Equipment
Classic Name, Max Performance: TaylorMade launches 2017 “M CGB” irons
TaylorMade is holding nothing back in terms of distance and forgiveness with its premium M CGB irons, which revive a name and concept from the company’s past.
In 2006, TaylorMade released super game-improvement irons with a high COR (coefficient of restitution, a measure of energy transfer) that sold for around $1,300 at retail. They were called r7 CGB, or “Center of Gravity Back.” These irons stood alone at the high-end of the market in terms of performance and pricing, after which the iron industry began shifting toward higher-COR irons, according to Tomo Bystedt, Senior Director of Product Creation (Irons) at TaylorMade. Even standard game-improvement irons were being built with high COR, like the company’s Burner 2009 irons, which sold for half the price. The demand for max performance at a premium price dissipated.
“The CGB name is iconic and represents some of the longest and most forgiving irons we’ve ever created at TaylorMade,” Bystedt said in a press release. “The concept has now been re-created with all our latest technology to bring never-before-seen performance to golfers of all skill levels.”
Flash forward to 2017, however, and that demand is back. The problem today is, according to Bystedt, is that super game-improvement irons that offer big distance, a high launch and maximum forgiveness are all delivered in iron heads that he said are too big, waving a red flag to a foursome.
“Super G.I. irons have always been huge,” Bystedt told me. “It signals to people that you’re not that good.”
TaylorMade’s 2006 r7 CGB (left) vs. its 2017 M CGB
With its new M CGB irons, TaylorMade sought to provide golfers with a high-end product that provides the performance of a super game-improvement iron, but doesn’t look like it’s the size of a woodshed. Bystedt and his product development team also wanted to offer better sound and feel than super-GI golfers are used to.
That being the case, TaylorMade packed the M CGB irons with technologies from the company’s past, and a few new features as well, to make them the most forgiving and longest irons in the company’s stable.
Like the M2 irons, the M CGB irons have a fluted hosel to help displace CG.
Each M CGB iron in the set has four metal-injection-molded tungsten weights that sit deep behind the face to increase MOI (moment of inertia, a measure of forgiveness) and move center of gravity (CG) rearward to increase launch and forgiveness. The irons also use TaylorMade’s Inverted Cone design and a newly designed “Speed Pocket” to help golfers create faster, more consistent ball speeds. The irons also use an “accordion-style” undercut to create more distance, along with the company’s “Face Slots” that help expand the sweet spot of the irons. For better sound and feel, the M CGB irons use the company’s familiar “Geocoustic” technology, which includes a special geometry and a material called Hybrar in the badging of the irons to dampen vibrations for a better sound and feel.
TaylorMade’s “Accordion” undercut helps create a higher launch.
Each of the irons were given maximum COR, according to Bystedt, so there’s no progression or “holding back” on distance or forgiveness throughout the set. With TaylorMade’s M2 2017 irons, which are currently the company’s most forgiving iron model, the mid and short irons were not given maximum COR to help golfers create more consistent distance gaps throughout the set. The M CGB irons were to create the highest ball flight possible through the set. The result, according to TaylorMade, is an iron that achieves the highest peak height of any TaylorMade iron since 2012, which will certainly benefit golfers with slower swing speeds who need help to hit the ball higher and farther so they can hit more greens.
Since these irons launch higher and are created for golfers who swing the club a bit slower, their loft progression looks a bit different compared to TaylorMade’s M2 irons. The longer irons have higher lofts than the long irons of the M2 set (1.5 degrees higher in the 4 iron), and the shorter irons and wedges (9-PW, AW, SW) have stronger lofts. According to Bystedt, this differentiation in loft progression helps golfers with slower swing speeds hit ideal launch windows to create max performance.
The M CGB irons will be available on September 29 (4-PW and AW or SW) for $1,199.99 for an eight-piece set with a Nippon N.S. Pro 840 steel shafts. The cost is $1,399.99 with the stock graphite shaft option, UST’s Recoil 460 ES. The irons come stock with a TaylorMade Dual Feel grip. Custom shaft and grip options will be available, many at no added charge.
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- Kevin Tway what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX
5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 90 TX
Irons: Wilson Staff Utility (2), Titleist T100 (4-9)
Shafts: Mitsubishi MMT 100 TX (2), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F @51, 56-14F), SM7 (60-10S)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (48-56), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (60)
Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: Scotty Cameron Black Baby T
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Plus4
More photos of Kevin Tway’s WITB in the forums.
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Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
The timing of Lowry’s putter changeup was curious: Was he just using a Spider putter because he was paired with McIlroy, who’s been using a Spider Tour X head throughout 2024? Was Lowry just being festive because it’s the Zurich Classic, and he wanted to match his teammate? Did McIlroy let Lowry try his putter, and he liked it so much he actually switched into it?
Well, as it turns out, McIlroy’s only influence was inspiring Lowry to make more putts.
When asked if McIlroy had an influence on the putter switch, Lowry had this to say: “No, it’s actually a different putter than what he uses. Maybe there was more pressure there because I needed to hole some more putts if we wanted to win,” he said with a laugh.
To Lowry’s point, McIlroy plays the Tour X model, whereas Lowry switched into the Tour Z model, which has a sleeker shape in comparison, and the two sole weights of the club are more towards the face.
Lowry’s Spider Tour Z has a white True Path Alignment channel on the crown of his putter, which is reminiscent of Lowry’s former 2-ball designs, thus helping to provide a comfort factor despite the departure from his norm. Instead of a double-bend hosel, which Lowry used in his 2-ball putters, his new Spider Tour Z is designed with a short slant neck.
“I’ve been struggling on the greens, and I just needed something with a fresh look,” Lowry told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship. “It has a different neck on it, as well, so it moves a bit differently, but it’s similar. It has a white line on the back of it [like my 2-ball], and it’s a mallet style. So it’s not too drastic of a change.
“I just picked it up on the putting green and I liked the look of it, so I was like, ‘Let’s give it a go.’”
Read the rest of the piece over at PGATour.com.
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Equipment
Webb Simpson equipment Q&A: Titleist’s new 2-wood, 680 blade irons, and switching to a broomstick Jailbird
With seven career wins on the PGA Tour, including a U.S. Open victory, Webb Simpson is a certified veteran on the course. But he’s also a certified veteran in the equipment world, too. He’s a gearhead who truly knows his stuff, and he’s even worked closely with Titleist on making his own custom 682.WS irons.
On Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship, I caught up with Simpson to hear about his experience with Titleist’s new prototype 2-wood, how Titleist’s 680 Forged irons from 2003 ended up back in his bag, and why he’s switching into an Odyssey Ai-One Jailbird Cruiser broomstick putter this week for the first time.
Click here to read our full story about Simpson’s putter switch on PGATOUR.com’s Equipment Report, or continue reading below for my full Q&A with Simpson at Quail Hollow Club on Wednesday.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
GolfWRX: It seems like you’ve been a little all over the place with your irons in the past six months or so, and now going back to the 680’s. Is that just a comfort thing? What’s been going on with the irons?
Webb Simpson: Titleist has been so great at working with me, and R&D, on trying to get an iron that kind of modernizes the 680. And so the 682.WS took the T100 grooves, but kinda took the look and the bulk and the build of the 680’s into one club. They’re beautiful, and awesome looking. I just never hit them that well for a consistent period of time. It was probably me, but then I went to T100’s and loved them. I loved the spin, the trajectory, the yardage, but again, I never went on good runs. Going through the ground, I couldn’t feel the club as well as with the blade. So last week, I’m like, ‘Alright. I’m gonna go back more for…comfort, and see if I can get on a nice little run of ball striking.’
So that’s why I went back.
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OK, that makes sense. I know you had done some 2-wood testing recently. Is that in the bag right now?
It’s like day-by-day. I used it at Hilton Head every day. Valero, I used it one round. And this week, me and my caddie will do the book every morning, and if it’s a day where we think we need it, we’ll just put it in and take the 3-wood out. I love it because it’s a super simple swap. Like, it doesn’t really change much.
Yeah, can you tell me about that club? I mean, we don’t really know anything about it yet. You know? I haven’t hit it or anything, obviously.
It has grooves like a 3-wood. Spin is perfect. And it’s honestly, like, everything is in the middle of a 3-wood and driver number. Trajectory, spin, carry, all of it. So, a Hilton Head golf course is almost too easy to talk about because, you know, there, so many holes are driver 3-wood.
Valero, our thinking was we had two par-5’s into the wind, and we knew that it would take two great shots to get there in two. So instead of hitting driver-driver, we just put it in. And I used it on those holes.
Hilton was a little easier because it was off-the-tee kind of questions. But Colonial will be a golf course where, you know, there’s a lot of driver or 3-woods. It’s kind of like a backup putter or driver for me now. I’ll bring it to every tournament.
So it’s, like, in your locker right now, probably?
Well, it would be. It’s in my house [because Webb lives near by Quail Hollow Club, and is a member at the course.] It’s in the garage.
Oh, yeah, that’s right. Do you know what holes you might use it out here if it goes in play?
Potentially 15, depending on the wind. Second shot on 10. Could be 14 off the tee. The chances here are pretty low (that he’ll use the 2-wood). But, like, Greensboro would be an awesome club all day. I’m trying to think of any other golf courses.
There’s plenty that it’ll be a nice weapon to have.
It’s interesting, the wave of 2-woods and mini drivers. Like, it’s just really taken off on Tour, and all the companies have seemed to embrace it.
Yeah. The thing I had to learn, it took me, like, at least a week to learn about it is you gotta tee it up lower than you think. I kept teeing it up too high. You need it low, like barely higher than a 3-wood. And that was where I got optimal spin and carry. If you tee it up too high, you just don’t get as much spin and lose distance, I don’t know if that’s just a mini driver thing.
And you obviously have a Jailbird putter this week. What spurred that on?
Inconsistent putting. I’m stubborn in a lot of ways when it comes to my equipment, but I have to be open minded – I just hadn’t putted consistently well in a while. And I’m like, ‘Man, I feel my ball-striking coming along. Like I feel better; for real, better.’
If I can just get something in my hands that I’m consistent with. Being on Tour, you see it every year, guys get on little runs. I can put together four to five tournaments where I’m all the sudden back in the majors, or in the FedExCup Playoffs. You can turn things around quick out here. I’m like, ‘Man, whatever’s going to get me there, great.’
My caddie, David Cook, caddied for Akshay at the Houston Open and he putted beautifully. Then, I watched Akshay on TV at Valero, and he putted beautifully. And, I’m like, ‘I’m just going to try it.’
I’ve never tried it for more than a putt or two, and I just ordered what Akshay uses. It was pretty awkward at first, but the more I used it, the more I’m like, ‘Man, it’s pretty easy.’ And a buddy of mine who’s a rep out here, John Tyler Griffin, he helped me with some setup stuff. And he said at Hilton Head, he wasn’t putting well, then tried it, and now he makes everything. He was very confident. So I’m like, ‘Alright, I’ll try it.’”
And you’re going with it this week?
Hundred percent.
Alright, I love it. Thank you, I always love talking gear with you. Play well this week.
Thanks, man.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
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George
Sep 12, 2017 at 10:20 am
Gentlemen I purchased new & still play the 2006 R7 CGB irons, graphite, 12 h-cap & 69 years old. The new M CGBs look similar, I cannot wait to test them out, maybe it’s time for a new shiny set after 11 years.
steve2
Jan 4, 2018 at 1:15 am
Yes, they are the Viagra of golf clubs 😎
Otis
Sep 11, 2017 at 6:06 pm
I really love the TM cosmetic plaques on the back of the clubs. They give you that powerful blingy stature which is so important in golf.
dcorun
Sep 9, 2017 at 2:19 pm
I don’t care about playing irons that make people think I’m bad. I played the old Cleveland HiBore irons and hit it past the ones playing their pretty clubs. I’m going to get fitted for the new Cleveland Launcher HB irons and start hitting it long again. They will cost around $800 with a real deal Miyazaki C Kua shaft and I’ll keep the change to play more golf.
ob&chipolte&rnoobs
Sep 8, 2017 at 2:57 pm
I know, it’s crazy to think that people who like golf clubs would visit a site that mainly talks about new equipment.
Chipolte it seems foolish to visit a site that talks about what you don’t like.
Perhaps you could find a site more to your liking. Try Ilovebarbiedolls.com that should be more up your alley.
OBnoob
Sep 9, 2017 at 6:31 pm
yes, this is a ‘safe space’ for gearheads to slobber all over the latest and greatest new equipment and fantasize with ignorant opinions like ‘love’ and ‘feel’.
Chipolte
Sep 8, 2017 at 11:52 am
SGI clubs for hackers, duffers and assorted gearhead teens and struggling seniors.
rgk5
Sep 8, 2017 at 7:00 am
This looks like the end for the M2 and M1 irons. Why have three that are very close to the same?
Steve S
Sep 8, 2017 at 8:10 am
Not sure that will happen. The price points for the M series is a lot lower. These irons are targeted to the golfer who has more money than brains…which seems to be a growing demographic. Full disclosure, I play 2016 M2’s.
OBnoob
Sep 9, 2017 at 6:29 pm
“… the golfer who has more money than brains…”, but that covers all the gearheads on this fine forum!
skull
Sep 7, 2017 at 10:57 pm
Nope, not at that price
David
Sep 7, 2017 at 7:44 pm
ok I like these!! but side by side I would like to see how much they DON’T outperform the 2006 model!! guarantee they don’t by much if at all.
also why is the graphite shaft cheaper than that spinner Nippon?? way cheaper. they never happens. has ust just sold itself out to every iron set for dirt cheap?
They don’t make ping’s shafts anymore so they must have to do something for the average golfer??
IDK man!! but ill take that m cgb 2 iron with a c taper 130x pronto. new beat stick.
Also, soon we will see rossa cgb putters!!!!!!!!!! and those were always a good look.
thumbs up
JDS
Sep 8, 2017 at 9:15 am
Uhhh. It’s $200 more for graphite.
OBnoob
Sep 9, 2017 at 6:33 pm
Udaman, gearhead.
Matt Hardy
Sep 7, 2017 at 5:13 pm
Delete
Shallowface
Sep 9, 2017 at 8:45 pm
Wonderful!
Ns
Sep 7, 2017 at 11:29 am
These are going to be the shiznit
Steve
Sep 7, 2017 at 10:44 am
JPX 900 Hot Metal with Recoil Shaft (or any shaft they offer) are the BEST GI clubs I’ve ever hit hands down. They are by far the longest, hottest, best feeling iron I’ve ever hit. Head to Head nothing beat it, not Apex, not the p series from TM, not the PING, and definitely not the new AP1 or AP3’s. It was also more forgiving and much better looking than any SGI club I’ve ever hit….. I also paid only $899 for 4-GW with REA, taper tip, Recoil shafts – not a ‘made for TM parallel tip cheap version’.
Now TM wants to compete with the JPX 900 Hot Metal by charging consumers $1200 for the blatant garbage fire of a head above?! Oh and also charge an extra $200 for a made for TM Recoil bs shaft?!
Good Luck TM, your decision making skills are impeccable….
– that was sarcasm by the way.
I guess that’s why I’ve seen more Mizuno sticks being used this year than I ever have before, while seeing less and less TM sticks at my club. Mizuno is back and growing fast. TM continues to spend outrageously in marketing, hoping consumers are dumb enough to listen.
I strongly URGE consumers to try the JPX 900 HM or JPX 900 Forged instead. Stop falling victim to over amplified marketing.
– Steve OUT (Mic-drop)
OB
Sep 7, 2017 at 11:40 am
YES YES YES!!!! I’m going out this evening to buy these new club contraptions with all the undercuts filled with elastomer and embedded with fantastic hi-density tungsten plugs…. not to mention the cool bling graphics. I want that soft buttery feel that I lost with my old clubs.
I will retire my old Hogan Radials with the big bottom flange that lowers the club CG but it has little MOI to correct for my really bad toe and heel hits. I need drastic help for my awful off-center hits and these new club designs should really really help… I hope.
OBnoob
Sep 7, 2017 at 5:09 pm
What a fool. Sarcasm is not your forte. By the way it is certain some new technology will benefit your game. Those ratty old Hogans you hit are beater sticks for people that can’t play.
Chipolte
Sep 8, 2017 at 11:50 am
Gearheads slobbering over golf clubs are fools.
OBnoob
Sep 9, 2017 at 6:27 pm
I agree gearheads are fools, but that’s no reason to insult them with sarcasm about new technology. Newer is always better.
Shallowface
Sep 9, 2017 at 8:46 pm
Mizark.