Equipment
Pushing it past the limit: TaylorMade M5, M6 drivers with Speed Injected Twist Face technology
In a market where distance seems to dominate the conversation, TaylorMade has always been at or very near the top year in and year out. It’s no secret that some of the most popular offerings from the past 10-15 years have come straight out of the Top Secret “Kingdom.”
With the 2019 TaylorMade M5 and M6 drivers, it looks like this will be another year that the company sits right near the top of that mountain, with its most aggressive push in regards to tech advancement since the SLDR in 2013.
Speed Injected Twist Face technology
Marketed as “taking speed to the limit,” TaylorMade’s next generation of the M family of drivers, the M5 and M6, feature a Speed Injected Twist Face, building on the Twist Face technology the company debuted with the M3 and M4 drivers last year. The M5 and M6 club faces are designed to initially exceed the USGA’s COR limit.
In simple terms, speed injected face technology is where they take all of the heads they produce, push them all past the USGA limit in regards to COR and work backwards to ensure they fall within the parameters — the algorithm-driven process of resin injection into the clubs via the two ports on the face brings the figure just inside the acceptable range.
“It was an engineering challenge to be sure and 4 years in the making but we knew if we could nail the injection technology, we would really have something special.”-TM Metalwoods Director, Tomo Bystedt
The Carlsbad-based company boosts ball speed in the M5 and M6 drivers through the interplay between a reengineered, more-flexible Hammerhead 2.0 slot, an ultra-thin titanium face with redesigned Inverted Cone Technology (ICT), internal support foam with variable amounts of injected resin, and, last but not least, a proprietary algorithm to tune each head.
TaylorMade M5
The popular T-Track TaylorMade debuted with M1 driver (which evolved into the Y-Track) further advances with this year’s offering. M5 and M5 Tour drivers feature an Inverted T-Track that allows for 1,770 unique CG configurations via the two 10-gram weights, as well as a range of MOI options. Golfers are afforded up to one degree of launch angle and 600 rpm of spin change adjustability, in addition to 25 yards of left-to-right adjustability. As with previous M Series drivers, the 2-degree loft sleeve allows for the adjustment of the loft, lie angle and face angle of the driver.
With a 10 percent smaller carbon composite crown footprint, TaylorMade’s fourth generation of carbon composite technology furthers the aim of efficient mass distribution and an optimized center of gravity. The new M Series club face is also 20 percent thinner with a 66 percent larger sweet spot than last year’s M3.
In addition to the 460cc M5, TaylorMade is launching an M5 Tour model, which features a 435cc head.
Director of Original Content Johnny Wunder was on site at “The Kingdom” in early December and had this to say on the key first impressions of the new M5/M6.
M5 look
“I actually preferred the look of the M3 overall BUT this driver is built for speed and the red paint and carbon fiber inspire that.”
M5 feel
“In my experience as a TM loyalist the feel has always been the determining factor, this is no different.” “It feels meaty out of the sweet spot and heel strikes still feel solid.”
M5 sound
“The sound reminded me of the SLDR oddly enough which has been my gamer for 5-6 years. Not as thumpy (a sound I like) as M1/M3.”
M5 overall
“Haven’t put it thru our typical ringer of testing, so I don’t want to comment on distance and spin, but at first sight, it’s another really solid, good looking, fast TaylorMade driver…these guys do that as well as anybody year in and year out.”
Related: 2019 TaylorMade M5 & M6 pictures
TaylorMade M5 specs, availability, and price
M5
- Available for preorder on January 18, retail on February 1
- MSRP: $549.99
- 9, 10.5, and 12 degree lofts
M5 Tour
- Available on March 1
- MSRP: $549.99
- 9, 10.5 degree lofts
Stock shafts: Mitsubishi CK Tensei Orange 60 and Project X HZRDUS Smoke 70
Stock grip: Golf Pride MCC Decade
TaylorMade M6 & M6 D-Type Drivers
Likewise “injected to the maximum legal level of speed,” according to the company, TaylorMade’s M6 and M6 D-Type drives also feature the Speed Injected Twist Face.
“Injected Twist Face delivers a hot, yet accurate performance package in the new M6 driver. When you add optimized CG and MOI through the use of a full carbon crown and sole, the result is a complete driver that delivers on all fronts.” – Brian Bazzel, Vice President Product Creation
Equipped with the same six-layer composite carbon crown as the M5, the M6 also features a complete carbon fiber sole that is 54 percent lighter than in the M4 (its predecessor). This allows engineers to move even more discretionary weight low and back in the club for maximum forgiveness and a lower CG.
TaylorMade M6 D-Type
The M6 D-Type the company’s draw-biased offering. A high-contrast topline masking makes the face angle appear more open than it actually is, leading to the golfer producing a more closed face at impact. The D-Type’s CG is closer to the heel, as well, giving the club 20 additional yards of draw bias than the M6.
Johnny Wunder on the M6
M6 look
“At address it does feel a bit more forgiving then the M5, it sits a lower profile or at least appears that way.”
M6 feel
“Not as meaty as the M5 for obvious reasons BUT its very stable and if quite solid no matter where on the face you catch it. It seems like the M6 will lend it self a bit more to the higher handicap, its very forgiving.”
M6 sound
“Surprising that I prefer the sound of this to the M5, it had that thumpy sound which I prefer.” Both sound great but if I was blind testing, the M6 acoustics is what I would chase.”
M6 overall
“Its definitely a winner for the player looking for something stable, forgiving and fun to hit. I’ll be surprised if the TM staff that were M2/M4 loyalists will stay in the M6, seems like this model won’t be as workable for the better player, but we will see. We have seen this for years with TM. They launch a “Tour” driver and a more forgiving driver at a lower cost, and the tour players migrate to the more forgiving of the two. Counterintuitive, yes, but reality. Will the more forgiving M6 (over the M5) find its way into tour bags and follow in the footprints of the 2016 M2 (over its M1 counterpart?)”
M6 specs, availability, and price
- Available for preorder on January 18 and at retail on February 1
- MSRP: $499.99
- 9, 10.5, and 12 degree (RH only) lofts
Stock shafts
- M6: Fujikura Atmos Orange 5, Fujikura Atmos Black 6 in S-, R- and A-flexes
- M6 D-Type: Project X EvenFlow Max Carry 45 in 6.0 (S), 5.5 (R) and 5.0 (A)
For women: the M6 and M6 D-Type drivers will be offered in 10.5 and 12 degree lofts (RH only) and comes equipped with TaylorMade’s Tuned Performance 45g L-flex shaft.
The stock men’s grip is the Lamkin Dual Feel. Stock women’s grip is the Lamkin Comfort Plus Dual Feel.
Related: 2019 TaylorMade M5 & M6 pictures
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Driver: Callaway Epic Speed Triple Diamond DS (9 degrees @10)
Shaft: AutoFlex SF505 X (45.5 inches, tipped 1 inch, D3)
3-wood: Callaway Epic Speed Triple Diamond (15 degrees @15.5)
Shaft: AutoFlex SF505 X
5-wood: Callaway Mavrik Sub Zero (17 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS T1800 65 6.0
7-wood: Callaway Mavrik (21 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Yellow 75 6.0
11-wood: Callaway Rogue (25 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Yellow 75 6.0
Irons: Callaway Mavrik Pro (6), Callaway Apex Pro ’21 (7-PW)
Shafts: Nippon N.S Pro 950 GH
Wedges: Callaway Mack Daddy Forged (50-10, 56-12 @55, 60-10)
Putter: Toulon Garage Chicago (H1 neck)
Ball: Callaway Chrome Soft X (2020)
- Featured image via Callaway’s Johnny Wunder
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Xander Schauffele has made a significant putting switch this week at Murfield Village, implementing the armlock method on the greens — a technique he feels should be banned.
The Californian is statistically one of the best putters on Tour and ranks ninth this season for strokes gained: putting. However, in a surprising move, he has now decided to move to an armlock version of his regular putter (Odyssey O-Works #7 CH Red) in search of more advantage.
On Thursday, Schauffele told media following his opening round that it’s still a method he believes should be banned on Tour despite the change.
“My putting coach (Derek Uyeda), my whole team honestly, we’re very against change and I had to see what the craze was about. I do feel funny, obviously being a top-10 putter on Tour, switching putters or the style of putting. It’s a distinct advantage.
“I am for banning the armlock putters, but if everyone else is going to use it and I feel like they have a bigger advantage, I may as well do the same.”
The change worked to great effect in round one at the Memorial. Schauffele needed just 28 putts during his opening round of 68, and after his round, the Californian explained his new process on the greens.
“It’s easier; it’s more consistent. My coach and I work a lot in San Diego on start lines and making sure the ball’s doing what we think it’s doing. And the fact that [the putter] is anchored to your arm…you can flinch in your hands, but you can’t flinch your entire left arm. So that’s the process behind that.”
Despite the change in process, Schauffele still believes that the game’s authorities should ban the armlock method, saying how it “takes the stress of putting out of the game”.
“It takes the stress of putting out of the game. Putting is so stressful. Obviously hitting shots and chipping and all kinds of stuff are difficult, but your putts are what give you the score on the card. It’s ruined a lot of people’s careers and it’s helped people’s career.
“So I think putting is an art in our game and when you lock it to your arm or anchor it to your body, it kind of gets rid of that.”
As for putting goals, Schaufelle has set himself a big target of ending the season ranked number one in Strokes Gained: Putting, a goal he feels he can reach now with the armlock technique.
“I know how good it can be and I think you still have to read putts and get the speed down correct. I’m in a very similar setup compared to my old putter and I know I can putt with a shorter putter, so I figured if I can get an advantage on the greens, and maybe get to first in putting, that would be something special. So I’m going to give it a go.”
Xander Schauffele putter specs
- Model: Odyssey Wrist Lock #7
- Length: 38 inches
- Loft: 5.5 degrees
- Lie: 71.5 degrees
- Shaft: Black stepped shaft
- Grip: WristLock SuperStroke
- Insert: White Hot
- Alignment aids: Top and tracers in white
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Jon Rahm looked to have settled on putters, having become a Callaway staffer earlier this year, but at Muirfield Village, the Spaniard has changed flatsticks again.
The 26-year-old had been using a Odyssey 2-Ball Ten putter this season but has now moved to an Odyssey White Hot OG Rossie S putter as he searches for form on the greens.
The Odyssey White Hot OG Rossie S putter is a slant-necked flatstick with no alignment aid and features a Microhinge Star insert for speed off the face.
Joe Toulon, the PGA Tour rep for Odyssey, broke the news and explained why Rahm had made the switch, explaining that he had been struggling with his putting from 8-10 feet.
View this post on Instagram
Rahm ranks outside the top 100 in putting this season, and the move to a new putter worked nicely in round one at the Memorial, with the Spaniard gaining 1.5 strokes over the field on the greens.
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Whats in the Bag3 weeks agoK.H. Lee’s winning WITB: 2021 AT&T Byron Nelson
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19th Hole2 weeks agoTiger Woods takes photo with inspiring young cancer patient Luna Perrone
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19th Hole2 weeks agoRory McIlroy: Criticism of caddie Harry Diamond ‘uncalled for’
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19th Hole5 days agoJustin Thomas’ act of kindness to support fellow pro
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19th Hole2 weeks agoTour pro brutally left hanging when trying to congratulate Phil Mickelson
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Jerry G
Feb 10, 2019 at 9:36 pm
Ever since Rocketbalzs 2 and SLDR, I don’t believe anything TM says …
Darryl
Feb 4, 2019 at 7:30 am
The Emperor’s New Driver.
Fast
Jan 26, 2019 at 9:23 am
So….if you took the injected foam out of the face, it would be faster/illegal?!?
BP
Jan 29, 2019 at 6:28 pm
As soon as I heard about it my first thought was how to get it out… with a SS of only 60mph due to physical impairment I look for every advantage I can get
Speedy
Jan 23, 2019 at 12:06 pm
I could whack the non-draw biased M5, nice look. But not at its price tag.
TAYLORswiftMADE
Jan 6, 2019 at 4:05 pm
Um hmm, bob parson would Beg to differ, PERIOD.
orv
Jan 6, 2019 at 2:29 pm
You convinced me. TM make superior clubs and they are tour tested. I would love to own the latest TM clubs but they are too expensive. If TM people are posting on this forum please lower your prices so that I and many of my golfing buddies can afford and buy your wonderful products.
Bill Parker
Jan 5, 2019 at 6:10 pm
I got a M5 driver and it developed a rattle in the head. The store said they would send it back to TM to inject a bit more resin to stop the rattle. I hope it doesn’t depress the driver performance even more with the extra resin.
NWO4Life
Jan 5, 2019 at 9:18 pm
The M5 isn’t available to even pre-order until January 18th?
TAYLORSWIFTMADE
Jan 6, 2019 at 12:22 pm
Yes, to the general public.
Simms
Jan 6, 2019 at 1:31 am
So if they inject more resin to stop the rattle they will be decreasing the COR…I would bet over time, just as happened in the past with some clubs, the injected product will break off and you will have a rattle, and if it breaks off enough you now will have a non-legal club as cor will go back up…RIGHT? What is the playing life of this $550 driver…only time will tell playing out on the course in different weather…
ogo
Jan 5, 2019 at 5:56 pm
“It was an engineering challenge to be sure and 4 years in the making but we knew if we could nail the injection technology, we would really have something special.”-TM Metalwoods Director, Tomo Bystedt
That’s not only ludicrous, it’s a bald-faced lie. This is a 30 day max engineering solution. Marketing mendacity…. sooo obvious.
Satan
Jan 5, 2019 at 11:05 pm
I have a nice bench on which for you to bend over when I spank you
ogo
Jan 6, 2019 at 1:36 am
Satan is a woman… 😮
Simms
Jan 6, 2019 at 1:33 am
Do you really think the golf engineers are really good, look at Wilson 2 years ago their engineers gave us the Triton driver…
ogo
Jan 6, 2019 at 1:39 am
I doubt OEM golf companies hire graduate engineers for piddling golf club cosmetics. Besides real engineers cost too much and you can get an engineering technologist for half price and halfazz solutions… which looks like TM club designs.
Daniel Green
Jan 5, 2019 at 2:48 pm
Has there ever been a bad product review in any major publication about any club? Looking at reviews has to be the most pointless thing ever.
ogo
Jan 5, 2019 at 6:01 pm
Gearheads live off Pinocchio stories and they are fed blatant lies which they eat up and believe. The M7 & M8 models are now in the product pipeline if the current c r a p doesn’t sell by June…. believe it…. and keep your money in your wallet.
Satan
Jan 5, 2019 at 11:07 pm
I look forward to dragging you to hell
smz
Jan 5, 2019 at 1:20 pm
I want my driver injected so my dynamic loft is up there and ready to blast that ball into the hole. Foam is better than toking an empty can of air and playing stoned.
Rich Douglas
Jan 5, 2019 at 11:03 am
I used to chase clubs…a lot. I got off that jag a couple of years ago with a radical approach: club fitting.
Buying off-the-rack stuff for years, I was grasping in the dark. With irons I’d go from super-game-improvement to forged blades and everything in-between…then back through it again. It was stupid. Woods? Every time TM came out with something I’d get it, regardless of whether or not it was good for me. But….
I finally got fitted for the driver. I was spinning the ball too much, ballooning my drives and getting insufficient roll-out. So I got fitted. Thinking I was going to purchase the latest Callaway (to replace the latest TM, natch), I instead went with the driver-and-shaft combo that got my RPMs down (by a thou). In my case, that was the Titleist 917D. I would never have come to that decision on my own, but I’m glad I did. I’d have to see a real, significant difference in performance before swapping it out. Money is no object, but performance is.
Irons were the same issue…until I got fitted for single-length Wishon Sterlings. Now, I could be tempted with an upgrade there, but no one is coming out with anything better. Cobra and Edel have good products, but there’s no real reason to switch. And since I’m never going back to variable-length irons (after two years, I’m pretty sure of that), I guess I’ll be gaming the Sterlings for a very long time. Now, if Ping should come out with a set….
ogo
Jan 5, 2019 at 6:06 pm
You are an exception after gaining wisdom to get fitted. Gearheads live to buy and flaunt the latest model clubs so they can be the first to bag the latest greatest new clubs. Most gearheads who list their WITB ar senal of silly club-shaft combinations are simply a man-child who likely doesn’t have a game…. soooo obvious
Ripper
Jan 5, 2019 at 11:08 pm
Man you’re a great salesman Rich, but totally unconvincing
Tom
Jan 5, 2019 at 2:11 am
Not going to the PGA Show, giving up the Driver Count, and this bee S marketing story for a new launch? This company isn’t worth what the current buyers paid for it, guess that’s why they haven’t flipped it. How the mighty have fallen.
Tom
Jan 4, 2019 at 6:31 pm
Company was reportedly bought at fire sale price of $430 mil from adidas, probably worth a lot less than that now….this product line is just plain embarrassing….
ogo
Jan 5, 2019 at 6:13 pm
Let’s ridicule this ridiculous rube goldberg driver off the market. It’s an insult to the game of golf. Enough is enough.
Matt
Jan 4, 2019 at 12:29 pm
All the TM bashing sustains me….
Let the ‘true players’ keep buying the retread Titleist drivers every other year…
The best players in the world are bombing TM drivers….
Keep up the hate tho. It’s not tired or pointless just yet……..(eye roll)
Travis
Jan 5, 2019 at 11:47 am
The best players in the world are hitting TM drivers because they get paid to use TM drivers. Once other companies pay more (like Honma for JR) then those players will go elsewhere.
smz
Jan 5, 2019 at 8:47 pm
Recreational gullible golfers will buy these “tour tested” drivers because if it’s good enough for the pros it must be good enough for them. Those who buy one of these drivers will sing the praises of their recent purchase even though it does nothing for their game. Golfers are pathetic c l o w n s, laughing on the outside and crying on the inside. Yuk yuk… boo hoo …. 😮
james
Jan 6, 2019 at 8:23 am
watch the driver count this year. TM have pulled the budget for players. For the last 10 years they have paid everyone, even the lowest tour players in Europe were getting 18k per year for the driver. The driver count will flip this year. TM bought driver count and Titleist buy the ball count. You don’t need to dig very deep to understand that.
HDTVMAN
Jan 4, 2019 at 11:51 am
Kind-a looks like the SLDR! The sliding weights do work, but when I originally saw the pics I thought the screws on the face would adjust the “twist-face”!!! Bottom line…bought a driver in the past 4 years? Compare your’s to the new one on the same monitor, same balls, at the same time. You’ll probably find the carry and dispersion similar. If so, save your money, until the next generation comes out, or save $100+ and buy the 2018 model. Remember, USGA numbers are maxed very closely by ALL manufacturers every year, so don’t expect 10-15-20 yards further with a 2019 model (maybe 1-3yds). Plus the prices are out of sight! Two top drivers for 2018, the Ping G400LST (and SFT) is now $299 and the Callaway Rogue is $399…why spend $549+ for a driver that definitely won’t out-perform either of these? Plus, check out different shafts–your driver’s engine. High-medium-low trajectory & higher & lower spin…are you hitting the shaft best for your game? Probably not!
Tmagfag
Jan 3, 2019 at 8:04 pm
Mizuno with the classiest looking driver of 2019, lol
Charles
Jan 3, 2019 at 3:46 pm
This club doesn’t look USGA legal
Patrick
Jan 3, 2019 at 3:41 pm
That’s what we need. 30% thinner! The engineers at Taylormade don’t care if we fill the landfill with cracked heads…..they must “innovate” or become unemployed!
Tiemco
Jan 4, 2019 at 11:46 am
Buy titanium futures!!!!
JP
Jan 3, 2019 at 2:36 pm
You gotta have screws for brains to buy into this latest marketing ploy
Steve
Jan 3, 2019 at 1:46 pm
This brings new meaning to “hitting it on the screws”…
DJpga
Jan 4, 2019 at 7:57 am
No it doesn’t. Wooden driver heads had screws around the sweet spot.
HKO
Jan 3, 2019 at 1:27 pm
screw holes on the face? what a great engineering decision. more cracked drivers will directly sell more heads sorta math? LOL.
Blake
Jan 3, 2019 at 12:21 pm
I just dont like the look. The squared toe and screws in the face are just too much
Tom
Jan 3, 2019 at 12:16 pm
USGA equipment rules limit manufacturers from producing products with any meaningful performance improvements, this is more marketing bee S from a company that sold for a very low price to an investment company that is now trying to peddle it to another owner…. Save your money!! Sellers Be Sellin!
William Davis
Jan 3, 2019 at 11:41 am
Madness.
orv
Jan 3, 2019 at 11:05 am
Resin foam… twist face… inverted cone technology… carbon fiber crown… this has got to be the ultimate in driver technology.
john
Jan 25, 2019 at 12:48 pm
Don’t forget that ‘proprietary algorithm’, Orv. That’s the clincher for me!
orv
Jan 3, 2019 at 11:01 am
This is beyond belief!! Injecting Speed Foam resin into driver and fairway heads will blow away the competition. Why didn’t others think of this first?!!
dat
Jan 3, 2019 at 9:59 am
Just charge $1K, they’ll still sell. PXG may sue for all those screws, but whatevs. Not like people are leaving the game or anything.