TaylorMade · Iron set · 2021 · Previous model
TaylorMade SIM2 Max irons
Game improvement, 3.0 of 5 for forgiveness
TaylorMade's game improvement iron of 2021, the first on its Cap Back head: faces built against the right miss, 4.2 mm of offset at the 7-iron and a 28.5° 7-iron. TaylorMade's own store still sold it new, in stock at $649.99, in August 2026; the Stealth followed it, and the Qi Max is the newest model in its line.
3.0 of 5 forgiveness score
$446.99 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 need a left-handed club or a senior flex: both were stock builds.
Choose something else if
- 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 in steel; senior, regular or stiff in graphite
- Hands
- Left or right
- Used
- From $446.99 at 2nd Swing Golf, checked 31 Oct
What changed in the Qi Max
The Qi Max's lofts are a little stronger through most of the set: 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 SIM2 Max introduced TaylorMade's Cap Back head, with faces designed against the right miss.
A used SIM2 Max costs far less than a new Qi Max, and the two score the same here; this page shows the used price. Choose the SIM2 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 | SIM2 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 in steel; senior, regular or stiff in graphite | Senior to stiff |
| Hands | Left or right | Left or right |
| Price new | Sold new by TaylorMade in Aug 2026; not priced here | $1,099.99 at TaylorMade, 7 irons, checked 2 Nov |
| Price used | From $446.99 at 2nd Swing Golf (5 clubs (5-9), graphite, senior 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 |
Head to head: TaylorMade SIM2 Max vs Stealth irons
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 | 3.5° |
| 6-iron | 25° | 62.5° | 37.88 in | 4.7 mm | 5° |
| 7-iron | 28.5° | 63° | 37.25 in | 4.2 mm | 5.6° |
| 8-iron | 32.5° | 63.5° | 36.75 in | 3.5 mm | 6.3° |
| 9-iron | 38° | 64° | 36.25 in | 3 mm | 6.8° |
| PW | 43.5° | 64.5° | 35.75 in | 2.6 mm | 7.8° |
| AW | 49° | 64.5° | 35.5 in | 2 mm | 9° |
| 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.
The TaylorMade SIM2 Max came in a senior (A) flex as well as regular (R): what the senior flex changes, and who it suits.
SIM2 Max: the questions buyers ask
- Is the TaylorMade SIM2 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 SIM2 Max for?
- It suits golfers who make decent contact and want help on the misses with a slimmer head.
- Does the SIM2 Max come in senior or ladies flex?
- Senior, yes; ladies, no. TaylorMade listed senior (A), regular (R) and stiff (S).
- Is the SIM2 Max sold left-handed?
- Yes: TaylorMade made it left- and right-handed.
- What are the SIM2 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 SIM2 Max set?
- Seven clubs, 4-iron to PW, at launch, with the AW, SW and LW sold singly; the LW right-handed only.
- How much does the SIM2 Max cost?
- TaylorMade's own store still sold it new, in stock at $649.99, in August 2026. Used from $446.99 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 | SIM2 Max |
| Model year | 2021 |
| 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 | Cap Back Design (a polymer back supporting the top line) with a Thru-Slot Speed Pocket; ECHO Damping System inside the hollow head; Progressive Inverted Cone Technology faces |
| Construction | TaylorMade's first Cap Back head: a light polymer back that supports the top line, a slot in the sole behind the face for shots struck low, a damping system inside the hollow head for feel, and faces shaped against the right miss. |
| Set makeup | Seven clubs, 4-iron to PW, at launch, with the AW, SW and LW sold singly; the LW right-handed only. |
| Clubs in the set | 7 |
| Stock steel shafts | KBS Max 85 MT |
| Stock graphite shafts | Fujikura Ventus Blue |
| Stock flexes | Regular or stiff in steel; senior, regular or stiff in graphite |
| 7-iron loft | 28.5° |
| Hands | RH, LH |
| Men's or women's | – |
| List price when new | $799.99 (2021 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 30 Aug 2026
- TaylorMade's specifications, archived copy of 25 Feb 2021
- mygolfspy.com's specifications
- 2nd Swing Golf's used listings (checked 31 Oct)
- Pre-owned: seen at 2nd Swing Golf from $446.99 (checked 31 Oct)