‘Better Everything’ is TaylorMade’s slogan on the new M Series range of products released in 2017. Previously known for launching driver after driver, TaylorMade has told consumers they were no longer going to be doing this. True to their word, TaylorMade released the new M1 a whole 14 months later with great expectations for a product designed to deliver.
With its focus on distance, forgiveness, and customisation, Compleat Golfer were given the opportunity to report on the new M1 driver, bringing you an in-depth overview to give you the ammo needed when going out and making your next purchase.
#TeamCompleat got to try out the latest products on the market, however we need to point out the importance of custom-fitting to any part of your game. TaylorMade, along with major golf retailers, do custom fitting on all products sold today, as this ensures that whatever you are buying, is fitted correctly around your game and not to changes that you may need to make.
M1 Driver
To understand a product better and what it can do for a player one needs to understand the technology used, so that you can physically see a difference and break down each area to verify whether this actually helps your game. A product with combined titanium and carbon fibre just sounds like it’s going to go somewhere off the planet, which is exactly what the new M1 comprises of.
TaylorMade has included a couple of intricate changes to the new M1 driver, versus its predecessor. First off is the T-Track system, which has been made 64% longer and 2 grammes heavier (now 12 grammes), while the front track remains the same with a standard 15 gramme weight.
The reason for a longer back track if you would have it, is to allow for better customisation on the launch, spin and ball flight for the golfer, due to the fact that the M1 is a lower spinning driver, which in layman terms means optimising the ball flight and controlling the amount of spin coming off the face. When this is achieved correctly, which would have been done during the fitting process, you get the right ball flight with optimal spin that essentially delivers the best possible distance you can gain from your current swing speed.
To help generate more club head speed, TaylorMade re-created the aerodynamics on this driver with a better overhang on the tracking system and newly-embedded toe panel. This extended panel contains exactly 43% more carbon, enabling TaylorMade to save double the amount of weight, which allows the centre of gravity in the club to be moved lower and further back and then produces a higher-launching, less spinning driver. The moveable weights are also now embedded in the track system, which allows the air to flow diagonally across the sole during the swing, creating less drag that produces better swing speeds overall, equating to better distances.
But what does this mean for the golfer? First of all, when you move the weighting all the way to the back, it changes the CG (centre of gravity), allowing players to launch the ball higher with more forgiveness, as the majority of golfers battle to get optimal flight with the driver. However, moving the weight forward in the track means a much lower ball flight. This gives all golfers a more dynamic approach when having to launch the ball higher or lower, depending on conditions and sea level. In addition, the improved aerodynamics enable you to generate more club-head speed, which essentially allows you to hit the ball further. If there is a key element you can learn from speed generated, is that for every 1mph you get off a driver, you gain approximately 1.8m of distance. The drivers developed today allow players to generate anything from 3mph up to 10mph when fitted correctly, and you are looking at some amazing distances with the improved technology.
Having played with the previous model and testing out the new M1, the elements that really stood out were a much softer and better feel off the face, along with better sound on all shots, including miss-hits. Doesn’t surprise me that TaylorMade use the slogan ‘Better Everything’, as this is exactly what one can expect. The visual changes that have been made on the driver seem to make it easier to hit, which promotes confidence off the tee box when you really need it. However, these changes were designed to give you more forgiveness than its predecessor, and it certainly shows.
Last on the list of changes is
the new ultra-light aluminium 
loft sleeve, which is a
change of material. However, this little piece of technology gives both players and custom fitters
the opportunity to optimise this driver to the ideal lie and loft angles to ensure that the golfer is completely custom-fitted with their new product.
Please see a summary below of the changes to TaylorMade’s new M1 Driver.
Overall. there have been some great changes and additions made to the new TaylorMade M1 that will certainly allow you to improve your game off the tee box, and certainly enable you to see and feel the difference between the newer and older model. All these drivers come with the new Lamkin Cord grips, and have an option of three types of shafts, Fujikura Pro, Mitsubishi Kuro Kage or Project X Hzrdus. All have various flex and kick points, so this again leads us back to the importance of custom-fitting to ensure that the correct shaft is fitted to your driver for optimum performance.
Current price is R 7 999 at all major golfing retailers in South Africa.
