TaylorMade Tour Preferred MC irons
Justin Rose won the 2013 U.S. Open using a set of irons comprised of two models. The Englishman's long and mid-irons were TaylorMade's RocketBladez Tour irons while his short irons were Tour Preferred MBs.
Now, with the release of the new Tour Preferred MC irons, TaylorMade brings a similar, pre-blended set to the masses.
The Tour Preferred MC 8-iron, 9-iron and pitching wedge feature a muscleback design and are forged from 1025 carbon steel for enhanced feel and softness. The cast stainless steel 3- through 7-iron have a pocket-cavity design and a slot in the sole that TaylorMade calls a Speed Pocket.
- Read about the new Taylormade Tour Preferred MB right here.
- Read about the new TaylorMade Tour Preferred CB right here.
The Speed Pocket, which TaylorMade debuted in last season's RocketBladez irons, is designed to allow the lower portion of the iron's face to flex more at impact.
"The Speed Pocket delivers a lot of extra ball speed and a little higher launch angle," said Tomo Bystedt, TaylorMade's director of product creation for irons, wedges and putters. "It's good for players who are looking for a little bit of extra help with their long irons."
The combination of more ball speed and a higher launch angle should help accomplished players who like to attack the flag bring the ball down on a more vertical angle and make it stop more quickly. TaylorMade anticipates the Tour Preferred MC irons will become popular with players on the PGA Tour.
"Players have been asking for a very traditional look in a forging, but something that delivers a little better performance on shots that are a little challenging," Bystedt said.
Getting the sole design, offset and topline thickness to meet the demands of discerning players was a challenge, but perhaps the greatest hurdle in designing the Tour Preferred MC irons was making the set feel and perform homogeneously. After all, there are two different styles of heads in this set.
"Our engineers spent a lot of time on how and where to position the center of gravity, what materials to use and the feel dampening we use," Bystedt said.
TaylorMade said this ensures the distance gaps between each club—especially the slotted 7-iron and the muscleback 8-iron—are consistent.
The cavity behind the face of the Tour Preferred MC 3- though 7-irons lowers each club's center of gravity, promoting a higher launch angle and more forgiveness.
The Tour Preferred MC irons have a longer blade length, slightly wider sole and slightly thicker topline than the new Tour Preferred MB irons, but those game-improvement features won't protect players too much from bad swings. Make no mistake, these clubs are designed for players who make consistently good swings.
Golfers who like the idea of the Speed Pocket but need forgiveness should try the company's game-improvement SpeedBlade irons.
The TaylorMade Tour Preferred MC irons come standard with KBS Tour shafts for $999 and should arrive in stores immediately.