I've been on the lookout for a new set of irons to use for the rest of the year, and I think I may have just found them in the form of the new TaylorMade P770s.
This is a model which has been around for a few years now, and is now in it's fourth generation, providing golfers with a combination of distance, forgiveness and workability.
Who Are They Aimed At?
These irons are aimed for single figure golfers who are looking for a ‘modern players iron’ with a focus on control and consistency rather than all-out distance or forgiveness.
They’re a little more forgiving than the P7CB irons that I reviewed earlier in the year, but more compact than the P790.
The Tech
TaylorMade say that the new P770 has been designed to deliver golfers a better feel and more consistent performance throughout the bag than in previous generations, thanks to refined shaping as well as technologies to improve launch and spin.
The new irons have been strategically tuned with a 'player's forged construction' and modal analysis, creating what the brand say is the best feeling P770 to date.
They have a thinner topline visual, along with a more compact, confidence-inspiring head shape. A modified leading edge design delivers more consistent shot-making with improved turf interaction. Compared to the P790, the P770 irons have a thinner topline and a more compact head shape also.
For the first time in the P770 range TaylorMade have used FLTD CG, along with a precision milled clubface, to create a high launch with the long irons as well as lower launching and higher spinning shots in the shorter irons.
The P770 are available from 3-AW and come with a Golf Pride Z-Grip and Dynamic Golf Mid 115 shaft as standard.
TaylorMade P770 24 Irons Review
Looks
The design of these irons is simple and sleek, with a slightly larger profile at address compared to the P7CB. The blade length is a bit longer, and the topline is slightly thicker, giving the irons a more substantial appearance.
Despite the larger size, the longer irons maintain a thin and compact look, which is exactly what you’d expect from a club designed for better golfers. The shorter irons, while a little chunkier than the P7CB, still offer a refined look.
In essence, TaylorMade seems to have taken their P790 irons and made them a bit more compact. The overall design remains very similar, making for an easy transition for golfers who want to move to something sleeker. This also makes the P770s a great option for those looking to use a combo set, as they could pair well with either the P7CB or the P790 irons.
The quality of the finish is among the best I’ve seen in this category, and the simplicity of the design looks fantastic even compared to the previous P770 model.
Feel
These irons genuinely feel like nothing else I have ever hit – they are just so buttery and soft at impact!
The great thing is that this feel remains even if you don’t strike it right from the middle. Being a smaller players iron you do still get a bit of feedback if you strike it poorly but not as much as you might expect, particularly compared to other irons in this category.
At impact there is a nice muted sound, and the best way that I can describe is that they sounded exactly as they look and feel - sleek, refined and classy.
On-Course Performance
On the course at Fairmont St Andrews the main thing that I saw was the control that these irons were giving me, and I was impressed by the spin levels that they were producing.
I compared these irons with the new Callaway Apex Ai200 irons on the same day, because I wanted to see whether I preferred the more compact precision of the P770 or the added forgiveness and distance of the Apex Ai200.
Out on the course I found that the stopping distances were much better with the P770, as you'd probably expect given the slightly lower lofts (7 iron is 33°). I did see a little bit of a left bias out on the course, although it was a consistent shape which was enough to notice but not an issue once I accounted for it.
If you're looking at these irons and hoping to see lots of distance, then you might be disappointed, because that's not really what they're amount. Even compared to my current Titleist T150 irons I was seeing a little less pop off the face than I was used to, and this is something that you seemingly have to sacrifice to get the extra feel and consistency.
I really enjoyed using the long irons in the P770 and I was surprised to see that they were still pretty easy to hit too. The 4 iron is compact looking, but flew nicely and had plenty of forgiveness with a good feel.
I've been using a Titleist T200 4 iron recently, but the P770 4 iron was performing better and this top end of the bag was really impressive.
The Numbers
As the numbers show, these aren't the longest irons I have tested, but they're more about consistency and this is something I was really impressed with.
When you hit them well, they'll go exactly as far as you'd expect them to, which is such a confidence-booster on approach shots in to the green.
They weren't going as far as the Apex Ai200 irons, and were probably a little shorter than my current T150 irons, but both the left to right and front to back dispersion was excellent.
TaylorMade P770 24 Irons Verdict
I really loved testing these irons and was impressed by the forgiveness levels despite the compact head shape and size.
I found that it was very easy to control approach shots in terms of distance control and stopping power, and they are among the best feeling irons that I have ever tested.
There was a little bit of adjustment needed with my distances, and I definitely saw that they weren’t going as far as my current irons, but the consistency and the added feel that I was getting made up for that.
Would I Use Them?
I tested these up against Callaway’s new Apex Ai200 irons and the P770 irons were a clear winner for what I was looking for. The Ai200 was better for distance and little more forgiveness, but for control and feel the P770s came out on top. They are going in the bag!
TaylorMade P770 24 Irons Pros and Cons
STAR RATING: 5
If you enjoyed this, you may also like:
TaylorMade Qi10 Driver Review
TaylorMade Kalea Premier Women's Range Review