Equipment

TaylorMade 2017 M1 Fairway Woods and Hybrids: What you need to know

Published

7 years ago

Dec 7, 2016

With its 2017 M1 line, TaylorMade makes its fairway woods even more adjustable and forgiving, while giving its hybrids a new level adjustability. Here’s what you need to know about both offerings.

M1 Fairway Woods

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The M1 fairway woods have a smaller footprint and more compact appearance at address than TaylorMade’s new M2 fairway woods. Most better players will prefer the look of the M1 fairways at address, as well as their center of gravity (CG) location, which is closer to the face to create a lower, more workable trajectory.

Sticking to its M name — which stands for multi-material — TaylorMade’s M1 fairway woods are made from multiple materials, including 450 stainless steel bodies, Ni-Co C300 club faces and thinner, six-layer carbon composite crowns.

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The familiar sliding-track system on the M1 fairway woods allows center of gravity (CG) to be adjusted with a 25-gram tungsten weight that tweaks draw and fade bias. Compared to its predecessor, the track has been shifted more rearward, making room for what TaylorMade calls a “Speed Pocket” behind the face. The design change pushed the overall CG of the clubs rearward, helping raise launch angle and forgiveness. The Speed Pocket also plays a role in increasing ball speed on off-center strikes.

While TaylorMade admits that the M1 is not its longest-flying fairway wood (that title belongs to the new M2), the distance gap between the two fairway woods has closed. The M1 has increased ball speeds by an average of 1 mph when compared to the 2016 M1 fairway woods, TaylorMade says.

Like past models, the 2017 M1 fairway woods are adjustable, and their new loft sleeves (made from aluminum) have 12 different loft settings, allowing golfers to adjust loft +/- 2 degrees from printed lofts and adjust lie angle.

To improve turf interaction, the soles of the M1 fairway woods have been recessed in the rear portion, helping reduce drag through impact. This will allow the club to exit quicker from the grass and prevent digging. Our early testing results show that the new sole design can really help on shots from tight lies.

The new M1 fairway woods, like the new M1 drivers, use a new FF2FF manufacturing process that reduces crown weight to lower the CG of the club head and create a slightly higher launch angle. Compared to the M2 fairway woods, the M1 fairway woods will continue to produce slightly more spin, according to the company.

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The M1 fairway woods will be available on Jan. 27, 2017 for $299.99 in 15 (3-wood), 17 (3HL), and 19 (5-wood) degrees, each coming stock with Mitsubishi Rayon’s Kuro Kage Silver TiNi fairway wood shafts. There are also 30 shafts available at no upcharge, and stock clubs will be outfitted with Lamkin UTx grips.

M1 Hybrids

Like the M1 fairway woods, the M1 hybrids use a 4-degree aluminum Loft Sleeve to allow golfers to tweak loft, lie and face angle.

TaylorMade’s 2017 M1 hybrids introduce a new weight-track system on sole, which employs a 27-gram tungsten weight to enable golfers to give the clubs more draw and fade bias, if needed.

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Like the M1 fairway woods, there is also a Speed Pocket behind the face of the hybrids, helping increase ball speeds on off-center hits. The Speed Pocket is designed to help the face flex more on toe and heel strikes, helping mishits fly more like good shots.

Designed with input from TaylorMade staffers, the top rail and overall size of the hybrids is closer to that of a driving iron than what you’d expect from a typical hybrid. This allows players to better dial-in trajectories, making the clubs more versatile as well.

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The M1 rescues clubs come in 2 (17 degrees), 3 (19 degrees), 4 (21 degrees) and 5 (24 degrees) models, and will be available on January 27 for $249 each.

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5 Comments

Mr Poopoo

Dec 8, 2016 at 2:50 am

I see TM still has some of the old Adams Golf engineers still on staff doing the hybrids.

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- Jack
  
  Dec 9, 2016 at 3:28 am
  
  Yeah that bottom edge looks like the tight lies clubs. Plus they bought them just to get the speed slot patent anyway. I’m sure they are good. Honestly fairway woods are now better than ever, with just minor tweaks every year.
  
  I’m not sure if this years’ clubs are better than the last though. Some of the testing and feedback has been kinda soso.
  
  Reply Report comment
DJ

Dec 7, 2016 at 6:40 pm

they look like game improvement clubs.

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Bob Chipeska

Dec 7, 2016 at 12:13 pm

The only thing I need to know is when they plan on releasing the M1 v3.0, so I can pick one of these up at $150.

Reply Report comment
Leon

Dec 7, 2016 at 10:33 am

Cheapmade

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Equipment

A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic

Published

17 hours ago

Apr 25, 2024

Andrew Tursky

Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.

Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.

We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.

Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).

See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here

Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge

Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.

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A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.

See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here

Turning Back the clock

Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.

But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.

For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.

Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.

The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.

The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.

Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter

Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.

Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.

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It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.

If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.

Brilliant.

See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here

Stricker’s unrecognizable putter

Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.

Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.

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Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates

Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.

Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.

It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.

Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines

Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.

Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.

FitzMagic teams back up

Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.

See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here

And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.

We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!

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