TaylorMade P790 vs. Titleist T250 vs. Callaway Apex Ai200 — Best Players-Distance Iron?

The short answer: the three biggest players-distance irons are nearly identical on paper: hollow bodies with 7-irons between 30° and 30.5°. The TaylorMade P790 is the benchmark, and in one side-by-side test it spun more than the Ai200 to hold greens. The Callaway Apex Ai200 tends to fly a bit longer with less spin. The Titleist T250 is the newest of the three and the most expensive by about $100. Pick on feel and flight, not tech sheets.

Published September 2026 · Specs from TaylorMade, Callaway, and Titleist

TaylorMade P790: The Benchmark

The 2025 P790 uses a 4340M forged face that TaylorMade says is 20% stronger, allowing a thinner face and up to a 24% larger sweet spot versus the 2023 model, with SpeedFoam Air inside for feel. Today’s Golfer ranked it the top players-distance iron of 2026, and their tester recorded 126.8 mph ball speed, 185.2 yards of carry, and 5,313 rpm of spin with the 7-iron.

Callaway Apex Ai200: Longer, Lower-Spinning

The Ai200 pairs a forged hollow body with a Forged 455 face cup, Callaway’s Ai Smart Face, and urethane microspheres. In Golf Blue Heron’s side-by-side test it went longer with lower spin than the P790, while the P790 came down steeper and held greens more easily. It’s the oldest of the three (August 2024), so it’s the most likely to be discounted.

Titleist T250: The Newcomer

The T250 replaced Titleist’s T200 in August 2025. It’s an all-steel hollow body with a new forged L-Face, Max Impact technology, split high-density tungsten weighting, and a lower center of gravity, at 30.5° in the 7-iron. At $1,499 it’s the priciest of the three by about $100. There’s also a T250 Launch Spec (35° 7-iron) for moderate swing speeds. Full breakdown in our Titleist T-Series comparison.

Three irons, one degree of loft apart. Hit all three before you buy. Feel and flight will decide it, not the spec sheet.

Which One Should You Buy?

Buy the P790 if you want the proven all-rounder and need your approaches to stop. Buy the Apex Ai200 if you want a little more distance and play softer greens, especially if you can find it discounted. Buy the T250 if you’re a Titleist player, want the newest design, or need the Launch Spec version for more height. Callaway fans comparing within the brand should see our P790 vs. Apex Pro vs. Ai200 post.