TaylorMade P790 vs. Callaway Apex Pro — and the Callaway Iron That Actually Competes With It

The short answer: if you’re looking for the Callaway equivalent to the TaylorMade P790, it’s the Apex Ai200, not the Apex Pro. The Ai200 is Callaway’s forged, hollow-body players-distance iron with the same 30° 7-iron loft as the P790. The Apex Pro is the more precise, less distance-focused iron one step toward the better player — closer to a Titleist T100 than a P790. Here’s how all three compare.

Updated September 2026 · Covers the 2025 P790, Apex Pro ’24, and Apex Ai200

The Specs That Actually Separate Them

	TaylorMade P790	Callaway Apex Ai200	Callaway Apex Pro
7-iron loft	30°	30°	33°
Construction	Forged hollow body	Forged hollow body	Forged hollow body (a first for Apex Pro)
Face	4340M forged face	Forged 455 face cup, Ai Smart Face	455 face cup (long irons), 1025 carbon steel (short irons)
Internal fill	SpeedFoam Air	Urethane microspheres	Urethane microspheres
Category	Players distance	Players distance	Players performance
Launch price	$1,399 (set)	$1,400 (7-pc set)	~$215 per club

That 3° loft gap is the single biggest reason the P790 and Apex Pro play differently. At the same number on the sole, a stronger-lofted iron launches lower and carries farther — so comparing a P790 7-iron to an Apex Pro 7-iron is really comparing two different clubs. The Ai200 lines up with the P790 loft-for-loft.

TaylorMade P790 (2025)

The P790 more or less created the players-distance category: a compact, thin-topline look at address with a hollow body behind it for speed and forgiveness. The 2025 version switches to a new 4340M forged face that TaylorMade says is 20% stronger than before, which let it thin the face and enlarge the sweet spot by up to 24% versus the 2023 model (TaylorMade’s claim). SpeedFoam Air inside the head is there for feel, and TaylorMade’s FLTD CG places the center of gravity lowest in the long irons for launch, rising through the set for more control in the scoring clubs. It lists at $1,399.

Callaway Apex Ai200 — the Real P790 Rival

Callaway launched the Ai200 in August 2024 specifically to compete in the P790’s category. It’s a forged hollow body with a Forged 455 face cup, an “Ai Smart Face” Callaway designed from golfer swing data for more consistent speed and spin, urethane microspheres to dampen sound, and tungsten weighting. Golf Monthly’s review put it alongside the P790 as one of the best compact distance irons available. The differences show up in flight: in Golf Blue Heron’s side-by-side test the Ai200 went longer with lower spin, while the P790 came down steeper with more spin and held greens more easily. Golfalot noted the same tendency, with approach shots running out toward the back of the green.

Callaway Apex Pro ’24

The 2024 Apex Pro is the first Apex Pro built as a hollow body, pairing a forged face with a forged 1025 carbon steel body and urethane microspheres for a soft, muted strike. It uses a progressive face design — a 455 face cup in the long irons for speed, a 1025 carbon steel face plate in the short irons for control — and a Dynamic Sole with a pre-worn leading edge for cleaner turf interaction. At 33° in the 7-iron it’s lofted for control and gapping rather than maximum distance. Callaway rates its launch, spin, workability, and forgiveness all as “mid.”

P790 vs. Apex Pro isn’t really a like-for-like fight. P790 vs. Ai200 is — and the Apex Pro is the step you take after both.

Which One Should You Actually Buy?

Buy the P790 if you want the benchmark: distance and forgiveness in a compact shape, with enough spin to hold greens. Buy the Apex Ai200 if you’re a Callaway player or you want a touch more distance and a lower-spinning flight, and your greens are soft enough that rollout isn’t a problem. Buy the Apex Pro if you’re a consistent ball-striker who wants a more traditional loft, more feel, and more control into greens, and is happy to give up some distance to get it. Whichever you lean toward, hit them side by side with your own shaft specs — lofts, shafts, and lie angle matter as much as the head.

Also worth knowing: Titleist’s T250 plays in the same players-distance space as the P790 and Ai200, if you want a third brand in the comparison.

Comparing the P770 instead? That is the TaylorMade iron that lines up loft-for-loft with the Apex Pro (both have a 33° 7-iron). See our P770 vs. Apex Pro comparison.

What is the Callaway equivalent to the TaylorMade P790?

The Callaway Apex Ai200. Both are forged, hollow-body players-distance irons with a 30° 7-iron. The Apex Pro is one step toward the better player, with a 33° 7-iron.

Is the Apex Pro more forgiving than the P790?

Generally no. The Apex Pro is built for control and a more traditional loft, while the P790 is built for distance and forgiveness. The Ai200 is the Callaway iron that competes with the P790 on forgiveness.

Why does the P790 go farther than the Apex Pro?

Mostly loft. A P790 7-iron is 30° and an Apex Pro 7-iron is 33°, so the P790 launches lower and carries farther with the same number on the sole.

Are these irons good for a mid-handicapper?

The P790 and Ai200 are both built for that golfer — a player who wants a cleaner look than a game-improvement iron without giving up much forgiveness. The Apex Pro rewards a more consistent strike.