The best low-handicap iron category is an interesting one, with a somewhat demanding and discerning market to satisfy. Players at the lower end of the handicap spectrum tend to have very clear ideas about the visuals and performance characteristics they are looking for so it can be a tricky genre to navigate for club manufacturers.
Looking to sit among the best golf irons, TaylorMade is bringing to market a brand new players cavity iron, the P7CB, which we’ve seen out on tour for a number of weeks. I’ve been testing this set out for some time now and here are my thoughts…
WATCH: Joe Ferguson testing out the new TaylorMade P7CB and P770 irons
Firstly, in terms of the technology, it would be fair to say that there is nothing particularly ground-breaking to speak of with the P7CB. However, in this category of iron I tend to find less is more, so that is not necessarily a bad thing. That said, there has been an interesting internal addition to bolster the forgiveness and feel. The bulk of the head is a single piece of compact grain forged 1025C steel that has been forged at nearly double the pressure of what is considered ‘industry standard’ to improve the feel and consistency of the forging, but then TaylorMade has added a plot twist.
(Image credit: TaylorMade Golf)
The single piece of steel is then milled out through the sole to create two pockets. Within those pockets, two materials are added: tungsten, and a new metal matrix composite material (which is essentially a very lightweight metal around 1/7th the weight of steel), which allows weight to be freed up and redistributed around the head to increase the effect of perimeter weighting and take more control of the CG positioning. These additions are neatly hidden by adding a forged sole plate back on top before a final visit to the forging press blends everything seamlessly back together.
(Image credit: Future)
On to the looks, and this is where the P7CB really begins to stand out. From a shelf appeal point of view, I’m not sure I have seen many better. The sophisticated brushed satin finish adds a real touch of class over high gloss chrome for me, and the company branding is subtle yet effective. There are some nods to previous models, with a real hint of the old RAC iron apparent, and the familiar raised lines in the back of the cavity that have become synonymous with this type of TaylorMade iron look fantastic.
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