Equipment
Pushing it past the limit: TaylorMade M5, M6 drivers with Speed Injected Twist Face technology
In a market where distance seems to dominate the conversation, TaylorMade has always been at or very near the top year in and year out. It’s no secret that some of the most popular offerings from the past 10-15 years have come straight out of the Top Secret “Kingdom.”
With the 2019 TaylorMade M5 and M6 drivers, it looks like this will be another year that the company sits right near the top of that mountain, with its most aggressive push in regards to tech advancement since the SLDR in 2013.
Speed Injected Twist Face technology
Marketed as “taking speed to the limit,” TaylorMade’s next generation of the M family of drivers, the M5 and M6, feature a Speed Injected Twist Face, building on the Twist Face technology the company debuted with the M3 and M4 drivers last year. The M5 and M6 club faces are designed to initially exceed the USGA’s COR limit.
In simple terms, speed injected face technology is where they take all of the heads they produce, push them all past the USGA limit in regards to COR and work backwards to ensure they fall within the parameters — the algorithm-driven process of resin injection into the clubs via the two ports on the face brings the figure just inside the acceptable range.
“It was an engineering challenge to be sure and 4 years in the making but we knew if we could nail the injection technology, we would really have something special.”-TM Metalwoods Director, Tomo Bystedt
The Carlsbad-based company boosts ball speed in the M5 and M6 drivers through the interplay between a reengineered, more-flexible Hammerhead 2.0 slot, an ultra-thin titanium face with redesigned Inverted Cone Technology (ICT), internal support foam with variable amounts of injected resin, and, last but not least, a proprietary algorithm to tune each head.
TaylorMade M5
The popular T-Track TaylorMade debuted with M1 driver (which evolved into the Y-Track) further advances with this year’s offering. M5 and M5 Tour drivers feature an Inverted T-Track that allows for 1,770 unique CG configurations via the two 10-gram weights, as well as a range of MOI options. Golfers are afforded up to one degree of launch angle and 600 rpm of spin change adjustability, in addition to 25 yards of left-to-right adjustability. As with previous M Series drivers, the 2-degree loft sleeve allows for the adjustment of the loft, lie angle and face angle of the driver.
With a 10 percent smaller carbon composite crown footprint, TaylorMade’s fourth generation of carbon composite technology furthers the aim of efficient mass distribution and an optimized center of gravity. The new M Series club face is also 20 percent thinner with a 66 percent larger sweet spot than last year’s M3.
In addition to the 460cc M5, TaylorMade is launching an M5 Tour model, which features a 435cc head.
Director of Original Content Johnny Wunder was on site at “The Kingdom” in early December and had this to say on the key first impressions of the new M5/M6.
M5 look
“I actually preferred the look of the M3 overall BUT this driver is built for speed and the red paint and carbon fiber inspire that.”
M5 feel
“In my experience as a TM loyalist the feel has always been the determining factor, this is no different.” “It feels meaty out of the sweet spot and heel strikes still feel solid.”
M5 sound
“The sound reminded me of the SLDR oddly enough which has been my gamer for 5-6 years. Not as thumpy (a sound I like) as M1/M3.”
M5 overall
“Haven’t put it thru our typical ringer of testing, so I don’t want to comment on distance and spin, but at first sight, it’s another really solid, good looking, fast TaylorMade driver…these guys do that as well as anybody year in and year out.”
Related: 2019 TaylorMade M5 & M6 pictures
TaylorMade M5 specs, availability, and price
M5
- Available for preorder on January 18, retail on February 1
- MSRP: $549.99
- 9, 10.5, and 12 degree lofts
M5 Tour
- Available on March 1
- MSRP: $549.99
- 9, 10.5 degree lofts
Stock shafts: Mitsubishi CK Tensei Orange 60 and Project X HZRDUS Smoke 70
Stock grip: Golf Pride MCC Decade
TaylorMade M6 & M6 D-Type Drivers
Likewise “injected to the maximum legal level of speed,” according to the company, TaylorMade’s M6 and M6 D-Type drives also feature the Speed Injected Twist Face.
“Injected Twist Face delivers a hot, yet accurate performance package in the new M6 driver. When you add optimized CG and MOI through the use of a full carbon crown and sole, the result is a complete driver that delivers on all fronts.” – Brian Bazzel, Vice President Product Creation
Equipped with the same six-layer composite carbon crown as the M5, the M6 also features a complete carbon fiber sole that is 54 percent lighter than in the M4 (its predecessor). This allows engineers to move even more discretionary weight low and back in the club for maximum forgiveness and a lower CG.
TaylorMade M6 D-Type
The M6 D-Type the company’s draw-biased offering. A high-contrast topline masking makes the face angle appear more open than it actually is, leading to the golfer producing a more closed face at impact. The D-Type’s CG is closer to the heel, as well, giving the club 20 additional yards of draw bias than the M6.
Johnny Wunder on the M6
M6 look
“At address it does feel a bit more forgiving then the M5, it sits a lower profile or at least appears that way.”
M6 feel
“Not as meaty as the M5 for obvious reasons BUT its very stable and if quite solid no matter where on the face you catch it. It seems like the M6 will lend it self a bit more to the higher handicap, its very forgiving.”
M6 sound
“Surprising that I prefer the sound of this to the M5, it had that thumpy sound which I prefer.” Both sound great but if I was blind testing, the M6 acoustics is what I would chase.”
M6 overall
“Its definitely a winner for the player looking for something stable, forgiving and fun to hit. I’ll be surprised if the TM staff that were M2/M4 loyalists will stay in the M6, seems like this model won’t be as workable for the better player, but we will see. We have seen this for years with TM. They launch a “Tour” driver and a more forgiving driver at a lower cost, and the tour players migrate to the more forgiving of the two. Counterintuitive, yes, but reality. Will the more forgiving M6 (over the M5) find its way into tour bags and follow in the footprints of the 2016 M2 (over its M1 counterpart?)”
M6 specs, availability, and price
- Available for preorder on January 18 and at retail on February 1
- MSRP: $499.99
- 9, 10.5, and 12 degree (RH only) lofts
Stock shafts
- M6: Fujikura Atmos Orange 5, Fujikura Atmos Black 6 in S-, R- and A-flexes
- M6 D-Type: Project X EvenFlow Max Carry 45 in 6.0 (S), 5.5 (R) and 5.0 (A)
For women: the M6 and M6 D-Type drivers will be offered in 10.5 and 12 degree lofts (RH only) and comes equipped with TaylorMade’s Tuned Performance 45g L-flex shaft.
The stock men’s grip is the Lamkin Dual Feel. Stock women’s grip is the Lamkin Comfort Plus Dual Feel.
Related: 2019 TaylorMade M5 & M6 pictures
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- Max Homa what’s in the bag accurate as of the Masters.
Driver: Titleist TSR3 (9 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 6 X
3-wood: Titleist TSR2+ (14.5 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Red 80 TX
5-wood: Titleist TSR2 (21 degrees @19.25, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 9 TX
Irons: Titleist T100S (4), Titleist T100 (5), Titleist 620 (6-9)
Shafts: KBS $ Taper 130 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (46-10F, 50-12F, 56-14F), WedgeWorks (60)
Shafts: KBS $ Taper 130 (46) KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 135 X (50, 56), KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 125 X (60)
Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5.5 Proto
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
More photos of Max Homa’s WITB in the forums.
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Driver: Krank Formula Fire Pro (6 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS T1100 75g 6.5
Mini driver: TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver (11.5 degrees @10)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS T1100 75g 6.5
- Unconfirmed. We are working to gather details.
5-wood: Krank Formula Fire
- Unconfirmed. We are working to gather details.
Irons: Avoda Prototype (5-PW)
Shafts: LA Golf Prototype
Wedges: Ping Glide 4.0 (46-12S @45, 50-12S, 56, 60)
Shafts: LA Golf Prototype
Putter: SIK Pro C-Series Armlock/LA Golf Proto
Shaft: LA Golf C2L-180
Grip: JumboMax JumboFlat 17
Grips: JumboMax UltraLight XL
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Left Dash
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Accra Golf shafts have long been synonymous with fitting, and the new GX line of driver, fairway, and hybrid shafts continues that legacy.
Since 2004, Accra has been making high-end performance golf shafts that use the latest in materials and design philosophy. Their group of around 350 fitters are some of the best and most highly ranked in the world. While you might see other brands on professional tours more often, there are plenty of touring pros using Accra products and winning.
Accra’s new GX line of shafts is designed to offer a consistent and accurate shaft to a wide range of players. The GX line consists of 3 different shafts in driver, fairway, and hybrid designs.
The Accra GX shafts are designed for fitters to dial in golfers to the perfect shaft for their swing. Accra included a ton of technology into the GX line including their S3 profiling, DyMatch, and Constant Flex technology. DyMatch has been Accra’s quest to ensure that all shafts in a family feel and perform similar from driver to hybrid or iron shaft. Typically shafts get stiffer as they go up in weight, but Accra’s Constant Flex keeps the flex of the shafts consistent so fitters and golfers can dial in the weight that the golfer need without have to work around a stiffer or softer flex. Accra worked with Cool Clubs to build out its S3 Shaft Profiling system that not only allows a quick and easy EI profile of any shaft, it helps with quality control to ensure shafts come out of production exactly as they were designed.
Accra GX Red 300 Series
GX Red is lowest launching and spinning option in the GX line. Driver shafts have fewer options with just the 360 and 370 models that come in at 63 and 71 grams. The GX Red is made for faster swinging, or stronger, players who require a stiff (M4) or x-stiff (M5) shaft for their swing. Fairway and hybrid models are also on the higher weight side with the fairway clocking in at 80g and 90g for the hybrid. Accra designed this series with one of the stiffest tip sections of any Accra shaft in the current line, and while it is built to control launch and spin, the Red 300 Series will still offer that smooth feel.
Accra GX Green 100 Series
If your swing usually works best with mid-launch and spin, then the GX Green 200 series might be the right shaft for you. Offered in more weight and flex options, you can get a GX Green in 52 grams and all the way up to 70 grams in regular, stiff, and x-stiff flexes. GX Green will give the player a smooth feel and transition from the handle down to the tip section while still providing great stability and consistency. Accra also focused on the energy transfer of this shaft, and golfers can see some increased ball speed compared to other shafts.
Accra GX Blue 200 Series
While the GX Blue 100 Series is the highest launching and spinning option in the GX lineup, it will still give golfers the control and consistency they need. Starting off at 40g, the GX Blue series puts an emphasis on lighter weight to allow players to swing the club faster, promoting more distance. Accra touts the stability of the GX 140 Blue driver shaft by stating that some long driver competitors have put it in play to try and gain every MPH they can. Matching fairway and hybrid shafts are both on the lighter side at around 60g for the fairway and 65g for the hybrid depending on the flex.
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Jerry G
Feb 10, 2019 at 9:36 pm
Ever since Rocketbalzs 2 and SLDR, I don’t believe anything TM says …
Darryl
Feb 4, 2019 at 7:30 am
The Emperor’s New Driver.
Fast
Jan 26, 2019 at 9:23 am
So….if you took the injected foam out of the face, it would be faster/illegal?!?
BP
Jan 29, 2019 at 6:28 pm
As soon as I heard about it my first thought was how to get it out… with a SS of only 60mph due to physical impairment I look for every advantage I can get
Speedy
Jan 23, 2019 at 12:06 pm
I could whack the non-draw biased M5, nice look. But not at its price tag.
TAYLORswiftMADE
Jan 6, 2019 at 4:05 pm
Um hmm, bob parson would Beg to differ, PERIOD.
orv
Jan 6, 2019 at 2:29 pm
You convinced me. TM make superior clubs and they are tour tested. I would love to own the latest TM clubs but they are too expensive. If TM people are posting on this forum please lower your prices so that I and many of my golfing buddies can afford and buy your wonderful products.
Bill Parker
Jan 5, 2019 at 6:10 pm
I got a M5 driver and it developed a rattle in the head. The store said they would send it back to TM to inject a bit more resin to stop the rattle. I hope it doesn’t depress the driver performance even more with the extra resin.
NWO4Life
Jan 5, 2019 at 9:18 pm
The M5 isn’t available to even pre-order until January 18th?
TAYLORSWIFTMADE
Jan 6, 2019 at 12:22 pm
Yes, to the general public.
Simms
Jan 6, 2019 at 1:31 am
So if they inject more resin to stop the rattle they will be decreasing the COR…I would bet over time, just as happened in the past with some clubs, the injected product will break off and you will have a rattle, and if it breaks off enough you now will have a non-legal club as cor will go back up…RIGHT? What is the playing life of this $550 driver…only time will tell playing out on the course in different weather…
ogo
Jan 5, 2019 at 5:56 pm
“It was an engineering challenge to be sure and 4 years in the making but we knew if we could nail the injection technology, we would really have something special.”-TM Metalwoods Director, Tomo Bystedt
That’s not only ludicrous, it’s a bald-faced lie. This is a 30 day max engineering solution. Marketing mendacity…. sooo obvious.
Satan
Jan 5, 2019 at 11:05 pm
I have a nice bench on which for you to bend over when I spank you
ogo
Jan 6, 2019 at 1:36 am
Satan is a woman… 😮
Simms
Jan 6, 2019 at 1:33 am
Do you really think the golf engineers are really good, look at Wilson 2 years ago their engineers gave us the Triton driver…
ogo
Jan 6, 2019 at 1:39 am
I doubt OEM golf companies hire graduate engineers for piddling golf club cosmetics. Besides real engineers cost too much and you can get an engineering technologist for half price and halfazz solutions… which looks like TM club designs.
Daniel Green
Jan 5, 2019 at 2:48 pm
Has there ever been a bad product review in any major publication about any club? Looking at reviews has to be the most pointless thing ever.
ogo
Jan 5, 2019 at 6:01 pm
Gearheads live off Pinocchio stories and they are fed blatant lies which they eat up and believe. The M7 & M8 models are now in the product pipeline if the current c r a p doesn’t sell by June…. believe it…. and keep your money in your wallet.
Satan
Jan 5, 2019 at 11:07 pm
I look forward to dragging you to hell
smz
Jan 5, 2019 at 1:20 pm
I want my driver injected so my dynamic loft is up there and ready to blast that ball into the hole. Foam is better than toking an empty can of air and playing stoned.
Rich Douglas
Jan 5, 2019 at 11:03 am
I used to chase clubs…a lot. I got off that jag a couple of years ago with a radical approach: club fitting.
Buying off-the-rack stuff for years, I was grasping in the dark. With irons I’d go from super-game-improvement to forged blades and everything in-between…then back through it again. It was stupid. Woods? Every time TM came out with something I’d get it, regardless of whether or not it was good for me. But….
I finally got fitted for the driver. I was spinning the ball too much, ballooning my drives and getting insufficient roll-out. So I got fitted. Thinking I was going to purchase the latest Callaway (to replace the latest TM, natch), I instead went with the driver-and-shaft combo that got my RPMs down (by a thou). In my case, that was the Titleist 917D. I would never have come to that decision on my own, but I’m glad I did. I’d have to see a real, significant difference in performance before swapping it out. Money is no object, but performance is.
Irons were the same issue…until I got fitted for single-length Wishon Sterlings. Now, I could be tempted with an upgrade there, but no one is coming out with anything better. Cobra and Edel have good products, but there’s no real reason to switch. And since I’m never going back to variable-length irons (after two years, I’m pretty sure of that), I guess I’ll be gaming the Sterlings for a very long time. Now, if Ping should come out with a set….
ogo
Jan 5, 2019 at 6:06 pm
You are an exception after gaining wisdom to get fitted. Gearheads live to buy and flaunt the latest model clubs so they can be the first to bag the latest greatest new clubs. Most gearheads who list their WITB ar senal of silly club-shaft combinations are simply a man-child who likely doesn’t have a game…. soooo obvious
Ripper
Jan 5, 2019 at 11:08 pm
Man you’re a great salesman Rich, but totally unconvincing
Tom
Jan 5, 2019 at 2:11 am
Not going to the PGA Show, giving up the Driver Count, and this bee S marketing story for a new launch? This company isn’t worth what the current buyers paid for it, guess that’s why they haven’t flipped it. How the mighty have fallen.
Tom
Jan 4, 2019 at 6:31 pm
Company was reportedly bought at fire sale price of $430 mil from adidas, probably worth a lot less than that now….this product line is just plain embarrassing….
ogo
Jan 5, 2019 at 6:13 pm
Let’s ridicule this ridiculous rube goldberg driver off the market. It’s an insult to the game of golf. Enough is enough.
Matt
Jan 4, 2019 at 12:29 pm
All the TM bashing sustains me….
Let the ‘true players’ keep buying the retread Titleist drivers every other year…
The best players in the world are bombing TM drivers….
Keep up the hate tho. It’s not tired or pointless just yet……..(eye roll)
Travis
Jan 5, 2019 at 11:47 am
The best players in the world are hitting TM drivers because they get paid to use TM drivers. Once other companies pay more (like Honma for JR) then those players will go elsewhere.
smz
Jan 5, 2019 at 8:47 pm
Recreational gullible golfers will buy these “tour tested” drivers because if it’s good enough for the pros it must be good enough for them. Those who buy one of these drivers will sing the praises of their recent purchase even though it does nothing for their game. Golfers are pathetic c l o w n s, laughing on the outside and crying on the inside. Yuk yuk… boo hoo …. 😮
james
Jan 6, 2019 at 8:23 am
watch the driver count this year. TM have pulled the budget for players. For the last 10 years they have paid everyone, even the lowest tour players in Europe were getting 18k per year for the driver. The driver count will flip this year. TM bought driver count and Titleist buy the ball count. You don’t need to dig very deep to understand that.
HDTVMAN
Jan 4, 2019 at 11:51 am
Kind-a looks like the SLDR! The sliding weights do work, but when I originally saw the pics I thought the screws on the face would adjust the “twist-face”!!! Bottom line…bought a driver in the past 4 years? Compare your’s to the new one on the same monitor, same balls, at the same time. You’ll probably find the carry and dispersion similar. If so, save your money, until the next generation comes out, or save $100+ and buy the 2018 model. Remember, USGA numbers are maxed very closely by ALL manufacturers every year, so don’t expect 10-15-20 yards further with a 2019 model (maybe 1-3yds). Plus the prices are out of sight! Two top drivers for 2018, the Ping G400LST (and SFT) is now $299 and the Callaway Rogue is $399…why spend $549+ for a driver that definitely won’t out-perform either of these? Plus, check out different shafts–your driver’s engine. High-medium-low trajectory & higher & lower spin…are you hitting the shaft best for your game? Probably not!
Tmagfag
Jan 3, 2019 at 8:04 pm
Mizuno with the classiest looking driver of 2019, lol
Charles
Jan 3, 2019 at 3:46 pm
This club doesn’t look USGA legal
Patrick
Jan 3, 2019 at 3:41 pm
That’s what we need. 30% thinner! The engineers at Taylormade don’t care if we fill the landfill with cracked heads…..they must “innovate” or become unemployed!
Tiemco
Jan 4, 2019 at 11:46 am
Buy titanium futures!!!!
JP
Jan 3, 2019 at 2:36 pm
You gotta have screws for brains to buy into this latest marketing ploy
Steve
Jan 3, 2019 at 1:46 pm
This brings new meaning to “hitting it on the screws”…
DJpga
Jan 4, 2019 at 7:57 am
No it doesn’t. Wooden driver heads had screws around the sweet spot.
HKO
Jan 3, 2019 at 1:27 pm
screw holes on the face? what a great engineering decision. more cracked drivers will directly sell more heads sorta math? LOL.
Blake
Jan 3, 2019 at 12:21 pm
I just dont like the look. The squared toe and screws in the face are just too much
Tom
Jan 3, 2019 at 12:16 pm
USGA equipment rules limit manufacturers from producing products with any meaningful performance improvements, this is more marketing bee S from a company that sold for a very low price to an investment company that is now trying to peddle it to another owner…. Save your money!! Sellers Be Sellin!
William Davis
Jan 3, 2019 at 11:41 am
Madness.
orv
Jan 3, 2019 at 11:05 am
Resin foam… twist face… inverted cone technology… carbon fiber crown… this has got to be the ultimate in driver technology.
john
Jan 25, 2019 at 12:48 pm
Don’t forget that ‘proprietary algorithm’, Orv. That’s the clincher for me!
orv
Jan 3, 2019 at 11:01 am
This is beyond belief!! Injecting Speed Foam resin into driver and fairway heads will blow away the competition. Why didn’t others think of this first?!!
dat
Jan 3, 2019 at 9:59 am
Just charge $1K, they’ll still sell. PXG may sue for all those screws, but whatevs. Not like people are leaving the game or anything.