TaylorMade Tour Preferred MC
We test 10 of the latest better player irons on the market and then award them with Gold, Silver and Bronze
Brand: TaylorMade
Player iron: Tour Preferred MC
RRP: £849
Loft: 30-degree Lie: 62-degree Length: 37.25”
Shaft: KBS Tour Grip: Tour Velvet
Summary: TaylorMade Tour Preferred MC combines a player’s shape with a shallow “muscle cavity” to boost MOI, creating an unparalleled blend of beauty, feel, workability and stability. The 3- through 7-iron incorporate TaylorMade’s renowned Speed Pocket technology to promote increased ball speed in the lower portion of the clubface for more consistent ball speed and launch conditions across the entire face. The clubhead’s length, top line and sole-width are all slightly larger compared to the Tour Preferred MB.
Looks: Oozes class. Another beautiful looking iron that will appeal to the better players. It features a nice, thin top edge but also appears to have a longer face, which will no doubt still suit the guys in the high singles. Some of the lower handicappers might not like that though. One of the better looking irons. 4 (out of 5)
Feel: Very rewarding sensation off the face with a nice, soft blow. It's a fast face too, so it's ideal. Hot and soft - the perfect combination. The standard KBS Tour, as we keep saying, is one of our favourite shafts on the market. It's just so easy to control through impact, particularly against something like a True Temper S300. Tour Velvet grip is also very comfortable for a standard offering. 10 (out of 10)
Performance: Very forgiving, very powerful and very workable. Probably the easiest iron in this test to work both ways. Balls were flying on an ideal mid-high trajectory, too. Distance is so hot however that it could cause a few problems as the Speed Pocket works its magic. This iron will take a bit of practice to get used to the distance gains but you could be onto a winner after several weeks. Distance control is superb, though. It wasn't as if one ball was finishing shorter than the other, they were all flying long. 9 (out of 10)
Verdict: Looks, feels and performs superb. One of the best in the test. Only drawback is distance, which while a positive in the sense it gets you out there and won't ever leave you short of the pin, the 6-iron was coming out at easily 5-iron distance. Remarkably, the 6-iron is 30-degree loft, one of the highest in the test, so it just goes to show how powerful and impressive the Speed Pocket technology is. This will certainly suit the better player concerned with distance. Expensive at £850 but these really are quite special. 23 (out of 25)
