2nd Swing Golf
Master fitters, Trackman-heavy testing
“My carry variance was really, really tight for the quality of strike”
Fast, forgiving game-improvement iron with remarkably tight carry variance on mishits, but its low spin and modest peak height mean shallow, low-spin players should look at the HL instead.
+ the facts · 6 pros · 2 cons− the facts
- +Only about 3.5 yards of carry variance despite repeated toe strikes, every shot carried over 180
- +Excellent ball speed retention on mishits, still a 1.42 smash on a toe strike
- +Speed Pocket through-slot keeps performance up on low-face strikes
- −Low spin and peak height around 96 feet, green retention could suffer in the longer irons
- −Strong 28-degree 7 iron loft is too little launch for shallow, low-spin players
For: Higher-ball-flight, higher-spin golfers who fight a slice and want forgiveness and distance
James Robinson Golf
Mid-handicap everyman reviews
“They have no right to feel as good as they feel”
A former critic of this category, he's amazed how good these mid-range distance irons now feel and how consistent they are, though low spin and distance bunching in the long irons remain concerns.
+ the facts · 5 pros · 3 cons− the facts
- +Feel and sound miles better than previous generations thanks to the echo dampening chamber and stability bar
- +Very consistent carries in the short and mid irons
- +Strong lofts deliver serious distance (9-iron carrying 156-162) while keeping control and spin in the scoring clubs
- −Spin gets low from the 7-iron down (4,500 rpm) which he finds a bit worrying
- −5-iron and 7-iron carried nearly the same, suggesting gapping bunches up at the top of the set
- −Hard to justify against TaylorMade's own P790 at this money
For: Golfers wanting maximum distance and easy launch from a game-improvement set that finally feels premium