The final piece in the TaylorMade P700 Series has fallen into place. Last August, the Carlsbad company announced P7MB, P7MC, and P770 irons, with the ends of the Series spectrum — P7TW and 2019 P790 irons — staying the same.

We know there are no plans to update the P7TW irons (unless Tiger Woods wants to alter his preferred surgical instruments), but plenty of equipment soothsayers expected a new P790 this summer — and TaylorMade has delivered.

Third-generation 2021 TaylorMade P790 irons continue to occupy the “players distance” seat at the P7TW, P7MB, P7MC, and P770 family table.

• More photos in the forums. 

2021 TaylorMade P790 irons

We knew the profile would remain larger than the P770, and at first glance, the 2021 P790 shares much more in common cosmetically with P770 irons than the 2019 P790 design (comparison of P770, 2019 P790 below).

Of course, we also know the real story of the P700 line in general, P790 in particular, is under the hood, so let’s take a look.

SpeedFoam, which was the showpiece of the original (2017) P790 line gets an upgrade in the 2021 edition. Dubbed SpeedFoam Air, the ultralight urethane foam is 69 percent less dense than the 2019 iteration.

As is the formula in golf club design, saving weight in one area allows engineers to relocate it to another to accomplish specific aims. In this case, it’s to aid launch. And that’s just what the folks at TM have done, moving the CG lower in the heads of P790 irons to the tune of an average of .5 millimeters.

“SpeedFoam Air is the heartbeat of the new P·790 irons. The development of this lightweight urethane material allowed us to strategically reconstruct the iron head to promote optimal launch conditions and a sweet spot that covers the most common strike points on the face.” — Matt Bovee, Product Creation, Irons

With respect to that sweet spot, TaylorMade’s Intelligent Sweet Spot is the product of data from thousands of golf shot to determine the most common impact points on the face. Bovee and company then strategically shaped and positioned the sweet spot (i.e. moved it) so it captures more of these shots.

As you would expect, more shots struck on the sweet spot yields greater ball speed and distance compared to the previous generation P790 — it’s a “performance where you need it” narrative.

2021 TaylorMade P790: Additional details

• Made from 8620 carbon steel
• Combination of Rengineered Forged Hollow Body Construction and 1.5mm forged 4140 steel L-Face yields flexibility, fast ball speeds, and distance while maintaining a forged feel.
• Up to 31 grams of tungsten weighting in an individual iron head is strategically positioned for stability and forgiveness.
• Thru-Slot Speed Pocket increases face flexibility and preserves ball speed and distance on low-face strikes.

• More photos in the forums. 

2021 TaylorMade P790 UDI

Featuring the same Thru-Slot Speed Pocket, SpeedFoam Air, and other technology mentioned above, the 2021 P790 UDI is a driving iron built from tour feedback. Shaped and weighted to cater to low-launch, low-spin players, TaylorMade’s latest iteration of the Ultimate Driving Iron is its most technologically advanced yet.

TaylorMade P790: Specifications, pricing, availability

• Available for pre-order now
• At retail 9/3

P790

Steel (True Temper Dynamic Gold)

Single iron: $185.71
7-piece set: $1,299.99

Graphite (Mitsubishi Chemical MMT)

Single iron: $214.28
7-piece set: $1,499.99

Golf Pride Z-Grip

P790 UDI

Single iron: $249.99

2-iron (17 degrees)
Project X HZRDS Black Smoke
Golf Pride Z-Grip

• More photos in the forums.