Rory McIlroy ditches iconic blades in biggest equipment switch of his career

Rory McIlroy does not change golf equipment on a whim, which is why his latest move has sent shockwaves through the golf world this week. 

Ahead of his 2026 season getting underway in Dubai this month, McIlroy, 36, has arguably made the biggest equipment change of his career, and without question his most dramatic shift since joining TaylorMade in 2017.

This is the same McIlroy who is coming off one of the greatest seasons of his illustrious career, a year that saw him complete the career grand slam, dominate on both sides of the Atlantic and cement his status as the World No.2. 

And yet, despite all that success, change has clearly been heavily on his mind.

Blades are being removed 

McIlroy was spotted using P•7CB irons during Friday's TGL action, a stunning move away from the custom Rors Proto blades he has trusted for nearly a decade.

In short, the five-time major champ is opting for more forgiveness with the P7CB irons. 

McIlroy's Rors Proto irons have been a constant since his TaylorMade deal began nine years ago, carrying him to the grand slam club and some of the biggest moments of his life. 

Until now, or so it seems... 

Whispers first emerged in early December after McIlroy wrapped up his 2025 campaign at the Australian Open, but things escalated quickly this week when he put a full set of P•7CBs in play during Boston Common Golf’s 7–5 win over Los Angeles GC at the SoFi Center.

That was the moment the speculation became impossible to ignore.

‘Blade extinction may be inevitable’

Once footage surfaced of Rory's new set of irons, The Equipment Junkie was quick to react with more insider info. 

"Rory's biggest equipment change ever?!"

He then broke down just how seismic this move could be, captioning his post 'blade extinction may be inevitable'.

"So unless you've been living under a rock, since joining TaylorMade in 2017, Rory McIlroy has played basically the exact same irons," said The Equipment Junkie.

"They are a muscle back, largely based off of the P730s called the Rors Proto. They are literally the 730s but with some modifications. On the 7 iron the topline was thinned out slightly, and the grooves in Rory's irons are the same as the P7TWs, and they also have more grooves than the P730s. He has played the Rors Proto from 5 through 9 iron, with a P760 in a 4 iron. This is the setup he used to win at Augusta National and complete the career grand slam."

Then came the line that really underlined just how bold this decision is: "Yeah apparently, career grand slam and releasing your own irons with your name on them to retail is still not quite good enough for Rory." 

Full set switch is the real shock

What has stunned golf gear experts around the world is the scale of the change.

McIlroy hasn’t simply added forgiveness at the top end of his irons — he has gone all in.

The Equipment Junkie continued: "Rory is now playing a full set of P7CBs. 

"If you told me Rory switched to these in the 4 through 6 iron I guess I'd get it, maybe he's looking for a touch of forgiveness from like a toe strike or something, though he had the 760 in the 4 iron that I think is more forgiving... it's 7 through 9 iron that I'm going to be very intrigued to hear why he's switched."

Watch The Equipment Junkie's full video review of McIlroy's iron switch below:

Why change after a golden year? 

That is the obvious question.

McIlroy admitted ahead of his TGL appearance that he has been working with a new set of TaylorMade irons during the off-season and revealed that he is “incredibly excited” by what he has seen so far.

That revelation only adds to the intrigue, given everything he achieved in 2025, from completing the career grand slam at Augusta to winning multiple times on the PGA Tour, lifting a second Irish Open, claiming a record seventh Race to Dubai and leading Europe to a famous Ryder Cup victory at Bethpage before capping the year by being named BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

If a player operating at that level believes there is still another gear to find, it says everything about McIlroy’s relentless drive to improve.

What happens next? 

McIlroy’s 2026 season begins in less than two weeks at the Dubai Invitational, before he stays in the Middle East for the Dubai Desert Classic, a tournament he has already won a record four times.

Those tournament appearances will see him have played in eight straight DP World Tour events, something he's not done since he was a fresh-faced teenager. 

Whether the P•7CB irons make it straight into tournament play remains to be seen, or whether McIlroy opts to bed them in gradually before heading back to the PGA Tour and another major season.

But one thing is certain:, this is no casual trial.

And yes, there's a new driver too! 

As if the iron switch wasn’t enough, McIlroy has wasted little time in adding TaylorMade’s brand-new Qi4D Driver to his bag for 2026.

After sticking with the Qi10 throughout 2025 and deciding against switching into the Qi35, McIlroy has immediately committed to the Qi4D, underlining just how open he is to change as the new season begins.

GolfMagic will have full, in-depth review coverage of the new TaylorMade Qi4D Driver very soon, so keep it locked to our website, the GolfMagic YouTube channel and our socials.