TaylorMade Golf, makers of the No. 1 Driver in Golf* and the winningest drivers on the PGA TOUR in 2017 with its M1 & M2 drivers, have shifted the paradigm of golf club engineering with the introduction of the M3 & M4 metalwoods, highlighted by the company’s breakthrough innovation – Twist Face technology.
‘From the creation of the first metalwood in 1979, TaylorMade has established a legacy of breaking from tradition to reach new thresholds of performance. In 2018, we have once again uncovered a new frontier of driving potential with Twist Face Technology — a radical departure from traditional driver-face design, engineered to correct for inherent human swing tendencies in real-time, giving golfers a tangible competitive advantage,’ said Brian Bazzel, Vice President, Product Creation.
Twist Face: The Next Breakthrough in Innovation from TaylorMade
Reimagining traditional driver face design, TaylorMade’s Twist Face technology is truly the first of its kind. Twist Face, featured in both the new M3 & M4 drivers, is TaylorMade’s solution to counteract golfers’ most common misses, more specifically, those resulting from the high toe and low heel impacts.
To counteract the high-toe miss (a hook), the driver face has been ‘twisted’ open (loft increased& face opened) on the high-toeto help straighten ball flight. Similarly, to counteract the low-heel miss (a slice) the driver face has been twisted closed to de-loft and close the face in the low heel area. Ultimately, TaylorMade’s Twist Face technology delivers a corrective face angle when hit off-center for longer, straighter shots.
The Origin of a Breakthrough
Studying data captured from more than half a million shots that simultaneously tracks head presentation (in-out path, angle of attack, loft, impact location),initial launch conditions and final landing location of the golf ball, TaylorMade engineers discovered there was a flaw in the traditional bulge and roll. By studying the performance of thousands of shots in each quadrant across the face of all golfers’ levels, researchers determined these shots were not averaging to be on the center line. In fact,high face shots and high toe shots have a left tendency of the target lineand spin significantly less. Similarly, low face and low heel shots tend to land right of the target linewith a significantly more spin.
M3 Driver
World-class design and elite performance is the genesis of every product TaylorMade engineers. In 2015, the company introduced multi-material construction with eye-catching carbon composite crowns that captured the attention of millions of golfers around the world, becoming the most winning driver on the PGA TOUR and once again retaining the title of the best-selling driver in the industry. Two years later, the stakes have been raised, and engineers have responded to the challenge by creating the most advanced driver in company history — M3. In addition to Twist Facetechnology, the M3 driver features a new matte silver front section and a raised, aerodynamic five-layer carbon composite crown. Years of research and development have culminated in some of the thinnest, strongest and lightest composite panels in the industry. With both the 2018 M3 and M4 metalwoods, TaylorMade engineers were able to design thinner and lighter composite panels (the M3 & M4 drivers both feature a 5-layer carbon composite crown) than ever before.
Exclusive to the M3 in both the 460cc& 440cc models is a new intuitive Y-Trackadjustability system that allows for CG adjustment of the head to obtain desired, optimal ball flight parameters. Dissimilar to the T-Track on both the ’16 & ’17 M1 drivers, the heel to toe track and front to back track on the M3 are connected, allowing all 22 grams (two 11g weights) of moveable mass to be utilized for both the benefit of heel to toe control as well as front to back CG adjustment. The Y-track gives the golfer more precise CG adjustability than ever before with more than 1,000 unique CG configurations — more than double the number of positions in the 2017 M1. Add in TaylorMade’s 12 position, 4-degree ultra-lightweight aluminum Loft Sleeve (back sleeve compatible) and the result is an unparalleled level of personalization.
The flat curvature of the front/back track provides the lowest CG possible regardless of the weight setting.In fact, when the weight is in the back position versus M1 2017, the 2018 M3 CG is 36% further back. This makes the moment of inertia (MOI) 10% larger without raising the CG projection on the face. Furthermore engineers were able to increase the total amount of front / back CG movement by 83%.
Hammerhead Slot
For the first time ever, TaylorMade has engineered a slot housed in the sole of our most adjustable driver. The new Hammerhead slot was engineered to work in combination with Twist Face and Inverted Cone technologies to delivermaximum ballspeed across a larger area of the face and thus, resulting in a larger sweetspot. The Hammerhead slot’s design is defined by three design elements; the central Speed Pocket™, the face geometry and the stiffening ribs.
By dividing the Speed Pocket into zones, TaylorMade was able to increase its overall length from 82mm to 100mm — a 22% increase. Additionally, it allowed for the creation of a larger flexible center zone, designed to increase ball speed on low face impacts and drop unwanted backspin. By using the new ribs, engineers were able to decrease the thickness and weight of the face allowing for a more flexible face designed to deliverhigher ballspeeds across a larger area of the face. Engineers challenged themselves to evolve the construction and performance of the Speed Pocket; their answer was Hammerhead, a radical technology engineered to deliver longer drives.
M3 440
Following the success and demand for the 440cc version in 2017, the M3 will again be available in a 440cc model, which utilizes a slightly smaller head, deeper face and 22g of moveable weight, working in unison with all of the same technologies as its larger 460cc counterpart. Both the 460 and 440cc models come equipped with MCA’s popular Tensei CK Red (high launch), Blue (mid launch) or White (low launch) shafts in R, S & X flexes along with a LamkinUTx cord grip.
Availability & Pricing
Available at retail on February 16, 2018 at R7 999.99, the M3 460 driver will be offered in 9.5°& 10.5° loft options, while LH models will be offered in 9.5° loft. The M3 440 driver (RH only) will be offered in 9° & 10° loft options through custom orders.
M3 Fairway
The ’17 M1 fairway broke innovation and performance barriers by being both adjustable and incredibly long, a goal the engineering team set in the conception stage and executed in its creation. The new M3 fairway takes a premium, adjustable fairway to the next level; constructed with a 450 stainless steel body, strong Ni-Co C300 face and new, thinner 5-layer carbon composite crown (same as the M3 & M4 drivers). An improved track system that houses more moveable weight (29 grams compared to 25 in the ’17 M1 fairway) allows for the adjustment for preferred shot shape; from fade to draw, more than ever before.
Similar to the M3 driver, the M3 fairway also utilizes an ultra-thin, ultra-light crown and sole panel. The combination of the composite panels saves up to 8g over a similarly shaped metal fairway. The discretionary weight is placed low and forwardinto the M3’s clubhead to create driver-like launch conditions (high launch & low spin).
The sliding weight track (SWT) on the M3 fairway, first introduced in a TaylorMade fairway with last year’s M1, incorporates a new, smaller Loft Sleeve screw, which allowed for the moveable weight track to move 3.5mm forward, which resulted in the CG moving almost a full millimeter forward too, an 8% change over the ’17 M1.
Bringing the track forwardled to a more streamlined overhang designwhich led to improving the sole to turf interaction for the M3 fairway. By designing an overhang that extends across the length of the track the playability of the sole was improved while allowing the weight track to be further forward.
The smaller screw head and port area to theLoft Sleeve also positively affects the Speed Pocket. By taking up less room on the sole, the Speed Pocket length from heel-to-toe on the M3 fairway is longer than the M1 2017 Speed Pocket. The through-slot is extremely efficient in terms of size and material usage, giving us the ability to package it in front of the track. The through-slot promotes faster face-flex and ball speed on mishits low on the face and also reduces backspin leading to more overall distance.
Availability & Pricing
Available at retail on February 16, 2018 at R4 999.99, the M3 fairway will be offered in 15° (3) and19° (5) loft options while LH model will be offered in a 15° (3)option, equipped with an MCA Tensei Blue shaft in R & S flexes (65g) and X flex (75g). All models come equipped with a LamkinUTx cord grip.
M3 Rescue™
The new M3Rescue incorporates a moderate sized, Tour-proven and preferred shape first introduced by the ’17 M1 Rescue but with more moveable weight — 30g compared to 27— and a successful sole design that will appeal to players of all ability levels. The crown showcases a whole new look with a premium two tone, matte silver front section and gloss black back body framing the ball beautifully.The sole is engineered with a performance-driven adjustable sliding weight system, allowing golfers the opportunity to not only experience the neutral/fade biases of its predecessor but having more moveable weight for an unparalleled level of personalization in a TaylorMade Rescue.
In addition to the new 30gsliding weightand advanced sole design, the head comes equipped with a3-degree ultra-lightweight aluminum Loft Sleeve. Premium components again are offered as stock options, with a MCA Tensei Bluehybrid 80g shaft in R& S flexes along with a new LamkinUTxcord grip.
Availability & Pricing
Available at retail on February 16, 2018 at R3 999.99, the M3 Rescue will be offered in 19° (3)and 21° (4) options while LH models will be offered in a 19°(3) and 21°option.
M4 Driver
Complementing the M3 driver and its unrivaled personalization is the M4 driver, which differentiates its design by putting an emphasis on unparalleled forgivenesswithstraight distance. The M4 driver not only utilizes TaylorMade’s most groundbreaking ‘18 technologies (Twist Face & Hammerhead), it also incorporates Geocoustic™ engineering –combines geometry and acoustical engineering to unlock more forgiveness and best-in-class sound.
Geocoustic Technology
Geocoustic technology combines geometry and acoustical engineering to deliver more forgiveness and best-in-class sound. Driver heads with low back centers of gravitytypically have low frequencies because they tend to have fairly flat soles. Geocoustic sole shapes allow for a low CG and larger headsize, but with a more curved sole which has inherently higher frequencies, leading to better sound and feel. The Geocoustic sole design of the M4 driver freed up discretionary volume that allowed engineers to increase the overall face size and also improved sound and feel.
Hammerhead Slot
Similar to the M3, the M4’s Hammerhead slotfeatures reinforced outer portions for a lighter, more flexible face, which results in a larger sweet spot. The center portion of the slot increases ball speed low on the face and drops unwanted spin for straight distance. Additionally,the newly designed face saves 8gof discretionary weight.To increase the stability of the driver, the rearward mass pad has been increased from 22 to 41 grams – an 86% increase.
Also new to the M4 is a redesigned face that is both thinner and lighter. The maximum thickness has been reduced from 4.47mm to 3.6mm and the heel/toe perimeter thickness has been reduced from 2mm to 1.92mm. In addition, the mass of the face has been reduced from 45.5g in the ’17 M2 to 37.6g – 17.3%.
Availability & Pricing
Available at retail on February 16, 2018 at R6 999.99, the M4 driver will be offered in 9.5° and 10.5° loft options, while LH models are available in a 10.5°, each coming equipped with a Fujikura Atmos Red shaft in 5S, 5R, 5Aalong with a TM/Lamkin Dual Feel grip.
M4 D-Type
In addition to the standard M4 model, TaylorMade is also offering a higher-launching, more draw-biased model, the M4 D-Type (also 460cc). The M4 D-Type (D signifying draw) combines multiple draw-biased design technologies to help players who consistently fight fade-to-slice trajectories find more fairways. In addition to the multi-material construction, Twist Face technology and Hammerhead Speed Pocket, the D-Type is more heel-weighted (41g), has slight offset and uses advancedvisual cues to promote a square face at address and a more draw-biased face at impact.
Availability & Pricing
Available at retail on February 16, 2018 at R6 999.99, the M4D-Type driver will be offered in a 10.5° loft option and equipped with Matrix’ Platinum White Tie shaft 55R and 45 A which complements the driver’s draw-biased performance. For women, the M4 D-Type driver is available in 10.5°& 12° lofts, equipped with a Matrix White Tie MSF5 45 g (L) shaft.
M4 Fairway
In the M4 fairway, TaylorMade’s ultimate distance fairway has been made even more forgiving, taking everything learned from the use of multi-material composition,Speed Pocket, Geocoustic Technology and ICT integration to deliver a remarkably high-performing complement to the M4 driver that delivers maximum distance and forgiveness by way of a larger sweet spot and more optimal launch conditions. A newsplit-weight mass pad separates the weight at the outward extremities of the head to preserve ballspeed on shots hit off-center.
The M4 fairway utilizesa thinner and stronger Ni-Co C300 face along with TaylorMade’s proprietaryInverted Cone Technology (ICT) to increase the higher-COR area of the clubface, thus minimizing ballspeed losses on off-center impacts delivering more distance more often.
In addition to the M4 fairway, TaylorMade is also introducing the M4 Tour fairway, which features a smaller headsize (156cc versus 175cc)with a slightly deeper face, designed for better players who prefer a more compact look, lower launch and more workability.
Availability & Pricing
Available at retail on February 16, 2018 at R3 999.99, the M4 Fairway will be offered in 15°(3)& 18°(5)loft options, while LH models will be offered in a 15°(3) loft option, equipped with Fujikura’s Atmos Red 75g6S, 6R, 5A shaft and a Lamkin Dual Feel grip.
M4 Rescue
Completing the M4metalwoodlineup in 2018is the M4 Rescue. Powerand control are the essential ingredients golfers need when playing a hybrid. M4 offers the best of all worlds with key performance technologies working in sync to produce exceptional ball speed and a larger sweet spot for enhanced overall playability.
The low-profile body of the M4 Rescue has a tiered two-tone crown with the same matte silver front and gloss black rear section that showcases the distinctive, widely recognized aesthetics TaylorMade’s M series of product has become known for.
The M4 Rescue features a cut-through Speed Pocket to increase launch and maximize ballspeed on shots hit below center face. Similar to the M4 fairway, anew split-weight mass pad separates the weight at the outward extremities of the head to increase the club’s forgiveness by preserving ballspeed on shots hit off-center. In addition to the added forgiveness, aGeocoustic sole design and a short, fluted hosel work in tandem to optimize sound and feel at impact. The M4 Rescue is designed to help average golfers replace a long iron with higher, longer and more draw-biased performance.
Availability & Pricing
Available at retail on February 16, 2018 at R3 499.99, the M4 Rescue will be offered in 19° (3)& 22° (4) lofts while LH models will be offered in a 19°(3) loft option and equipped with Fujikura’s Atmos Red shaft7S, 6R, 5A and a Lamkin Dual Feel grip. For women, the M4 Rescue is available in a 22° (4) loft option, equipped with a TM-Tuned IR 45 (L) shaft and a Winn Dual Feel grip.
Winningest drivers claim based on combined 2017wins on the PGA TOUR, as reported by the Darrell Survey Co.
For more information, please visit TaylorMadeGolf.co.za.
