TaylorMade · Iron set · 2020 · Previous model
TaylorMade SIM Max irons
Game improvement, 3.0 of 5 for forgiveness
TaylorMade's game improvement iron of 2020: a Speed Bridge behind the top line, a slot through the sole, long irons built with a draw bias against the right miss, 4.2 mm of offset at the 7-iron and a 28.5° 7-iron. TaylorMade's page showed it out of stock in August 2025; the SIM2 Max followed it, and the Qi Max is the newest model in its line.
3.0 of 5 forgiveness score
$465.99 used at 2nd Swing Golf
New instead: TaylorMade Qi Max, $1,099.99 at TaylorMade, 7 irons, checked 2 Nov
Choose it if
- You make decent contact and want help on the misses from a slimmer head.
- You play left-handed: it was made left-handed.
Choose something else if
- You need a senior flex: PING G740, senior (A) flex in stock, 5.0 of 5.
- Choose the Qi Max HL instead if you want a higher flight from a slower swing: a 31° 7-iron, light shafts and a wider sole.
- Class
- Game improvement
- 7-iron loft
- 28.5°Every club's loft, lie and length
- Offset (7-iron)
- 4.2 mm
- Stock flexes
- Regular or stiff
- Hands
- Left or right
- Used
- From $465.99 at 2nd Swing Golf, checked 31 Oct
What changed in the Qi Max
TaylorMade's tables give the SIM Max and the SIM2 Max that followed it the same lofts, offsets and lengths. The Qi Max's lofts are a little stronger: half a degree at the 4-, 5- and 7-irons (a 28° 7-iron against 28.5°) and a degree at the 6- and 9-irons, the pitching wedge, AW and LW; the 8-iron and SW are the same. The Qi Max has a little less offset at the 7-iron (3.9 mm against 4.2 mm), from its reduced-offset hosel, and adds a face that flexes evenly across its whole area and a sound stabilization bar. The SIM Max has a Speed Bridge behind the top line, a slot through the sole and long irons built with a draw bias.
No shop we checked sells the SIM Max new, and used sets cost far less than a new Qi Max; both score the same here. Choose the SIM Max for nearly the same lofts for much less, if a used set comes in your flex; choose the Qi Max for a new set in your hand, shaft and flex.
| Detail | SIM Max (previous) | Qi Max (current) |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Game improvement | Game improvement |
| Forgiveness score | 3.0 of 5 | 3.0 of 5 |
| 7-iron loft | 28.5° | 28° |
| Offset at the 7-iron | 4.2 mm | 3.9 mm |
| Stock flexes | Regular or stiff | Senior to stiff |
| Hands | Left or right | Left or right |
| Price new | No longer sold new | $1,099.99 at TaylorMade, 7 irons, checked 2 Nov |
| Price used | From $465.99 at 2nd Swing Golf (5 clubs (6-PW), steel, stiff flex, average condition), checked 31 Oct | From $734.99 at 2nd Swing Golf (6 clubs (6-PW, AW), graphite, stiff flex, average condition), checked 31 Oct |
Loft, lie and length, club by club
| Club | Loft | Lie | Length | Offset | Bounce |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4-iron | 19° | 61.5° | 39.125 in | 5.8 mm | 2° |
| 5-iron | 21.5° | 62° | 38.5 in | 5.2 mm | 3° |
| 6-iron | 25° | 62.5° | 37.88 in | 4.7 mm | 5° |
| 7-iron | 28.5° | 63° | 37.25 in | 4.2 mm | 5° |
| 8-iron | 32.5° | 63.5° | 36.75 in | 3.5 mm | 6.5° |
| 9-iron | 38° | 64° | 36.25 in | 3 mm | 7° |
| PW | 43.5° | 64.5° | 35.75 in | 2.6 mm | 7.5° |
| AW | 49° | 64.5° | 35.5 in | 2 mm | 7.5° |
| SW | 54° | 64.5° | 35.25 in | 1.5 mm | 9° |
| LW | 59° | 64.5° | 35 in | 1.5 mm | 9° |
Build a whole bag around it, or check the lofts in the bag you carry.
Use the iron finder to compare sets for your usual miss, and check the set makeup and loft gaps before ordering. Between a game improvement and a super game improvement head, this is how to tell which one your strike needs.
SIM Max: the questions buyers ask
- Is the TaylorMade SIM Max forgiving?
- Moderately. It is TaylorMade's game improvement iron, with 4.2 mm of offset at the 7-iron and a 28.5° 7-iron. It scores 3.0 of 5 on our reading of what TaylorMade publishes about it; the most forgiving iron sets we cover score 5.0.
- Who is the SIM Max for?
- It suits golfers who make decent contact and want help on the misses with a slimmer head.
- Does the SIM Max come in senior or ladies flex?
- No. TaylorMade listed regular (R) and stiff (S).
- Is the SIM Max sold left-handed?
- Yes: TaylorMade made it left- and right-handed.
- What are the SIM Max lofts?
- 4-iron 19°, 5-iron 21.5°, 6-iron 25°, 7-iron 28.5°, 8-iron 32.5°, 9-iron 38°, PW 43.5°, AW 49°, SW 54°, LW 59°, as TaylorMade published them. The full table with lie, length and offset is above.
- Which clubs come in a SIM Max set?
- Seven clubs, 4-iron to PW, or 4-iron or 5-iron to AW, with the SW and LW also made; the LW right-handed only.
- How much does the SIM Max cost?
- TaylorMade no longer sells it new. Used from $465.99 at 2nd Swing Golf, checked 31 Oct. Prices change; the seller's page has today's.
How the 3.0 adds up
The forgiveness score is our reading of what TaylorMade publishes about the head, from 1 to 5. It is not a test result. How every score works.
| Part | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Head class | 3 | Game improvement: a forgiving head, slimmer than super game improvement. |
| Offset | +0 | 4.2 mm at the 7-iron, below our 4.5 mm mark. |
| Sole | +0 | TaylorMade doesn't publish a sole width, so the sole earns no point. |
| Forgiveness score | 3.0 | of 5 |
The score rates the head only. Hand, flex and price decide which version you buy, not how forgiving it is. TaylorMade does not publish a sole width.
Specification sheet
| Maker | TaylorMade |
|---|---|
| Model | SIM Max |
| Model year | 2020 |
| Type | Iron set |
| Class | Game improvement |
| Handicap range the maker states | – |
| Offset | 4.2 mm at the 7-iron (5.8 mm in the 4-iron down to 2.6 mm in the PW and 1.5 mm in the SW) |
| Sole | – |
| Moment of inertia (MOI) | – |
| Face technology | Speed Bridge supporting the top line, with a thru-slot Speed Pocket in the sole; 1.5 mm face with Progressive Inverted Cone Technology; ECHO Damping System across the face |
| Construction | A cavity back with a Speed Bridge that supports the top line, a slot through the sole behind a 1.5 mm face for shots struck low, and a damping system that touches the face from heel to toe. |
| Set makeup | Seven clubs, 4-iron to PW, or 4-iron or 5-iron to AW, with the SW and LW also made; the LW right-handed only. |
| Clubs in the set | 7 |
| Stock steel shafts | KBS Max 85 |
| Stock graphite shafts | Fujikura Ventus Blue |
| Stock flexes | R (regular), S (stiff) |
| 7-iron loft | 28.5° |
| Hands | RH, LH |
| Men's or women's | – |
| List price when new | $899.99 for the eight-club set (2020 model); not a price today |
| Price at TaylorMade | – |
| Set price | – |
Compare with other game improvement irons
No matching clubs. Clear the search or loosen the filters.
| Sole | Hand | Where to buy | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | Game improvement | 29° | 5.0 mm | Slightly wider | A · R · S | RH · LH | $599.99 at Tour Edge 7 irons · checked 2 Nov | ||
| 3.5 | Game improvement | 29° | not published | Wider | L · A · R · S | RH · LH | $559.99 at Tour Edge 7 irons · checked 2 Nov | ||
| 3.5 | Game improvement | 29° | 4.6 mm | not published | A · R · S · X | RH · LH | $999 at Golf Discount 7 irons (4-PW) · checked 2 Nov | ||
| 3.5 | Game improvement | 31° | 4.3 mm | Wider | L · A · R · S | RH · LH | $1,099.99 at TaylorMade 7 irons · checked 2 Nov | ||
| 3.5 | Game improvement | 29.5° | 4.6 mm | not published | PING's own lightweight flexes: Ultra Lite or Lite | RH · LH | $1,299.99 at PGA TOUR Superstore 7 irons (6-9, PW, UW, SW) · checked 2 Nov | ||
| 3.5 | Game improvement | 29.5° | 3.3 mm | Wider: 0.90 inches | R · S · X | RH · LH | $699 at Haywood 7 irons · checked 2 Nov | ||
| 3.5 | Game improvement | 28° | 4.8 mm | 22.9 mm at the 7-iron | R · S | RH · LH | $962.50 at Mizuno 7 irons · checked 2 Nov | ||
| 3.5 | Game improvement | 29° | 4.6 mm | not published | not published | RH · LH | $1,099 at Golf Discount 7 irons at $157 each · checked 2 Nov |
Order: Forgiveness score first; on a tie, the set more golfers can buy, then a set that includes the long irons, then price. Use the arrows to sort. A dash means the maker does not publish it.
See all iron sets on the most forgiving irons page, or compare this club side by side. Waiting for a sale? The Black Friday golf club deals page has the price to beat on every club we price.
Sources
The specification comes from these pages; open the maker's page before buying, because prices and shaft options change. Check the exact shaft and hand at the shop before ordering.
- TaylorMade's specifications, archived copy of 27 Sep 2020
- mygolfspy.com's launch report
- TaylorMade's listing, archived copy of 18 Aug 2025 (checked 16 Oct)
- Golf Discount's search results (checked 16 Oct)
- 2nd Swing Golf's used listings (checked 31 Oct)
- Pre-owned: seen at 2nd Swing Golf from $465.99 (checked 31 Oct)