Rory McIlroy has made significant changes to his bag, playing a new set of irons. He now reveals the reasons behind the switch.
Rory McIlroy surprised the golf world at the beginning of the year at the TGL when he appeared with a completely new set of irons, marking his first change since 2017. After making some bag adjustments in autumn 2025, only his putter and 4-iron from his Augusta triumph remain. At his season start in Dubai, he spoke about the reasons and thoughts behind his club change.
‘If There’s Help, I’ll Definitely Take It’
The Northern Irishman’s shots are usually nearly perfect, and even when Rory McIlroy mishits a ball, for most, those would still be their best shots ever. However, at the professional level, centimeters can decide birdie or par, victory or defeat, and these small differences prompted McIlroy to change clubs.
‘If there’s help to be had, I’ll definitely take it. I’ve been thinking about it for a while,’ McIlroy said Thursday after his opening 66 at the Dubai Invitational. ‘Even late last year in Dubai, I hit some 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 Custom Irons for Rory McIlroy
TaylorMade crafted a custom set of P7CBs for him, with a similar leading edge to his P760 long irons – in addition to his regular 4-iron, he also has P760 2- and 3-irons in utility versions. The 4-, 5-, and 6-irons of this set were used in the opening rounds of the Australian Open last month, and he liked them so much that on the weekend he also used the 7-, 8-, and 9-irons. ‘On the firm turf down there, I felt these irons cut through the grass better than the blades,’ he said. ‘Since then, I’ve 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 played the irons this week in Dubai.
The Trend Towards More Forgiving Clubs
The switch to more forgiving P7CB irons continues a trend increasingly seen at the highest level of golf. More and more pros are moving away from blades in favor of more forgiving cavity-backs. Thanks to new technologies, these clubs do not sacrifice distance despite their forgiving design and retain