Louis Pringle

Jan 10, 2025

8 minutes

Irons are an integral part of any golfer’s club set. Regardless of their age, skill level, or years of experience, golfers will constantly need to rely on their iron set, and to do, they need to be able to count on a trustworthy set of clubs. Lucky for those golfers, TaylorMade is world-renowned when it comes to the quality of their irons. However, one can wonder if that fact has always been true.

It’s with this in mind that we tasked our expert Lou with the mission of testing 6 different generations of TaylorMade Irons. Going back to 2011 with the R11 and even including the 2024 release Qi irons, Lou will attempt to compare the performance of these iron sets and will provide feedback on their performance. Finally, he’ll provide you with a final performance ranking for all the clubs. Let’s get into this!

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How we proceeded to test our clubs?

Just before Lou provides his review of the clubs’ performance, let’s first address how he proceeded to test our clubs.

During our test, Lou gathered data on the performance of the 5 and 7 irons, as well as the pitching wedge from each one of the sets. Plus, each set is fitted with steel shafts in the regular flex. Keep in mind that the shaft models will be different from one iron model to the next to properly reflect the type of products you can expect to find when shopping with Golf Avenue.

And of course, we conducted this test on our trusty Trackman launch monitor inside the Golf Avenue offices.

1. TaylorMade Qi Iron Set Review

The first club Lou tested was the most recent in our list, the TaylorMade Qi iron set, released in early 2024. This is TaylorMade latest offering to golfers in search of high-quality iron set with game-improvement features that will help enhance thee playing experience of lesser skilled golfers, such as beginners or casual players. Being a more recent model, it does come with a steeper price tag. Did that higher price point serve it well during Lou’s test?

“Right upon taking the Qi irons in my hands, I could tell that this set was special. It wasn’t the first model I tried out during my comparison test, but it certainly struck me instantly. While it looks like your typical game-improvement iron set, the feel and the performance it provided showed that there’s more to come in the field of performance-aiding equipment.

Performance chart of the Qi Iron Set

The Qi irons had massive clubheads, which showed that golfers who struggled with impact consistency will have plenty of club face to work with. These massive clubheads helped propel the ball longer than almost every other club we tested. The data set I was able to generate with the Qi irons is testament to their power and their forgiveness at impact.

However, it needs to be said that there’s a massive draw-bias with the ball flights of the Qi irons. There’s no denying that this will be greatly useful for golfers struggling with slice tendencies, but golfers who already struggle with an inside-bias with their ball flight might find themselves constantly fighting against the offset nature of the Qi set.

All in all, beginners, or any golfer in search of more distance off the tee, will find their comfort with this specific set of irons. Whether playing with long or short irons, the Qi irons are undeniably a must for beginners.

But with such price tag, we’d understand your desire to explore other options, and fortunately for you, as you’ll see from this list, there are more TaylorMade models that will provide very similar performance levels, at a much more affordable price. And, of course, you can always look for the Qi iron in one of a various used conditions for a better deal!”

- Lou

2. TaylorMade Stealth Iron Set Review

Next up in the list is the second most recent model in our list, the 2022 released Stealth irons. Overall, they have an extremely similar look to the Qi irons, and they also have a “cover” or cap, as TaylorMade names it, on the back of the empty cavity at the back of the club head. Since they are so similar to the Qi, can we expect similar performances? Let’s see what Lou has to say.

“Generally speaking, the technological perks are practically the same when looking at the Stealth and the Qi irons. However, there are some notable differences, such as the Stealth irons featuring slightly smaller clubheads in length (from the heel to the toe) and a slightly smaller sweet spot. There’s are minimal, but it’s worth to see how much of difference this makes in terms of performances.

Performance chart of the Stealth Iron Set

A few things will most likely jump out to those with a keen eye. Almost every single data point lack behind the Qi irons. I suggest you get used to it as the Qi irons had some of the greatest numbers out of all the clubs we tested, but there’s more to the story than just the data set.

Our best bet is to start with club speed. With every single club, the speed I generated with the Stealth was not as great as I did with the Qi. However, there’s no denying that the energy transfer is just as good with the Stealth than it was with the Qi as the ball speed is proportional to the club speed.

As I’ve mentioned already, these two models are very similar to one another, but there are two main differences that stood out to me.

First, while the Stealth has an undeniable draw-bias, it’s not as critical as the Qi, something to keep in mind if you don’t need to deal with a slice. Second, and more obviously, the Stealth irons are older and more affordable, but they’ll provide you with almost identical performance. The golfer math is pretty simple here, but of course, you get to make the final chance. Let’s look at the rest of our irons!”

- Lou

3. TaylorMade SIM2 Max Iron Set Review

Going back a single year, instead of two this time, Lou’s looking at the 2021 released SIM2 Max irons, the sequel to the original SIM Max irons, which Lou also covers in this one! Considering the SIM2 Max is the 2^nd generation of a previously released model, you’d expect a lot of similarities between the models, including their appearance and their performance.

“Of course, there are certainly some similarities between this set and its predecessor. Both iron sets are game-improvement models and have cavity-back profiles, however, the SIM2 Max marks TaylorMade first foray into the capback look that gives their cavity-back irons a bulkier and sturdier look at address.

Performance chart of the SIM2 Max Iron Set

I expected this bulkier look to turn into longer strikes and a whole lot more forgiveness, and the SIM2 Max only delivered on half of these expectations. While they do rank mostly in the middle of the pack when it comes to distance data, they did impress in the spin rate department.

Part of the reason why the SIM2 Max didn’t rank higher in the distance department was because of how high it launches the ball in the air along with plenty of spin. The combination of the conditions makes for slightly shorter carry distances and noticeably shorter total distance figures, but it also means that you’re hitting more accurate strikes that are more likely to stick to the green on your approach shots.

Considering all of these factors, while it doesn’t really stand out in the overall ranking, the SIM2 Max can undoubtedly be trusted by any golfer looking for a reliable option that will provide them with all the forgiveness they could ever need, on top of getting a nice touch of power at impact.”

- Lou

4. TaylorMade SIM Max Iron Set Review

Coming out a year before their successor, the TaylorMade SIM Max irons have more of typical cavity-back iron set as the clubs featured in this model expose the inside of the clubheads behind the club face. There’s one metal band that stretched from the high toe to the low heel in an attempt to strengthen the club’s shape at impact. In other words, it’s designed to help enhance performance at impact, on top of maximizing the results on off-center strikes. But what did Lou think of them?

“The SIM Max irons were somewhat puzzling to me. They delivered the longest strikes of all the 5-irons I tested, and I was most accurate with the SIM Max pitching wedge, yet they were a some of the lowest spinning irons and wedges. The low spin in the 5-iron can certainly explain the longer strikes it produces. Extra distance is always nice, but in this case, it does come at a cost...

Performance chart of the SIM Max Iron Set

The cost here is the lack of bite that your ball will have on your approach shots with your irons and your pitching wedge. Don’t get me wrong, everybody loves to hit ball further, but if you’re a beginner, you should strongly consider going with models that’ll provide higher spin rates.

Yes, on the one hand you’ll get more bite to your strikes once the ball hits the ground, but that’s not all! The higher spin rates will also enhance the height of your ball flight, on top of helping to get the ball in the air with much more ease. Ultimately, this higher ball flight will also result in more accurate strikes that are less likely to rollout after the ball hits the ground.

All this to say the there’s no denying the game-improvement characteristics of the SIM Max irons. They’ll provide you with plenty of power, as well as an impressive level of accuracy and consistency. However, the low spin rates are noteworthy and need to be considered when looking at this model. If you naturally launch the ball at high angle, this set could be an impressive asset, and the best part is that it’s very affordable!”

- Lou

5. TaylorMade M6 Iron Set Review

The M6 irons are the successors to the M4, which we unfortunately didn’t have in stock in the same specs when Lou tested these irons. The M6 irons feature a similar clubhead to the SIM Max, especially in the cavity-back area which is similarly covered by thin metal link connecting the lower half of the clubhead to the top. TaylorMade intended to create a clubhead that generates a lot of power with this setup, let’s see if that showed through Lou’s test.

“From the jump we can say that TaylorMade sort of missed the mark when it comes to their power setup. Except for the pitching wedge, the distance data points rank in the lower half, despite benefitting from decent swing speeds. But there are some very interesting assets to this model that shouldn’t be ignored.

Performance chart of the M6 Iron Set

First of all, the landing area spread of golf balls for the M6 was one of the better ones from all the sets I tested. Distances were a bit spread out with the 5-iron, but the 7-iron and the pitching wedge were highly impressive with the tightness of their ball spread.

Additionally, while there was undoubtedly a bit of draw-bias at impact, as there’s a noticeable touch of offset near the offset of the clubheads, was the least pronounced of all the clubs I tested. Of course, this won’t help you, but if you tend to pull the ball like I do, this is a key component that you’ll want to consider.

Finally, the decent spin levels, except for the pitching wedge should be very enticing for any beginner. Combine all of these attributes, while also taking the low cost of this slightly older model into account, and you should come out to a winning formula for any beginner, regardless of the slightly shorter strikes.”

- Lou

6. TaylorMade R11 Iron Set Review

Last but not least, we’re going back to 2011 and the release of the TaylorMade R11 irons. They have a much more typical cavity-back iron look as the back of the clubhead is actually exposed with this set. Its other noticeable asset is the red tungsten weight located at the lower of the back of the clubheads. It’s designed to promote a higher launch and higher spin rates. Let’s see what Lou though of them!

“There’s no denying it, the R11 irons launch the ball high in the air and with a lot of spin. My only concern with this much height and spin was the possible loss distance that could come from it. Impressively, the R11 was able to hang around with models that mostly have an additional decade of innovations behind their creation.

Performance chart of the R11 Iron Set

It’s clear that as the irons get shorter and the spin rates get higher, the R11 starts to be left behind by the more recent models. You can attribute this to the fact that the more recent models have stronger loft angles, thus producing longer strikes that don’t spin as much. So yes, you are “losing out on a bit of distance” but this is not due the R11 not being a powerful as its more recent counterparts.

Nevertheless, this set seriously has me wondering why a beginner or a casual golfer would ever spend the amount of money needed for a brand-new set of clubs of the year. If I was to start my golf journey all over again with a new set, the R11s would certainly be up there.

Plus, they are a great starter set for someone who would like to sell or trade their set after a while when they want to upgrade or take their game to the next level. In other words, it’s an excellent choice for a first set or, at least, a very reliable low-cost one.”

- Lou

Overall comparison

So overall, there’s no denying the incredible output of the Qi irons. TaylorMade managed to produce a truly impressive set of irons that delivers on all fronts. Distance, forgiveness, outstanding spin rates. It’s got it all and it’s also perfect, if not for one major flaw that will usually be a key factor for many.

Performance chart of TaylorMade Pitching Wedges

Performance chart of TaylorMade 7 Irons

Performance chart of TaylorMade 5 Irons

Despite all it had to offer, the price of the Qi irons is considerable and more than likely to expensive for most beginners or casual golfers that are only looking to get their hands on a reliable set of game-improvement irons.

That being said, all of the clubs included in Lou’s test should be considered by these types of golfers. Obviously, you budget will be a deciding factor, but now that you’ve got Lou insight to help you in search, we hope that you’ll be able to shop for TaylorMade game-improvement irons with more confidence than ever.

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If you’re still uncertain and feel like you need some extra help, don’t forget that you can always book a call with one of our in-house experts. They’ll be able to provide you with some additional insight on even irons from the brands you love. And as always, if you prefer shopping on your own, but would still like a bit of guidance, check out our Club Finder tool. Only answer a few and you’ll get results adjusted to your specific needs and wants.

Until next time,

The Golf Avenue team