TaylorMade SIM 2 Max OS #5 Iron Review: a forgiving long iron that feels more like a hybrid

I picked up this TaylorMade SIM 2 Max OS #5 iron with the KBS Tour 90 regular shaft because I wanted something to fill the gap between my 5 hybrid and my 6 iron. I’m a pretty average golfer, mid‑handicap, and long irons usually scare me. I either top them or slice them into the next fairway. So I went into this test thinking, “If this thing can just be playable, I’ll keep it.”

Over a few rounds and a couple of range sessions, I hit it side by side with my 5 hybrid and my existing 5 iron from an older set. I focused on three things: forgiveness on bad swings, distance compared to my hybrid, and how confident it felt behind the ball. I’m not chasing Tour numbers; I just want something that goes roughly the same distance every time and doesn’t punish me too hard for being human.

The short version is: this club is very forgiving for a 5 iron and the distance is right there with my 5 hybrid, but it doesn’t magically fix a terrible swing. When I swung like an idiot, it still produced bad shots, just slightly less bad than my old 5 iron. When I put a normal, relaxed swing on it, I got a high, straight flight most of the time with a little baby fade, which is what I usually see.

It’s not perfect. The head is chunky, the sound is a bit loud and metallic, and if you’re a low‑handicap player you’ll probably find it too big and too "helpful." But for someone like me who wants a long iron they can actually get airborne, it does the job pretty well. I’ll break down what worked, what annoyed me, and who I think will actually benefit from this club.

Talking about value for money, this is a bit of a niche purchase: you’re buying a single 5 iron with an upgraded shaft, not a whole set. If you already play SIM 2 Max OS irons and just need to plug a gap, it makes perfect sense. If you’re mixing it into a different set, like I did, it still works fine, but you have to accept that the look and feel will be a bit different from the rest of your irons.

Compared to buying a brand new current‑generation TaylorMade iron, this SIM 2 Max OS version comes in cheaper, especially now that it’s not the latest model. The KBS Tour 90 shaft is a nice touch because you’re not stuck with a super generic, heavy stock shaft. For the price of this single club, I felt like I got solid performance and forgiveness. It’s not some bargain basement steal, but it’s also not overpriced considering the brand and the tech.

Where the value is really clear is if you’re someone who struggles with long irons and wants something that behaves a bit like a hybrid without fully switching to one. This club basically gave me hybrid‑like distance with a more iron‑like flight. That filled a very specific gap in my bag. If that’s not a gap you have, then yeah, it’s probably not the best use of your money. You might be better off saving for a full iron set upgrade.

So, is it worth it? For a mid‑handicap player looking to add a forgiving 5 iron with a decent shaft, I’d say value is good but not mind‑blowing. You’re paying for a known brand, modern forgiveness, and a shaft that feels a bit nicer than cheap stock options. There are cheaper options out there, but many of them won’t feel as stable or forgiving. If the price you find is reasonable and you actually need this exact slot in your bag, it’s a sensible buy. If you’re just impulse‑buying because it’s TaylorMade, I’d think twice.

The SIM 2 Max OS design is all about forgiveness, and you see that the second you put it down behind the ball. The top line is thick, the sole is wide, and there’s a lot of meat behind the face. Compared to my older 5 iron, this thing looks almost like a hybrid iron. If you’re used to thin, compact players irons, this will look huge. For me, as a mid‑handicap who struggles with long irons, the thicker top line actually made me feel a bit more relaxed at address.

The color scheme is the typical TaylorMade SIM 2 style: a mix of grey, black, and blue accents on the back. You don’t see most of that at address, which is good. At setup, you mostly see a shiny chrome toe and a brushed face area. The blue parts are more for the shelf than for the course. Personally, I don’t really care about how "techy" the back looks; I just care what I see when I’m standing over the ball. From that angle, it’s big but not cartoonish.

One thing to note: there is a lot of offset for a 5 iron. The leading edge sits a bit behind the shaft, which is supposed to help fight a slice and give you more time to square the face. On my normal swing, that translated into straighter shots and fewer wipey fades. When I really tried to draw it, I could, but this club clearly wants to go high and pretty straight. Shot shaping is not its strong point, and that’s fine for what it is.

In terms of sole design, the wide sole with some bounce made it easier to get through rough and fairway lies without digging. On thin lies, it can feel like the sole "bounces" a bit, so if you’re a picker, you’ll probably like it. If you’re a digger with a steep swing, it might save you from some chunky shots. Overall, the design screams "help me get the ball up." It’s not pretty in a traditional sense, but it’s practical. I’d call it functional rather than stylish, which is exactly what I expect from a game‑improvement 5 iron.

In terms of comfort in the swing, this 5 iron is actually pretty friendly. The KBS Tour 90 keeps the total weight in a nice middle zone: lighter than old‑school steel but still with enough heft that you can feel the head. I never felt like I had to muscle it to get distance. On the range, after 40–50 balls, my hands and forearms felt less tired than they usually do with my older 5 iron, which tells me the weight and balance are working for me.

At address, the larger head and thicker top line might bother some people, but for me it added confidence. I’m not a great long‑iron player, and seeing more club behind the ball made me feel like I had more margin for error. On tight lies, I still had a bit of anxiety, but that’s more about my swing than the club. The wide sole was forgiving when I hit slightly behind the ball; instead of digging a trench, the club glided a bit and I still got the ball airborne, just shorter.

One area that could be better is the feedback on mishits. The club is so forgiving that sometimes it’s hard to tell exactly where you struck it on the face. You feel "okay" on shots that actually weren’t great. That’s good for your ego but not great if you’re really trying to improve your ball striking. With my older, less forgiving iron, a mishit feels like a slap in the hands. With this, it just feels slightly duller and you watch the ball fall short or leak right. So comfort is high, but feedback is kind of muted.

On the course, I had no trouble pulling this club out on longer par 3s or layup shots. It didn’t feel like I was taking a risk every time I used it, which is honestly the biggest compliment I can give a 5 iron. If you like thin, precise blades, you’ll probably hate the look and feel. But if you’re like me and just want something that doesn’t punish you too much, this club is comfortable to swing and easy to live with for a full round.

The club head is made from alloy steel with a cavity‑back construction. You’ve got a thin face, a hollowish back with some weighting, and that familiar TaylorMade "speed" tech feel. I’m not going to pretend I can feel every piece of engineering, but I can tell you this: center strikes feel hot and off‑center hits still get out there, just with less feedback. It’s clearly built for distance and forgiveness, not for pure feel.

The KBS Tour 90 steel shaft is probably the nicest part of the materials setup. It’s lighter than a traditional heavy steel shaft, which helped me keep my swing speed up later in the round when I’m usually getting tired. Compared to the stock shafts on my older irons, this one felt smoother through impact and less harsh on my hands and elbows. I wouldn’t call it soft, but the vibration seemed more controlled, especially on slight mishits. Big misses still sting a bit, but that’s golf, not magic.

The grip is a standard TaylorMade synthetic rubber grip. Out of the box, it has decent tack and feels fine in dry conditions. In light sweat, it was okay, but on a really humid day I did notice my top hand slipping just a bit unless I wiped it often. It’s nothing dramatic, but if you play a lot in heat or rain, you might want to swap to something more textured. For a stock grip, it’s totally serviceable and not too firm or too soft.

One downside in the materials department is the sound and feel at impact. Because of the construction, it has that slightly hollow, metallic "clack" when you catch it flush. It’s not terrible, but if you’re used to a softer, more muted forged feel, this will come across as a bit cheap‑sounding. For me, it was easy to get used to after a bucket of balls, but it’s worth mentioning. Overall, the materials are solid for the price point: durable head, decent shaft upgrade, and a normal grip. No luxury touches, just stuff that works.

On the durability side, the alloy steel head and steel shaft held up well in my testing. I hit at least 200–250 balls on the range plus four full rounds, and there were no structural issues at all. The face shows the usual wear marks from range balls, but nothing out of the ordinary. No dents, no weird discoloration, just normal scuffing. The chrome on the sole picked up some scratches from sandy lies, but that happens with pretty much any iron.

The KBS Tour 90 shaft stayed straight and solid. No loosening at the hosel, no strange vibrations, nothing that made me worry. I tend to lean on my clubs a bit (bad habit), and it never felt fragile. It’s still a lighter shaft, so if you’re someone who really leans on equipment or has a very aggressive transition, you might prefer something heavier, but for normal use it seems more than sturdy enough.

The grip is where you’ll see wear first, like usual. After my sessions, the top hand area started to show a small shine, but the actual tackiness was still okay. In hot weather, with sweaty hands, I did feel like I needed to towel off more often. I wouldn’t call the grip bad, just average. If you plan to keep the club long‑term, factor in a regrip at some point. That’s pretty standard and not really a knock on this specific club.

Overall, I don’t see any red flags on durability. It feels like a normal, modern game‑improvement iron that should last several seasons if you’re not abusing it. If you’re expecting some premium, forged‑style patina, you won’t get that; this is a workhorse iron, not a showpiece. For the price and the category, I’d say durability is reassuringly boring, which is exactly what you want from a club you’ll hit into greens from 180 yards out.

Performance‑wise, this is where the SIM 2 Max OS #5 iron makes sense. With its 20° loft and forgiving head, it basically plays like a strong 5 iron or a weak 4 iron. On the range, my carry distances were generally in the 175–185 yard range with a normal swing. That’s right in line with my 5 hybrid, maybe 5 yards shorter on average but with a slightly lower, more penetrating flight. Compared to my old 5 iron, I gained roughly 8–10 yards of carry and a lot more height.

The big thing is forgiveness. My better swings flew high and straight with a tiny fade. My average swings still got up in the air and finished in a playable spot. When I missed it low on the face, the ball still carried decently instead of dying halfway. Toe strikes lost more distance but stayed relatively straight. Only the really bad swings (big over‑the‑top slice moves) produced ugly results, and that’s on me, not on the club. So it cleans up your normal mistakes, not your disasters.

On the course, I used it mainly for: long par 3 tee shots, second shots into par 5s when I didn’t want to hit hybrid, and punchy tee shots on short, tight par 4s. On a 185‑yard par 3, I hit the green three out of four times over two rounds, which is better than I usually do with my hybrid. I felt more comfortable going after the ball without worrying it would over‑draw or balloon. The flight was high enough to stop on greens but not super spinny. Roll‑out was maybe 5–10 yards depending on conditions.

It’s not a magic fix for everyone. If you already hit a 5 iron well, you might not gain much here besides a bit more height and forgiveness. If you struggle to get the ball up with long irons, this will likely help. But it does have that "hot face" behavior where a perfectly struck shot can suddenly go a bit farther than expected, so distance control is good but not surgical. For a mid‑handicap golfer, I’d say the performance is pretty solid: consistent enough, forgiving enough, and long enough to earn a spot in the bag.

This specific listing is for a single #5 iron, not a full set. It comes with a steel KBS Tour 90 regular flex shaft, right‑handed, standard grip, and it arrived new in factory plastic. Mine matched the description: brand new head, TaylorMade grip, no weird marks or shop wear. Photos in the listing are stock, but what showed up looked exactly like every SIM 2 Max OS you see online.

The loft is listed at 20°, which is pretty strong for a 5 iron. That explains why the distance gets close to a 5 hybrid. It’s part of the "OS" line, so it’s the more forgiving, larger‑headed version of the SIM 2 Max irons. You can tell right away it’s built for help, not for shaping fancy shots. The cavity back is deep, the sole is wide, and there’s a lot of weight low and back. It’s basically a confidence club for people who don’t strike the middle of the face all the time.

The shaft is where this listing is a bit different from some stock options. The KBS Tour 90 is a mid‑weight steel shaft, lighter than a typical 120g shaft but heavier than graphite. It feels lighter than the shafts in my older irons, which made it easier for me to get some speed without feeling like I was swinging a noodle. The flex is regular, and for my swing speed (around 85–90 mph with driver), it felt about right. No whippy feeling, but not a board either.

In terms of out‑of‑the‑box experience, there’s nothing fancy here: no headcover, no extras, just the club. Grip is standard size synthetic rubber, which is fine. If you’re picky about grips, you’ll probably regrip it anyway. Bottom line: you’re paying for a single, forgiving 5 iron with a decent upgraded shaft, not for accessories or fancy packaging. It’s pretty straightforward and that matches how it plays: simple, forgiving, and built to help more than impress.