Given the remarkable visual similarities between TaylorMade’s M1 and M2 drivers, I wanted to perform a head-to-head test of the clubs in their most neutral settings and see what the differences were.
To make it as fair of a test as possible, I hit 10 shots with each driver on Foresight’s GC2 launch monitor with HMT. Both drivers were set to lofts of 9.5 degrees, and were tested with the same shafts (Aldila’s Rogue Tour 70X) of the same length and tipping.
In my video, I monitored ball flight in a closed setting, comparing factors such as strike, club head speed, club path, angle of attack and much more. Watch it below to see me compare the averages, as well as my best hits with each of TaylorMade’s newest drivers.
As it turns out, the drivers are more alike than you may have thought.
Related
- GolfWRX adds YouTube Star Rick Shiels to Featured Writers program
- GolfWRX 2016 Gear Trials: Best Drivers Club Test
- Our review of TaylorMade’s M1 460 and M1 430 drivers
- Our review of TaylorMade’s M2 driver
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Of all the clubs in our bags, wedges are almost always the simplest in construction and, therefore, the easiest to analyze what might make one work differently from another if you know what to look for.
Wedges are a lot less mysterious than drivers, of course, as the major brands are working with a lot of “pixie dust” inside these modern marvels. That’s carrying over more to irons now, with so many new models featuring internal multi-material technologies, and almost all of them having a “badge” or insert in the back to allow more complex graphics while hiding the actual distribution of mass.
But when it comes to wedges, most on the market today are still single pieces of molded steel, either cast or forged into that shape. So, if you look closely at where the mass is distributed, it’s pretty clear how that wedge is going to perform.
To start, because of their wider soles, the majority of the mass of almost any wedge is along the bottom third of the clubhead. So, the best wedge shots are always those hit between the 2nd and 5th grooves so that more mass is directly behind that impact. Elite tour professionals practice incessantly to learn to do that consistently, wearing out a spot about the size of a penny right there. If impact moves higher than that, the face is dramatically thinner, so smash factor is compromised significantly, which reduces the overall distance the ball will fly.
Every one of us, tour players included, knows that maddening shot that we feel a bit high on the face and it doesn’t go anywhere, it’s not your fault.
If your wedges show a wear pattern the size of a silver dollar, and centered above the 3rd or 4th groove, you are not getting anywhere near the same performance from shot to shot. Robot testing proves impact even two to three grooves higher in the face can cause distance loss of up to 35 to 55 feet with modern ‘tour design’ wedges.
In addition, as impact moves above the center of mass, the golf club principle of gear effect causes the ball to fly higher with less spin. Think of modern drivers for a minute. The “holy grail” of driving is high launch and low spin, and the driver engineers are pulling out all stops to get the mass as low in the clubhead as possible to optimize this combination.
Where is all the mass in your wedges? Low. So, disregarding the higher lofts, wedges “want” to launch the ball high with low spin – exactly the opposite of what good wedge play requires penetrating ball flight with high spin.
While almost all major brand wedges have begun putting a tiny bit more thickness in the top portion of the clubhead, conventional and modern ‘tour design’ wedges perform pretty much like they always have. Elite players learn to hit those crisp, spinny penetrating wedge shots by spending lots of practice time learning to consistently make contact low in the face.
So, what about grooves and face texture?
Grooves on any club can only do so much, and no one has any material advantage here. The USGA tightly defines what we manufacturers can do with grooves and face texture, and modern manufacturing techniques allow all of us to push those limits ever closer. And we all do. End of story.
Then there’s the topic of bounce and grinds, the most complex and confusing part of the wedge formula. Many top brands offer a complex array of sole configurations, all of them admittedly specialized to a particular kind of lie or turf conditions, and/or a particular divot pattern.
But if you don’t play the same turf all the time, and make the same size divot on every swing, how would you ever figure this out?
The only way is to take any wedge you are considering and play it a few rounds, hitting all the shots you face and observing the results. There’s simply no other way.
So, hopefully this will inspire a lively conversation in our comments section, and I’ll chime in to answer any questions you might have.
And next week, I’ll dive into the rest of the wedge formula. Yes, shafts, grips and specifications are essential, too.
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Golf's Perfect Imperfections
Golf’s Perfect Imperfections: Amazing Session with Performance Coach Savannah Meyer-Clement
In this week’s episode, we spent some time with performance coach Savannah Meyer-Clement who provides many useful insights that you’ll be able to implement on the golf course.
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19th Hole
Vincenzi’s 2024 RBC Heritage betting preview: Patrick Cantlay ready to get back inside winner’s circle
Just a two-hour drive from Augusta National, the PGA TOUR heads to Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, S.C. Hilton Head Island is a golfer’s paradise and Harbour Town is one of the most beautiful and scenic courses on the PGA TOUR.
Harbour Town Golf Links is a par-71 that measures 7,121 yards and features Bermuda grass greens. A Pete Dye design, the course is heavily tree lined and features small greens and many dog legs, protecting it from “bomb-and-gauge” type golfers.
The field is loaded this week with 69 golfers with no cut. Last year was quite possibly the best field in RBC Heritage history and the event this week is yet another designated event, meaning there is a $20 million prize pool.
Most of the big names on the PGA Tour will be in attendance this week with the exceptions of Hideki Matsuyama and Viktor Hovland. Additionally, Webb Simpson, Shane Lowry, Gary Woodland and Kevin Kisner have been granted sponsors exemptions.
Past Winners at Harbour Town
- 2023: Matt Fitzpatrick (-17)
- 2022: Jordan Spieth (-13)
- 2021: Stewart Cink (-19)
- 2020: Webb Simpson (-22)
- 2019: CT Pan (-12)
- 2018: Sotoshi Kodaira (-12)
- 2017: Wesley Bryan (-13)
- 2016: Branden Grace (-9)
- 2015: Jim Furyk (-18)
In this article and going forward, I’ll be using the Rabbit Hole by Betsperts Golf data engine to develop my custom model. If you want to build your own model or check out all of the detailed stats, you can sign up using promo code: MATTVIN for 25% off any subscription package (yearly is best value).
Key Stats For Harbour Town
Let’s take a look at key metrics for Harbour Town Golf Links to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their past 24 rounds.
Strokes Gained: Approach
Strokes Gained: Approach is exceedingly important this week. The greens at Harbour Town are about half the size of PGA TOUR average and feature the second-smallest greens on the tour. Typical of a Pete Dye design, golfers will pay the price for missed greens.
Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds
- Scottie Scheffler (+1.27)
- Tom Hoge (+1.27)
- Corey Conners (+1.16)
- Austin Eckroat (+0.95)
- Cameron Young (+0.93)
Good Drive %
The fairways at Harbour Town are tree lined and feature many dog legs. Bombers tend to struggle at the course because it forces layups and doesn’t allow long drivers to overpower it. Accuracy is far more important than power.
Good Drive % Over Past 24 Rounds
- Brice Garnett (88.8%)
- Shane Lowry (+87.2%)
- Akshay Bhatia (+86.0%)
- Si Woo Kim (+85.8%)
- Sepp Straka (+85.1%)
Strokes Gained: Total at Pete Dye Designs
Pete Dye specialists tend to play very well at Harbour Town. Si Woo Kim, Matt Kuchar, Jim Furyk and Webb Simpson are all Pete Dye specialists who have had great success here. It is likely we see some more specialists near the top of the leaderboard this week.
SG: TOT Pete Dye per round over past 36 rounds:
- Xander Schauffele (+2.27)
- Scottie Scheffler (+2.24)
- Ludvig Aberg (+2.11)
- Brian Harman (+1.89)
- Sungjae Im (+1.58)
4. Strokes Gained: Short Game (Bermuda)
Strokes Gained: Short Game factors in both around the green and putting. With many green-side bunkers and tricky green complexes, both statistics will be important. Past winners — such as Jim Furyk, Wes Bryan and Webb Simpson — highlight how crucial the short game skill set is around Harbour Town.
SG: SG Over Past 24 Rounds
- Jordan Spieth (+1.11)
- Taylor Moore (+1.02)
- Wyndham Clark (+0.98)
- Mackenzie Hughes (+0.86)
- Andrew Putnam (+0.83)
5. Greens in Regulation %
The recipe for success at Harbour Town Golf Links is hitting fairways and greens. Missing either will prove to be consequential — golfers must be in total control of the ball to win.
Greens in Regulation % over past 24 rounds:
- Brice Garnett (+75.0%)
- Scottie Scheffler (+69.9%)
- Corey Conners (+69.0%)
- Shane Lowry (+68.3%)
- Patrick Rodgers (+67.6%)
6. Course History
Harbour Town is a course where players who have strong past results at the course always tend to pop up.
Course History over past 24 rounds:
- Patrick Cantlay (+2.34)
- Cam Davis (+2.05)
- J.T. Poston (+1.69)
- Justin Rose (+1.68)
- Tommy Fleetwood (+1.59)
The RBC Heritage Model Rankings
Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (24%), Good Drives (20%), SG: SG (14%), SG: Pete Dye (14%), GIR (14%), and Course History (14%)
- Shane Lowry
- Russell Henley
- Scottie Scheffler
- Xander Schauffele
- Corey Conners
- Wyndham Clark
- Christiaan Bezuidenhout
- Matt Fitzpatrick
- Cameron Young
- Ludvig Aberg
2024 RBC Heritage Picks
Patrick Cantlay +2000 (FanDuel)
With the exception of Scottie Scheffler, the PGA Tour has yet to have any of their star players show peak form during the 2024 season. Last week, Patrick Cantlay, who I believe is a top-5 players on the PGA Tour, took one step closer to regaining the form that’s helped him win eight events on Tour since 2017.
Cantlay limped into the Masters in poor form, but figured it out at Augusta National, finishing in a tie for 20th and ranking 17th for the week in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. The former FedEx Cup champion will now head to one of his favorite golf courses in Harbour Town, where he’s had immaculate results over the years. In his six trips to the course, he’s only finished worse than 7th one time. The other finishes include three third places (2017, 2019, 2023) and one runner-up finish (2022). In his past 36 rounds at Harbour Town, Cantlay ranks 1st in Strokes Gained: Total per round at the course by a wide margin (+2.36).
Cantlay is winless since the 2022 BMW Championship, which is far too long for a player of his caliber. With signs pointing to the 32-year-old returning to form, a “signature event” at Harbour Town is just what he needs to get back on the winning track.
Tommy Fleetwood +3000 (FanDuel)
I truly believe Tommy Fleetwood will figure out a way to win on American soil in 2024. It’s certainly been a bugaboo for him throughout his career, but he is simply too talented to go another season without winning a PGA Tour event.
At last week’s Masters Tournament, Fleetwood made a Sunday charge and ended up finishing T3 in the event, which was his best ever finish at The Masters. For the week, the Englishman ranked 8th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 10th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking and 16th in Strokes Gained: Putting.
Harbour Town is a perfect layout for Fleetwood, and he’s had relative success at this Pete Dye design in the past. In his four trips to the course, he’s finished inside of the top 25 three times, with his best finish, T10, coming in 2022. The course is pretty short and can’t be overpowered, which gives an advantage to more accurate players such as Fleetwood. Tommy ranks 8th in the field in Good Drive % and should be able to plot his way along this golf course.
The win is coming for Tommy lad. I believe there’s a chance this treasure of a golf course may be the perfect one for him to finally break through on Tour.
Cameron Young +3300 (FanDuel)
Cameron Young had a solid Masters Tournament last week, which is exactly what I’m looking for in players who I anticipate playing well this week at the RBC Heritage. He finished in a tie for 9th, but never felt the pressure of contending in the event. For the week, Young ranked 6th in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and 6th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.
Despite being one of the longest players off the tee on the PGA Tour, Young has actually played some really good golf on shorter tracks. He finished T3 at Harbour Town in 2023 and ranks 20th in the field in Good Drive% and 16th in Greens in Regulation in his past 24 rounds. He also has strong finishes at other shorter courses that can take driver out of a players hand such as Copperhead and PGA National.
Young is simply one of the best players on the PGA Tour in 2024, and I strongly believe has what it takes to win a PGA Tour event in the very near future.
Corey Conners +5500 (FanDuel)
Corey Conners has had a disappointing year thus far on the PGA Tour, but absolutely loves Harbour Town.
At last week’s Masters Tournament, the Canadian finished T30 but ranked 20th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach. In his past 24 rounds, Conners ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 3rd in Greens in Regulation % and 24th in Good Drive %.
In Conners’ last four trips to Harbour Town, his worst finish was T31, last season. He finished T4 in 2021, T12 in 2022 and ranks 8th in Strokes Gained: Total at the course over his past 36 rounds.
Conners hasn’t been contending, but his recent finishes have been encouraging as he has finished in the top-25 in each of his past three starts prior to The Masters, including an impressive T13 at The PLAYERS. His recent improvement in ball striking as well as his suitability for Harbour Town makes Conners a high upside bet this week.
Shane Lowry (+7500) (FanDuel)
When these odds were posted after Lowry was announced in the field, I have to admit I was pretty stunned. Despite not offering much win equity on the PGA Tour over the last handful of years, Shane Lowry is still a top caliber player who has the ability to rise to the top of a signature event.
Lowry struggled to score at The Masters last week, but he actually hit the ball really well. The Irishman ranked 1st for Strokes Gained: Approach on the week and 7th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. As usual, it was the putter that let him down, as he ranked 60th in the field in Strokes Gained: Putting.
Harbour Town is most definitely one of Lowry’s favorite courses on the PGA Tour. In his six starts there, he’s finished in the top 10 three times, including third twice. Lowry is sensational at Pete Dye designs and ranks 7th in Strokes Gained: Total in his past 36 rounds on Dye tracks.
Lowry is perfect for Harbour Town. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 5th in Strokes Gained: Approach, 2nd in Good Drive% and 5th in Green in Regulation %. If he figures it out on the greens, Shane could have his first win in America since 2015.
Lucas Glover +12000 (FanDuel)
This is one of my weekly “bet the number” plays as I strongly believe the odds are just too long for a player of Glover’s caliber. The odds have been too long on Glover for a few weeks now, but this is the first event that I can get behind the veteran being able to actually contend at.
Glover is quietly playing good golf and returning to the form he had after the understandable regression after his two massive victories at the end of 2023. He finished T20 at The Masters, which was his best ever finish at Augusta National. For the week, Lucas ranked 18th for Strokes Gained: Approach and 20th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.
Over his past 24 rounds, Glover ranks 9th in Strokes Gained: Approach and 13th in Good Drive %. Harbour Town is a short course that the 44-year-old will be able to keep up with the top players on Tour off the tee. He’s played the course more than 20 times, with mixed results. His best finishes at Harbour Town include a T7 in 2008, but recently has a finish of T21 in 2020.
Glover has proven he can contend with the stars of the Tour on any given week, and this number is flat out disrespectful.
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gary
Mar 24, 2016 at 2:18 pm
Great video Rick! You’re the man!!
dwc
Mar 21, 2016 at 4:41 pm
Rick – really enjoy your videos. I have a question for you though since I watched not only this video but also your review of the M2 by itself and the review of the M1 versus the Cobra King driver. In that review, the M1 beat the Cobra because your average spin numbers were under 2,000 for the M1 versus about 2,500 for the Cobra. But when you reviewed the M1 versus M2, they were both over 2,000. How does that work? Were you using a different shaft in the M1 versus Cobra video?
Mike Barnett
Mar 21, 2016 at 12:51 pm
Excellent comparison, well done sir!
299yards
Mar 20, 2016 at 5:26 pm
Always supplying great videos! Looks like some people on replies are looking for an online club fitting from rick through his “reviews and tests” rather than seeing an indepth glimpse of how these clubs perform.
Joe Golfer
Mar 19, 2016 at 9:51 pm
I must say, I really enjoyed the video.
Afterwards, I even subscribed to Rick Shiels YouTube video channel.
It was interesting to see those results.
just plain bill
Mar 19, 2016 at 10:19 am
you know what i find amazing? the internet power i can feel by nitpicking the tiniest thing in a video…ooh, the power of endorphins generated by my negative opinions coursing thru my veins…lol
meanwhile, the vid was informative and gave me another reason to go back to golfsmith and compare the m2 to what i currently swing, and not in a cage with monitors attached to my b@lls, but on the range where i can see the actual flight and distance and dispersion cuz ive hit a million balls there and know where i hit it, and where id like to hit it…
id love to play a round with some of the jokers around here…bet they’d shoot 90 and claim they were just having an off day…
moses
Mar 19, 2016 at 8:54 am
Great to see RS on here. I watch most of his video reviews. They’re very informative. Great review sir and looking forward to more.
Gary Barber
Mar 19, 2016 at 12:48 am
I always enjoy your very informed reviews . You will always get trolls picking holes in your
findings ..don’t feed them . Cheers from Canada mate you have to get over here to enjoy our some of the beautiful courses we to offer. gb
Chuck D
Mar 18, 2016 at 10:28 pm
Great point Adam! I’ve hit both and the M2 just sounds better and the sweet spot is larger as well. Less loss of speed on off center hits. Went with the Kuro stiff shaft at standard length and I’m not
looking back. I have FINALLY found a driver after all these 23 years of ball striking! Rick, I’m a
new fan and enjoy your reviews and information tremendously! Keep smashing those drives!!!
Dylan
Mar 18, 2016 at 9:45 pm
I’m thinking new vs old. Get ahold of an r510 tp, swap in the rogue and put it up against the M1 430. Make it a real head-to-head test to see not only how much of a difference there is in distance but also in forgiveness and ball speed.
Ryan
Mar 18, 2016 at 8:51 pm
I like Ricks reviews. Don’t feed the trolls Rick ! Keep up the good work !
Branson
Mar 18, 2016 at 3:40 pm
I can’t recall if I’ve hit both with the same shaft, but i’ve found that i hit the M2 better. It seems like it has a bigger sweet spot and doesn’t lose much distance on just off of center hits. Any data on that?
thomas murphy
Mar 18, 2016 at 1:57 pm
Watched this last night. I think it is a great compare, the only question (besides the what about he 430cc head) is if the M1 is so adjustable…was in just “middle adjusted” (yes) or was it adjusted for Rick’s “optimum” output…and that amount of adjustment may be greater in other golfers. IE all our results may vary but it is a great view that adjustability can be a great tool for a fitter and for a marketing vehicle…but it doesn’t mean more will be better. Going back to GolfWRX shootout..the M2 performed as well as the M1 but was rated down because it lacked adjustability…so bravo for going to Rick to once again show it is results that matter and M1 == M2
cmyktaylor
Mar 18, 2016 at 1:12 pm
Request: Same review but with adding the 430 in.
Rick Shiels
Mar 18, 2016 at 1:26 pm
Nice idea! I’ll look into that. thanks
299yards
Mar 20, 2016 at 5:28 pm
+1
Stefan T.
Mar 18, 2016 at 11:01 am
Rick is the best! Glad to see my favorite golf YouTuber teamed with my favorite golf website. Great stuff Rick. Cheers
Rick Shiels
Mar 18, 2016 at 1:27 pm
Thanks very much Stefan! Plenty more to come!
tony
Mar 18, 2016 at 10:44 am
so they are virtually identical in terms of launch, carry, etc but why not also evaluate dispersion???? Wouldn’t the average consumer want to take that into account just as much as launch data???
Rick Shiels
Mar 18, 2016 at 1:28 pm
Hi Tony. Dispersion is always hard to factor into account. That can often be the players adjustment rather than the clubs. Front to back can be measured and I’ll mention that next time
SW
Mar 18, 2016 at 8:22 pm
Great excuse. Why bother playing golf if it’s not important to hit the target
Weight
Mar 18, 2016 at 9:23 am
M1 head is 198 grams
M2 head is 194 grams
that might be enough difference to cause the dynamic loft to change
His swing is inefficient. If he knew how to sling the heavier weight, he should get more out of the M1 with some adjustments.
cmyktaylor
Mar 18, 2016 at 1:15 pm
If Rick, a PGA pro who swings clubs all the time, can’t make the efficiency adjustment, do you really think any of us can? His video was extremely helpful in getting me to think again about the M2. Your comment, not so much.
Rick Shiels
Mar 18, 2016 at 1:31 pm
Thanks very much @cmyktaylor!
Rick Shiels
Mar 18, 2016 at 1:30 pm
Very little difference
SW
Mar 18, 2016 at 8:21 pm
Enough of a difference to cause a 2 swingweight difference!
Mark Moser
Mar 19, 2016 at 12:58 am
Swing weight does not equal more distance.
Innit
Mar 19, 2016 at 2:50 am
But it can cause some people to feel that the head is too heavy for them to control it well enough to hit it where they want it and how, which, was the problem that people complained about with the SLDR, innit?
Jim
Mar 18, 2016 at 7:38 am
Glad to see Rick S making it to golfWRX. His videos are all pretty informative and he certainly is referenced enough on this site already, along with Mark Crossfield (who should also be added here).
Rick Shiels
Mar 18, 2016 at 1:31 pm
Thanks very much Jim! I’m glad to be here!
Mat
Mar 18, 2016 at 6:41 am
I stopped at “…fair as possible, I hit …”
Rick Shiels
Mar 18, 2016 at 1:32 pm
It really was a fair test. Do watch again to the end. Thanks
Mark Bainbridge
Mar 18, 2016 at 2:32 am
One way to make this test more professional would be to use two clubs with the same measured loft. To state that because both are set at 9.5 degrees the lofts are thus identical is to ignore manufacturing tolerances; which, in the case of stated loft, can range from +2 to -2 degrees. If the total weight of each club was also given, and they were identical, this would also enhance the credibility of this head-to-head test. Rick Shiels (like Mark Crossfield) is, in my opinion, very typical of UK PGA professionals in that their knowledge of club performance dynamics is somewhat shallow.
Rick Shiels
Mar 18, 2016 at 1:33 pm
Noted mark.
Mark Bainbridge
Mar 18, 2016 at 10:11 pm
Thank you for reading my comment.
Lee
Mar 18, 2016 at 3:46 pm
Mr Bainbridge how dare you suggest the tolerance of these American (sorry Chinese) heads can be + or – 2 degrees! Being honest I’m British and Rick is a really good guy, personally I think TM would have supplied pretty accurately measured heads (ala from the tour van) sadly I don’t given any credence to the states as Rick hits it better than us mere mortals.
Ryberg
Mar 18, 2016 at 6:29 pm
How do you know the tolorences?
And whats up with the “UK PGA…” Comment. Just try to think before you act!
Mark Bainbridge
Mar 18, 2016 at 10:10 pm
I know the tolerances (check your spelling) because I have friends in Taiwan who own golf club manufacturing facilities. I live in the UK and have extensive experience of interacting with UK qualified golf professionals. I have also spent time at the PGA headquarters at the Belfry in Sutton Coldfield. I never offer comment unless I know that about which I speak.
Mark Moser
Mar 19, 2016 at 12:57 am
As a guy who ran a golf shop in downtown SF and was certified by all the manufactures as their top tier fitters the tolerances are not +\-2 degrees. That’s an outrageous and factless statement stated by a competitor. I can state for a fact that at MOST the difference may be 1* at most as we checked the heads in our fitting process. 95% of the heads we tested for our fittings and customer were spot on and the U.K. Comment was completely disrespectful. You don’t know nearly as much as you’d like to believe!!
That’s a fact.
Great article and it would be great to test the older 580 series against today’s equipment and compare to see how much the new technology has helped/hindered our games. I have an old Wilson Staff Tour persimmon driver in a dynamic stiff steel shaft that I plyed in high school that I still hit on the driving range when my contact gets a little screwy to help fix my contact. I can say that when you hit it on the screws it is 10-15yds shorter than my XR and 913D3 drivers. I find it does run out more than today’s drivers. Still enjoy throws and my old Nicklaus Golden Bear blades w leather wrap grips I got for my 12th birthday. Oh the great memories. 🙂
SirBigSpur
Mar 29, 2016 at 9:11 am
Dude, you’re a hack. I’m sure Rick has forgotten more about “club performance dynamics” than you’ll ever know. And why is it you believe UK PGA Professionals are less qualified and less knowledgeable than those in the US? I’m from the US and I still find this statement ridiculous!
Chuck D
Mar 18, 2016 at 1:36 am
And to think the step brother M2 got no respect in the Golfwrx driver test! How could that be? The M2 is a beast!
Adam
Mar 18, 2016 at 7:59 am
They said it was because most times the M2 performed as well as the M1, but the M1 got the vote due to adjustability. I bet if you did the same driver test, showed the testers the results and asked which one they’d pay for out of pocket then the M2 would have got a ton of Gold medals and may have even edged out the M1
Willy
Mar 17, 2016 at 9:57 pm
+1
lol
The OG of YouTube reviews!!!!!
cocheese
Mar 17, 2016 at 9:33 pm
Great to see Rick on here! He and Pete are my faves on Youtube!
Rick Shiels
Mar 18, 2016 at 1:34 pm
Thanks very much! I am happy to be here!
Chris
Mar 17, 2016 at 9:11 pm
This video is old. Just has a WRX logo put in it.
Rick Shiels
Mar 18, 2016 at 1:34 pm
It was only filmed last week
john
Mar 17, 2016 at 9:10 pm
crossfields course vlogs are funny, but his club reviews are absolute crap, he’s so jaded – he proved the other day that shafts don’t change the performance FOR HIM, but was also shown that for some golfers it makes a huge difference. But he still believes shafts don’t change anything because FOR HIM they don’t. Rick on the otherhand seems to enjoy the new and shiney golf clubs that manufacturers give him for free and is excited for new gear – even if it always performs the same (as everyone knows, nobody makes bad gear anymore, it’s all the same)
Eric
Mar 18, 2016 at 3:43 pm
Agree, Mark has become a bitter cartoon, I just can’t even watch him any more!. Some other channels who shall go nameless have also lost the plot and seem to think the channel is about them personally. Rick seems to be doing a great job of keeping his channel fun and interesting, and unlike Toolfield he seems to actually like his viewers ????
Willy
Mar 19, 2016 at 6:14 pm
crossfield > shiels for me all the way, but I do like Rick’s reviews as well. But for me, crossfield gives me more of a review than Rick does, Rick loves to do the comparisons on distance which I don’t really care about (lofts are not always the same so what does the test prove?). I do like how he has a 13hcp review stuff, those two are great together in their videos.
Leon
Mar 17, 2016 at 8:46 pm
So glad to see you on WRX, Rick!
Rick Shiels
Mar 18, 2016 at 1:34 pm
Thanks very much Leon!
Mr B
Mar 17, 2016 at 8:13 pm
Maybe I missed it but nothing about dispersion?
KK
Mar 17, 2016 at 7:57 pm
Sorry, no time for a video. Please post the summary and graphs next time. Thank you.
Eric
Mar 18, 2016 at 3:45 pm
Lol, however apparently plenty of time to write and complain, lol
KK
Mar 18, 2016 at 9:17 pm
It took 15 sec to write and complain, another 30 sec to follow up and reply. I see the video is 8 min 30 sec. I win.
Other Paul
Mar 17, 2016 at 6:45 pm
Way to go Rick. If they take the best youtube person for golf club reviews and get them doing articles on here then we just need Kelvin Miyahira on here for golf instruction and this site will have the best of both worlds!
Rick Shiels
Mar 18, 2016 at 1:35 pm
Thanks very much other Paul
es
Mar 17, 2016 at 5:25 pm
Rick your contributing to golfwrx now? way to go!
Rick Shiels
Mar 18, 2016 at 1:35 pm
Yes I’m a featured writer! Very excited
HKO
Mar 17, 2016 at 5:07 pm
can’t wait to see the review of all M1 to M9 drivers side by side.
cody
Mar 17, 2016 at 4:13 pm
cool, i think you could do this test with 5 different drivers with the same shaft and the numbers would be that way. I think equipment has reached a point where they are all neck and neck.
BH
Mar 17, 2016 at 4:08 pm
Great stuff, Rick.
Rick Shiels
Mar 18, 2016 at 1:36 pm
Thanks very much
Adam
Mar 17, 2016 at 3:38 pm
Great video!
Here’s the big question though… Were you able to make any adjustments on the M1 that significantly increased your performance? Could you dial it in to outperform the M2, specifically by moving the front to back weight?
NT
Mar 17, 2016 at 5:15 pm
I reckon the M1 would have been dialed in for himself as that is the driver he plays. Only a guess but that is what I would expect from Rick.
duh
Mar 17, 2016 at 5:25 pm
if you look at the brief article above the video you see this test was done as neutral as possible.
NT
Mar 17, 2016 at 5:32 pm
I take that back. On second watch he said M1 was set in middle position. In one of his WITB videos he shows his M1 setting. He has fade/draw in middle and the other either all the way forward or all the way back.
Mike
Mar 18, 2016 at 6:17 am
he also uses an 8.5 degree model
cmyktaylor
Mar 18, 2016 at 1:20 pm
Agreed: That would be interesting. Also, note that the wear and tear for his M1 was with the setting all the way back. When he plays the club, he wants the weight in the back.
Rick Shiels
Mar 18, 2016 at 1:38 pm
I normally play this driver in 9.5° head weight in the back to high and weight in the middle for neutral.
Dan Lee
Mar 19, 2016 at 11:49 am
What are your numbers in this setup?
Mikec
Mar 17, 2016 at 3:24 pm
As always Rick, great job!!
Rick Shiels
Mar 18, 2016 at 1:36 pm
Thanks very much!