The TaylorMade Tour Preferred irons are a better player line that TaylorMade released in January 2014 in three versions: the MB muscleback, the MC muscle cavity and the CB cavity back. They had made their PGA Tour debut the week before, at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, and they were aimed at golfers who want workability more than forgiveness.
The three models
The MB was the blade of the group. It was forged from 1025 carbon steel from the 3 iron through the pitching wedge, with a compact head, a thin topline, minimal offset and no cavity or Speed Pocket. The MC was a combination set. Its small cavity added some stability while keeping a blade-like look, and the longer irons carried a Speed Pocket. Reports at launch described the 3 to 7 irons as cast and the 8 iron through pitching wedge as forged. The CB was the most forgiving of the three, with offset, head size and topline growing through the set. TaylorMade positioned it as a better player iron that borrowed a few game improvement traits in the long irons, and it was described as the successor to the RBladez Tour.
Buying them used
Because these are single irons and small sets, condition and set makeup matter more than the badge. Check that the loft and lie are standard, that the shaft flex matches what you play, and whether the set is a true matched set or a mix of models. At launch, the MB, MC and CB were also sold with extras such as hand assembly and loft and lie checks through TaylorMade's custom department, and those do not carry over to a used set. GolfRoots also lists Tour Preferred EF wedges, which are a separate product from the 2014 irons.
Common questions
Which Tour Preferred iron is the most forgiving?
The CB. It has the cavity back design, the largest head and the most offset of the three, though it was still built for better players.
Is the MB a full forged set?
Yes. TaylorMade described the MB as forged from end to end, 3 iron through pitching wedge.
If you want to look at what is in stock now, browse our TaylorMade iron sets. If you are weighing a Tour Preferred set against another player's distance iron, our comparison of the TaylorMade P770 and P790 irons is a good next read.
