There's a new players iron in TaylorMade's P-Series range for 2024, and it's already been used by Rory McIlroy and Collin Morikawa this season.
Launched alongside the P770, the new P7CB is designed for elite golfers looking for precision and consistency from their approach play. Rory McIlroy hit four shots with the new P7CB 4 iron and put it straight into the bag before winning the Wells Fargo Championship, whilst Collin Morikawa used a full set at The Open Championship.
Both found that the ball was launching higher and spinning more, without losing out on carry distance, giving them more control with these irons.
Rory and Collin were easily convinced, would it be the same story for me too?
Who Are They Aimed At?
TaylorMade say that these irons have really been built for elite amateurs who are a scratch handicap or even lower, or club professionals, who want a compact iron that focuses on precision and consistency without being quite as unforgiving as a blade.
They're not quite a direct replacement for the P7MC but they do sit towards the bottom end of TaylorMade's P-Series range, above the P7TW irons.
The Tech
The P7CB irons are said to have 'best-in-class feel' which is achieved through the use of strategically designed mass placement. The irons are made using Compact Grain Forging, where 2000 tons of pressure are applied to the head to produce the purest feeling possible.
Precise milled face and grooves combine with a constant CG, which promotes an optimal launch and spin combination for better control and precision.
These irons are all about accuracy and consistency in their performance, and so perimeter weighting and co-forged tungsten are used to provide both stability and workability.
As they are designed for better players, the irons feature a compact blade length and thin topline for a clean, simple look at address, whilst the sole camber and progressive bounce design are designed to deliver consistent turf interaction throughout the set.
TaylorMade P7CB Irons Review
Looks and Feel
The P7CB features a slightly different look than the rest of the P-Series irons, which are often a bit more simplistic in their design. They did actually remind me of the old TaylorMade RAC irons which we actually reviewed all the way back in the 2000s.
The irons aren’t super sleek, and you can see that TaylorMade have added a little bit of extra bulk and technology into the back of the head to help you out compared to a pure blade. The P770 probably looks a bit cleaner and sleeker with smoother lines, although it is a slightly larger footprint.
To me the P7CB looks like it is for good players, but isn’t pretending to be a blade. I thought it was going to be a really compact blade length but I was pleased to see that it looked great down by the ball, with a really inviting profile that made me feel like I wanted to hit them well.
I tested these irons on the same day as the P770 and found that there was more variation in the feel with the P7CB – if you don’t hit it in the middle of the face, you know about it.
When you do find the middle they feel great, but if you’re not striking it consistently well they might not feel as good as you’d like them to.
The Data
I tested these irons at Hukd Golf on their Trackman launch monitor and, as TaylorMade suggests, the performance is all about consistency with these irons.
My good shots were all very similar in terms of distance, dispersion, launch and carry distance which really gives you confidence that you're going to hit the number you're expecting to on a good strike.
Compared to the new P770 irons, I was seeing slightly higher spin and slightly higher peak height with the P7CB irons on my good strikes, which you'd probably expect considering these irons are for players seeking control over distance.
The issue I found was when I didn’t hit them so well I found a bigger drop-off between those shots and my good shots, compared to the P770 which seemed to just be helping me out a little bit more.
I can see the benefit to good players who are going to hit the ball consistently, because if you do then you’re going to see very similar numbers shot-after-shot.
On-Course Performance
I headed out to Denton Golf Club to see how these irons performed on the golf course and I saw a pretty similar theme as indoors. The ball flight and the performance was really predictable when you hit it well, and it gives you real confidence every time you look up that the ball is going to be in the window that you expect it, but if you don't quite catch it then you're going to see some drop-offs.
I headed to a par 3 and hit five different shots with a 7 iron to see just how consistent these irons were, and the overall dispersion with four good shots was really consistent, all carrying within a few yards of each other and stopping quickly.
I had one shot which I mis-struck and this finished comfortably shorter than the rest of the approaches, missing the green short and right, and this is the sacrifice that you'd have to make if you're considering using these irons.
In the long irons especially I found that you don’t really get away with not striking it well – I hit a few 5 irons from a tee and felt like a little more forgiveness might have helped me out at the top end of the bag.
TaylorMade P7CB Irons Verdict
If you are a very good golfer, you will see the benefits of these irons as they provide predictable and accurate performance, and the numbers produced when I hit the ball well were impressive.
If you’re not super consistent with your ball-striking then I don’t think you are going to see the benefits that the irons offer.
This sounds negative but actually it just proves that TaylorMade have achieved exactly what they wanted with this model.
They are for a small majority of golfers who are skilled enough to use them, and if you don’t quite fall into this category, there are other models available in the P-Series range which could suit you better.
They aren’t going to improve your game unless you’re an elite player who wants an iron like this which is going to perform exactly as you’d expect it to.
I really wanted to hit these irons well because they looked so great, but having tested them at the same time as the P770 irons I could see that the P770s were just giving me a bit more help and were easier to use.
Would I Use Them?
If I could hit the ball in the centre of the face every time then yes, I would use them, because they look really nice down by the ball, feel great when struck well and the performance was really consistent on my best shots.
However, I just feel like there was too much of a drop-off when I didn’t hit it well and so I would probably be losing out too much on my mis-hits compared to the other models in the P-Series range.
TaylorMade P7CB Irons Pros and Cons
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