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Greatest TaylorMade Irons of all Time

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TaylorMade’s drivers revolutionized golf in the early 2000s, thanks to a string of performance leaders including the R500 series, which also lead to a lot of other firsts for the company.

What is often forgotten is just how many amazing sets of irons the company has produced over the last 20 years, which has also put them among the category leaders.

These are the best TaylorMade irons of all time.

P790 – Released 2017

The first iron on this list is also one of the newest. As soon as the 2017 P790 was launched, it was quickly adopted by golfers of all skill levels! It was the perfect combination of looks and performance, which created a mass appeal to both better players and mid-handicapper looking for and iron that offered a little extra help and ball speed, while still “looking the part.”

The SpeedFoam injected head backed up the looks to provide a club that felt great too, which is generally the biggest detriment to clubs initially meant for higher handicap players. In the end, whether it was a full set, or players using them to build combo sets in their long irons, there is a big reason the 2019 TaylorMade P790 only saw minor tweaks to the design—you don’t fix what isn’t broken.

RAC Forged CB – Released 2004

For a long time, this was one of the most-discussed sets of irons ever made by TaylorMade. 2004 Forged RAC CBs were hard to find unless you knew where to look, and to many, they looked very similar to the RAC “Coin Forged” Combo released around the same period.

There were big differences though between the two: the CB set came in a satin chrome vs polished. It was a full CB design instead of transitioning to blades in the shorter clubs, and how could we forget, were forged in very limited numbers by Miura—yes, the same Miura known for their extremely precise club manufacturing history.

The rumor was the CBs were planned to be a larger release, but Miura’s limited production output left TaylorMade having to source a new forging house to meet demand and the “Coin Forged” combo set was soon born. Although they never got a full-scale release, they are still one of the most well-regarded sets among golfers.

P7TW – Released 2019

What else could be said about the P7TW irons? These are Tiger’s irons down to every last detail and incorporate for the first time in an iron TaylorMade’s Milled Grind technology. They set the golf world ablaze last April when they were officially launched right before the 2019 Masters (TaylorMade P7TW irons: Designed for Tiger). We recently covered their development in depth here too: Phase 1 vs. P7TW: An inside look at Tiger Woods’ TaylorMade irons. This iron is the absolute peak of TaylorMade craftsmanship.

Original RAC LT – Released 2002

The RAC LTs (LT stands for lower trajectory) helped position TaylorMade among the leaders in the better players iron category in the early 2000s. The RAC (Relative Amplitude Coefficient) line as a whole was built around creating great feeling products that also provided the right amount of forgiveness for each player.

With other forged models released around the same time and the blades gathering a lot of the initial attention, the RAC LT initially flew under the radar since they were positioned at a lower price point compared to the TP models. In the end, TaylorMade sold a lot more sets of the LT compared to the blades, thanks to their perfect combination of playability, workability, and looks. The rest is history.

RAC TP MB Smoke – Released 2008

This blade easily goes down as one of the best looking TaylorMade irons of all time. The TP MB Smoke took the classic muscle-back blade and drew inspiration from input from their tour pros to give it a modern spin. The original version launched in 2006 offered the same look but in a chrome finish, and since it was still a popular design, they only changed the finish option in 2008. These irons also incorporated some of TaylorMade’s wedge technology through the entire set by offering their proprietary milled “Z” grooves for extra spin consistency in all playing conditions.

Tour Preferred MC – Released 2011

The 2011 TP MC was the flagship of the 2011 Tour Preferred line. The key design element of all the iron models was the weight screw positioned right in the middle of the back of the head to keep mass centered directly behind the sweet spot. This feature, something we have seen before and that continues to this day from other OEMs, allowed for precise controlling of head weight without altering the CG to maximize performance. When talking individuals in “the know,” the 2011 Tour Preferred series of irons are remembered fondly as some of the best irons ever made by the Carlsbad-based OEM.

The MCs still have such a cult following, Daniel Berger uses them on tour to this day (Daniel Berger notches top-10 finish with 9-year-old TaylorMade irons). 

Burner ’09 – Released 2009

If you talk to any club fitter, they will say to this day, “If a player comes in with a set of ’09 Burner irons and hits them fairly well, they are going to be very hard to beat.”

There are several reasons the Burners perform so well, including the fact they were one of the first sets to push stronger lofts and wider gapping of five-degree increments up to the 7-iron. Although lower CG and stronger lofts are commonplace now, this design and technology tweak allowed golfers to see improved distance and gapping, which is something most players still struggle with.

To this day it is still one of the top-selling TaylorMade irons of all time.

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Ryan Barath is a club-fitter & master club builder with more than 17 years of experience working with golfers of all skill levels, including PGA Tour players. He is the former Build Shop Manager & Social Media Coordinator for Modern Golf. He now works independently from his home shop and is a member of advisory panels to a select number of golf equipment manufacturers. You can find Ryan on Twitter and Instagram where he's always willing to chat golf, and share his passion for club building, course architecture and wedge grinding.

34 Comments

34 Comments

  1. sedtar

    Mar 25, 2024 at 12:47 pm

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  2. Richard F wheeler

    Jul 24, 2020 at 8:35 pm

    What does anyone have to say about the KVD irons. I just picked up a set and will play them tomorrow. Remind me of my old Haig Ultras.

  3. stanley

    May 1, 2020 at 12:01 pm

    i have a set of p7 tw irons in tiger’s original specs. his loft if so weak compared to what we are accustomed to playing with today.

  4. Gerald Teigrob

    Apr 29, 2020 at 11:48 am

    I’m surprised to see that the TM Rocketblades irons didn’t show up here. I had the gap and sand wedge from that iron, and wish I still had them! I realize the Rocketballz would bring out our humor, but the Rocketbladez and Speedbladez were the irons that grabbed my attention. I did like the Burner 2.0 irons.I’d be interested in seeing the greatest Cobra irons of all time!

  5. Tiger

    Apr 20, 2020 at 5:00 pm

    2005 TP CB in the satin finish were perty! I think Goosen bagged these.

  6. chip75

    Apr 20, 2020 at 2:10 pm

    The 300 FCIs, the R9 TP Faldo set, (I think they were Japan only?), the original RAC blades.

  7. Dan Butler

    Apr 18, 2020 at 9:50 pm

    2009 TP Irons are better than all of these.

  8. Gary Byron

    Apr 16, 2020 at 9:51 am

    Never had much time for Taylor irons; but I have a set of “Speed Blades” that I can still hit as good as anything I’ve played!

  9. MikeB

    Apr 16, 2020 at 9:43 am

    Their older models may have been good, and don’t know about the newer stuff, will explain. Had the SpeedBlades when they came out, broke 3 of them, not in anger, during normal play. The inside of 2 irons shattered, and another broke off at the hosel, ball on the green, head on the forward tees. They were replaced by TM with the RSI irons, took just over a year before caving in the 4 iron, and multiple irons had their face slot material breaking and falling out. Both sets complete junk. Along with a 2016 M1, and 2017 M1 driver, face caved in both, will forever be done with TM. And when friends ask about getting new equipment, I steer them away from this crap

  10. Bobby

    Apr 16, 2020 at 2:39 am

    Taylormade Rac LT’s was my favorite iron of all time! Shot my lowest round ever with them. That iron set was my first ever. Before that I was gaming my dads old ping eye 2’s. I got too cocky and decided I was way too good for the Racs and needed a blade lol. Still to this day I remember how cocky I was with those things. Should have never switched so early only gamed for 1 year.

  11. JP

    Apr 16, 2020 at 1:50 am

    No love for the LCG?!?

  12. steve

    Apr 16, 2020 at 12:10 am

    We all have our personal preferences. Me, the ‘06 R7 TP. Been gaming them since new with only a recent shaft change to accommodate 15 years of aging. Im a rec player that will never eclipse a 2+ HDCP. So why bother Changing what feels good when $1000 for P790’s will make no/very little difference.

  13. Chris

    Apr 15, 2020 at 11:46 pm

    How do you not put Burner 2.0s on this list ????
    Best selling iron by Taylormade !!!!

  14. Imafitter

    Apr 15, 2020 at 11:04 pm

    P790’s are great looking and perform beautifully.

  15. Rory O Donnell

    Apr 15, 2020 at 9:49 am

    The only flaw with the original RAC LT, was that the head was too light

  16. Jerry Weir

    Apr 14, 2020 at 12:53 am

    The 1999 Hogan Apex blades (and their “players cavity back” Apex Plus) are the pinnacle of golf club development.

  17. Bob D

    Apr 13, 2020 at 5:35 pm

    I played the 300 1-percent until last year.never found a replacement until Srixon 785. Until I replaced them 300 irons are the best match of forged blade setup with moderate forgiveness that I ever played

  18. Prime21

    Apr 13, 2020 at 5:28 pm

    RSi TP was too good.

    • Kden

      Feb 8, 2022 at 11:40 am

      Can’t believe they didn’t get a nod here, they’re clearly the precursor to those new p770/790 with the speed slots. Thin shots go right up in the air and the clubs look so sexy.

  19. jgpl001

    Apr 13, 2020 at 5:16 pm

    P750 for me
    Still in many tour bags

  20. Alan Peach

    Apr 13, 2020 at 2:20 pm

    Taylormade m2 tour, no mention, couldn’t get a new set for love nor money when they came out, they were very popular.

    • Ryan Barath

      Apr 14, 2020 at 9:26 am

      M2 Tour irons were quite good and were basically an updated Burner ’09 with new face tech – the profile was almost exactly the same.

  21. BJ

    Apr 13, 2020 at 1:22 pm

    NO RAC TP CB’s? The satin one with the milled faces!!!!

  22. N

    Apr 13, 2020 at 1:16 pm

    Ironic that the list of ‘greatest tmade irons’ includes 2 sets that can barely be classed as an original design by tmade.

    The p790, a blatent rip off, that PXG rightfully filed a lawsuit against (they settled out of court)

    P7TW, an iron that was designed with input from Tiger and his old club designer, to be as close as possible to his previous Nike/Artisan set.

    • M.Coz

      Apr 15, 2020 at 11:25 pm

      You implications are incorrect. There was a suit and countersuit. TM did not lose in that settlement. Can’t go into details but just because someone sues somebody does not mean that the person who brings the suit is right. In fact in many or most they are not right. TM continues to use hollow heads (which they had in the 80’s!) and they continue to use their type of foam (which is different than PXGs) in subsequent models after the original 790’s. In the end PXG spent a lot money that in the end got them some publicity.

      • Jim

        Oct 6, 2021 at 12:53 am

        Actually TaylorMade used speed foam in there TaylorMade burner midsize iron, from 1993!

  23. ChipNRun

    Apr 13, 2020 at 1:12 pm

    The SLDRs from 2014 came and went fast, but for everyday people I don’t think you can beat the model. The 3i through 7i featured the innovative Speed Pocket Thru-slot technology, which made the longer irons much easier to launch. The stock KBS Tour C-Taper 90 shaft (lower-launching brother of KBS Tour 90) was an excellent fit for the heads. Between heads and shaft, a ball hit from the rough would set down nicely on the green rather than skittering over.

    The follow-on RSi variants offered no real improvement as far as I could tell.

  24. Cody Reeder

    Apr 13, 2020 at 12:16 pm

    Good list. A few misses I think. The P7-TW are so specific that you really can’t add them to the best ever list.

  25. bl

    Apr 13, 2020 at 12:08 pm

    The Rac CB is one of the good looking set of irons. This is a pretty good list, but I would think the 300’s need to be included. I’ve never seen the Rac MB Smoke in person but they look pretty in pictures. I remember fitting people back when the Burner irons came out they were tough to beat they were so good.

  26. DelacruzC5D

    Apr 13, 2020 at 11:15 am

    OH MY GOODNESS…how did the Taylormade 300 forged irons not make it into this list?! I respectfully object, as I felt like that iron performed and felt better than any of the RAC models, minus the blade. And that’s not counting the infamous Miura forged specialty pieces.
    It took me over a decade and a half to find anything as good as the 300, and even now, I still bring them out of storage and hit them every once and a while.

    • Haloha

      Apr 13, 2020 at 1:48 pm

      I agree the 300 FCI are great cavity blades (still have them))and were better than the RAC, just not many people knew about them back then nor did they know Miura.

    • Large chris

      Apr 13, 2020 at 2:09 pm

      Blimey I picked up a set of 300s based on GolfWRX recommendations…. they’re a bit harsh aren’t they? Narrow soles, bit too aggressive looking, high pitched ding sound. Also found the swing weights very inconsistent had to adjust them quite a bit.

    • Dan

      Apr 13, 2020 at 3:14 pm

      Absolutely

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Whats in the Bag

Chesson Hadley WITB 2024 (March)

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Driver: Titleist TSR3 (10 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 70 TX

3-wood: Titleist TSR2+ (14.5 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX

Irons: Titleist T200 (3), Titleist 620 CB (4, 5), Titleist 620 MB (6-PW)
Shafts: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 105 X (3), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-PW)

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), WedgeWorks (60-K)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG 2-Ball
Grip: Odyssey

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Check out more in-hand photos Chesson Hadley’s clubs here.

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Whats in the Bag

Gary Woodland WITB 2024 (March)

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Driver: Cobra Darkspeed X (8 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 70 M5

  • The white circle that appears at the top of the face a removable sticker that’s used for launch monitor tracking, and Woodland removes it for competition!

3-wood: Cobra Darkspeed X (14 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 GW100 Prototype

7-wood: Cobra LTDx LS prototype (20 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 GW100 Prototype

Irons: Wilson Staff (18 degrees), Cobra King MB (4-PW)
Shafts: KBS Tour C-Taper Limited X

Wedges: Cobra SB (48), Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-08F, 56-14F), Cobra King (60)
Shafts: KBS Tour C-Taper Limited X (48 degrees), KBS Tour V-Ten 125

Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 3.0P

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord

See more in-hand photos of Gary Woodland’s WITB in the forums.

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Equipment

Q&A: Martin Trainer on his Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers” putter, 6.5-degree driver, and “butter knife” 2-iron

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As unbiasedly as I can put it, Martin Trainer has one of the coolest club setups in professional golf. (At some point soon, I’ll put together a top-10 list of “coolest club setups on Tour,” but I know that Trainer will be in the top-10)

What a lineup. He plays a 6.5-degree Wilson prototype driver, a 13-degree Wilson prototype 3-wood, a true blade Wilson Staff Model 2-iron, and a Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers Commemorative” putter!

 

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A post shared by GolfWRX (@golfwrx)

I mean, look at this 2-iron from address…

To quote the great author R.L. Stine: “Goosebumps.”

On Wednesday at the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open, I caught up with Trainer to learn more about his bag setup.

Here’s what he had to say:

You have the Internet going crazy over your bag setup, and your putter. Where’d you pick the Bobby Grace-Greg Chalmers putter up? How long have you had it?

MT: This was from when Bobby Grace came to my course in California: Cal Club. And for whatever reason, they just started having them in the shop. So then I took my buddy’s, started using it, and made, like, a million putts in a row, which is how every putter story begins, I guess.

And then, I bought a couple of my own, used it for years, got to the Tour with it, won on Tour with it (the 2019 Puerto Rico Open). Then, about a year later, started using another putter, did that for a couple years, but now it’s back in the bag.

When did it come back in the bag?

MT: December of this past year. So a few months ago.

What year would you say was the first time you threw that in the bag, or, like, when you bought it?

MT: God…Probably, 2016, maybe? 2018?

Do you remember how much you paid for it?

MT: I don’t know, actually. Maybe $100-150 bucks or something. I think that’s the only golf club I’ve bought between high school and now. Well, two, since I bought two of them.

The driver is interesting, too. What went into the prototyping process?

MT: That was a version of the current driver, but it was the prototype that they first came out with for Tour guys to try. And for whatever reason, I just never switched out to the new one.

It’s just 6.5 degrees, right?

MT: Yeah. Very low loft, yeah.

What kind of ball speed do you have with that these days?

MT: Like high 170’s.

Yeah, that’ll work. And then a 2-iron blade? We’re seeing fewer and fewer of those out here.

MT: Yeah. The butter knife.

Very cool thing to have in the bag. Have you done any testing with driving irons? 

MT: Yeah, I used to have a thicker one, but it was a little offset, and I never hit it that well. And then finally, I started messing around with the butter knife. And I remember the first time I looked down at it, I was terrified. And then I ended up getting used to it, putting it in play, and it’s been in place since. It’s a pretty good club for me.

How far do you carry that? 

MT: Like 235.

A good little wind club, I’m sure.

MTL Yeah, exactly. I can hit it very low. It’s great.

I love it. You have people shook looking at that. Thanks for the time, man. 

MT: Absolutely.

To see more photos and discussion of Trainer’s bag, click here.

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