Rory McIlroy has made major changes to his bag with a new set of irons. Now he explains the reasons behind his switch.
Rory McIlroy surprised the golf world at the start of the year during the TGL as he appeared with a completely new set of irons, making his first switch since 2017. Having already made some changes to his bag in autumn 2025, only his putter and 4-iron from his Augusta triumph remain. At his season opener in Dubai, he spoke about the reasons and thoughts behind his change.
‘If there’s help to be had, I’ll definitely take it’
The Northern Irishman’s shots are usually near perfect, and even when Rory McIlroy mishits a ball, it would still be the best shot in life for most. But at the professional level, centimeters decide between birdie or par, victory or defeat, and these small differences have now prompted McIlroy to change his clubs.
‘If there’s help to be had, I’ll definitely take it. I’ve been thinking about it for a while now,’ McIlroy said on Thursday after his 66 opening round at the Dubai Invitational. ‘Even in Dubai late last year, I hit a few 5-irons slightly off, and instead of coming up maybe five or seven yards short, they were more like 10 to 15 yards short.’
TaylorMade Crafts Custom Irons for Rory McIlroy
TaylorMade created a custom set of P7CBs for him with a similar leading edge to his P760 long irons – besides his regular 4-iron, he also has P760 2- and 3-irons in utility configuration. The 4-, 5-, and 6-irons from this set were used last month in the opening rounds of the Australian Open, and he liked them so much that he also used the 7-, 8-, and 9-irons during the weekend. ‘On the firm turf down there, I felt these irons went through the turf better than the blades,’ he said. ‘And since then, I have been practicing with them at home.’
McIlroy also played with a new, not yet released 2026 TaylorMade TP Proto golf ball. He debuted the new setup last week, kept his P760 4-iron, and officially used these irons this week in Dubai.
The Trend Towards More Forgiving Irons
The switch to the more forgiving P7CB irons continues a trend increasingly seen at the highest levels of golf. More and more professionals are moving away from blades in favor of more forgiving cavity-backs. Thanks to new technologies that, despite their forgiving design, do not sacrifice distance and do not lose too much spin on slightly off-center hits. These new clubs may not necessarily add more yards to McIlroy’s shots but will produce better errors, which can be the decisive