TaylorMade Brings Technology to Forged Irons with Three New Models

FOLLOWING the much successful release of Burner 2.0 irons last year, TaylorMade Golf has once again pushed the benchmark higher with the introduction of three new forged irons models, redefined and distinctly different from one another: Tour Preferred® Muscleback (TPMB), Tour Preferred® Muscle Cavity (TPMC) and Tour Preferred® Cavityback (TPCB).

Created with major input from tour pros, the three new models incorporate specific features and technologies that enhanced superior performance. Each new iron is exquisitely designed to blends classic forged irons features with modern performance elements. The TPCB utilizes a multi-material construction comprised of a forged face and cast body while TPMB and TPMC are both created using a state-of-the-art shaping process and 6-step forging procedure that resulted pure feel.

“Forged irons are typically devoid of performance technologies,” said Bret Wahl, Senior Director of iron, wedge and putter development. “Their compact and solid construction with thin sole, thin top line, high CG location and little to no offset, forces a very specific type of impact parameters to hit a good shot, with virtually no margin for error. We took a long and close look into the makeup of forged irons to determine if we could advance the performance with the use of technology and found that we could.”

The Tour Preferred® Muscleback or TPMB irons are fine muscleback blade with clear lines designed for the purist. A compact player’s shape and minimal offset, TPMB delivers the pure feel, feedback and workability coveted by blade fans. The 6-step forging process produces thin top line and sole, straight leading edge, minimal offset and tapered hosel work that gives a pure face-to-ball connection sought after by skilled players.

“This is the iron that many of our Tour Staff pros have been waiting for,” said Keith Sbarbaro, TaylorMade’s Vice President of tour operations. “The lines are clear and clean from every angle and the pure feel of the ball on the forged face at impact is as good as it gets.”

Adding to that, TPMB also incorporates TaylorMade’s innovative new precision-weighting port at the back of the club head which offers precision-weighting port solves age-old problem and guarantees a precise swing weights while ensuring optimal and consistent CG location in every club head.

The Ideal Forged Players Cavity Back or TPMC irons are designed with a clean, classic and maneuverable player’s shape which offers optimum blend of feel, workability and forgiveness. A compact and shallow cavity is incorporated for added stability plus a smoother feel and workability of a forging.

“The precision-weighting port proves it is possible to innovate and improve the performance of a true, forged blade,” said Brian Bazzel, Manager of iron and wedge creation.

Both TPMB and TPMC sports advanced USGA-conforming groove design that allows more spin and control from the rough, plus standard shaft and grip properties chosen with input from TaylorMade Tour Staff professional, including True Temper Dynamic Gold shaft- the most widely played on tour- and Tour Velvet grips, a combination deemed optimal for promoting consistent and responsive performance.

As for the Tour Preferred® CB or TPCB irons, it is multi-material forged cavity back designed with a two-piece head. Its advanced construction melds a forged face with a cast body that incorporates an undercut cavity that delivers a pure feel of a forged iron and forgiveness of a deep cavity back.

“Uniting a forged face with a cast cavity allows us to deliver the soft feel of a forging with the stability and forgiveness of a deep undercut cavity,” said Wahl.

Boasting the highest MOI out of the three new irons, the TPCB is also the only iron with Inverted Cone Technology (ICT) which gives faster ball speed on off-center hits which makes it extremely forgiving for consistent distance from shot to shot. Additionally, the TPCB also features a precision-weighting port that guarantees consistent swing weight and optimal CG location and the same new, advanced groove design to promote more spin and control.

Availability and Pricing

For Asian market, the Tour Preferred® Muscleback is available in S200 steel shaft only with a suggested retail price of RM4090. For the Tour Preferred® Muscle Cavity, there are two shaft options – S200 shaft (retails at RM4090) and NSPRO 950 steel shaft (retails at RM4390). The Tour Preferred® Cavityback is the only model offered in both steel - NSPRO 950 (retails at RM4390) and graphite TP 65 (retails at RM4790) shafts. All three models are available in sets of #4 to PW with the standard Tour Velvet grips. The irons are already available in the market.