything different as these irons should still show better results and they just didn't do it for him or for other reviews out there, to include M.Newton as he wasn't very impressed either.  Just because people don't care for them doesn't mean they don't work for you or others. Many of these YouTube reviews don't care for them and they justify their reason. It's ok if they are not for everyone. 

[Pleasedwith3putts]

On 8/11/2023 at 4:59 PM, Pleasedwith3putts said:

The TXG review flagged that the gapping has increased as long irons go further and short irons go shorter than previous gens. Ian couldn't get much out of the PW.

Interesting to see that while Shiels was clearly not swinging well, he found exactly the same thing as TXG whereby the mid irons went the expected distance but the short irons were coming up short of what was anticipated, meaning he had a 35 yard gap between carry on a 9 and 7 iron!

 

Looking forward to hearing some member experiences here with launch day imminent

[J_Tizzle]

On 8/28/2023 at 7:12 AM, Tiptx1122 said:

Surprised to see the numbers between the PING i525 and 23' P790 were nearly identical. Looks like it would only come down to what you feel looks betters as there is no clear winner. 

 

As a current i525 player, I did like the video posted by @BirdieBob showing the p790s are more forgiving off of the bottom and slightly more forgiving on the heel, which tends to be my standard miss.  

 

I'm going to wait until we hear if Ping is updating the I525, but I could totally see myself going and getting a p770/790 combo set for next year. 

[JDIL]

On 8/29/2023 at 7:03 AM, FISHSTIX said:

Had a chance to hit these on grass this weekend with a bunch of different shafts. I've played every version of P790 through the years. To my eye, these are slightly smaller and overall the best looking to date. The feel is good - not as soft as my Gen6 Ps - but overall more appealing for me behind the ball than the PXGs. Personally I also love the matte finish - I found the new T200 to be an excellent iron but I don't like how shiny it is. I found the new 790 to spin slightly more with the right shaft than my Gen6Ps by ~200RPM. I was reliably getting 5700RPM with $-Taper 120s. Main reason they are on order and going in the bag (aside from general WRXer reasons) is they were incredibly consistent for me. Spin was within 150RPM on every shot - thin, flushed - didn't matter. And the distances and ball speed numbers were great on mishits as well. I think TM has hit a stealthy homerun here. There are so many options in the category but these continue to be awesome. Sort of like a BMW M5. It's been around forever and isn't always top of mind when you ask people what's the best car, but $ for $ is there a better car that exists that happens to be insanely good at everything even if it's not the absolute best in any one category? I think that's the 790. 

I’m actually torn between the P790 and T200. I don’t like that back cap but it’s a smaller top line etc and can also transition into the T150. But the P790 is always going to be a solid choice. 

[goheels11]

Hit the 21 and new version side by side last evening with the same shaft. No audible difference.  Newer version consistently had 150-200 more spin. I’m a mid 80’s 7 iron speed with an AOA of -2-3ish FWIW. These VS new apex pro. Currently play i230’s. 

[Pens #1 fan]

8 hours ago, JDIL said:

I’m actually torn between the P790 and T200. I don’t like that back cap but it’s a smaller top line etc and can also transition into the T150. But the P790 is always going to be a solid choice. 

Come on you know what the answer is to this dilemma. Order both 😁

[BirdieBob]

 

 

 

 

[AndyMcG]

On 8/27/2023 at 2:43 AM, PickItUpGolf said:

Rick Mate, you couldn't even hit them.

 

I couldn't hit something very well the other day, wasn't the clubs though, it was me. 

Pretty terrible review tbh.
 

Also, he goes on about how much he likes the older model, but then they're nowhere to be seen?

A good reviewer would compare the two on the day wouldn't they?

 

Fully agree, i watched that review of Ricks and just thought he didn't hit the clubs well. First 3 swings he struggled to get anywhere near the middle of the face. Definitely not the irons fault. 

 

I went for a fitting recently and tried the i530, the P790, T200, T150 and JPX923 HM. The best performing for me came down to the i530 and the P790. Not much between them but the i530's were slightly more expensive. I was hitting the P790 arrow straight which swung it for me, ended up ordering the P790 5 to AW with the DG 115 shafts. 

[PickItUpGolf]

1 hour ago, AndyMcG said:

 

Fully agree, i watched that review of Ricks and just thought he didn't hit the clubs well. First 3 swings he struggled to get anywhere near the middle of the face. Definitely not the irons fault. 

 

I went for a fitting recently and tried the i530, the P790, T200, T150 and JPX923 HM. The best performing for me came down to the i530 and the P790. Not much between them but the i530's were slightly more expensive. I was hitting the P790 arrow straight which swung it for me, ended up ordering the P790 5 to AW with the DG 115 shafts. 

 

Is that the mid? 

I think that shaft is awesome, tried it in the Blueprint S