TaylorMade to Introduce New r7 Irons and TP Wedge

As one of the major players in the equipment market, TaylorMade continues to develop and introduce new products at an astonishing rate.

In the next week or so, TaylorMade will introduce new r7 irons. These irons appear to be aimed at the low- to mid-handicapper who prefers an iron that’s easy to hit, gets the ball up effortlessly, has some forgiveness, and comes with moderate offset so it sets up like a better player’s club.

As has become their custom, the company appears to be introducing two versions of the irons, a regular r7 iron and an r7 TP (for “Tour Preferred”) version that specifically targets the stronger player with time-proven details and specifications. The Sand Trap will have a full review of these irons soon, but here’s an exclusive first look…

Behold the new r7 irons! The satin-finish TP version is on the left.

With apologies to TaylorMade, I must admit that when I first saw the pictures of these new clubs and read their description, I immediately thought of Callaway and its X-18 irons, offered in regular and “Pro” versions.

Both the r7s and the X-18s have deeply undercut cavities and both make use of vibration-dampening inserts on the back of the face. The “TP” and “Pro” versions both feature slightly thinner soles, a little less offset, and different shaft options.

That comparison aside, however, a look at the pictures shows the new clubs to be clearly an offspring of the company’s earlier irons – specifically, the RAC LT. The overall shape of the clubhead at address is unmistakably TaylorMade. And that’s not a bad thing. Esthetically, I personally prefer the look of a traditional hosel and ferrule as compared to the short hosel, no ferrule look of the Callaways.

The regular r7 irons on the left display a wider sole than the TP version on the right.

Design Elements
According to TaylorMade, the goal was to create an iron engineered for skilled players who prefer a club that’s easier to launch high and straight while still providing an excellent degree of workability.

What they came up with is an iron with a fairly big head that enabled them to produce a very large, thin clubface with a substantial unsupported area in the center. This is meant to increase flexibility and coefficient of restitution (CoR), or spring-like effect.

It’s a very pleasing look at address. Note how the topline on the TP version, on the left, is thinner.

The backs of the clubfaces sport a revised version of the company’s “Inverted Cone Technology,” which is intended to increase the size of the high-CoR area and thus promote faster ball speed on mis-hits. While this device was more or less a circular shape in previous irons, in this iteration it has morphed into an oval.

Surrounding the oval is a shock-absorbing aluminum web meant to deliver a softer feel at impact. Extending to four corners of the clubhead, it’s bonded to the cavity with double-sided, closed-cell acrylic foam tape. This contributes to what TaylorMade describes as an incredibly soft feel and satisfying sound at impact.

All these design features combine for a striking black and gold graphic look that looks pretty snappy.

The regular r7 iron, top, has a much wider slot and “Inverted Cone.” Some may find the graphics too busy, but imagine how good these would look in a TaylorMade staff bag.

Like their earlier r7 CGB Max irons, the new r7s feature an extreme undercut channel that gets the weight and center of gravity low and back to make it easier to achieve a higher launch angle.

The r7 Versus r7 TP
TaylorMade has, I think, done a very good job in differentiating the “regular” r7 from the “TP” version. Here’s a quick comparison:

             r7                 r7 TP
             --                 -----
Finish:      Polished           Satin
Offset:      Moderate           Minimal
Top Line:    Thick              Thinner
Sole:        Wide               Narrower
Grip:        Rubber*            Tour Velvet
Shaft:       T-Step*            Dynamic Gold
* Proprietary

As the picture comparisons show, the differences between the two models extend to the cavity with slight differences in the way the oval and aluminum web are positioned.

I don’t think the proprietary rubber grips on the regular r7 irons, top, are any match for the Tour Velvets on the TP version. But that’s just me.

Specifications
While we don’t have a complete list of the options available with the r7 TP irons, we do know that the regular r7 irons will come in a choice of a “T Step” 90-gram steel shaft or a RE*AX 65-gram graphite shaft. Available flexes will include X, S, R, and M.

The proprietary grip on the regular r7 irons features hundreds of small “cells” that are supposed to deliver better feel, comfort, and traction. Maybe. My experience with proprietary grips is largely unsatisfactory. It’s hard to beat plain old Tour Velvets or Golf Pride’s Dual Durometer grips. And if you prefer Winn-like polymer grips… well, you’re probably used to changing grips by now!

The proprietary T-Step shaft on the regular r7 irons is no doubt lighter than Dynamic Gold.

Rolling out in October, a set of 3 through PW will have a suggested retail price of $840 in steel and $1,080 in graphite. A sand wedge, gap wedge, and lob wedge will be sold separately for $105 in steel and $135 in graphite. Sets are available for right-handers, left-handers, and ladies.

While we don’t have a price yet on the r7 TP version, if TaylorMade’s past pricing is any indication, you can bet it’s going to be a lot higher than the regular r7.

The Wedge
Launching the same time as the r7 irons is a new RAC Satin TP wedge. It’s identical to the current RAC Black TP (seen to the right) wedge except for – you guessed it – the satin finish. It would seem TaylorMade is offering up the new finish to better complement the satin finish on its new r7 TP irons.

While the new clubs aren’t up on TaylorMade’s web site as of this writing, you can check out the RAC Black TP wedge here or read our review here.

In the End…
As someone whose time for buttery-soft, teeny forged iron heads has passed him by, these clubs look awfully interesting. I especially like the look of the r7 TP version. I look forward to hitting a few with them to see if the feel is as pleasing as promised.

TaylorMade has become a leader in drivers with the huge following they’ve built with their r7 line. I have a feeling the new r7 irons may help them do the same in that category. Between the two versions, these irons should appeal to a broad range of players.