Equipment
2017 TaylorMade irons being tested at the RSM Classic
PGA Tour players are testing new TaylorMade irons at the RSM Classic, according to the company. Even better? TaylorMade’s decision to add an image of the 2017 irons on its Twitter account, which gives us a good idea what they might look like when they’re released.
Update: In-hand photos below!
TOUR testing in progress. #RSMClassic pic.twitter.com/ZDPDOYmJH6
— TaylorMade Golf (@TaylorMadeGolf) November 15, 2016
From the photo, it’s clear that the new irons are forged (see the toe engravings). Based on that, one can jump to the conclusion that the irons are a replacement for the company’s previous line of PGA Tour-inspired irons, the PSi (Players Slotted Irons).
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The PSi irons use a multi-material construction that helps make the long irons hotter and more forgiving, while maintaining compact, consistent short irons. The PSi Tour irons, on the other hand, are fully forged cavity-backs made from 1025 carbon steel with a size that’s fractionally larger than muscleback irons.
So are these new irons more like the PSi, PSi Tour… or something completely different? We’ll let you know as soon as we know.
See what GolfWRX members are saying about the Protos in our forums.
Update 11/16
Based on photos shot at the RSM Classic, it appears there are two different prototypes from TaylorMade. One has a more compact look with a thinner sole, while the other has a thicker sole, and has “tungsten” stamped on the back badging. One can suspect that these will replace the TaylorMade PSi and PSi Tour irons based on the two different heads.
Forged Proto 9-iron
Forged Proto 9 iron w/ “Tungsten”
Forged Proto 7-iron
Forged Proto 7-iron w/ “Tungsten”
Forged Proto 4-iron
Forged Proto 4-iron w/ “Tungsten”
See what GolfWRX members are saying about the Protos in our forums.
Neal Shipley was the first to admit that he enjoyed his food while in college. But since his days at Ohio State, he’s slimmed down and earned a PGA Tour Card.
That hasn’t stopped him from having fun with his wedge stampings, though it’s led to some misunderstandings.
On the 54 (degree), we have ‘Big Fudge,'” Shipley told GolfWRX. “It was supposed to be ‘Big Fridge,’ so this happened a little while ago. ‘Big Fridge’ was a nickname between my college teammates and I, with ‘fridge’ meaning stomach, a big stomach.
“We told the Ping guys to put … ‘Big Fridge’ on it, and I think maybe some bad cell service or something, and they thought I said ‘fudge,’ so they put fudge on it.”
On Shipley’s 50-degree he also continues the food theme, this time with his go-to order at the “Golden Arches,” and his stamping “DONS 7.”
“The number 7 meal, the two cheeseburger meal, that was my McDonald’s order, back when I would have McDonald’s frequently,” Shipley shared.
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @raw10628 has a L.A.B. DF3 putter and Masters putter cover up for grabs.
From the listing: “Some great items here today, time to thin out and make room for next set of gear. All prices include shipping.
LAB DF3 Purple 33.5” 68° lie with TPT – $725. LAB Masters release DF3 cover – $150.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4
3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
5-wood: Ping G440 Max (19 degrees @18)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
Hybrid: Ping G440 (23 degrees)
Shaft: Oban Isawa Red Hybrid Shaft 04 Flex 70 Gms
Irons: Srixon ZXi7 (5-P)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i80
Wedges: Cleveland RTZ (50-MID, 54-FULL, 58-MID)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i105
Putter: L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i
Shaft: ACCRA Putter Shaft
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
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Maria Torres WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4 3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4 5-wood: Ping G440...
Eric Cole WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: PXG Lightning Tour Max (9 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 70 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (15 degrees) Shaft:...
Si Woo Kim WITB 2026 (May)
Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (8.5 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X Mini driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Mini...
Wyndham Clark’s winning WITB: 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (10.5 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 60 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D Tour (15 degrees) Shaft: Project...
RAT
Dec 1, 2016 at 10:08 am
can you say MIZUNO
Jack Nash
Nov 22, 2016 at 9:04 pm
TM = Mizuno rip off.
JJ
Nov 17, 2016 at 9:24 pm
So, the Forged Proto is a re-modified MP-25.
I wish TM designers would just go back to making the TP MB Smoked and only that, with EF grooves, and call it a day.
Rac
Jan 17, 2017 at 2:24 pm
JJ, please search in Google Taylormade RAC TP iron and you will see the origin of the new proto iron. You will also realize it has no relation to MP-25 but rather a recycle of an old TM idea.
TM RAC TP release date Nov 2008, MP-25 release date Sep 2015, mmmm so who copied who?
KL
Nov 17, 2016 at 4:31 am
No slots on them?
JJ
Nov 17, 2016 at 6:31 pm
No. Because they finally realized how crappy the slot made it feel. No real need for them
Dat
Nov 17, 2016 at 8:40 pm
You mean plastic gimmicks?
Matty
Nov 16, 2016 at 9:21 pm
They seem of release TP irons every 3 years, so I think these are the new TP irons.
Wow.....
Nov 16, 2016 at 4:32 pm
Interesting that there’s tungsten in every head even the short irons (tungsten model).
Like everyone else said I really hope they don’t “eff” them up with badging and horrible color schemes. I hope this is the final product.
gunna22
Nov 16, 2016 at 3:17 pm
It seems like the address pics for the 7 and 4 irons have been switched?
gunna22
Nov 16, 2016 at 9:08 pm
Looking again, and yeah it definitely seems like you have the “tungsten” vs non-tungsten ones mixed up
Rich
Jan 20, 2017 at 4:42 pm
I thought the same thing
MIKEYP
Nov 16, 2016 at 9:53 am
It looks the the 2005 Rac tp’s and the 2014 Tour preferred CB’s had a child together.
D
Nov 16, 2016 at 10:37 am
the 2005 Rac TP’s were great
Dat
Nov 16, 2016 at 6:14 pm
Called it! Finally got rid of the slots!
Bofhus
Nov 16, 2016 at 4:47 am
Looks so clean and nice. Expect them to ruin it with tacky colours…
Mat
Nov 16, 2016 at 2:18 am
Anyone want to tell me that everyone’s reaction to Ping this year hasn’t influenced the market? Those look quite nice. If they’re not totally jacked, they’d be a very respectable addition.
How about that… a TM release that doesn’t make you want to roll your eyes!
Guia
Nov 15, 2016 at 10:48 pm
My guess is much of the same thing already available, but with new packaging. After so many years of the same old jargon, it is hard to believe that there is another 6 month tech breakthrough.
TMBob
Nov 15, 2016 at 9:53 pm
All sneak peaks….New tread for TM it seems….same thing happened with the M2 last year