The TaylorMade P790 and the Titleist T200 are the two irons most golfers shortlist when they want the look of a players' iron with the forgiveness and distance of a game-improvement one. Both are "players-distance" irons: a thin, fast face, a hollow or partly hollow head with a filling behind the face, tungsten weighting low in the head and strong lofts (a 7 iron of around 30°). Second-hand, they're two of the most listed iron sets on eBay UK, so there's plenty of choice.
Today's prices side by side
| TaylorMade P790 | Titleist T200 | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical used set | £598 | £509 |
| Typical price per club | £96 | £90 |
| Sets listed on eBay UK | 187 | 156 |
| Left-handed sets | 8 | 5 |
At today's prices the T200 is the cheaper buy per club. Compare per club, not per set: a 4-PW is 7 clubs and a 5-PW is 6.
How they differ
The P790 (TaylorMade, first launched in 2017) has a forged face and a fully hollow body filled with TaylorMade's SpeedFoam. It's a little bigger and more forgiving, launches high and is famously long. It has been updated every couple of years, so check which generation a listing is: the year is often in the title.
The T200 (Titleist, launched in 2019 to replace the 718 AP3) has a polymer-backed face and heavy tungsten in the toe and heel. It looks slightly more compact at address, with a thinner top line, and many golfers find it feels a touch firmer and flights a little lower than the P790.
Which should you buy?
For most mid-handicappers they play very similarly: buy the one that's cheaper per club in the makeup you want, in your flex, with good grooves. If you want the most forgiveness and height, lean to the P790; if you prefer a more compact look, lean to the T200. If you're a higher handicapper, a game-improvement set will be easier to hit and much cheaper: see used game-improvement irons.
What to check on a used players-distance set
- The set makeup (4-PW, 5-PW...) and whether the long irons are included.
- The shaft and flex on every club: KBS Tour and Dynamic Gold are common stock shafts.
- Face wear and sharp grooves on the short irons.
- Rattles: hollow irons can rattle if the filling has broken loose. Ask the seller.
