TaylorMade reveal new Sim Max and Max OS Irons

TaylorMade reveal new SIM Max and SIM Max OS irons

TaylorMade have added two new game improvement irons to their 2020 SIM line-up: The cavity-back SIM Max irons and the SIM Max OS – the strongest lofted iron the brand have ever produced. 

TaylorMade’s SIM driver story maybe based around aerodynamics, drag reduction and aero efficiency, but improving airflow, when it comes to irons is far less important. But according to TaylorMade’s iron gurus, switching focus to geometry has opened up a whole new avenue in the development of distance irons, creating game improvement irons that sound like forged irons.

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According to TaylorMade, golfers in the past who wanted distance had no option but to sacrifice sound and feel (to get the latest fast-face tech). So they’ve made it their priority in 2020 to create a distance iron that feels and sounds every bit as good as a forged model.

Like with the SIM drivers, TaylorMade haven’t ripped up the rule book and gone back to the drawing board to start over, either. Speed Bridge technology – a supporting beam which attaches the sole to the top edge – made an appearance on last year’s M5 and M6 irons, and it’s fundamental to making the new SIM Max and SIM Max OS faster and longer.

This is how they’ve done it.  

TaylorMade SIM Max iron

• RRP: £899 (s), £1,049 (g)
• Availability: 4-PW, AW, SW, LW
• Stock shaft: KBS Max 85 (s), Fujikura Ventus Blue (g)
• 7-iron loft: 28.5° 

SIM Max is very much a game improvement iron. It replaces last year’s M6 and is directly aimed at club golfers who want distance with forgiveness. A deep cavity back ensures playability and a new polymer ECHO damper behind the face eliminates vibrations. It does its job so well, in fact, that SIM will be the only 2020 cast iron masquerading as a forged model. A 270° fluted hosel removes inefficient mass from the neck; Speed pockets (in the soles of the 4-8 irons) maximise ball speed for shots hit low on the face; and progressive inverted cone technology helps minimise side spin on miss-hits with the longer irons, helping promote straighter shots.

Sounds like a forged iron

By recording the sound frequencies produced by SIM Max, TaylorMade’s techs have compared them with shots hit with the a premium P760 forged players’ iron. Incredibly, the pair are virtually identical in terms of sound, which translates to good feel, too.

Bigger sweetspot

By thinning down face thickness by 17% over the previous M6, and thanks to progressive inverted cone technology in the longer irons (where shots are often hit more towards the toe) TaylorMade says the SIM’s sweetspot size has effectively grown by 40%.

TaylorMade SIM Max OS iron

• RRP: £899 (s), £1,049 (g)
• Availability: 4-PW, AW, SW, LW
• Stock shaft: KBS Max 85 (s), Fujikura Ventus Blue (g)
• 7-iron loft: 27°

The super-game improvement SIM Max OS represents a new direction for TaylorMade, and by that we mean the 27° 7-iron is the strongest they’ve ever made. It’s also equivalent to the very strongest on the market – Callaway’s Rogue X. As the name suggests OS is oversized, but not nasty, rowing oar way. Face-height is 1mm taller than the SIM Max and there’s 1mm more offset, which helps position the centre of gravity further back to flight shots to counteract the strong lofts.

Wide sole geometries position the centre of gravity low and back, delivering a high but penetrating ball flight. Think of the OS as a distance-orientated super game improver iron, which can add five yards of carry distance (half-a-club) over the SIM Max and you won’t go far wrong. TaylorMade say they’d work well in the hands of golfers who try to “scoop” shots into the air, too. 

 Speed Bridge

Speed Bridge gives more rigidity to the topline, making it behave like a hinge, flexing and rebounding at impact, improving ball speeds. It also helps eliminate harsh vibrations, improving sound and feel.

New ECHO damping system

ECHO is TaylorMade’s biggest ever polymer damper. It’s concertina design means there are multiple contact points behind the whole length of the face. TaylorMade says vibration channels give space for the damper to flex without impeding face flex.