Morikawa tested P7CB long irons at the Wells Fargo Championship when they were still considered “Proto.”
Jonathan Wall
Walking up to the best players in the world and handing them the iron of a model you've worked on for years can be a sad experience. Everyone has their likes and dislikes, so there is no guarantee that a creation will satisfy all parties. Not to mention the metal usually takes time before a final decision is made.
Not sure how Rory McIlroy would react to TaylorMade's P7CB, Matt Bovee, the manufacturer's director of iron design, came armed with a few different geometries that he hand-cut. Knowing how important the turf interaction is to McIlroy, Bovee hopes one of the options will be deemed good enough to continue testing at home.
Standing next to McIlroy on The Kingdom practice range, Bovee settled in for what he expected to be a long feedback session with the P7CB 4-iron. Four swings later, McIlroy stopped the session, turned to Bovee and uttered two words that knocked him down: “We're ready.”
As it is, we are done testing. The club is ready to go.
“It took four swings and the testing period is over,” Bovee said Golf games The Fully Equipped Podcast. “This is not possible. I had different geometries that I was grinding by hand, fully expecting that I would have to go into that with him. And he said, 'We're ready.' OK good. When you get the answer you want, you leave. I thought that was a one off. “
McIlroy's affinity for TaylorMade's P760 long irons led Bovee to think it would be difficult to get the clubs out of the bag, but what ultimately sold him on the P7CB was the superior trajectory and consistent launch rate that increased his launch window.
Six weeks after McIlroy hit a 4-iron in the match, he found the winner's circle in Charlotte at the Wells Fargo Championship. At that time, the club was still called “Proto,” which meant that it had not even been released to the general public. Before TaylorMade could blink, the iron was already gaining traction on Tour.
TaylorMade P7CB and P770 irons: 5 things you need to know
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It didn't take Bovee long to realize Rory's immediate adoption was not a hoax. At RBC Heritage, he watched as Collin Morikawa and Tommy Fleetwood followed Rory's lead and put P7CB in the game after just a few swings. (Morikawa eventually bagged a full set of P7CBs at the Genesis Scottish Open.)
“Collin was the guy who went from P770 to P7CB,” Bovee recalls. “He liked the feel, but on the 4-iron in particular, he was looking for more spin, more control and a little more ball handling. But he won't sacrifice feel or that high launch angle to get there. CB gave him that. His maximum height was slightly lower than 770, but his rotation rate was higher. He was a yard or two shorter, but he was good with the change of pace because he was getting more spin. And it was in his usual launch window. And he managed to get there in less than 5 turns. It's sad. I have never been a part of an instrument that has been so quickly taken up by so many players.”
While this story focuses on McIlroy and Morikawa's experience testing the P7CB, Bovee is quick to point out that the iron is nothing more than a Tour-only product designed for the world's best golfers. Yes, TaylorMade's latest iron is designed for people with single-digit disabilities. But it's not a simple re-burn of the one-piece P7MC.
TaylorMade P7CB Custom Irons
$185.71
SOLID BODY CONSTRUCTION A hollow body construction gives golfers the best of both worlds; beauty and performance. The soft 8620 carbon steel body is paired with the incredibly forged 4140 steel face and Thru-Slot Speed Pocket™ for a fast, flexible and forgiving design even with compact head shapes. FLTD CG FLTD CG effectively places the center of gravity (CG) at the lowest point on the long iron and gradually shifts higher throughout the set. Using up to 46g of tungsten, the FLTDCG is designed to give players improved launch and playability on long irons and increased spin on scoring irons. SPEEDFOAM AIR All new SpeedFoam Air is 69% less dense than its predecessor, creating significant savings that are redistributed to improve performance. SpeedFoam Air dampens forexquisite vibrations, sound and feel while delivering a fast, flexible surface. TRAVEL-DEFINED LOOKS Featuring fine refinements, including a slight offset in the long irons, the new P•770 is designed to fit the eye of the more discerning player with visual cues including a thithingline, slight offset, and shorter blade length compared to the P . •790. THRU-SLOT SPEED POCKET The Thru-Slot Speed Pocket™ provides increased face flexibility while maintaining speed and distance on low face shots.
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“When you look at a product like the P7CB, we wanted it to be played by a larger portion of the golfers out there than the P7MC,” he said. “We have to cover more than just the Tour. Yes, we work with the best. What was great about this was how quickly Rory, Collin and Tommy got into P7CB after we got to the final illustration. They fell in love with it after five changes.”
Better players without a Tour card may not be able to make a final decision after five swings, but TaylorMade still looks for feel, technology and consistency to seal the deal in head-to-head testing with all comers.
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