Taylormade, last year, released a version of metalwoods which featured a new 10 gram carbon composite material weight instead of the previously seen thick titanium crown in older models. The new weight gave tour players the option of moving it lower in the head and also improved design benefits.
The company is known for revolutionary design introductions every year but this year, instead of moving away from the crown technology that made TaylorMade the most used brand for metalwoods on the PGA Tour, it decided to further enhance the technology. It’s added even more weight in an effort to allow the players to move the weight deeper and lower in the head.
The new T-Track with 27 grams of moveable weight allows for 64% more front-to-back CG movement as compared to the original M1, giving golfers more adjustability options and ball flight control.
2017 M1 Drivers
The new driver sees the expansion of the use of carbon composite material in its toe panel and the material features a six layer carbon composite instead of the previous seven-layer composite. TaylorMade has used 43 percent more composite material as compared to its previous models.
The driver weighs an added three grams lesser as a result of the use of a 9-1-1 titanium core.
The lightweight skeletal design has allowed the company to expand the overall footprint by 4% and the face by 7% while staying within the 460cc USGA/R&A guidelines. That means golfers will see an improved moment of inertia of 4420 grams leading to improved forgiveness in the M1 model and being as forgiving as last year’s M2 model.
“I think you’ll see more players who used the M2 last year strongly consider going with the new M1,”said TaylorMade’s senior director of product creation for metalwoods.
The lighterweight toe section gave the company a chance to increase the size of the T-track system by 12.7 milimeters bringing it closer to the toe area of the sole. The 19 percent longer track shifts the weight deeper in the head which means added forgiveness and a higher launch angle. The heel-toe track has seen a 7 percent increase, giving the driver roughly 25 yards of left-and-right adjustability.
The heel-toe weight which alters the face angle is now 15 grams while the going front-to-back is 12 grams in the 460cc head and both the weights are 15 grams in the lower spinning 440cc head.
A less noticeable change but a change that could increase the brand value of TaylorMade was the decision to cease production in bulk. The shift means that each clubhead and crown will specifically be produced for one another which would ensure the correct fit and reduce the adhesive material required to adjoin the two parts.
The new M1 features a thinner layer of paint used to create the black and white alignment aid on the crown, thus, decreasing the chances of crown chipping.
There is also visible a new four degree aluminium loft sleeve which is different from the previously used plastic sleeve. The added durability during the shaft changing process is a huge bonus and selling point to clubfitters and those golfers who like to tinker with different setups. What is even better is that the previous loft sleeves have not been made redundant and still remain compatible with the new M1 head.
The M1 460cc (8.5, 9.5, 10.5 and 12 degrees) and 440cc (8.5, 9.5 and 10.5 degrees) drivers will hit the stores across the USA on 27th Jan, 2017 at a retail price of 500 USD. The three stock shaft offereings will be: Fujikura’s XLR8 Pro 56 (A, R, S flexes), Mitsubishi Rayon’s Kuro Kage Silver Dual Core TiNi 60 (R, S, X flexes) and True Temper’s Project X HZRDUS Yellow 65 (6.0 and 6.5 flexes).
2017 M1 Fairway woods
The multi-material fairway woods feature a 450 stainless steel body, Ni-Co stainless steel body and six-layer carbon composite crown which is also found on the M1 driver. The carbon fiber crown is bonded to the head by way of the same manufacturing process which is used for the M1 driver and substitues majority of the steel leading to an overall lower center of gravity.
The sliding track system that allows the CG to be altered has been simplified and the woods now contain only one 25 gram movable weight as opposed to having two previously-to adjust the draw or fade bias.
“Quite honestly, the two weights were just too confusing for some people,” Brian Bazzel, the senior director for product creation said. “We’re trying to simplify it for everyone and make it easier to get a draw or fade bias if a golfer needs to shape shots.”
The track has also been shifted deeper in the body of the head to promote a higher launch angle and forgiveness. The change has also led to room for a speed pocket behind the face and the through-slot can raise the ball speed by an average of 1mph on off-center hits.
The new fairway woods will offer better turf interaction with the sole being streamlined to offer a recessed sole which reduces the drag through impact and better interaction between the sole and the ground. The new woods also come with the ultra-lightweight aluminium loft sleeve with four degrees of adjustablity.
The new TaylorMade M1 2017 fairway woods will also be available in the market on 27th Jan for a retail price of $300. The woods will be available in three lofts (15, 17 and 19 degrees) with a Mitsubish Rayon Kuro Kage Silver TiNi fairway wood shaft.There is also the option to choose from 30 additional shafts for no additional costs.
2017 M1 Hybrids
The most visible difference in the hybrids is the addition of a 27-gram moveable tungsten weight instead of two sliding weights seen in the previous models. This means that for the first time ever, players will have the choice between a draw and fade bias and not only between a neutral and fade bias.
Same as the fairway woods, the hybrids feature a thru-slot behind the face that increases ball speed on off-center hits. Based on input from TaylorMade staffers, the new M1 hybrids feature a top rail and overall look that resembles the look of a utility iron more than that of a traditional hybrid.
The M1 hybrid comes with a three degree loft aluminium sleeve and in three lofts (17, 19, 21 and 24 degrees). Mitsubishi Rayon’s Silver Kuro Kage hybrid shaft (R, S and X flexes) is the stock shaft.
