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Today I’ll be taking a look at the TaylorMade 2020 P770 irons.
The 2020 P770 irons take the same distance-maximizing technologies that mark the P970 iron, including SpeedFoam and a thin face design, and put them in a more compact, slimmer, more workable players shape.
The 2020 P770 is ideal for golfers who find the P970 to be too “game-improvementy”. But how do they actually perform when put to the test? Is it worth putting a set in the bag?
Read on to find out what you need to know to make an informed purchase.
Note: Unless otherwise stated, stock shafts and stock grips are used when evaluating this club. In most cases, the golf clubs reviewed on Golfstead are acquired temporarily for testing purposes and are not purchased. The review that follows is based on the personal experience and research of the author. Because everyone’s swing and body are different, results with a particular club may differ from person to person.
What are the reviews like?
The 2020 P770 irons won a silver medal on the 2022 Golf Digest Hot List. The general reception from critics and consumers has been very positive.
Examples include average scores of 4.8/5 (97% recommended) on the TaylorMade store, 5/5 on Global Golf, 4.5/5 on Rock Bottom Golf, and 4.8/5 on PGA TOUR Superstore.
What People Like
- amazing slim looks
- high launch with plenty of stopping power
- impressive forgiveness considering the players shape
- excellent distance control
- very playable
- quality stock shaft
What People Don’t Like
- some would like more distance
- not much more workable than the P790
The Features
The 2020 P770 iron has a forged hollow-body construction. What differentiates it from its P790 sister iron is a compact players shape which involves a shorter blade length, thinner top line, and reduced offset that suit the eye of skilled players.
SpeedFoam
SpeedFoam is a proprietary, super-light urethane foam injected into the head, just behind the face. Its purpose is to:
- act as a support for the 2020 P770’s thin face and increase its speed
- substantially improve sound and feel
The end result is that golfers get the explosive distance of a game-improvement and the soft, premium feel of a forged players iron.
Forged Hollow-Body Construction
The 2020 P770 iron consists of a thin, wraparound forged 4140 steel face and a soft 8620 carbon steel body.
This is complemented by up to 46g of tungsten in the 3-7 irons for an optimized center of gravity (CG) and more forgiveness.
Thru-Slot Speed Pocket
A signature of TaylorMade irons for many years, this is a slot at the bottom of the sole that is designed to increase flexibility, ball speeds and forgiveness on shots hit low on the clubface, which is a common mis-hit area.
Progressive ICT
Progressive Inverted Cone Technology (ICT) is a variable face thickness designed to improve accuracy and ball speeds in off-center regions.
The ICT is unique for each iron in the set — it’s positioned towards the toe for long irons and in the center of the face for mid irons.
Stock Info
4-PW stock sets are commonly available for the 2020 P770 irons. Individual 3-AW irons can be purchased, and a special P770 2-iron is also available.
The stock steel shaft is the KBS TOUR. The stock grip is the Golf Pride ZGRIP 360.
If you’re interested, full information on shafts, grips and other customizations can be found here.
Below are the specs of the 2020 P770 irons. Click or zoom to enlarge.
The Performance
Distance
If you have the chance to hit both the 2020 P770 and the P790, one of the main things you’ll notice is that the 2020 P770s just don’t carry as far. This comes as no surprise, especially when you note the weaker lofts.
However, the 2020 P770s can still be considered “players distance” irons since they have a definite edge edge in length over the P7MC and P7MB.
For what it’s worth, I find the speed and distance these irons deliver to be perfect because it’s complemented by a higher launch and higher spin, the end result of which is more stopping power into greens.
It’s also very easy to control your distance with these irons, and results are very repeatable if your swing is consistent enough.
Forgiveness
The 2020 P770 iron isn’t as forgiving as the P790. At the same time, for an iron that resembles a blade so strongly, you really can’t do much better.
What’s particularly impressive is ball speed preservation in mis-hit regions, no doubt bolstered by the Speed Pocket and ICT technologies. I found during my tests that moderate mis-hits would often catch the edge of the green.
Although not quite on the same level as the P790, the tungsten contained in these irons really help keep MOI high which, in turn, increases resistance to twisting at impact and tightens dispersions.
It’s worth noting that TaylorMade classifies the 2020 P770 irons as having mid-high distance and a moderate level of forgiveness in their P-Series line.
Playability/Trajectory
Compared to the P790, the 2020 P770 iron produces a noticeably higher launch (a couple degrees on average) with 500-1000 more RPMs of spin. This makes it easier to hold greens with the long irons.
One of the things I really like about the 2020 P770 irons is their tendency to glide smoothly through the turf instead of cut deep gouges in the earth. In this sense, the turf interaction is wonderful.
The flight bias is neutral which lends itself to ample workability. The shot-shaping ability of these irons is stronger than that of the P790, but perhaps not as strong as I would have liked for an iron in this class.
The Look
The 2020 P770 is more compact than its sister P790 iron, with a thinner top line, shorter blade length from heel to toe, and less offset. Despite the reduced amount of offset, it’s still progressive, becoming larger as you move towards the long irons.
Although the 2020 P770 can be considered a players iron, it’s noticeably bulkier than the P7MC and P7MB options which are designed for the best ball strikers. This makes it a good bridge between these models and the P790.
If you thought the P790s look like blades in the bag, that’s even more so the case with the 2020 P770s. The smooth, brushed chrome finish is just so good, and the minimalist design really give you the impression that these irons mean business.
The Sound & Feel
The 2020 P770 is quieter and less explosive off the face compared to the P790. However, the more muted feel is very solid and smooth, giving you a pretty strong incentive to make good contact. Feel is on the softer side.
Mis-hit feedback is very informative and is primarily received through the hands. When you stray from the center of the face, you know it immediately because the feel gets firmer and a little more unpleasant.
Overall, the sound and feel are very consistent with a traditional forged iron. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing depends on how good of a ballstriker you are!
Where To Buy These Irons Online
You can order 2020 P770 irons on TaylorMade’s official store, with optional full customization through their Custom Shop. However, because the model is more than a season old, options are currently limited.
Another option is Global Golf. They offer various deals, a points rewards program, and a club trade-in program (UTry) to help you minimize the financial hit.
You can also buy 2020 P770 irons from Amazon, Rock Bottom Golf, and PGA TOUR Superstore.
Don’t forget about eBay, where you can often find unbeatable deals on new and used golf equipment.
Conclusion
The TaylorMade 2020 P770 irons give us a nice break from the “monster” distance irons that have dominated the market in recent years.
With weaker lofts, more spin, and a slim players profile compared to the P790, they’re calling out to golfers who prefer more balanced performance in their irons, regardless of skill level.
Like the P790s, though, they’re very pricey, which will be a barrier to some people. However, there are options for financing and club trade-ins that can soften the blow considerably.
What are your thoughts about the 2020 P770 irons? Go ahead and drop a comment below.
