Taylormade M1 Driver

[Jeremie Boop]

Honestly Taylormade hasn't interested me in a driver since the SLDR and that was a bit of an accident.

I am more interested in seeing what PING does with their next driver.

I'll try a driver made by any company. It all comes down to what I get the best numbers with.

[randyfitz]

So I have the cobra z fly driver.  I have it set on 11 degrees.  What happens if you move it to the 11 degree draw?

[Jeremie Boop]

So I have the cobra z fly driver.  I have it set on 11 degrees.  What happens if you move it to the 11 degree draw?

I want to say it sets the face slightly closed but I could be wrong. I've never really understood how the changes to the shaft adjustments cause changes in ball flight in regards to fade/draw bias.

[saevel25]

So I have the cobra z fly driver.  I have it set on 11 degrees.  What happens if you move it to the 11 degree draw?

My best guess. It either opens or closes the face or it changes the lie angle.

You are talking small amounts of change. It's basically a comfort level thing.

[Hardspoon]

Originally Posted by Jeremie Boop

I want to say it sets the face slightly closed but I could be wrong. I've never really understood how the changes to the shaft adjustments cause changes in ball flight in regards to fade/draw bias.

If you have 18 minutes to spare, this video has a pretty good explanation:

http://wishongolf.com/etech/archive/2014-2/september-2014-adjustable-hosel-driver-confusion/

The short answer: they kind of don't.

Adjustable weights make sense to me - you are basically creating a gear effect on center strikes to induce a certain spin axis.

Theoretically, I could buy the argument that changing the lie angle of a club moves the CG by "tilting" the clubhead, but I haven't been able to find anyone who argues that this is how adjustable-hosel drivers change ball flight.

[saevel25]

If you have 18 minutes to spare, this video has a pretty good explanation:

http://wishongolf.com/etech/archive/2014-2/september-2014-adjustable-hosel-driver-confusion/

The short answer: they kind of don't.

Adjustable weights make sense to me - you are basically creating a gear effect on center strikes to induce a certain spin axis.

Theoretically, I could buy the argument that changing the lie angle of a club moves the CG by "tilting" the clubhead, but I haven't been able to find anyone who argues that this is how adjustable-hosel drivers change ball flight.

Adjusting the hosel will just change the face angle or lie angle. This pretty much dictates start lines. Given you could set it to open and then grip it so that you don't have to twist it open before gripping. These only influence curve based on your swing path and face angle delivery.

[Hardspoon]

Adjusting the hosel will just change the face angle or lie angle. This pretty much dictates start lines. Given you could set it to open and then grip it so that you don't have to twist it open before gripping. These only influence curve based on your swing path and face angle delivery.

Yeah, understood.  I guess adjustable hosels always seemed "gimmicky" to me because you can achieve the same thing by just rotating your grip slightly (either grip with your hands, or hell, even just install your grips slightly rotated).

Plus, with everyone talking about aerodynamic driver heads and turbulators and hosel "wings" (Aeroburner), it seems silly to include an adjustable hosel with limited real value.

[amoline]

Maybe I'm the odd one out here but I've always absolutely loved the white drivers. It's nice looking down and not seeing a giant sunspot, to me at least. I'm kind of upset the M1 isn't completely white because on some test videos I see the sunspot running back again. A bit irritating because I never see sun on the white part of the M1, it's always on the back. Especially when TM touts it as a big feature -- and I think it is. Guess I could get used to it. For what it's worth, R15 compared to SLDR is much more forgiving. If the M1 works for me better than the R15, I'll definitely grab it. In any case, the golf store nearby is getting some demos this weekend I believe so it'll be fun to try it out at least.

[dkolo]

Maybe I'm the odd one out here but I've always absolutely loved the white drivers. It's nice looking down and not seeing a giant sunspot, to me at least. I'm kind of upset the M1 isn't completely white because on some test videos I see the sunspot running back again. A bit irritating because I never see sun on the white part of the M1, it's always on the back. Especially when TM touts it as a big feature -- and I think it is. Guess I could get used to it.

For what it's worth, R15 compared to SLDR is much more forgiving.

If the M1 works for me better than the R15, I'll definitely grab it.

In any case, the golf store nearby is getting some demos this weekend I believe so it'll be fun to try it out at least.

People always mention glare with the white drivers as a big advantage. My driver is as glossy and glittery a black as they come, and I've never once had an issue with it.

[amoline]

No, it's not a big advantage and it doesn't make my ball go any farther, but I've always just liked it. And I suppose you grow accustomed to something. Dunno, just the white with the black face is something I really like. *shrug*

[dkolo]

No, it's not a big advantage and it doesn't make my ball go any farther, but I've always just liked it. And I suppose you grow accustomed to something.

Dunno, just the white with the black face is something I really like. *shrug*

The black face I do dig, I will give you that. The R1 had that going for it, giant stripe notwithstanding, haha.

[amoline]

Also, the bane of my golf existence was a tommy armour driver that was some solid brick of I don't know what loft uniflex thing that I wanted to throw into the pond. It had a classic black crown with a silver face, and to this day I can't use drivers that look so similar to that. Which is too bad really. Wish I could get over myself because I get Srixon stuff at a discount and I hear good stuff about their drivers. Just brings back bad memories. : )

[inthehole]

Quote:

People always mention glare with the white drivers as a big advantage. My driver is as glossy and glittery a black as they come, and I've never once had an issue with it.

agree

[Divotmaker77]

Everyone has their own swings, preferences in styles, and budgets.  I am not a believer in TM anymore because they have oversaturated the market with products that are not as revolutionary like they claim them to be.  Jason Day hits the ball a mile because he is Jason Day and is the #1 player in the world.  Average Joe's like me are not going to see that kind of benefit from a club if we have equipment that is less than 3-5 years old.  If you have an older driver and have the cash to spend then by all means go get fitted and buy one, but all of these manufacturers will have yet another new club come out in the next few months that will change your game and products like the M1 will be reduced in price and collect dust on racks just like everything else TM has released.

[benkross]

Just get it for $170 next August! I hate the look of white drivers; it's just Pavlovian at this point. I was all about getting a new driver until I learned to hit my own one. My brother got the Big Bertha I'd been salivating over and left it at my place, but I don't get any benefit from it, so I never use it, which would've blown my head away even 6 months ago. I'm curious how much the front back adjustments will do in this driver. It's a tiny weight and I'm skeptical that it's something that'll make a statistical difference to handicap golfers who struggle to deliver any sort of consistent impact.

tiny weights have a huge impact at the end of a 45 inch shaft. But like the other guy so aptly said, wait a year or 18 mos and the price will come down. I'm also hesitant to buy the first attempt at a new tech for TM. The R1 was terrible. I expect the second generation hybrid crown will be better. There will probably be some bonding issues with the carbon fiber to the titanium.

[dkolo]

Hit the M1 today at Golfsmith. They didnt have any S flex ones at 10.5 loft (they did have 9.5 and 8.5 lofted drivers, though, so... loft down is the name of the game now apparently). The thing does look spectacular. The white isn't as prominent in person as it looks in pictures and, more importantly, they went with a very high gloss finish, which is very welcome change from the mattes Taylormade loves. The M1 would pair very well with my Callaway Versa Jailbird putter, haha. The numbers were unremarkable, but it was the first thing I hit and I was swinging cold, so largely user error I imagine. The numbers were a bit better at the lower lofts and stiff flex when I tried those. The stock Taylormade grip is still an absolute joke, though. I don't know how they can sell $500 drivers with that kind of cheap, thin option. The Callaway GBB and GBB 816 DBD I tried afterwards both rock the Golf Pride New Decade multicompound grips to great success for the third year in a row.

Unrelated, the launch monitor at Golfsmith had my swing speed clocking at 117-120 mph, which, um, yeah, let's just say that's very kind of them.

[baw1]

I got the M1 this past Friday. Played 2 rounds so far with it. 1st round was mostly severe slices. 2nd round started off poorly as well until one of my playing partners pointed out to me that I was coming in way over the top. I adjusted my swing and after that hit several great drives.

My previous driver (and only one I have ever known) was the PING G20. I was actually hitting it pretty well before switching. Perhaps the M1 is less forgiving though. Swing flaws exposed more? Not sure. I will need to get use to the sound, but as long as the accuracy and distance are there I am ok with the sound difference.

 

[boogielicious]

http://www.golfdigest.com/story/the-taylormade-m1-driver-is-proving-dollar500-drivers-can-be-a-success

Apparently the M1 is doing pretty well for TaylorMade.

Quote

By Mike Stachura

It's hard to forecast just what TaylorMade’s bullish first month of the M1 driver will mean for the company, but it has already shown the industry that a $500 driver can be a success.

The M1 driver, fairway wood and hybrid accounted for one of every eight metalwoods sold in October, says golf-research firm Golf Datatech. You probably have to go back to 1995 and Callaway’s original Great Big Bertha to find the last time a driver that expensive has been the top seller.

M1’s success raised the average selling price for drivers to nearly $300, about $30 higher than it has been any month this year and $40 higher than any month since 2006, according to Golf Datatech.