P790 or Apex Pro? Distance players irons still have to be irons.

Distance players irons still have to be irons. P790 versus Apex Pro — the hollow-body argument. I compared the miss and whether the click is a dealbreaker.

The P790 and Apex Pro occupy the same interesting niche — irons that look like players clubs at address but perform more like game improvement clubs through the ball. Both attract mid-single-digit handicappers who want a compact profile without sacrificing the distance and forgiveness that hollow or multi-material construction provides.

TaylorMade P790

The P790 is one of the most enduring irons in TaylorMade’s lineup, and for good reason. The SpeedFoam Air filling behind the face reduces mass while maintaining structural integrity, allowing a thinner, faster face that generates ball speed well above what a traditional forged iron produces. The result is an iron that looks like a players blade at address — thin topline, minimal offset — but launches higher and travels further than it has any right to.

The P790 suits the player who wants to walk into a pro-am and have nobody question their iron selection, while quietly gaining 8-12 yards over a traditional muscle back. It’s one of the better-kept secrets in the game improvement space.

Price: ~$1,499/set

Callaway Apex Pro

The Apex Pro is Callaway’s players-distance iron — a step above the standard Apex in terms of compactness and workability, a step below a true muscle back in terms of forgiveness. The forged 1025 carbon steel body and urethane microsphere technology produce a soft, dampened feel at impact that Callaway has refined across multiple Apex generations.

Where the Apex Pro differentiates from the P790 is in its slightly more workable flight. The compact head and reduced offset give better players more control over shot shape, and the face isn’t quite as hot as the P790’s SpeedFoam construction — meaning it rewards a pure strike more than the TaylorMade does, and punishes a poor one more too.

Price: ~$1,499/set

Head to Head

Distance: TaylorMade P790. The SpeedFoam Air face is among the fastest in this category.

Feel: Callaway Apex Pro. The urethane microsphere dampening and forged body produce a softer, more refined feel than the P790’s foam-filled construction.

Workability: Callaway Apex Pro edges ahead for players who shape shots deliberately.

Forgiveness: TaylorMade P790. Higher ball speed on mishits absorbs contact errors better.

Best for: P790 for the 4–10 handicapper who wants maximum distance in a players-iron package. Apex Pro for the 2–7 handicapper who wants players-iron feel and workability with a forgiveness buffer.

The Bottom Line

Two of the best distance-players irons on the market, separated primarily by feel philosophy. Get fit — both respond differently to different attack angles and the launch monitor will tell you which one performs better for your specific contact pattern.