Today’s Golfer UK — December 2017

Fast, fun and forgiving

S

uper-forgiving irons have a

reputation for being ugly

ducklings, with big heads that look

more like oars than clubs. Admittedly uber

forgiveness in the past has come with

trade-offs, usually in the form of wide

soles, huge cavity backs and top edges

thicker than a sumo wrestler’s loincloth.

But trust us, looks and cosmetics are now

a serious consideration for the designers of

ultimate forgiveness irons, and today’s

models are nicer looking and better

performing than ever. After TaylorMade

launched the M CGBs – their first set to

feature just as much face flex (from every

iron in the set) as a driver – we thought the

time was right to revisit the super game

improvement category, and put the CGBs

up against the best super game

improvement irons of 2017.

How we did it

As uber-forgiving irons aren’t really aimed

at pros, we got both TG Equipment Editor

Simon Daddow and TG test pro Chris Ryan

to hit each on a launch monitor. To ensure

an accurate comparison (thanks to his

repeatable swing) we’ve only published

Chris’s test data to show how each model

performed against its peers.

How do TaylorMade’s

new uber-forgiving

M-CGB irons compare to

the competition?

SIMON DADDOW

Handicap: 10

TG’s Equipment

Ed is a former golf

club designer

MEET THE TESTERS

CHRIS RYAN

Handicap: Pro

Director of the HIT

Golf Academy at

Forest of Arden

TaylorMade M CGB

£849 (s), £1099 (g) for 7 clubs

http://www.taylormadegolf.com

OAvailability:4-SW

OStock shaft: Nippon NS Pro 840 (s)

UST Recoil 460 ES (g)

O7-iron loft/length/offset: 29.5° loft

/ 37” length / 4.7 mm

Verdict:We don’t know how they do it,

but when it comes to delivering on

distance and speed TaylorMade very

rarely lets you down. Yes, the M CGB is

the latest, most up to date model here

(with the joint strongest 7-iron loft), so

it’s fair to expect it to be the longest,

but hands-down it delivered the fastest

ball speeds and longest carry. We

particularly liked the head shape and

sizing; it’s a far cry from the shovels

many golfers think are the norm at this

end of the market. Just like the other

irons on test the CGBs feature slightly

lighter shafts (80g in steel) which add

a much-needed boost to club and ball

speeds for the target golfer. TaylorMade

says the CGBs are particularly good at

average and lower swing speeds (as

they launch higher and stay in the air

for longer) and we’d agree. The faces

feel light and lively, which for lots of

club golfers would mean more distance

and enjoyment on the course.

Ping GMax £92 (s), £102 (g)

http://www.ping.com

OAvailability:4-SW

OStock shaft: Choice of six

premium options

O7-iron loft/length/offset: 30.5°

loft / 37” length / 6.6mm

Verdict:The GMax is now over two

years old, so considering how fast

tech is moving, competing against

the very latest model in terms of

ball speed and carry was likely to

be a big ask, especially from a

weaker lofted 7-iron (1° compared

to the CGB). The GMax has a long,

wide head (toe to heel), which

helps raise MOI and forgiveness

over a more compact head. In

terms of protecting ball speed the

GMax’s shape does what it’s

supposed to, registering the lowest

ball speed drop-off (6mph) here

test. The custom fit options are

fantastic and you can buy each

iron individually.

88 ISSUE 367 TODAYSGOLFER.CO.UK

THE TEST