Collin Morikawa is one of the best iron players in the game of golf. So we had him hit and compare the new P·790 and P·7CB irons to have him, in his own words, explain the differences between the two.
Collin hits both, talking spin and launch angles and what he looks for at the top of his bag. Collin goes back and forth between a P·7CB 4- and a P·770 4-iron, and explains how it is course dependent.
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[Music] [Music] [Music] All right, Colin. So, you know, when we talk about the setup in your bag for irons, you’re one of the best iron players in the world. um you make a lot of choices. We get into the long irons. Um on the P series, we have choices like 790, 770, CB, MBs, which are in your shorter irons. Uh you currently play the P7 CB. Um but we wanted to do a little comparison today. I want you to kind of talk through what you see, what the difference is, why you choose what you do, and then maybe even talk to the people watching in terms of what you see in this 790, the new P790.
Yeah. Um, I I think some of the best iron players, you look at the history of the game, they always look at spin control. Spin control is key. Okay.
If you can judge what it’s going to be spinning off the face, you can judge distance, you can judge wind,
um, how it’s going to land on a green, whe whether it’s soft or firm. So, that’s what I initially look at is like when I hit it off the face, is it something that one feels what I like,
but does it come off the way I feel it? So, you know, for me, I’ i’ve gravitated towards the CB. I’ve put in the 4iron uh 770 back and forth a couple times depending on the grass, the weather, the location. Um, but yeah, it’s fun. You know, I I I search for a certain launch angle. You know, I’m not a highball hitter. I’m not hitting it that far. So, there’s a balance between having that distance and forgiveness on a 770
and the workability of a CB for me.
How much have you experimented with the 790? I know that’s a graduated up from 770, slightly bigger head, leave more speed.
Yeah, not too much. Um, you know, from with a forearm, I I still like to be I wouldn’t I wouldn’t say aggressive is the word, but I I still like to have control, right? And I think for
the average player that might be listening, the 790 is the perfect club because the 790 launches the ball higher,
consistent spin rates all the time,
um, and it goes a lot straighter than a lot of other irons. So, you would think that’s good and you would think everyone would want to put that in, but for someone like me, if I’m hitting a 400 225 yards, I also like to work it at 210 yards or 213 yards.
And you feel like you work it a little bit more.
And I feel like the spin I can create a little bit more spin with a CB versus a 770 and then you add a 790. Um, sometimes the launch angles get a little bit too high to where the the control is it’s nice on a range. Yep. Not quite on the golf course for me.
Yeah. So, we we we adjust those lofts, I think, for our stock, you know, sets. And in this particular case, we lofted these two, the CB and the 790 at the same loft. Yep.
So, we’ll hit a few shots. I want you to hit a few shots. Um kind of talk about what you see. I’ve I’ll get some numbers on it and then just
kind of um you know, go through that sort of a bit of that experience that you do normally and now we’ll do it with the 790. Okay. Yeah. Start with mine. Yeah. So, You got the five iron there.
I’ve got the five iron in my hand. Little wet grass. 5700.
Yep.
You know, with four and five irons, I probably like to spin it just above the number. So, instead of 5,000, 52, 53. Um, yeah. That one was perfect. 5100.
Yep.
Good launch. So 11.9 launch. 5100 peak height 91 ft. Little heavy. So like that one I feel like a little bit heavy with a P790
Y
would still get the spin to probably where it’d cover the right distance where that one I’m going to lose a little bit of the forgiveness.
Yeah. I mean your carry distance only dropped two yards.
It’s pretty good for miss. Solid there. 5200 like you said.
Yeah. Like that’s as good as it gets right there. That one was perfect.
You want another one?
One more. Hit one more for me. Yep. So, I’m I’m gonna try and hit this one high because I I think the biggest thing I see in the difference of a P7 CB versus a P790 or 770, for example, is the height.
Okay.
Not only like peak height, but launch height. So, I’m going to try and hit this one high.
Okay. Because, you know, we play on firm greens. Yep. Sometimes you need to launch them high and that’s why once in a while you regret not having that 770 or 790 in the in the bag. So high but still try and control the spin where it’s not losing too much distance. Okay, master class that jumped up um peak height spin came up a little bit um just as you designed. I mean, that’s part of the the allure I think you have for this club is you can do that, right? You can hit your different shots.
Yep. I can kind of work it. I can add spin, take off spin.
Um, that’s the workability that I like with the CB for sure.
Okay, good. All right. So, let’s let’s go ahead and transition over to the SE the P790. Um, tell me what you just lookswise, uh, maybe you can describe for everybody what you see different.
Looks wise, I mean, very clean bottom line, leading edge. Uh, normally I think when you see a club that’s designed for more forgiveness, maybe a little bit more distance, you see a little bit more offset or it’s really chunky in that way. This one still looks like a player’s iron, which is great.
Slightly thicker top line.
Yeah.
Partially because there’s probably a little bit more mass. Yep.
Right in the back of the head.
Um, but it sets up very very nice. And for me, it doesn’t set up that different if you were just to look at the leading edge, which is which is nice, you know, if I were to put it in. Okay. [Music] Little bit different there.
Little bit different. So, there’s a lot
I like to call it a heavier hit.
Okay.
It’s a little bit more solid. Yeah. I mean, it it gets the ball out there. The spin dropped 600 700 RPMs versus what I’ve was hitting with the CBS.
Yeah. Um, but that’s what you see and that’s what I think a lot of people should put in, right? Is something that you get a little bit more distance whether you hit it in the center, a little on the toe, little on the heel. Like we’ll notice I’ll tell you what if I mis hit one, it’s going to still fly like it’s going to get that number.
What’s interesting is your launch angle jumped up and your peak height jumped up. So even though the spin was down, I mean it went 10 ft higher than your high shot with your CB. So that’s why that’s why I’ve kind of bounced back and forth between the 770 and the CB for the long for for the long iron for mainly for the 4 iron is because
like I said, I don’t hit it that far. So when it’s cold and I need a little bit more height and I need that ball to carry my number,
the 770 is perfect. You know, when it’s hot, I’m swinging fast,
there’s nothing wrong with the CB, but
extra degree. I mean, I I launched that one on here 14.3.
I tried to launch my CB high.
Yeah. at 135 or 139.
Yeah.
So that’s like that’s the difference of that was a normal swing and that that’s that launched a lot higher, a lot less spin. Little heavy there.
Okay.
But you can just tell it’s it’s flying easily much farther than the other ones.
Yeah.
Speed jumped a little bit, too. Yep.
Little higher launch.
Yep. Little lower spin. I mean, here’s
slightly mis hit on the bottom, but like really good. So, interesting enough from a speed perspective, I mean, you jumped up about four miles an hour at ball speed
and the peak height jumped and the distance jumped like almost 15 yards, which again, like that may not be right for you for but but that is ultimately what we’re trying to showcase here is players irons lot packed into that 790. But
it’s a huge dilemma for me. I mean, it it’s something that I bounce back and forth because the consistency of the 790, it’s amazing. Like I mean, I could hit the 213, I think, is what it said every time. Yeah.
Right.
The problem for me is I like to work it a little lower and the launch angle’s too high. So, if we lower the loft and get my launch angle, it might be going 220.
That’s right. Right. And and and then my gaps are all over the place. But you have options and I think that’s why I have a mixed bag. I think that’s why a lot of people should kind of look through that. But the seven the 790 here in my hand launches it very consistently. Little low, little high on the face, toe, heel. And like I said, for the average player, like that’s what you would want. You would want something that says, “Okay, I hit my nine iron 150 yards. That’s I know it’s going to do that.”
That’s right.
And that’s that’s what this club gives. It gives forgiveness, but it also gives the the jump off the face that you need.
Yeah. Awesome. All right, let’s hit a couple more. Let’s hit some four irons. Why not?
Hit your gamer again. Sorry about that.
You’re good. So, what do you typ your typical spin rates for a four iron?
Four, if I can get it. 44 45.
Yep. Okay. Let’s see what what was that one?
That was a little lower. 35.
Okay. I think this might be a little bit harder of a ball than I normally use. Little pulled. Part of the reason why you go to the TP5.
Part of the reason why I’ve been using the TP5.
Y. That’s still low.
Uh yeah, a little bit a little higher than the last one. Low mid3s.
Yep. On a spinnier a little on the toe. Okay. One more. One more. One more. Very consistent though. Carry distance is very consistent. than a couple yards. All right, a little mis hit. So, Colin, to be fair, you know, with that CB, um, it’s a, you know, cavity back players iron compared to the 790 hollow body speed pocket. I mean, some misses like that, that is one of the, you know, things that we work on. If you’re going to miss that like you did, you’re going to feel it. Oh, you’re going to feel it and you’re going to see it. I mean,
those balls might have are definitely are off the green. Yeah. Like they’re not where you want it. They might not carry. And you know, the 770 that I’ve put in the bag, I used it
at President’s Cup this year. Yeah.
Um
it’s trust me, it’s nice when you have those numbers that you’re trying to hit.
Yeah.
They’re really, really good. So, let’s see if it does the right thing here. just a different player.
Yeah, seemed a little spinner. How’s it feel?
Feels great.
Yeah.
No, I mean it’s
I mean part of our job
the best one right there.
Yeah. Part of our job is going from that solid body construction to all that technology and to still make it look and feel like a player’s iron.
Yep.
Yeah.
And that’s what I mean 770 is for me a seamless transition.
Yeah.
From the five iron if I have the CB
Yeah.
into the 4 iron. Um, for me it’s it’s very course dependent, which is why it’s great to have the option, you know, it’s great to have the option of both clubs there.
