TaylorMade M1 Driver Review Thread

It does look nice and I'd love to give it a go.
Same here. Would love to get it on my monitor and break the data down across the entire face.
 
do want

do want

TAKE MY MONEY!
Seriously I am one of the guys the SLDR works for. I liked the feel of the R15 but not the look. This I dig.
 
From their fb, looks good imo
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The crown is cool. Likely the most interesting thing about this release. Can't wait to see how it frames a ball.
 
Same here. Would love to get it on my monitor and break the data down across the entire face.

This is what I'd really like to see.

I made decent contact with the R15, just didn't have the proper launch angle for it to be effective for me.
 
I am all in on this club if it is better than the R15. I have never been a TM fan but the R15 is the best driver I have ever hit. While it might not be for everyone the low and forward cg works for me.
The exposed carbon fiber is pretty cool and gives the crown a good look IMO. As for 3 shaft options that is a non issue for me. I have no problem paying an up charge for a shaft as long as there is performance gain associated with it. The one question I do have is it the same tip as the R15. That would be nice as one could just swap shifts instead of getting a new shaft or having a new tip installed.
 
I like the look, and definitely want to see it in ball position for sure.

Definitely going to have to take some swings with it when its out and see if it would be worth as an upgrade for me.

I happen to like the Taylormade Stuff I have, and I would definitely rock this if it worked for me.
 
I don't like the crown and I liked the R1 ... they are not doing the 10 yr old weave for a functional purpose ... it's "Look at me! I am a composite crown."

Callaway kills TM on composite tech.

Wonder how much weight moves with the sliders....
 
I'm gonna be honest...while I'm not totally sold on the crown, I like where they're going with the weighting system. Will be interested to see how much that forward/aft sliding weight can affect forgiveness and not just ball flight.

This is what I really thought the next step forward was: keeping the CG centered on the clubhead, and making the directional weight less influential in terms of how it affects the sweetspot.
 
I'll probably try this out when getting fitted in Spring but will probably opt for something less $. Shiels and Finch will have their preview thoughts up tomorrow since they flew in for this event.
 
TaylorMade M1 Driver Preview

TaylorMade M1 Driver Preview

Looks interesting. Probably not worth an upgrade from An R15 for me because I'm killing it with that club right now, but I'll check it out anyway.

What Id really like to know is can I add a weight to my R15 3w because that's all it seems they did with the M1. I'd really like that in the 3w.

For some reason a single sliding weight on the face does not impact my results that much even when I tried the sldr but when I got the R15 it made a significant impact. I have them set for basically sledgehammer mode where they are centered right on the sweet spot and boy does it work well there. The 3w needs that extra pop right in the middle too! The single does nothing so I guess if I can't add one then the m1 might be in the bag soon


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I can't say I like the looks of this one but with this new one out it means the R15 will be coming down closer to my price range. I hit the R15 the best out of all the drivers during my fitting but just couldn't lay down $400 for it. I have seen the drop in price already on it so maybe by next season I will have one in the bag.
 
I like the looks and technology they've thrown behind it. I've been a bit down on Taylormade for a while and while viewing the Periscope today, I could see a lot of other folks that have the same feelings. The R15 didn't do anything for me, but I'm curious to give this a go.
 
Not a big TM fan but all I can say is mmmmmmmm carbon fiber. And I want to see it in person now. Looks great from that shot.
 
I'll demo this club when it's released. I like the weight system. Hoping they will work for a player like me.
 
To me it looks like they took the carbon fiber crown that Callaway had 10 years ago, the adjustable CG from Cobra's Fly Z+, and an Odyssey Versa putter, and created a driver. Not much of a TM fan to begin with, but this driver makes me think they got lazy in the tech department.
 
Not sure if the carbon top has anything to do with the performance - I had the L4V-X head and that had a complete carbon top and it was still a heavy head. Plus anytime you mix the 2, chances are there for a cracks.

Also, TM has been all about low forward weight and using extra loft from the SLDR line to the R15 - now does the sliding forward-backward weighting mean we loft less?

Whats the point of it if at the end of the day, I have the forward weight and also left-right weight in the middle. Might as well keep my R15. So many questions - right now I'll sit on the fence and see what pans out. King Cobra LTD is also looking good but I am leaning to stay in the TM camp just because I have so many shafts with the SLDR/R15 tips.
 
It looks kind of like a wing-tip dress shoe... I like it! The carbon fiber on the crown is pretty sesy as well. I personally would like to see them do away with the logo for alignment...

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When an innovator pushes the envelope there will be the occasional miscues. I also think sometimes less is more.....

Now as far as being a bit on the progressive side how about a weight track that pivots from a point rear center of the club, and swings side to side in a curved track near the face. Then an adjustable weight that slides forward to back on the original track.... totally the opposite of less is more!
Not too far #selfbackpat
 
My concern with this design is the more channel there is the more mass is moved away from the sole of the club. Obviously this would require and ultralight crown so the weight can be added to the sliding weights to get the COG lower. It will be interesting to see how the COG is on this driver.
 
The look is interesting and techy, which TaylorMade needs IMO. I'll definitely give it a swing.

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So where is the driver for less than Touring Pros and Low Cappers?

I like the shape of the face of TM drivers, but the tech has not been for guys who are inconsistent.

The M1 cosmetics reek of desperation -- the top is all marketing with the cosmetics and retro weave. They need a hit and this seems different enough to pique the interest of many in the market.

The bottom is evolutionary, not revolutionary, but as long as it works for normal Joe and Tour Pro Joe.

And how much weight does it move? Are the sliders made of tungsten? That's my guess because they look small, and tungsten is heavy in a small package.

One of these days, I will try a TM driver again, at a demo day, just to see if a normal golfer can play it.

Certainly, the tech goes the farthest when hit on the screws. I give TM kudos.

BUT golfers rarely hit it on the screws. It's about consistency. And most golfers are not consistent. That's why they need a face that's forgiving all over the face, not just the sweetspot.

My bet is M1 is not for normal Joe, although the sliding weight back will help if they have sufficient weight.

The problem with making one driver for everyone is that it does not work for everyone -- some guys need a lighter overall weighted head, others like a heavier weighted head.

It's different strokes for different folks and you need different heads unless one can switch out weights.

I'm also interested in the headweight and the face technology. This is where other OEMs have it over TM.

Yep, and how do you sell this to the masses? Is it still loft up, or with the M1, can you loft back down, yet still above the loft of 3 years ago? It's weird when I can hit a Callaway at 10, but need a 14 to hit a TM.... makes me want to run from TM. How many times can you change the message?

I'm sure TM guys will love it. Enjoy. And I hope normal Joe can hit it more consistently than other TM offerings. Although I've got to admit, I haven't seen many normal Joes hit a TM driver straight since the intro of the R11. The RBZ being the exception. That was a long time ago in the driver world. Drivers are tough to hit consistently. Why an OEM would stake its mass marketing claims on a driver that was difficult for normal Joe appears short sighted.

You want the Corvette for the few, but you must have the Chevy in the lineup for the masses.
 
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Im on the other side (bare with me here, this will get lengthy but make sense). If what I am hearing about the CG being moved a bit back and still low, they could have something here. I dont think the marketing is as on point as it needs to be (so far) in regards to that, but it is just beginning. The problem TaylorMade has had is all due to marketing and message. Part of it is their fault and part of it is the golfer and not liking change.

Convincing golfers that they need to play a high lofted driver is very hard. That has had a connotation in the past for old guys and ladies and while false, the misnomer is there. Spin zapping misses are a problem, but less of one with the right loft, but since everybody thinks they hit it too high to begin with, nobody was in fact lofting up. Which was virtually the only way to get more distance out of one of the heads.

One of the issues with the entire campaign was that just a year prior, they tried to convince golfers that they were playing the wrong loft and needed a one sku driver in the R1. Then they said they needed more loft because low and forward was the way of the future (and still can be). The problem is that like flex in shafts, people are set in their ways with loft. This is not as applicable to the equipment golfers found on message boards, but more to those that read for reviews and are buying the equipment yearly.

SLDR did very well initially and then came the next models and then the rebirth of the legends known as R series and Burner. Buzz was zapped, nothing was moving and while still number one in Driver sales, if you removed prior models sales, they would be getting murdered. So that brings us to M1. A product that looks dynamic, appears to give consumers what they want through adjustability and not a single mention of forgiveness anywhere. Its a tired message. Stay with me here, I am heading somewhere. So this driver which packs a ton of technology, appears to look solid and has what many die hards have asked for, will get lost and here is why.

The average golfer that does not understand all of the tech or follow it alongside their daily news will walk into a store and see the new M1. Probably hit the new M1 along with a number of other drivers. Then he will look at the sole of the M1 and look at the sole of one of the 9 SLDR models, R15, etc and say well these have the slide technology and are a fraction of the cost. How much can change in a year or so and since the store still has a lot of these, they must still be in line too and it saves me money for the Pro V1 I have to play because the pros do.

So now they walk out with their previous model and then low and behold they hit it too low (too low loft) and previously they were keeping up with their league partners at the club, now on the slight miss, they are low and short and not happy. Next time at the store, do they look at the M1 to give the brand another shot? Nope, they go right to Ping, Callaway and others to see what happens. So what does all of this rambling mean? Not much....Other than the writing was on the wall a while ago and nobody wanted to hear it.

Inventory control is the issue and still the issue. The company needs a mass buy back so that when golfers walk into stores after seeing the tour pro win with a TaylorMade driver, the M1 is front and center surrounded by other brands, not front and center surrounded by 9 other models at half the price.

So back to this product, I think they might have something here with their tech. To look at it broadly, you have a some MWT (moveable weight technology) which we know works, just not in this location and you have some Flip It and Rip It technology, which we also know works in another brand. Whether one thinks it lacks innovation is not important in terms of the product working, which I think people are going to be surprised about. I think when push comes to shove what you will find is the front weight doing little and the depth weight (front to back) altering ball flight as much as they have seen with other brands.

Im excited to learn more about the M1, although I think the message needs to be far more refined and targeted to have a lasting impact.
 
Very good read JB. I hope you're right about the tech being there but not getting out in the message.

I'm sure I'll try it like I have all other TM releases. But I hope you're right that they are on to something.

Because many other companies have really delivered a good message, along with a good product in their most recent releases.

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That sir, was a damn good post. Agree on all points.
 
Thanks for that read JB and it makes sense. I was in the pro shop at the range yesterday and there were ton of current line drivers both aero and r15 and the fitter mentioned nothing of a buy back to get rid of them.

i agree with many of your points.
 
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