Are Taylormade R7 Irons Good for High Handicappers? – Are They Forgiving for Beginners?

The Taylormade R7 irons were designed for game-improvement back in 2009 but do they have anything to offer golfers today

The Taylormade R7 irons made their debut way back in 2009. But we were pleasantly surprised when we picked them up again for this article. The Taylormade R7’s have some of the same design technology that modern Taylormade irons have.

While you won’t see The Taylormade R7’s on the PGA Tour, they definitely still have value to beginners and high handicappers. Still, you have to know exactly what you’re getting before investing in any golf clubs so join us as we review the Taylormade R7 irons.

Overview of the Taylormade R7 Irons

The R7 irons have a tried and true design with deep cavity backs to enhance distance and MOI for beginners.

When we say deep cavity backs, we really mean it. The Taylormade R7 irons have some of the deepest cavities of any iron set that we’ve tested. For our testing party, the deep cavity backs mostly meant higher launch and more forgiveness.

The Taylormade R7 irons also have inverted cone sweet spot placement which is a key feature that can be seen on modern Taylormade clubs. The inverted cone technology allow for more ball speed on shots hit out near the toe.

These irons have moderate offset so they still look pretty good at address but will help you if you’re dealing with a slice.

What Type of Irons Are They?

The Taylormade R7 irons are most definitely game improvement irons. While they don’t offer a lot of workability, they were designed to help higher handicap players strike the ball more accurately and launch it higher.

How Forgiving Are The Irons for High Handicappers?

The Taylormade R7 irons are nothing if not forgiving. They also feel pretty smooth too. They have an aluminum dampening web in the deep cavity to reduce harsh vibration at impact. The face is very forgiving and transfers energy from your swing very efficiently.

Inward misses towards the heel were flying straighter and further than normal with these clubs. We noticed that toe-side misses were still shanking a bit but overall, our high handicap testers had an easy time finding the green with these irons.

Shaft Options

You can get the Taylormade R7 irons with graphite and steel shafts

The steel shaft option is T-Step 90 and the graphite option is Reax Graphite shafts. It’s understandable that an iron set this old would be limited in terms of shaft options.

Workability Assessment

There isn’t much to write home about with regard to the workability of the Taylormade R7 irons.

The R7 irons have a moderate footprint and a surprisingly thin top line. So for advanced players, they actually don’t look too bad at point of address despite the cavernous backs. However, the club head doesn’t allow for accurate workability.

Lateral shot shaping was almost zero; but vertical shot shaping was a bit better. The Taylormade R7 irons naturally launch fairly high but you can reduce launch if you know how to hit the ball. Our testers were actually able to pull of punch shots that needed to dodge trees with these irons.

Distance Assessment

What the Taylormade R7 irons lack in workability they certainly make up for in distance.

It basically comes down to this: when you hit the ball straighter, it will go further. The Taylormade R7 irons don’t achieve great distance by merit of the club head or even the material they are made out of. Instead, it’s ridiculously easy to get a straight launch out of these irons so the ball just goes further.

How far you ask? To give you an idea, our testers were able to get an average distance of 153 yards with the 7-iron in this set after three swings each. The Taylormade R7’s are excellent for high handicappers who want to attack the green from further out.

Accuracy & Consistency Assessment

The biggest problem with the accuracy of these irons is the lack of greenside spin they offer.

There just isn’t much bite off the face of the short irons and wedges in this set. These are very affordable irons so we suppose Taylormade had to skimp somewhere so the lack of greenside spin is forgivable.

Consistency was impressive though. Repeatable distances were very reliable so these irons will be great for high handicappers who want more assurance as to the club they use on any given fairway shot.

Do They Have a Beginner-Friendly Price?

These days, the price for Taylormade R7 irons varies because they aren’t the easiest clubs to find. In general though, you can expect to pay anywhere from $190 to $390.

Taylormade R7 Pros & Con

Pros:

• Very forgiving
• They produce straight launch
• They have a smooth feel at impact
• Good distance
• Beginner-friendly price
• Deep cavity backs

Cons:

• Limited shaft options
• A bit heavy
• Limited lateral workability
• They lack modern forgiveness features

Overall Score: 94/100

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Other Beginner Irons to Consider

Taylormade M4 Irons

The Taylormade M4 irons are also cavity back irons with surprisingly strong loft.

The M4’s are great for sending missiles down the fairway. They play long and have a good appearance at point of address. Low-face shots were especially improved with these irons.

Overall Score: 94/100

Check Out More Reviews Here:

Taylormade Stealth Irons

The Stealth irons have mass shaved off of the toe and placed behind the sweet spot.

The result is more power when you pure the ball. The Stealth irons also feature the sweet spot for more low-face shot forgiveness.

Overall Score: 92/100

Check Out More Reviews Here:

Callaway Epic Max Star Irons

The Epic Max Star irons are the latest from Callaway with premium appointments.

The Epic Max Star irons features a 1025 forged steel construction. The heads are also hollow. This allows them to play longer for lower handicap players.

Overall Score: 96/100

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Our Recommendation

The Taylormade R7 will be a benefit to most high handicap players.

If your main problem seems to be hitting the ball straight with your irons then the Taylormade R7 will be a good fit in your bag. We definitely recommend them to any player struggling with striking accuracy.