Equipment

2021 TaylorMade SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max OS irons

Published

5 years ago

Jan 19, 2021

The 2021 SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max OS irons from TaylorMade are about bringing together key technologies from the previous generation and combining it with their all-new Cap Back cavity design to increase distance with more face flex and improve sound by completely changing the cavity design.

What’s new in the SIM2 Max irons

2021 TaylorMade SIM2 Irons

What started out as SpeedBridge, which we should note would make a great title for a Keanu Reeves action thriller/car movie that somehow has its culminating scene take place on a bridge, in the SIM Max and SIM Max OS irons has evolved to something bigger—dare we call it a sequel—with the all-new Cap Back.

What is Cap Back?

SIM2 Max iron Capback

The Cap Back design of the new 2021 SIM2 Max irons replaces the metal speed bridge that ran from the rear of the sole to the top line of the 2020 models. This little strip of metal created tension to help support the topline and allowed engineers to bring more weight from the top of the iron low to lower the center of gravity and increase launch.

2020 SIM2 iron with SpeedBridge

It also allowed the face to flex like a big oversized tennis racket to create more ball speed around a larger area.

The new Cap Back is a full cavity encasing polymer cap that connects and supports the topline without touching the face. It helps produce a higher MOI since the polymer material is seven-times lighter than the steel counterpart per g/cm3 and frees up more mass to be moved low in the head to raise stability—especially for shots missed around the face, which for golfers that fit into this iron category and going to do.

Faster Sim2 Max face

“We set out to take game improvement irons to the next level with SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max OS. To create Cap Back Design, we utilized multi-material advancements learned from our metalwoods to unlock forgiveness and distance with forged iron like feel. We leveraged a completely new construction to achieve the performance that golfers in this category both need and want.”

– Matt Bovee, Product Creation | Irons Category

SIM2 Max and Max OS iron technology

2021 TaylorMade SIM2 Max OS irons cavity

All-new Echo Damping System

Beneath the Cap Back and behind the face on the new SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max OS irons, you will find an improved Echo Damping System which features a more concentrated HYBRAR material. The damping system stretches across the entire face (from heel to toe) using multiple contact points and also utilizes a softer polymer blend to channel away more unwanted vibrations.

SIM2 Max OS vs. SIM2 Max sole profile

This vibration channeling helps contribute to what TaylorMade likes to call a forged-like feel while still promoting maximum face flex.

Progressive Inverted Cone Technology

TaylorMade’s Inverted Cone Technology (ICT) is strategically positioned into each SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max OS iron as a way to help increase the sweet spot and minimize mis-hits.

The reason for this is shots hit on the toe of longer irons generally result in a miss to the right, TaylorMade engineers have positioned the ICT towards the toe in both SIM2 Max and SIMs Max OS irons to counteract this. Through this move, the engineers have created a draw bias in the longer irons to minimize this common miss without resorting to adding additional offset typically found in larger game improvement designs.

Other technology carryovers from the previous generations that can be found in the SIM2 Max irons include the fluted hosel, 360° undercut cavity -now positioned under the polymer cap back, and an ultra-thin face.

What makes the Max OS irons different?

Sim2 Max OS vs Sim2 Max from address

The SIM2 Max OS irons are everything the SIM Max irons are and more, including everything you would expect from a maximum game improvement irons are packed with all the same technology of the SIM2 Max irons but put together in a wider-soled, lower CG, stronger lofted, more draw-biased package to help golfers that are looking for every advantage.

Specs, pricing, and availability

The SIM2 Max and Max OS irons will be available for preorder starting January 19 and will be in retail locations beginning February 10.

Both sets will be priced at $799 steel (KBS Max MT 85 steel ) and $899 graphite (Fujikura’s Ventus Blue graphite, 7S, 6R & 5A) in 7 piece set configurations 4-pitching wedge – which is a departure from the way TaylorMade has assembled stock sets in the past. This allows golfers to choose whether they would prefer to order the matching wedges for the set – which include a gap wedge, sand wedge, and lob wedge, or go with something else to find proper gapping.

The SIM2 Max and SIM2 Max OS irons will also be available for women and come outfitted with the Aldila NV Ladies iron shaft and the Lamkin Ladies Sonar grip.

Whats in the Bag

Aaron Rai’s winning WITB: 2026 PGA Championship

Published

22 hours ago

May 17, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

Driver: TaylorMade M6 (9 degrees)
Shaft: Aldilda Synergy Blue 70 TX

3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 8 X

5-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 8 X

Hybrid: Titleist GT2 (24 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White Hybrid 90 TX

Irons: TaylorMade P7TW (5-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold S300

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (46-10F @44, 48-10F @49), SM11 (54-12D), WedgeWorks (60-04L)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S300

Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour V

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Titleist Pro V1

Whats in the Bag

Michael Block WITB 2026 (May)

Published

3 days ago

May 15, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (9 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black VeloCore+ 5 X

3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (15 degrees @14.25)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Orange 70 TX

5-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (18 degrees @17.25)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Orange 70 TX

See more photos of Michael Block’s clubs in the forums.

Irons: TaylorMade P-UDI (4), TaylorMade Tour Preferred MC (5-9)
Shafts: Graphite Design Tour AD DI Hybrid 85 X (4), Project X 6.5 (5-9)

Wedges: TaylorMade MG5 (46-SB09, 52-SB09, 56-LB08), MG4 (60-TW11)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Odyssey White Hot 2-Ball

Grips: Golf Pride MCC

See more photos of Michael Block’s clubs in the forums.

More Michael Block WITBs

Equipment

PGA Championship Tour Report: Fitzpatrick, Koepka among big-name putter switches for Aronimink

Published

3 days ago

May 15, 2026

Alistair Cameron

A lot has been said leading up to the 108th PGA Championship about how Aronimink Golf Club will handle the modern game’s philosophy of bomb and gouge. Tipped out, the Donald Ross design is just shy of 7,400 yards. In comparison, Quail Hollow played at nearly 7,600 yards last year. Off the tee shouldn’t be an issue for most players in the field. What will stress their games are the putting surfaces.

“The greens seem to be the big defence and the big talking point of the golf course,” two-time PGA champion Rory McIlroy said ahead of the tournament.

“Yeah, it reminds me, we played Philly Cricket Club last year for a PGA Tour event. It reminds me a little of that, very wide playing corridors. Still got to get the ball on the fairway. The rough is sort of hit-and-miss, but you can get some bad lies. They can really tuck the pins away with some of these slopes on the greens and just really being aware of that.”

The theme of McIlroy’s comments could be why plenty of players were testing out new flatsticks throughout the early week in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia. Some were forced, however, and keep reading for Brooks Koepka’s new putter and why he’s added it to the bag.

On the surface, one of the more surprising putter changes for the undulating surfaces at Aronimink is that of Alex Fitzpatrick. The newly minted PGA Tour member, who earned his card by winning alongside his brother Matt at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, is teeing it up for just his second major championship and his first at the PGA. Despite collecting back-to-back top-10 paychecks in his two starts since that victory, the younger Fitzpatrick is trading in his short-slant Odyssey Ai-One #7S for a newer version, but equipped this time with plumber’s neck hosel.

“It’s more of a hosel configuration change that we could hopefully identify some face awareness and rotation benefits,” Cody Hale, Odyssey Tour Rep, told GolfWRX. “So what we looked at was, could we help reduce the rotation, tighten some of that up a little bit, and after measuring that and then his team came out to the putting green, measured again, we saw some positive changes.”

By switching the hosel type and going with less toe hang on the putter, Fitzpatrick was able to become a “little bit tighter and a little bit more efficient” with the stroke, according to Hale.

Along with the hosel change, Fitzpatrick has moved from the standard metal finish to a darker, navy-blue PVD finish, although the switch-up is merely aesthetic and not to help with alignment or framing the putter behind the ball.

Ryan Fox, Haotong Li and Sahith Theegala also join Fitzpatrick with putter swaps in Philadelphia. Fox added an Odyssey Tri-Hot double-wide, while Li opted for a center-shafted GoLo, and Theegala has returned to his Ping TR 1966 Anser 2 prototype after gaming a Ping Ally Blue H at Quail Hollow last week.

Cameron Young using conforming rollback ball

Cameron Young revealed in his pre-tournament press conference at Aronimink that up until a few weeks ago, he didn’t know that his golf ball would meet the criteria of the new rollback rules.

The Titleist Pro V1x Double Dot that Young switched to last summer, with which he ended up winning during the first week he had it out on Tour, meets the proposed standards by the USGA and The R&A.

“I think I put it in play [for] the same reason that everybody else plays the ball that they play,” Young said. “I hit it during a ball test, one of the Titleist facilities probably close to two years ago and didn’t know anything about it. I just kind of (said), ‘Hey, what’s that one?’ because I liked the flight.

“Then as things progressed, I was able to test it last year at Wyndham, able to put that in play, and it’s been there since.”

Young’s distance hasn’t been impacted by the switch to the Double Dot golf ball. He’s sixth on Tour in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and, in fact, is hitting it 0.4 yards longer on average this year compared to last.

“Obviously, there is no conforming list,” Young said. “I wasn’t aware that it would have (conformed). I suppose I read something that said it passed that test, but I wasn’t aware of that until very recently. So, at no point was that a consideration. It was just really me trying to optimize my golf, and it’s the ball that seems to work the best for me.”

Young has won twice already during 2026 on Tour, both at high-level events – The Players Championship and Cadillac Championship – and entered the PGA Championship as a pre-tournament favorite behind Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy.

Brooks Koepka’s enforced putter switch

Three-time PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka spent plenty of time Monday morning and into the afternoon on the practice putting green in front of the Aronimink clubhouse, working with coaches and Tour reps and putting plenty of different flasticks through their paces, after apparently recently breaking his new TaylorMade Spider Tour X last time out at the Myrtle Beach Classic.

Koepka tested out a couple of Scotty Cameron heads, similar to that of Cameron Young’s Phantom 9.5R with a full sightline. It’s not the first time a Tour pro has asked to follow in Young’s footsteps. Justin Thomas had the same request last week at the Truist Championship. Why not follow the hot hand?

Koepka’s custom Cameron featured the same style Teryllium insert that he has used previously, most notably during his PGA Championship wins in a Newport-style blade. The putter, however, that looks to have the best chance of making its way into the bag come Thursday is a TaylorMade Spider Tour V, the head model recently launched on Tour at the RBC Heritage.

What’s unique about Koepka’s new Tour V putter is the custom-length L-Neck (plumbers) hosel that he has equipped. The extended version looks to reduce the toe-hang of the putter while adding stability to the stroke.

The putter change comes with a plethora of additions to Keopka’s bag after his split with Srixon/Cleveland. Along with already playing a Titleist Pro V1x golf ball, Koepka added Vokey wedges to his Grove XXIII staff bag last week in South Carolina. The 36-year-old is using SM11s in 48.10F, 52.12F and 56.10, along with the WedgeWorks 60B, a special grind with an interesting letter choice.

Look at Koepka’s full bag here.

Rickie Fowler goes shorter

In a golf world where players are looking to eke out every yard possible, usually by lengthening their drivers to add clubhead speed, there’s one player at the PGA Championship who’s going in the opposite direction. In fact, for Rickie Fowler, his goal off the tee is not about gaining extra distance or yards north to south, but rather about shrinking the misses from east to west.

Ahead of the PGA Championship and the week prior at the Truist Championship. Fowler mentioned to Cobra Tour Rep Ben Schomin that the driver didn’t quite swing feel the same as everything in the bag. As a result, and with Schomin’s suggestion to try and sync everything up with the big stick, Fowler decided to test out a shorter length shaft.

“He’s been at 45 (inches), and he’d been at 45 for a few weeks, 44 1/8 (inches) is really is where he is been living really for the most part, for the last couple of years, and is where he is been comfortable,” Schomin told GolfWRX. “It just felt like it was a little long and loose on him.”

Interestingly, Fowler ranks 40th in Driving Accuracy this year on the PGA Tour. It’s his most accurate season with the driver since the start of the decade. But sometimes for players, feel is more important than statistics.

“It was really more of a trying to get the swing to feel the fluidness from club to club to club to try to get it to feel the same,” Schomin added. “And so we took it down to 43 and a quarter, and it was a touch of a ball speed loss, just based on that overall club head speed. But honestly, he squared it up probably a little better. The right miss wasn’t nearly as far. So really, overall down-range dispersion tightened up a fair amount, and he felt confident in swinging it.”

The change in length had Fowler’s caddie, Ricky Romano, beaming at how well he had driven during Tuesday’s practice round at Aronimink. So much so, he was asking Schomin not to suggest changes anymore.

Fowler’s shaft-shortening is one of a few driver adjustments he’s made this season. Read more here on Fowler’s driver updates this season.

Odds and Ends

Keith Mitchell, one of the best drivers of the golf ball, switched to the Qi4D LS 10.5-degree driver last during the Cadillac Championship, and it was still in the bag at Aronimink. He’s currently eighth on Tour in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee. Alex Noren switched from a C-grind Opus SP wedge to Callaway’s X grind. The X grind features more bounce than the C and considerably more trailing-edge and heel relief. Max Geryserman looks to be another Callaway staffer switching to the Quantum Triple Diamond TDTD head. The head features a unique face progression and a slight heel-weight bias, a right-to-left ball flight. Aldrich Potgieter scrapped his fairway woods and is looking to use two driving irons. Along with his usual 18-degree PXG Gen 8 X 2-iron, he’s added a 15.5-degree 1-iron version.