Equipment
Spotted: A TaylorMade “M4” driver (via Instagram)
We’ve spotted two photos of a TaylorMade M4 driver making the rounds on Instagram and in our TaylorMade M3/M4 forum thread. While Instagram username “Golfization” — whom we believe to be the originator of the photos — has been deleted, below is a screenshot of the original post. The photos have since been shared by a variety of other Instagram users, as well. TaylorMade currently has no comment on the photos or the driver.
Based on the photos of the driver, it appears that the TaylorMade M4 pictured has the company’s “Geocoustic” technology that uses geometries to improve sound and feel. It also displays a new “Hammerhead” technology, based on writing written on a slot in the sole of the driver in the photo above. Even if the photo does not picture an M4 that will hit retail, the photo at least shows that TaylorMade has made a driver that goes away from it’s popular white-centric color scheme, replacing it with silver, much like a previous SLDR S design.
Is this TaylorMade’s new M4? That question has yet to be answered. But click here to see what GolfWRX members are saying about the Instagram photos.
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Whats in the Bag
Chesson Hadley WITB 2024 (March)
- Chesson Hadley what’s in the bag accurate as of the Texas Children’s Houston Open. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist TSR3 (10 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 70 TX
3-wood: Titleist TSR2+ (14.5 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX
Irons: Titleist T200 (3), Titleist 620 CB (4, 5), Titleist 620 MB (6-PW)
Shafts: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 105 X (3), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-PW)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), WedgeWorks (60-K)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG 2-Ball
Grip: Odyssey
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Check out more in-hand photos Chesson Hadley’s clubs here.
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Whats in the Bag
Gary Woodland WITB 2024 (March)
Driver: Cobra Darkspeed X (8 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 70 M5
- The white circle that appears at the top of the face a removable sticker that’s used for launch monitor tracking, and Woodland removes it for competition!
3-wood: Cobra Darkspeed X (14 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 GW100 Prototype
7-wood: Cobra LTDx LS prototype (20 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 GW100 Prototype
Irons: Wilson Staff (18 degrees), Cobra King MB (4-PW)
Shafts: KBS Tour C-Taper Limited X
Wedges: Cobra SB (48), Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-08F, 56-14F), Cobra King (60)
Shafts: KBS Tour C-Taper Limited X (48 degrees), KBS Tour V-Ten 125
Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 3.0P
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
See more in-hand photos of Gary Woodland’s WITB in the forums.
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Equipment
Q&A: Martin Trainer on his Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers” putter, 6.5-degree driver, and “butter knife” 2-iron
As unbiasedly as I can put it, Martin Trainer has one of the coolest club setups in professional golf. (At some point soon, I’ll put together a top-10 list of “coolest club setups on Tour,” but I know that Trainer will be in the top-10)
What a lineup. He plays a 6.5-degree Wilson prototype driver, a 13-degree Wilson prototype 3-wood, a true blade Wilson Staff Model 2-iron, and a Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers Commemorative” putter!
View this post on Instagram
I mean, look at this 2-iron from address…
To quote the great author R.L. Stine: “Goosebumps.”
On Wednesday at the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open, I caught up with Trainer to learn more about his bag setup.
Here’s what he had to say:
You have the Internet going crazy over your bag setup, and your putter. Where’d you pick the Bobby Grace-Greg Chalmers putter up? How long have you had it?
MT: This was from when Bobby Grace came to my course in California: Cal Club. And for whatever reason, they just started having them in the shop. So then I took my buddy’s, started using it, and made, like, a million putts in a row, which is how every putter story begins, I guess.
And then, I bought a couple of my own, used it for years, got to the Tour with it, won on Tour with it (the 2019 Puerto Rico Open). Then, about a year later, started using another putter, did that for a couple years, but now it’s back in the bag.
When did it come back in the bag?
MT: December of this past year. So a few months ago.
What year would you say was the first time you threw that in the bag, or, like, when you bought it?
MT: God…Probably, 2016, maybe? 2018?
Do you remember how much you paid for it?
MT: I don’t know, actually. Maybe $100-150 bucks or something. I think that’s the only golf club I’ve bought between high school and now. Well, two, since I bought two of them.
The driver is interesting, too. What went into the prototyping process?
MT: That was a version of the current driver, but it was the prototype that they first came out with for Tour guys to try. And for whatever reason, I just never switched out to the new one.
It’s just 6.5 degrees, right?
MT: Yeah. Very low loft, yeah.
What kind of ball speed do you have with that these days?
MT: Like high 170’s.
Yeah, that’ll work. And then a 2-iron blade? We’re seeing fewer and fewer of those out here.
MT: Yeah. The butter knife.
Very cool thing to have in the bag. Have you done any testing with driving irons?
MT: Yeah, I used to have a thicker one, but it was a little offset, and I never hit it that well. And then finally, I started messing around with the butter knife. And I remember the first time I looked down at it, I was terrified. And then I ended up getting used to it, putting it in play, and it’s been in place since. It’s a pretty good club for me.
How far do you carry that?
MT: Like 235.
A good little wind club, I’m sure.
MTL Yeah, exactly. I can hit it very low. It’s great.
I love it. You have people shook looking at that. Thanks for the time, man.
MT: Absolutely.
To see more photos and discussion of Trainer’s bag, click here.
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Joro
Nov 13, 2017 at 11:46 am
Y’all better run out and get in line, cause with that amazing Driver you will be so much longer and is what it is all about, can’t play a lick, but long. And that is a promise from TM. No guarantee, but a promise. Hurry and get you one. lololololol
MuskieCy
Nov 11, 2017 at 8:18 pm
Raider Nation will eat it up.
Bernard
Nov 11, 2017 at 10:57 am
I actually like it quite a bit because it definitely has looks of BMW. Enough for a lawsuit or some agreement to be in place. Porche has trademark on their fonts, would be surprised if BMW did not go just as far.
Bobby Wallace
Nov 11, 2017 at 10:35 am
The silver looks horrible. Black and white looked amazing.
Had Enuff
Nov 10, 2017 at 11:58 pm
M4 — Febr’18
M5 — June’18
M6 — Nov’18
M7 — Mar’19
M8 — ??????
Val
Nov 12, 2017 at 1:14 am
STOP!!!! I’m getting dizzy.
Mr Muira
Nov 10, 2017 at 11:07 pm
Taylormade have only ever built one club (an iron) that was good, but they don’t even know it. They jagged the design of it. If they knew they would bring it back. The R9 tour.
Anthony
Nov 10, 2017 at 10:29 pm
HammerHead? Oh my god, it all started with rockets and nutz ????
TaylorMade, Your dead to many people!!!
F the French
Nov 10, 2017 at 10:04 pm
As long as it performs, and that the head isn’t too light like the retail M2, but as heavy as the SLDR
steve c
Nov 10, 2017 at 8:40 pm
Taylormade cash-grab? I think so…
Bob Rockwell
Nov 10, 2017 at 4:17 pm
The silver looks like sh*t. Go back to white with black.
Joe Dallas
Nov 10, 2017 at 4:47 pm
I agree, no comparison between this and the old M1’s and M2’s. Which are not that old LOL The white and black color schemes look amazing. This is so muhhhhhhhhh.
Bo Pence
Nov 10, 2017 at 4:49 pm
Hopefully they will have color options,(white on black, grey on black, and black on black etc) That would be great!
SUHDUDE
Nov 10, 2017 at 4:12 pm
The Ultimate Copyright Infringement Machine
Mr. Replier Guy
Nov 10, 2017 at 4:35 pm
This.
Pandering to wannabe Bimmerheads.
Taylormade Fan
Nov 10, 2017 at 4:05 pm
Can’t stand the grey with the black. The white looks so much better. Why can’t they just keep the crown like it was?
etc.
Nov 10, 2017 at 2:53 pm
Looks like no sliding or screw-in weights, just some fancy internal structures to reinforce the driver head and give the impression that it’s something important for performance. Another semi-annual WITB scam for gullible gearheads.
Brian
Nov 10, 2017 at 5:43 pm
I’m guessing there will be an “M3” version with the adjustable weights.
CB
Nov 10, 2017 at 1:41 pm
Does its engine catch fire and explode like made-in-USA junk BMWs too? lmao
Terry (TMAC)
Dec 14, 2017 at 9:03 pm
Hmmm……never had that happen to any of my BMW’s. SMH
John K
Nov 10, 2017 at 1:20 pm
Make the top all honeycomb black and I’m in. Really don’t like the multiple colors.
Bishop
Nov 10, 2017 at 1:20 pm
I wonder how much in royalties BMW will be receiving from Taylormade… if none, I’m sure we can expect to see a lawsuit in the near future.
I suppose the slogan can still remain the same for both companies, though: “The Ultimate Driving Machine”.
saveva
Nov 10, 2017 at 1:48 pm
lawsuits? I guess if BMW also applied their trademarks to golf equipment…
Bishop
Nov 10, 2017 at 3:20 pm
Or a trademark on the “M4” emblem…
Mr. Divot
Nov 10, 2017 at 4:25 pm
When you apply for a trademark, it has to be specified which category the trademark will be used. Then you have to prove usage in that category after receiving the trademark. Also, you can’t use a super broad description of intended trademark usage so that it covers a bunch of different industries and uses, when in reality, you plan to only use it in one or two particular industry categories. It’s doubtful BMW applied for usage of the ‘M4’ trademark in the golf club category, although they definitely would have applied for clothing, so there may be some overlap there.
xjohnx
Nov 10, 2017 at 3:52 pm
I’m not a lawyer so I wont comment on the legality of it but, I think calling them M3/M4 and using this color scheme is just flat out desperate and disrespectful.
Scott
Nov 10, 2017 at 1:15 pm
Boo ya baby! Gonna be an expensive spring. Can’t wait to read what tweaks they made. Is Sergio crying now or is he already dialing in on an epic now? Wow
nyguy
Nov 10, 2017 at 12:47 pm
meh… awful M4 logo like the m1 logo, just awful.. Taylormade needs a new art director… does this club come with the purchase of a BMW M-series???
dude
Nov 10, 2017 at 11:55 am
I thought RM said it was the ball anyway? Is that silver?
Spitfisher
Nov 10, 2017 at 11:54 am
M4, Looks like a BMW rear badge