TaylorMade SIM2 Max OS Irons Review – Oversized Stability

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TaylorMade SIM2 Max OS Irons - 3 Perspectives

In this review, I’ll evaluate the TaylorMade SIM2 Max OS irons top to bottom.

The SIM2 Max OS irons pack the same cutting-edge technologies as the SIM2 Max but are designed to deliver maximum forgiveness through an oversized, draw-bias design.

How does the forgiveness of the SIM2 Max OS actually compare to the SIM2 Max? What’s the overall performance like? Which type of golfer should put these in the bag?

Here’s what I’m going to be covering in this review:

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 SIM2 Max OS irons have received very high consumer ratings, and there’s probably a little more love for them than the SIM2 Max in that regard. Professional reviews have been a bit mixed but mostly positive.

The 2021 Golf Digest Gold Medal Winner has average customer scores of 5/5 on Global Golf and 4.7/5 (97% recommended) on the official TM store.

What People Like

  • at the top of its class in terms of distance and forgiveness
  • a practical cure for slices
  • easy to swing with a consistent ball flight
  • better GI performance than the M6 and SIM Max OS irons
  • helps high handicappers lower their scores quickly

What People Don’t Like

  • very strong lofts are a tough sell for many and can cause gapping issues
  • precision shotmaking can be challenging, especially into small greens

What are the features?

The SIM2 Max OS irons basically have the same features as the SIM2 Max:

  • Cap Back Technology: a multi-material construction, made from a lightweight polymer, that spans the entire cavity. It’s designed to increase stability and rigidity in the upper part of the face, resulting in more flexibility, distance and forgiveness.
  • Echo Damping System: this new, softer design uses an insert made of a soft polymer blend that is positioned behind the face, channeling away harsh vibrations and improving feel.
  • Thru-Slot Speed Pocket: increases flexibility and performance in the bottom region of the face, working with the Cap Back to produce one of the most forgiving faces TaylorMade has ever made.
  • Inverted Cone Technology (ICT): a variable face thickness expands the COR zone and increases ball speeds. In the SIM2 Max OS irons, the ICT is positioned to optimize forgiveness and counteract the common right miss.

The key differences are size, CG placement, and lofts.

The SIM2 Max OS is built for maximum distance and forgiveness. This takes the form of a larger (oversized) body, wider sole, more offset, and a draw bias which helps chronic faders & slicers hit it straight.

The wide sole gives the iron a super-low CG for an easy launch and penetrating ball flight. This low CG also increases stability and the effective size of the sweet spot.

Stock Info

The SIM2 Max OS irons are available in 4-LW.

Also available are the SIM2 Max OS Women’s irons, which pack the same technologies as the SIM2 Max OS Men’s irons but offer lightweight stock shaft options and stock grip options that are designed for women to maximize their performance.

The stock steel shaft is the KBS MAX MT 85, and the stock graphite shaft is the Fujikura Ventus Blue. The stock grip is the Lamkin Crossline 360.

Those looking for custom configurations, lies, lofts, shafts, etc. can do so through the TaylorMade store. If you’re interested, full information on shafts, grips and other customizations can be found on their website.

Below are the specs of the SIM2 Max OS irons. Click or zoom to enlarge. Notice how all but the SW and LW are at minimum 1° stronger in loft compared to the SIM2 Max.

TaylorMade SIM2 Max OS Irons Specs

How do the SIM2 Max OS irons perform?

Distance/Distance Control

After a lengthy practice session with the SIM2 Max OS irons, it became clear that they were generating more distance (about 3-5 yards on average) compared to the SIM2 Max, and were even longer compared to the previous M6 model.

In terms of raw ball speed and distance potential, the SIM2 Max OS is virtually unbeatable. The ball just explodes off the face.

While you would think that the very strong lofts would keep the launch stubbornly low, this actually isn’t really the case. I was very surprised how TaylorMade was able to maintain launch properties that are nearly the same as the SIM2 Max, so theoretically, the SIM2 Max OS irons should have just as much stopping power into greens.

The issue, however, tends to lie in gapping. Because the SIM2 Max OS irons are so long and the distance gaps from club to club are so great, many golfers will find themselves in situations where there is no ideal club to hit from a particular yardage.

In this sense, it’s more difficult to dial in your distances with the SIM2 Max OS irons than with more “playersey” irons like the P Series. Most higher handicaps won’t have an issue with this, but this tradeoff for strong lofts is something to keep in mind.

Forgiveness

Due to the way the technologies of the SIM2 Max OS irons work, forgiveness is tied in closely with distance.

In short, you’ll find the face to be extremely forgiving, especially in mis-hit areas. This is undoubtedly due to the lowered CG which adds more MOI and stability.

In terms of numbers, the difference in distance between center strikes and heel/toe strikes was 5-7 yards less than with the SIM2 Max. This reinforces the fact that the OS is indeed more forgiving.

In addition to that, the inherent draw bias of these irons will be the difference between a slicer missing the green to the right and setting up a makeable putt for birdie.

Basically, if TaylorMade fans are looking for stability and the confidence that they’ll hit a decent shot every single time, the SIM2 Max OS irons are their best bet.

Playability/Trajectory

Aside from the draw bias tendency of the SIM2 Max OS, I found that it was producing similar launch, trajectory, and spin rates to the SIM2 Max.

I did find this a little surprising at first, but it’s certainly preferable to a low launch with low spin, which just makes for a bad iron in most circumstances.

The wide sole is extremely playable and can handle practically any lie. And unlike a few rare cases with the SIM2 Max, I never had issues with the club head digging or grabbing through the turf. The downside of this is that you’re more likely to hit skulls or thin shots if you’re not careful.

This segues into something related I want to point out: in the case of the SIM2 Max OS iron, I feel like the Cap Back is not as useful as in the SIM2 Max because the wide sole makes high-face impacts much less likely.

Lastly, the size of the club head and draw means means this is not a shotmakers’ iron. So, if you place a premium on workability, you’re probably better off with the SIM2 Max.


What about look, sound & feel?

The Look

Think of the SIM2 Max irons, which I discuss the look of in that review, and then increase the body & face size slightly, thicken the topline a bit, widen the sole, and add more offset.

That’s basically what the SIM2 Max OS irons look like, but more than that, they have a slightly different Cap Back design and the appearance of a deeper cavity. The SIM2 Max OS also uses darker colours in the cavity.

Objectively speaking, the SIM2 Max OS irons look great for a super-GI iron. But to be honest, it’s not really my cup of tea; I think the SIM2 Max has a sleeker design.

I’m also not really digging how the the metallic blue colour of the Fujikura Ventus stock graphite shaft is paired with the club head. This is personal preference, though, and it’s something you should judge for yourself.

Aesthetics aside, when you look down at the iron at address, you feel like you can hit a great shot every time. These are definitely one of the most confidence-inspiring irons I’ve tested in the past year or so.

The Sound & Feel

The SIM2 Max OS irons are a little louder and have a slightly higher-pitched sound at impact compared to the SIM2 Max.

In terms of feel, they are almost identical, but in the case of the SIM2 Max OS, I would say that the feel is a little more heavy and “impactful”, if you know what I mean.

Another way I could perhaps put it is that it feels a little more powerful, which is really not surprising given that weight has been shifted downwards.

Feedback is less informative than the SIM2 Max, but in most cases, it’s still enough to be able to tell the difference between strikes in the center, heel and toe.

The best way to read the feedback here is through the feel in your hands. In any case, feedback is certainly better than many other super-GI irons I’ve tested in recent years.


Where should you buy the SIM2 Max OS irons online?

There are a couple places I recommend buying the SIM2 Max OS irons aside from the official TaylorMade store, which is getting low on stock.

One is Global Golf, which is the certified pre-owned source of TaylorMade golf clubs (new condition is also available). They offer many attractive programs and deals including club trade-ins and Utry, a try-before-you-buy program.

The other is eBay. They are a fantastic source for golf equipment, both new and used.


Conclusion

The TaylorMade SIM2 Max OS irons are indeed longer and more forgiving than the SIM2 Max. Based on my testing, they also rank near the top of all irons for these categories.

For the most part, this comes at no cost, except for the fact that the distances are so huge and the lofts so strong that you end up sacrificing some control and workability. When it comes to the short irons, most people are likely to prefer the slimmer SIM2 Max or P Series irons.

To sum up, the SIM2 Max OS irons do what they’re supposed to do as super GI irons, and they meet or exceed the bar set by its competitors.

If you’re a beginner, mid or high-handicapper looking for loads of distance and forgiveness (as well as great feel) in a modern technological package, you’re likely to have excellent results with them. They will help you hit it straighter, be more consistent, and miss fewer greens.


Are you interested in the SIM2 Max OS irons? Have you played them? What’s your experience? Let us know in the comments below.

TaylorMade SIM2 Max OS Irons - Featured
TaylorMade SIM2 Max OS Iron
Distance
9.9
Distance Control
8.5
Forgiveness
10
Workability
7
Look
8.5
Sound & Feel
9.4
Pros
Inspires a ton of confidence at address
A distance machine
Incredible full-face forgiveness
Powerful, satisfying feel
Still an impressive launch and stopping power into greens
Cons
I like the look less than the SIM2 Max and SIM Max OS
Lofts are almost too strong
Very limited potential for shot-shaping
8.9
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2 Comments

  1. Mark July 4, 2021
    • Paul July 5, 2021

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