Equipment
New TaylorMade M5 and M6 irons feature Speed Bridge Technology
TaylorMade Golf has unveiled its new M-series irons for 2019: TaylorMade M5 irons and TaylorMade M6 irons, which are available to pre-order from January 18.
A brand new feature of both irons is TaylorMade’s new Speed Bridge Technology. The new technology from TaylorMade incorporates a high strength, mass-efficient structural beam spanning across the cavity back of the club to connect the top line with the back bar of the iron.
The Speed Bridge technology (4-PW), featured on both the 2019 TaylorMade M5 irons and the 2019 TaylorMade M6 irons, aims to increase distance and forgiveness while the increased rigidity in the top line and upper perimeter of the face is designed to improve both sound and feel.
Speaking concerning the new technology, Matt Bovee, Senior Manager of the company stated
“At TaylorMade, we have always strived to push the performance envelope to give players maximum distance and forgiveness in our game improvement irons. Our new SPEED BRIDGE technology allows us to do exactly that while improving sound and feel at the same time. Distance has never felt as good as it does with the M6 irons.”
Through this technology, TaylorMade has created a thru-slot Speed Pocket (4-7) for the first time in their irons, which the company claims is their “most flexible Speed Pocket to date”. The redesigned Speed Pocket has been created to provide greater face flexibility at impact to maximize ball speed and carry distance.
The combination of TaylorMade’s new Speed Bridge construction and thru-slot Speed Pocket are designed to work in unison, improving how the iron face performs during impact by shifting the point of maximum deflection lower on the face. According to TaylorMade, this deviation activates the Speed Pocket more efficiently, delivering extra flexibility over a large area of the face and delivering faster ball speeds than their previous irons.
Both irons also feature a new HYBRAR Compression Damper, which aims to control and minimize vibration for a soft and solid feel. The stiffer top line of the clubs means that the maximum point of deflection of the iron face at impact is lower than previous designs, and the lower deflection point aligned with the HYBRAR Damper aims to dampen unwanted vibrations more efficiently.
The 2019 TaylorMade M5 and M6 irons also feature a low and deep center of gravity which aims to produce an efficient energy transfer at impact with a high launching, penetrating ball flight even for mis-hits low on the face. While the irons also contain a high MOI which is designed to provide greater stability and forgiveness.
As well as the irons deep CG and high MOI, they also contain an ultra-thin face design with TaylorMade’s patented Inverted Cone Technology (ICT). The ultra-thin face is designed to allow the iron to be flexible and fast, and paired with the ICT design the combination aims to provide players with a larger and more accurate sweet spot.
TaylorMade M5 Irons
TaylorMade M6 Irons
Specs, Pricing and Availability
M5
- Product at Retail, (Pre-Order): February 1, (January 18)
- MSRP: $999 steel/$1,199 graphite
- Set: 4-AW, SW
- Stock Shafts: True Temper XP100 (steel) (S, R), Mitsubishi Tensei Orange (graphite) (S, R)
M6
- Product at Retail, (Pre-Oder): February 1, (January 18)
- MSRP: $899 steel/$999 graphite
- Set: 4-PW, SW
- Stock Shafts: KBS Max 85 steel shafts (S, R) or Fujikura ATMOS Orange graphite shafts (7S, 6R & 5A). For women, the M6 irons will come equipped with the TaylorMade Tuned Performance shaft.
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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 T-100 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 T-100’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, like, 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 nearby 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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- Pavon’s WITB accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G430 Max (9 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 6 X
3-wood: Ping G430 LST (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 7 X
Hybrid: Ping G430 (19 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 10 X
Irons: Ping i230 (3-PW)
Shafts: Nippon Modus3 Tour 120 X
Wedges: Ping Si59 (52-12S, 58-8B)
Shafts: Nippon Modus3 Tour 120 X
Putter: Ping Cadence TR Tomcat C
Grip: SuperStroke Claw 1.0P
Grips: Golf Pride MCC Align
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Check out more in-hand photos of Pavon’s gear here.
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Tommy Fleetwood has been attached to his Odyssey White Hot Pro #3 putter for years now. However, this week at the Wells Fargo Championship, we did spot him testing a new putter that is very different, yet somewhat similar, to his current gamer.
This new putter is a TaylorMade Spider Tour X head but with a brand new neck we haven’t seen on a Spider before. A flow neck is attached to the Spider head and gives the putter about a 1/2 shaft offset. This style neck will usually increase the toe hang of the putter and we can guess it gets the putter close to his White Hot Pro #3.
Another interesting design is that lack of TaylorMade’s True Path alignment on the top of the putter. Instead of the large white center stripe, Tommy’s Spider just has a very short white site line milled into it. As with his Odyssey, Tommy seems to be a fan of soft inserts and this Spider prototype looks to have the TPU Pure Roll insert with 45° grooves for immediate topspin and less hopping and skidding.
The sole is interesting as well in that the rear weights don’t look to be interchangeable and are recessed deep into the ports. This setup could be used to push the CG forward in the putter for a more blade-like feel during the stroke, like TaylorMade did with the Spider X Proto Scottie Scheffler tested out.
Tommy’s putter is finished off with an older Super Stroke Mid Slim 2.0 grip in blue and white. The Mid Slim was designed to fit in between the Ultra Slim 1.0 and the Slim 3.0 that was a popular grip on tour.
- Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
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Tom
Jan 8, 2019 at 3:37 pm
Wow! Its glaringly obvious these guys have NOTHING new, so they reintroduce other manufacturer’s unsuccessful concepts (Nike Slingshot) in this case. They should be embarrassed.
Save your money!!!
ogo
Jan 7, 2019 at 10:34 pm
A WILLIAM ROSS PATENT SPRING-FACE IRON, CIRCA 1893
http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2007/the-jeffery-b-ellis-antique-golf-club-collection-n08380/lot.379.html
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Well… so much for TM “engineering” innovative superiority… 😮
Scheiss
Jan 7, 2019 at 8:13 pm
I love them
hehehe
Randy
Jan 7, 2019 at 6:54 pm
Nice add
stevek
Jan 7, 2019 at 2:16 pm
That slit notch in the heel under the hosel is presumably to facilitate bending.
The TM notch is an abrupt change in the hosel area and subject to high concentrated stress loading. The Ping scalloped notch is a gradual change in the hosel area and better for stress distribution. These TM irons are undoubtedly designed for the low swing speed recreational golfer to avoid stress problems and fractures.
CaoNiMa
Jan 7, 2019 at 8:11 pm
No, you’re wrong.
That slit is to entice people to stick something in it
It’s a slit after all
lol
KM01
Jan 7, 2019 at 1:10 pm
So they come off fast, and go far… No mention of stopping control though? So these go far and don’t hold greens? Longest playable iron is going to be about 8 iron for most!!!
Rod
Jan 7, 2019 at 12:57 pm
Looks similar to Speedblades
dat
Jan 7, 2019 at 12:08 pm
That thing is chunky, and expensive. No thank you.
~j~
Jan 7, 2019 at 12:02 pm
Wow, a clear miss to fans of previous M models. But hey, we’ll just keep dialing the lofts down till we have the furthest irons ever (until theor next fall release that is).
Richard Douglas
Jan 7, 2019 at 11:43 am
I’m not a TM basher. I played the Rocketballz irons and the RSi1 in the past. But….
This chase for more distance is irons is silly. First, I doubt seriously you’d see any–or much–improvement from recent designs. If you have much older clubs, sure, but you’re due for an upgrade from those Macgregor blades anyway, right?
But the bottom line is this: if you want to hit your 8-iron 10 yards farther, go grab the 7. (Oh, and if you play single-length irons, that is a really simple prospect.)
T R
Jan 7, 2019 at 11:06 am
Remember the Nike Slingshot?
Tom
Jan 8, 2019 at 3:34 pm
Same krap, different toilet
2putttom
Jan 7, 2019 at 10:57 am
wonderful, ant pro’s carrying em’ in their bag yet?
Ronald
Jan 7, 2019 at 10:47 am
7 iron is now 27 degrees of loft??
Chip
Jan 7, 2019 at 10:14 am
Now my m3 irons are worthless!
Jerry G
Jan 7, 2019 at 10:34 am
I learned about 5 yrs ago to avoid all things TM.
John
Jan 7, 2019 at 9:42 am
That’s basically the exact thing Callaway did with Epic irons… years ago..
Brian McGranahan
Jan 7, 2019 at 8:51 am
More garbage.
Jerry G
Jan 7, 2019 at 7:36 am
So that the faces will not collapse any longer, they made a speed bridge… another TM gimmick marketed as innovation. Makes sense.
Stoney
Jan 21, 2019 at 9:43 pm
At least no one will have to return these due to the face collapsing. They got something right.