Equipment

New photos bring clarity to TaylorMade Tour Preferred iron rumors

Published

10 years ago

Dec 2, 2013

The forums are buzzing with a nearly 30-page thread ignited by spy photos of TaylorMade’s soon-to-be-released Tour Preferred iron series.

The thread exploded three weeks ago when a photo surfaced of a TaylorMade Tour Preferred MC iron (pictured below) with TaylorMade’s “TP” badging. Since that time, many sources have confirmed that the iron was a prototype and the new Tour Preferred irons will not feature the logo.

New photos from TaylorMade’s Japan site and insider info have brought clarity to some of the other questions about the irons that have been floating around the forums.

The muscle backs (MB) irons will likely be a fully forged set, and will not have TaylorMade’s Speed Pocket technology, a.k.a a slot in the sole.
The MC irons will be partially forged, with the 8 iron through PW featuring a one-piece forged construction and the 3 iron through 7 iron being cast to accommodate the Speed Pocket.
The CB irons will be fully cast, and like the MC irons they will have a Speed Pocket in the 3 through 7 irons. The 8 through PW and AW are expected to be cast from a slightly softer stainless steel.

Lofts from TaylorMade’s Japan Site

Tour Preferred MB: 3-21, 4-24, 5-27, 6-31, 7-35, 8-39, 9-43 and PW-47

Tour Preferred MC: 3-20, 4-23, 5-26, 6-30, 7-34, 8-38, 9-42 and PW-47

Tour Preferred CB: 3-18, 4-21, 5-24.5, 6-28.5, 7-32.5, 8-36.5, 9-41, PW-46 and AW 51

The release date for the CB and MC irons is rumored to be Jan. 15, with the MB irons launching in February. Stay tuned to the TaylorMade Tour Preferred CB, MC and MB iron thread for the latest developments.

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45 Comments

jake aston

Dec 26, 2013 at 10:19 am

hi everyone just to let you all now that the new TaylorMade Tour Preferred iron are now out in shops you can only but the cb but i pace an order, and i have now got the mc i have tryed all of the best irons out and these had the best fill and consistently a good strik.

Reply Report comment
bellsy13

Dec 11, 2013 at 3:10 pm

The looks of the club won’t improve your game. TP badge or not they’ll still perform exactly the same. All blades are very similar, there’s only so much you can do with the looks of a club head. Go hit ’em and hope they suit your game.

Reply Report comment
Mike

Dec 3, 2013 at 6:37 pm

Could as well say Mizuno on above irons. Pure copy IMO

Reply Report comment
jason

Dec 3, 2013 at 3:11 pm

I see lots of comments regarding this or that OEM copied Mizuno with respect to the std blade with the toe notch. If you dig through the Faldo equipment thread on here you will see that Mizuno actually modeled their late 80’s blade, the TN-87,and blades thereafter, after the 1958 Ben Hogan Precision and the 1983 Ben Hogan Personal. As far as I know it is those particular models that started it all and what so many others have duplicated because it works. The gold standard in muscleback design wasn’t started by Mizuno,
Ben Hogan happened to get it right, decades earlier.

Reply Report comment
- DB
  
  Dec 12, 2013 at 1:49 pm
  
  Couldn’t have said it any better myself Jason.
  
  Reply Report comment
FatRick

Dec 3, 2013 at 2:14 pm

They should have painted in the “preferred” in black for the mb, mc and white for the cb. The red for some reason just doesn’t look right. The cb looks like the a “tour version” of the speedblades.

Reply Report comment
Vinny

Dec 3, 2013 at 1:42 pm

Those MB’s look like dead ringers for Mizuno MP14/MP29. The development folks at Taylor Made must have spent all of 5 minutes designing these irons!

Reply Report comment
- jason
  
  Dec 3, 2013 at 3:07 pm
  
  I see lots of comments regarding this or that OEM copied Mizuno with respect to the std blade with the toe notch. If you dig through the Faldo equipment thread on here you will see that Mizuno actually modeled their late 80’s blade, the TN-87,and blades thereafter, after the 1958 Ben Hogan Precision and the 1983 Ben Hogan Personal. As far as I know it is those particular models that started it all and what so many others have duplicated. Just get all your facts straight before assuming Mizuno invented the gold standard in musclebacks.
  Ben Hogan did it, decades earlier.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Jon
  
  Dec 3, 2013 at 11:34 pm
  
  all blades look the same…
  
  Reply Report comment
Troy

Dec 3, 2013 at 1:28 pm

forge the MC and CB, mill out a speed pocket and pour in some polymer. I know, mind blowing 🙂

Reply Report comment
Lazza

Dec 3, 2013 at 1:01 pm

Been playing the 2011 TP MB irons for a long time now and even with the peculiar tungsten weights, I personally prefer their look. Always funny though when I play my 39° 8-iron following which someone hits their 40° 9-iron about as far, asks me what I played and then quietly sniggers at my lack of distance.

Reply Report comment
Regis

Dec 3, 2013 at 12:31 pm

I played forged irons (Mizuno,Miura,Wilson Staff) for close to 40 years. Age and arthritis in my wrists have put those days past me. In the last year I purchased and gamed a bunch of Game Improvement irons with little satisfaction. Finally got the rocketbladz on closeout.I can’t speak to those of you with 105 mph swing speeds but for me the TM speed pocket and “jacked up lofts” are the best inovation since the graphite shaft.Great top line, ball flight and as close to a “forged” feel as you’re going to get in a GI iron. You call it a “gimmick”. For me it’s satisfaction in a well designed product

Reply Report comment
David Smith

Dec 3, 2013 at 11:58 am

@Jon, it is a gimmick, it’s been proven already. I’m not going to argue about it because raw data overrides your false claims which you’re basing purely on what TMaG has told you and the public. Infact, JPX bent to the same jacked lofts of the RBZ out performed the RBZ WITH the speedpocket. I have tried them and they are definitely not doing anything more to the iron based on my own experience and testing as well.

See, you’re exactly the type of people TMaG market too, they just love your type 🙂

Reply Report comment
- Jon
  
  Dec 3, 2013 at 11:37 pm
  
  when you tried them were you comparing them by eye or were you on a trackman or flightscope?
  
  if you were doing them by eye i would suggest going to a golf galaxy or golfshop where you could compare spin rates, ball speeds, and distances, to your current set
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Jefe Colderon
    
    Dec 8, 2013 at 9:07 pm
    
    Good advice, Jon. We wouldn’t want people going to a real golf course and hitting real shots under real conditions and seeing real results. What backyard do you teach out of?
    
    Reply Report comment
Tyler

Dec 3, 2013 at 11:27 am

They look OK. TP badge would have looked better.

Reply Report comment
Ian Bainbridge

Dec 3, 2013 at 10:56 am

TP badge is a must, they look like cheap knock offs without it. If it comes with lettering on I’ll pass.

Reply Report comment
Mizuno Zeke

Dec 3, 2013 at 10:56 am

Not a big TM fan, but the blade looks pretty good

Reply Report comment
Tom

Dec 3, 2013 at 10:50 am

I like these and I am not an TaylorMade fan. Question; These photos are from TayloMade Japan site, were are these heads forged in japan?

Reply Report comment
homats

Dec 3, 2013 at 10:42 am

Reason Taylormade continues to release product at such a dizzying pace, in case anyone does not understand product marketing, is products die on their own. A lot of companies (Titleist is prime example) will allow a product to die over two to three years (910 vs 913), but Taylormade would prefer to make their own product obsolete by introducing a new line bolstered by their staff pros playing in tournaments.

most people are upset by this, but it actually creates better product. prime example – R1 vs SLDR. Or R7 vs SLDR for that matter. I upgrade nearly every release after the prices drop and I like what I get.

Reply Report comment
- Scott
  
  Dec 3, 2013 at 12:26 pm
  
  Was the R11s that much better than the R11 or the R1 that much better than the R11s ? Same for the RBZ and the Stage 2 ? Doubt it……..actually scratch that. I know they werent. Titleist outsold every other driver on the market in our shop this season. Just two models with a variety of good quality stock shafts.
  
  Reply Report comment
joro

Dec 3, 2013 at 10:31 am

like that new stuff, not better but new and expensive. Keeps em in business.

Reply Report comment
joro

Dec 3, 2013 at 10:30 am

Again, something new, not necessarily better, but new. What a great company.

Reply Report comment
Mike M

Dec 2, 2013 at 8:07 pm

This actually isn’t a bad looking iron. better than the other crap they have (speed blade, RBZ)

Reply Report comment
David Smith

Dec 2, 2013 at 7:47 pm

What a load of garbage this is.

Reply Report comment
CW

Dec 2, 2013 at 7:25 pm

They ruined the mb with the tour preferred stamp, imo.

Reply Report comment
gocanucksfan123

Dec 2, 2013 at 7:19 pm

MCs look exciting! Can’t wait to give em a hit and compare them to the Bridgestone Combos and the Nike Combos

Reply Report comment
gticlay

Dec 2, 2013 at 5:08 pm

46* PW in a TP set, LOL Please just shoot me now.

Reply Report comment
- brian
  
  Dec 2, 2013 at 6:25 pm
  
  its not that big of a deal. I dont think it will prevent you from playing on tour. Bend it weak if it bothers you so much. Relax bro
  
  Reply Report comment
  - gticlay
    
    Dec 3, 2013 at 12:01 pm
    
    You mean 2* weak bro. I don’t need to hit a 160 yard PW and it messes with my gaps and bounce.
    
    Reply Report comment
  - Jefe Colderon
    
    Dec 8, 2013 at 9:08 pm
    
    HAHAHAHA. well put.
    
    Reply Report comment
- Alex
  
  Dec 2, 2013 at 8:00 pm
  
  Maybe you should write Mizuno. They’re MP-69 and MP-4 both have a 46* PW.
  
  As someone who hits the ball outrageously high, I welcome the stronger lofts.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Alex
    
    Dec 2, 2013 at 8:02 pm
    
    That should be their*
    
    Reply Report comment
jgpl001

Dec 2, 2013 at 4:45 pm

Nothing special here, though the MB looks like a solid blade with a nice head shape and muscle at the back. I am sure the MC and MB will gets lots of tour use

Hopefully all the Rocketbladz and Speedblade nonsense is thing of the past

Reply Report comment
Mat

Dec 2, 2013 at 4:44 pm

Got that?

Martin says so!

Glad that’s all cleared up.

Reply Report comment
Martin V.

Dec 2, 2013 at 4:38 pm

2014 MCs are not forged therefore they’re no good as the original 2011 TP MC.

The Speed Pocket is useless, it’s just marketing strategy.

Reply Report comment
- Patrick
  
  Dec 2, 2013 at 6:57 pm
  
  I can’t believe that the MC is not forged… Need a forged version
  
  Reply Report comment
- Jack
  
  Dec 2, 2013 at 7:05 pm
  
  Half the set is forged. I’m not sure why they went with that, but if you want to hit cbs mighty as well go with titleist.
  
  My question is do the cbs replace the speed bladez? They look very similar.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Alex
    
    Dec 2, 2013 at 8:02 pm
    
    I thought I saw a TM rep or someone say the CB will effectively be the “SpeedBladez Tour”
    
    Reply Report comment
  - Jon
    
    Dec 2, 2013 at 9:47 pm
    
    The reason the 3-7 are forged is because you cannot put a speed pocket into a forged iron, you have to cast the slot. That is why the rocketbladez tour is cast. The CB’s do not replace the speed blade, the speed blades are more forgiving and easier to hit.
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Mc
      
      Dec 2, 2013 at 11:01 pm
      
      It’s possible to possible to have a slot in a forged iron… Adams xtd forged iron, they are unreal!
      
      Reply Report comment
      - Jon
        
        Dec 3, 2013 at 1:36 am
        
        no but the adams XTD forged irons are not a one piece forge, they are actually 2 forged pieces put together.
        
        Reply Report comment
    - David Smith
      
      Dec 3, 2013 at 11:16 am
      
      The speed pocket is a gimmick anyway, they should do away with it and stick to the traditional sole and use a forged head instead of this nonsense speed slot/pocket gimmick-#ier thing.
      
      It’s already been tested against and proven the speed pocket does NOTHING except dampens the sound a bit giving the “softer” feel as it was well known the RBladez are very loud, if the irons were forged the softness would be natural so the speedpocket/slot-#ier thing is not required.
      
      I can’t stand the route TMaG has taken, I have loved their stuff for so many years but they’ve lost me as a loyal custom since after their 2011 TP line-up. They just produce plain old garbage now and unfortunately this TP line up isn’t any better; sad day 🙁
      
      D
      
      Reply Report comment
      - Jon
        
        Dec 3, 2013 at 11:29 am
        
        Its actually not a gimmick. The speed pocket allows the face to flex, which kinda turns it into a trampoline. You will actually see a 5-10 yard difference with the speed pocket. Maybe if you actually try their products you will see how they perform.
        
        Reply Report comment
      - markb
        
        Dec 4, 2013 at 9:15 pm
        
        Ever since the days of Old Tom Morris, golf has been rife with both gimmicks and innovations. TMag is certainly responsible for some of each.
        
        IMO, I the face angle “dial” on the bottoms of the R11-R1 drivers was pure gimmick. Unless you sat the club on a flat hard surface (unlike a grass tee box) it told you NOTHING! This fact was immediately evident to me after 15 minutes with the club.
        
        What was also immediately evident to me is the fact that the Speed Pocket is real. I’ve seen it with my own eyes and felt its effects with my own hands. The results were so dramatic that it caused me to question whether the slot was actually legal and could remain that way in the future. Its affect on the golfball is certainly more dramatic and quantifiable than anything I’ve ever experienced with a belly putter or square-grooved Pings.
        
        It’s also in its 4th generation and spreading to nearly every product in the TMag-Adams lines. If it’s a gimmick, gimme more!
        
        Reply Report comment

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Equipment

A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic

Published

4 hours ago

Apr 25, 2024

Andrew Tursky

Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.

Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.

We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.

Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).

See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here

Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge

Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.

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A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.

See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here

Turning Back the clock

Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.

But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.

For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.

Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.

The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.

The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.

Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter

Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.

Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.

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It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.

If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.

Brilliant.

See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here

Stricker’s unrecognizable putter

Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.

Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.

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Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates

Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.

Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.

It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.

Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines

Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.

Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.

FitzMagic teams back up

Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.

See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here

And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.

We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!

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