Rory McIlroy has decided to end his experiment with a new set of irons and revert to the equipment he has long relied on, ahead of this year’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The career Grand Slam winner initially switched to TaylorMade P7CB irons in early 2024, aiming to find more forgiveness and improved distance consistency on off-center hits.
Seeking to enhance his performance, McIlroy parted ways with the irons he used to win the 2025 Masters, but after testing the new setup, he concluded that returning to his trusted clubs was the better option. This equipment switch comes as part of Rory McIlroy equipment switch efforts to optimize his game this season.
Insights into McIlroy’s Equipment Choices and On-Course Performance
Speaking before the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, McIlroy reflected on his recent season and the changes he tried during the off-season.
“I had a strong finish to the season last year. Played well in the Middle East. Went on to Australia, which was a great experience. Sort of messed around with some different iron setups and sort of messed around with like a different ball and a few equipment changes,”
he explained.
“That experiment’s over, back to the trusty irons that I’ve played basically my whole career.”
?Rory McIlroy, Professional Golfer
He added that his overall game feels solid heading into the event, having spent two weeks in Dubai to shake off any rust.
“I had two nice weeks at home and done some practice. Michael Bannon was there the last few days. I feel pretty good coming in here,”
McIlroy said.
“But I’ve had two nice weeks at home and done some practice. Michael Bannon was there the last few days. I feel pretty good coming in here.”
?Rory McIlroy, Professional Golfer
Reasons Behind Returning to TaylorMade RORS Blades
McIlroy provided further explanation regarding why he opted to abandon the cavity-back P7CB irons for the TaylorMade RORS blades he has favored for years. He noted a tendency for shots with the new irons to veer right, despite feeling neutral with the blades during practice swings.
“I felt like the cavity backs just had a little bit of a right bias in them,”
he said.
“So whatever way the weight of the head was or whether it was the blade length, I would hit shots — I’d make swings that I feel like I’d make with my blades that would be a very neutral ball flight and then with the cavity backs they would just start to tail off to the right.”
McIlroy indicated that while not seeing the ball go left is preferable to him, the new irons changed the overall feel of his shot release, which created challenges under competitive conditions.
“So, it made me feel like I could fully release my iron shots, which is great in theory and great in practice, but then once you get on the course with a card in your hand, for so many years I’m used to feeling that like held-off position through impact and then to go from that to trying to release it, it just was a different feel, especially under pressure or in the heat of competition.”
?Rory McIlroy, Professional Golfer
New Golf Ball Choice Offers Consistency and Speed Gains
While McIlroy has returned to his familiar irons, he is continuing to use TaylorMade’s 2026 TP5 golf ball. He reports that the new ball has delivered better consistency in launch and spin, and it appears to produce additional ball speed, especially with his driver.
“The ball’s great,” McIlroy commented.
“I mean, the ball, it launches pretty consistently a degree lower with every club through the bag. Very, very similar spin rate.”
“I maybe picked up a touch of speed with the longer clubs, with the driver. I think it’s a slightly higher compression than previous TP5s so I’m getting a little bit more speed off the driver and the woods.”
?Rory McIlroy, Professional Golfer
Potential Impact on Upcoming Golf Tournaments
The combination of McIlroy’s trusted irons and the new golf ball could prove crucial as he aims to defend his title at the Pebble Beach AT&T Pro-Am. This equipment adjustment reflects his continual efforts to refine the fine details of his performance on the PGA Tour.
With his game feeling ready, the upcoming tournaments will reveal whether this switch will provide the consistency and confidence McIlroy seeks under competition pressure. Fans and analysts alike will be watching closely to see how the changes influence his results going forward.
