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TaylorMade goes titanium, Twist Face for M5, M6 fairway woods

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TaylorMade stayed faithful to a steel-headed fairway wood for a long time, but 2019 is different for a few reasons. For starters, with the M5 and M6 fairway woods TaylorMade brings Twist Face technology beyond the driver for the first time, and with its M5 offering, TM has gone with a titanium/carbon head alongside an interesting weighting system that isn’t exactly new science but seems to harmonize with all the rest of the tech the company offers.

“The M5 fairway wood is a new super adjustable fairway wood featuring ground-breaking new titanium-carbon construction with a massive 65-gram movable weight. This is the first ever fairway wood to use our revolutionary Twist Face technology for unparalleled accuracy and game-changing performance,” says Tomo Bystedt, Senior Director, Product Creation, Metalwoods.

While the effect is the same — counteracting the gear effect on high-toe and low-heel mis-hits — the Twist Face shape is slightly different in the woods, owing to the differing impact patterns between drivers and woods.

TaylorMade M5 fairway wood

The titanium-bodied club features a five-layer carbon composite crown, as well as a steel 65-gram movable weight for a tri-material body construction.

The weight system is redesigned from the M family’s predecessors, as the engineers were able to lower CG and increase adjustability, thanks to the increased discretionary weight.

The M5’s 12-position loft sleeve allows for plus/minus two degrees of adjustability.

In the past TaylorMade has always designed a fairway wood that jived well with its drivers, this is no exception in the case of the M5. It will be interesting to see how Twist Face technology in a fairway wood plays with its tour staff — traditionally forgiveness or speed across the face isn’t a necessity on tour for a fairway wood.

Director of Content Johnny Wunder on early testing of the M5 fairway wood

Look
“Compact head with a deepish face, the better player will like this shape overall.”

Feel
“The titanium/carbon head is a new feel for a TaylorMade fairway wood. At 65 grams the steel weight system provides a hammer head feel to this wood that I really like.”

Sound
“Very similar to all the Taylor fairways, crisp, thumpy and non tingy.”

Overall
“A winner as an offering is concerned however as with any fairway wood coming out, this is a hard category to really elevate the conversation. These clubs are so personal to each individual.”

M5 specifications, pricing & availability

Available for preorder on January 18 and at retail on February 1. MSRP of $399.99. The M5 fairway will be offered in Rocket 3/14 degree (RH only), 15 degree, and 18 degree lofts and come equipped with a Mitsubishi CK Tensei Orange 75 (X) and 65 (S, R) with numerous additional shaft options available at no additional cost.

The stock grip is the MCC Decade grip from Golf Pride.

Related: TaylorMade M5 fairway wood, M6 fairway wood photos

TaylorMade M6 fairway wood

The M2/M4 woods had a ton of success across the board for all levels of golfers due to its overall forgiveness and for the tour player the ability get the gains out of a slightly lower profile fairway without giving up the turf interaction and workability of the deeper smaller M1/M3.

The steel-constructed M6 fairway wood is equipped with a re-engineered Speed Pocket
to boost ball speed on shots struck low on the face. A TPU slot insert sits flush with the sole of the M6 for better turf interaction/less Speed Pocket drag.

This year also sees the addition of a “Rocket 3.” The 14-degree offering targeting those who seek reduced spin and higher ballspeed, according to the company. The center of gravity sits directly behind the club face in the M6, which improves energy transfer from its predecessor, the M4.

In an interesting change this year, relative to the M5, the M6 features a slightly taller face, and as a result, a larger impact area. Like the M5, however, the M6’s carbon composite crown increases discretionary mass, which is concentrated low in the head for a lower CG/higher launch.

The M6 is also available in a draw-biased M6 D-Type, which features the company’s divergent face masking and a modified internal weighting structure for an addition 15 yards of draw bias compared to the standard M6.

Johnny Wunder on early testing of the M6 Fairway Wood

Look
“The M6 is the best looking fairway wood in the M2/M4/M6 class. I like the deeper face and from a look standpoint find it very confidence inspiring.”

Feel
“This may sound weird but it feels forgiving LOL. It’s easy to get up in the air and has a good feel across the face. If there was any negatives, for better players it may be too forgiving.”

Sound
“Acoustics on the M6 is consistent with the previous versions in this category. If anything it might sound a bit less tingy then before but that’s nit picky to the older versions, they all sound great.”

Overall
“A solid choice across the board. Probably not for me personally but I can see this thing getting a lot of attention for very good reasons.”

M6 specifications, pricing & availability

Available for preorder on January 18 and at retail on February 1, 2019 at an MSRP of $299.99 USD, the M6 fairway woods will be offered in Rocket 3/14°,

15, 18, 21 and 24 degree lofts, equipped with Fujikura’s Atmos Orange FW shaft in S, R and A-flexes. The M6 D-Type will be offered in 16, 19, and 22 degree lofts and come equipped with the Project X EvenFlow Max Carry 50 shaft in 6.0 (S), 5.5 (R) and 5.0 (A).

The stock men’s grip is the Lamkin Dual Feel grip and the stock ladies grip is the Lamkin Comfort Plus Dual Feel grip.

M6 Rescue

TaylorMade has incorporated Twist Face technology into a hybrid for the first time. With more extreme curvature than the M6 driver, engineers opted for a two-tone crown to mask the potentially visually distracting shape.

With respect to a low CG steel body, thinner face, and lightweight crown, the M6 Rescue has much in common with the M6 fairway wood. Ditto, the Speed Pocket with a TPU slot insert.

This hybrid will satisfy the needs of the higher handicap player looking to hit something high that lands softly. It doesn’t appear at first glance that the better player will land on this club, but that’s not the agenda here.

Johnny Wunder on the M6 Rescue

“I was only able to hit a couple of shots with the hybrid, as a non hybrid player I can simply say its very easy to hit and will be a great option for the higher handicap to fill top of the bag gaps.”

Rescue specifications, pricing & availability

Available for preorder on January 18 and at retail on February 1, 2019 at an MSRP of $249 USD. The M6 Rescue will be offered in 19, 22, 25,  28 and 31 degree lofts and come equipped with a Fujikura Atmos Orange HY shaft in 7 (S), 6 (R) or 5 (A).

For women, the M6 Rescue will come in 22, 25, 28, 31 degree lofts (RH only) and come equipped with TaylorMade’s Tuned Performance 45g L-flex shaft.

The stock men’s grip is the Lamkin Dual Feel grip and the stock ladies grip is the Lamkin Comfort Plus Dual Feel grip.

Related: TaylorMade M5 fairway wood, M6 fairway wood photos

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15 Comments

15 Comments

  1. Walter

    Jan 4, 2019 at 11:45 am

    WOW! what a concept, titanium faces for fairway woods, ha ha. Ahh my old Tour Edge Exotics XCG6 3WD had a Ti face from many many years ago. I guess TM just discovered Ti could be used in fairway woods, ha ha.

  2. Benny

    Jan 4, 2019 at 8:00 am

    You guys have to go and watch Youtube. Forget the guy but he tests each line of drivers from previous 5/6 years. Same shaft in all I believe so there could be some hidden yards. But new vrs old is a matter of a yard or two.

  3. Grande

    Jan 3, 2019 at 1:59 pm

    God these are ugly looking drivers.

    • orv

      Jan 3, 2019 at 6:23 pm

      Hey… these blingy style drivers with lots of doo-daad features is what gearhead geeks go bananas for… and TM marketing department know that too. They play with the driver head just like they do with themselves.

    • CaoNiMa

      Jan 4, 2019 at 2:03 am

      That’s because these are fairways metals. lol

  4. Daniel Hill

    Jan 3, 2019 at 1:37 pm

    Justin Rose lost two tourneys and the Tour Championship because his TM was 50-60 yards left/right. Tiger lost Bay Hill, PGA, and several others because of his snappy and crappy TM gear. No thanks, if it’s long and crooked like SLDR, count me out.

  5. Tom

    Jan 3, 2019 at 12:31 pm

    Hahahahahahahaha…..What a joke twist face is, didn’t you see Tiger and other TM players missing fairways by 30-40 yards last year using it?
    This company is on the skids for sure…desperate even.

  6. orv

    Jan 3, 2019 at 11:08 am

    This is too much! I’m gonna scrap my current clubs for the new TM drivers and fairways. The technology is awesome.

  7. bonifacj

    Jan 3, 2019 at 10:49 am

    M5 looks like it’s a hydrogen infused Powerbilt.

  8. David

    Jan 3, 2019 at 9:19 am

    I’m a Taylormade guy, but at $400 for a fairway and $550 for a driver, this whole line is a hard pass. Waiting to see what the $300 wedges look like.

    • Roy

      Jan 3, 2019 at 3:07 pm

      No Fear – they will be on the preowned sight by late summer – can always pick up a good deal there…..

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News

Morning 9: Wyndham Clark on back injury | DiMarco’s bold Champions Tour take | Houston Open photos

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Thursday morning, golf fans, as day one of the Houston Open gets underway.

1. Wyndham Clark hurts back…still hopes to play

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach…”Reigning U.S. Open winner Wyndham Clark injured his back while working out at home Monday, but he hopes to play in this week’s Texas Children’s Houston Open, which starts Thursday at Memorial Park Golf Course.”

  • “Clark, the fourth-ranked golfer in the world, said he was lifting weights and “got caught in an awkward spot doing a lift and [his] back went.”
  • “It’s not something that happens regularly, but it happened and you live and you learn,” Clark said. “I’m trending in the right direction. I’m hitting it or feeling stronger and more mobile every day. I’m going to give it my best effort tomorrow and hopefully I can play and compete. If not, I’ve got to get ready for tournaments to come after this.”
Full piece.

2. DiMarco’s bold Champions Tour take

Our Matt Vincenzi…”While speaking on the Subpar podcast, former PGA Tour winner and current PGA Tour Champions player Chris DiMarco said he hopes LIV buys the Champions Tour.”

  • “We’re kind of hoping that LIV buys the Champions Tour,” he said.
  • “Let’s play for a little real money out here. I mean this is kind of a joke when we’re getting $2 million. There were like seven guys last week from TPC (Sawgrass, at the $25 million PLAYERS Championship) that made more money than our purses.”
Full piece.

3. Charley Hull’s course management problem?

Our Matt Vincenzi…”Charley Hull came just short of her third LPGA Tour victory over the weekend at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship when she played her last two holes at 3 over to slip all the way to 10th on the leaderboard.”

  • “After the round, Hull was blasted by Sky Sports commentator and former LPGA Tour player Trish Johnson for her lack of golf course management.”
  • “While speaking on the Sky Sports Golf podcast, Johnson spoke harshly of Hull.”
  • “I’m probably her harshest critic, because I know how good she is. She doesn’t win anywhere near enough for her talent, and she doesn’t get involved enough, in all honestly.
  • “The thing with Charley is that you’re never going to change her. I read something the other day that said how much she loves the game and it’s her love of the game [that costs her]. She’s never going to change and she’s just going to go for every pin.
  • “In theory that’s great, but it won’t win you golf tournaments, it just won’t because she’s not that much better than anybody else.
Full piece.

4. Sahith’s interesting idea

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”Which brings Theegala to his big idea: “There’s got to be something, like a fan challenge or – I think it would be awesome to see a scratch handicap go out and play like the Monday after a tournament, keep the same conditions and see what they would shoot just to put it into perspective how hard a PGA Tour golf course is.”

  • “Theegala loves the thought so much that he’d even come out and watch.”
  • “Shoot, I’d commentate on it,” Theegala added before continuing, “I have a pet peeve, sometimes when I watch golf on TV, a great example is hole 8 at Valspar last week. It’s a 230-yard par 3, the green’s 12 yards wide and someone will hit the middle of the green and, you know, they’ll be like, ‘Oh, really smart shot there.’ I’m like, ‘Well, no, he’s absolutely laced this 4-iron in the middle of the green, that’s right where he’s looking and to hit a 4-iron that straight is really, really hard.’ … Even like chipping, a lot of the stuff just looks flat on TV, but then when you get over the chip, like, oh, great, I have to land it over a mound on a downslope down grain?”
Full piece.

5. Top am Rachel Heck not going pro

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”As Rachel Heck nears the end of her college golf career, she has decided that the LPGA isn’t for her.’

  • “Heck, the 22-year-old Stanford senior who won an NCAA individual title as a freshman and has climbed as high as second in the world amateur rankings, penned a first-person essay for No Laying Up in which she explained her reasoning for remaining amateur after graduation this summer and starting an internship not in professional golf but rather private equity. Heck, a political science major, also will be pinned as a lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.”

Read her piece on No Laying Up: https://nolayingup.com/blog/why-im-remaining-an-amateur

Full piece.

6. DJ’s new LIV signing

Golf Monthly’s Elliott Heath…”Dustin Johnson‘s LIV Golf team 4Aces GC has announced former TravisMathew CEO Chris Rosaasen as the side’s new General Manager.”

  • “Rosaasen, who is a long-time friend of Johnson, is also the founder of the team’s apparel sponsor Extracurricular and has been CEO of the Omniverse Group for the past four years.
  • “He joins with more than 20 years of “brand-building, marketing, and business leadership” according to LIV Golf, which says his “record of innovation in the golf industry will strengthen and accelerate the growth of the 4Aces GC brand.”
Full piece.

7. Photos from the Houston Open

  • Check out all of our photos from this week’s event!
Full piece.
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Four books for a springtime review

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One thing that never changes over time: snowy evenings give purpose to reading (is it the other way around?) It has been a snowy 2024 in western New York, and I’ve had ample time to tuck into an easy chair with a blanket, coffee, and a book. You’re in luck, because despite the title of this piece, I’ll share five books and their worth with you.

There is great breadth of subject matter from one to five. Golf is as complicated as life, which means that the cover of the book isn’t worth judging. The contents begin the tale, but there is so much more to each topic presented within. If you’re like me, your library grows each year. Despite the value of the virtual, the paper-printed word connects us to the past of golf and humanity. Here’s hoping that you’ll add one or more of these titles to your collection.

        

Rainmaker

Hughes Norton interviewed with Mark McCormack for 20 minutes (30 if you count the missed exit at Logan International) while driving the founder of IMG from Harvard to the airport. The lesson of taking advantage of each moment, of every dollar, because you might not get another opportunity, is the most valuable one that life offers. I say to you, be certain to read this book, because another opportunity to bend the ear of Hughes Norton may not come our way.

Hughes Norton was with Tiger Woods for waaayyy fewer years than you might guess, but they were the critical ones. Be warned: not all of the revelations in this tome are for the faint of heart. Some, in fact, will break your heart. Golf was a sleepy hamlet in the 1990s, until the 16-lane interstate called Eldrick “Tiger” Woods came into town. Everything changed, which meant that everything would change again and again, into eternity. Once the ball starts rolling, it’s impossible to stop.

My favorite aspect of this book is its candor. Hughes Norton is well into his time on Planet Earth. He has no reason to hold back, and he doesn’t. My least favorite aspect is that George Peper got the call to co-author the book (and I didn’t.) Seriously, there is no LFA for me, so this is the best that I could do.

Decision: Buy It!

The Golf Courses of Seth Raynor

Michael Wolf, James Sitar, and Jon Cavalier, in abject partnership, collaborated to produce a handsome volume on the work of gone-too-soon, engineer-turned-golf course architect. Seth Raynor was pulled into the game by Charles Blair MacDonald, the crusty godfather of American golf. Raynor played little golf across the 51 years of his life. His reason? He did not wish to corrupt his designs with the demands and failings of his own game.

Jon Cavalier began his photography career as a contributor to the Golf Club Atlas discussion group. I met him there in a virtual way (we still have yet to shake hands) and have exchanged numerous emails over the years. Despite the demands of his day job, Cavalier has blossomed into the most traveled and prolific course photographer alive today. His photography, both hand-held and drone, makes the pages pop. Michael Wolf invited me and two friends to play his home course, despite having never met any of us in person. His words, melded to those of James Sitar, are the glue that connect Cavalier’s photos.

My favorite aspect of the books is the access it gives to the private-club world of Raynor. Fewer than five of his courses are resort or public access, and knowing people on the inside is not available to all. My suggestion? Write a letter/email and see if a club will let you play. Can’t hurt to try! My one complaint about the book is its horizontal nature. Golf is wide, but I like a little vertical in my photos. It’s not much of a complaint, given the glorious contents within the covers.

Decision: Buy It!!

Big Green Book from The Golfer’s Journal

Beginning with its (over)size, and continuing through the entire contents, there is no descriptor that defines the genre of the Big Green Book. It is photography, essay, layout, poetry, graphics, and stream of consciousness. It harnesses the creative power of a lengthy masthead of today’s finest golf contributors. Quotes from Harvey Penick, verse from Billy Collins, and prose from John Updike partner with images pure and altered, to immerse you in the diverse golf spaces that define this planet.

One of my favorite aspects is the spaces between the words and photos. Have your friends and others write a few notes to you in those blank areas, to personalize your volume even more. One aspect that needs improvement: the lack of female voices. I suspect that will be remedied in future volumes.

Decision: Buy It!!!

Troublemaker and The Unplayable Lie

Books that allege discrimination and mistreatment check two boxes: potentially-salacious reads and debate over whose perspective is accurate. In the end, the presentation of salacious revelation rarely meets the expectation, and the debate over fault is seldom resolved. Lisa Cornwell spent years as a competitive junior and college golfer, before joining The Golf Channel as a reporter and program host.

Despite the dream assignments, there were clouds that covered the sun. Cornwell documents episodes of favoritism and descrimination against her, prior to her departure from The Golf Channel in 2021. Her work echoes the production of the late Marcia Chambers, who wrote for Golf Digest in the 1980s and 1990s. Chambers took issue with many of the potential and real legal issues surrounding golf and its policies of access/no access. Her research culminated in The Unplayable Lie, the first work of its kind to address issues confronted by all genders and ethnicities, and immediately predated the professional debut of Tiger Woods in 1997.

My favorite aspects of the two works, are the courage and conviction that it took to write them, and believe in them. My least favorite aspects are the consistent bias that many groups continue to face. Without awareness, there is no action. Without action, there is no change.

Decision: Buy Them!!!!

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open

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GolfWRX is on site in the Lone Star State this week for the Texas Children’s Houston Open.

General galleries from the putting green and range, WITBs — including Thorbjorn Olesen and Zac Blair — and several pull-out albums await.

As always, we’ll continue to update as more photos flow in. Check out links to all our photos from Houston below.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.

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