TaylorMade introduces M1 driver, fairway woods, hybrids and PSi irons

[boogielicious]

I had the privilege to attend the TaylorMade launch event for their new M1 and Psi irons at Foxwood's Lake of Isles golf course in southern Connecticut. I will be doing a full review of the M1 driver and will show some photos below, but this thread is more about the event.

TaylorMade staff players Steve Bowditch and Sean O'Hair were there along with Hank Haney. TaylorMade staff was very friendly, helpful and made us all feel welcome. We all got a swag bag with an M1 hat, a dozen prototype golf balls and a mophie juice pack to keep our mobile devices powered.

The hint of the event was "Taylor ade", which left the "M" out now for obvious reasons. Their M1 driver is the latest in a long line of TaylorMade innovation.

Below is the entrance to the range. They set up a number of fitting stations with Flightscopes. Their intent was to show each media member a view of their fitting process and to fit us to an M1 driver.

Fitting range with Flightscope in each station.

I spent some time with two fitters going over the details of the new M1 driver, Nick G. and Freddy V. I asked what the design intent of the M1 driver was. Nick replied that TaylorMade wanted to make adjustability more intuitive and improve the overall performance of the driver. They've replace the titanium crown of the R series with carbon fiber, which allows more weight to be placed lower in the head. This gives them the ability to get higher launch and allow spin to be controlled by the new T-Track weight adjustment system.

Below is a fit kit with the new M1.

The T-track has a 15gram sliding weight in the front that runs horizontal to the face. It allows the player to fine tune shot shape. Another 10g slider, that runs perpendicular to the face will adjust spin by moving the CoG back a bit. The sliders are fine tune adjusters. The primary launch angle is determined by loft.  Your swing path and face angle to path at impact will be the primary factor for ball flight. The sliders will allow you to fine tune that.

The hosel adjustment is the same as the R1 series which will allow customers to use their favorite shaft. Below, Nick is showing me the adjustment. As with the R series, the hosel allow +/- 2 degrees of loft and lie adjustment.

The T-track acts like the Speed Pocket in the Aeroburner Driver. It allows the COR near the sole to be improved for less loss of distance.

The carbon fiber crown is something TaylorMade has been working on for a while. They've spent a lot of time perfecting the sound of the driver. Other carbon fiber drivers perform well, but have a muted sound at impact. The M1 sounds like an all metal driver.

The set up view shows the carbon fiber in the head. Showing the carbon weave was a great idea to me.

Below are the "innards" of the M1.

The Psi irons are a revision of the slot technology from the RSi line. A new proprietary polymer is being used to make the irons feel and perform more like blades.

I asked Nick and a couple of others about the release cycle TaylorMade has. I said that it seems to many of our TST forum members that TaylorMade has too quick a cycle and that they are obsoleting their previous models that are then being discounted.

Nick said that they hear that feedback from consumers all the time. But TaylorMade is an innovation and technology company and that drives what they do. In addition, for consumers that don't want to pay the high price of a new to market driver, they have the option of getting a lower priced model with almost the latest technology.

I found this to be a very honest answer and got the same reply from others.

I didn't get a picture of the fairway, but it has only one track on the sole with two weights. The t-track would not have worked well on a fairway because the sole is not wide enough and the additional weight in the back would cause too much CoG shift leading to tops shots.

My next post will be the fitting session with Steve Bowditch.

[RussUK]

Looks good but how much of an improvement of the R15 driver and Rsi irons are they?

Does seem like only yesterday the R15 was launched and still has a high resale value

[David in FL]

Nice. It'll be interesting to hear about your experience. I really wish TM would tone down the graphics. They always seem to go out of their way to separate themselves from the crowd visually, but I've always preferred a more subdued look.

[boogielicious]

The staff fitting session was a Q&A; with Steve Bowditch, Sean O'Hair, Hank Haney and TaylorMade R&D; staff. Hank Haney MC'd the session. Hank was very nice to meet in person. He is very passionate about teaching and helping golfers. This was very evident in how he engaged us. Hank is also a big spokesperson for TaylorMade.

Below is Hank on the range. For a 60 year old guy, he can hit it pretty far. He is tall too.

Steve Bowditch and Sean O'Hair discussed how they like to test clubs. Sean is a more feel/visual player. He likes to see the launch and flight more than rely on data. Steve is the opposite. He knows what the optimum numbers are and worked toward getting there. They both feel that the look of a driver, woods and irons are really important.

Sean O"Hair (left) and Steve Bowditch (middle), my new favorite Aussie Pro. He's from Brisbane. Sean did not hit because he tweaked his back. Brian Bazzel is the R&D; rep with the mic.

The big treat for me was seeing Steve hit. This is the first time I've seen a PGA Pro hit up close and personal. It was a wow moment.  The range at Lake of Isles is about 330 yards to the trees. Steve was reaching the trees.

Below is Steve hitting the new M1. He doesn't look like he is swinging hard, but the ball just keeps going and going. Take note of the trackman numbers.

Hit also hit a 5 iron. The new PSi irons are longer than his blades. He won't put them in the back until he dials in the distances. He did say he is really considering change to these. A 200 yard carry 5 iron that feels like a blade will do that. Steve did mention how close to blade these feel as compared to other cavity backs.

Below is his 5 iron shot. On another, Steve commented that it was a mishit while it was in the air. Hank joked, "Yeah, a 217 yard mishit."

We got to walk 3 holes with Steve B., TaylorMade's Global Product Line Manager for Metalwoods Tom Kroll, a former pro himself, and Hank Haney.  First let me say that the tees they play from are intimidating. The first was a 457 par 4. I joked that I could reach the front tee from here.

Below is Hank. He pushed it to the right into the rough.

Steve hit his about 305 yards into the left rough. I think it would have rolled through the fairway into the marsh at 370ish otherwise. He's never played the course before.

He hit one of the new PSi 9 irons to about 15 feet from 160. Pretty good for not knowing the club.

The next hole was a very intimidating par three to a small green over a marsh. Below is Steve hitting the same 9 iron. The hole was 157. The movie doesn't do justice to how intimidating it looks.

Tom Kroll on the same hole on the green with a 9 iron.

Hank chose an 8 iron. It just rolled off the back.

Next was my favorite hole a dogleg right par 4. The center of the green was 305. First Tom asked Steve to hit a hybrid to a safe spot. He aimed to just clear the fairway bunkers. Just made it!

Then Tom asked him to go for the green. Steve said, "Where is it?" Hank, having played to course said that it was to the right around the trees. You could barely make out the bunkers through the trees. He gave it a whack, below and it looked promising.

As we walked toward the green, a Golf Digest writer asked him a few questions about playing under pressure. Steve was very forth coming about his mental approach. His last win, he won wire to wire and didn't really experience the nerves. As we got closer, I could see the green. I told the group, "His ball is about 10 feet from the pin." Steve smiled and said, "Pretty good, eh?" in that Brisbane accent.

One note about the Golf Digest writer (seen on the right in the photo on the tee). I saw her on the range while she was getting fit and her husband was watching. It was their honeymoon. They were married three days before. Talk about dedication!

I had a blast on this trip.

[boogielicious]

Looks good but how much of an improvement of the R15 driver and Rsi irons are they?

Does seem like only yesterday the R15 was launched and still has a high resale value

Not sure how much we would get. Steve was getting about 10 more yards. He also commented about how much better the dispersion was. He didn't like that some longer drivers had too much.

Tom Kroll asked him about how a driver makes the bag. Steve commented that if it gave him just one duck hook, it was out!

Steve plays a fade with the driver and draws with everything else.

[Mr. Desmond]

Forgiveness?

Read comments that M1 was closer to the R1 than R15 or SLDR in terms of forgiveness - makes sense given the slide towards the back of the head

[Mr. Desmond]

Sounds like a great experience. Thank you for posting.

I understand the sliding weights are 15g from draw to fade w/ a 25 yd range

The weights from front to back are 10g, increasing launch by 0.8 degrees and increasing spin by 300 rpms.

I think it will be wildly popular with professionals and better (high quality consistency) swingers of the driver - as are most TM drivers for this market.

I think they will introduce a driver for the rest of us come winter -- hopefully, it is not a glued-in version as in the Aerobuner (nice club but more like "let them eat cake" in terms of fitting) , but more like what Callaway is doing - adjustable, sliding weights, and highly forgiving.

Oh, and Haney, when in Dallas, wore a nice face for the public, was a demanding instructor, but you would never want to work for him (I hung out at the Haney Golf Ranch, and listened to the guys whom he would chew out -- his managers-instructors. Apparently, he would rip open new holes and leave you for dead.) Hank was tight - perhaps now  with more money and fame, he has overcome his temper.

[boogielicious]

I understand the sliding weights are 15g from draw to fade w/ a 25 yd range

The weights from front to back are 10g, increasing launch by 0.8 degrees and increasing spin by 300 rpms.

I think it will be wildly popular with professionals and better (high quality consistency) swingers of the driver - as are most TM drivers for this market.

I think they will introduce a driver for the rest of us come winter -- hopefully, it is not a glued-in version as in the Aerobuner (nice club but more like "let them eat cake" in terms of fitting), but more like what Callaway is doing - adjustable, sliding weights, and highly forgiving.

Oh, and Haney, when in Dallas, wore a nice face for the public, was a demanding instructor, but you would never want to work for him (I hung out at the Haney Golf Ranch, and listened to the guys whom he would chew out -- his managers-instructors. Apparently, he would rip open new holes and leave you for dead.) Hank was tight - perhaps now  with more money and fame, he has overcome his temper.

The did a demo where they set the M1 to neutral and Steve B. hit. Then they switched to the extremes. There was a significant ball flight change. But Steve did go on about the better dispersion with the M1. I think he was hinting that the R15 had more than he wanted.

I asked them about the Aeroburner replacement and they were not aware of anything imminent. The Aeroburner is a nice club and DJ plays it.

[Mr. Desmond]

The did a demo where they set the M1 to neutral and Steve B. hit. Then they switched to the extremes. There was a significant ball flight change. But Steve did go on about the better dispersion with the M1. I think he was hinting that the R15 had more than he wanted.

Thx.

It does look like they used a lot of creativity with different materials - tungsten, composite, steel, to bring this together. The crown reminds me of the interior of a BMW... the composite weave with the theme being sports car. Pure marketing and confidence. It seems busy on top, but I liked the R1 graphics so it would not bother me. I just needed the R1 to be lighter and more forgiving. It was forward weighting but not SLDR or R15 forward. I think TM has gone back to R1 possibilities with the back sliding weight. Hopefully, they cut out weight - do not recall seeing the overall weight of the head.

The fairways are stll SLDR-like, and the hybrids do not look forgiving at all -- TM's top line is what they market the most, and I believe that is where they make money in the short run, but do a disservice to the golfing public in the long run. The golfing public is gullible. I think Callaway markets more ethically -- make a great, traditional looking adjustable highly forgiving yet performing driver and market that driver to the masses. Then say, "Heck we do have this line for better players - Alpha or Pro - but if is for about 5% of the market (or 50% of golf forums .... lol)". But TM ... I grimmace every time I saw a SLDR,  R15, and now an M1 advertisement. They really need to stop it and do the Callaway dance.

I mean, you could have Jason Day in an ad with his new M1, and say "This is my driver, but I am a pro, and practice every day with it. It is made for my low spin needs. It is set up for consistent center contact for more distance. TM makes a driver for players whose driver speed is not more than 105 and who have trouble making center contact -- it's called the Fore1 - forgiving all over the face, more spin for carry and distance, a lighter head for more speed - just what you need to try to keep up with me. And you will be yelling Fore1 when you hit into the group in front of you 260 yards away. So mates, wait a tad longer for that group to clear out... And if I wasn't so darn awesome, I'd be hitting the Fore1.. Give it a shot."

[boogielicious]

Quote:

Originally Posted by boogielicious

The did a demo where they set the M1 to neutral and Steve B. hit. Then they switched to the extremes. There was a significant ball flight change. But Steve did go on about the better dispersion with the M1. I think he was hinting that the R15 had more than he wanted.

Thx.

It does look like they used a lot of creativity with different materials - tungsten, composite, steel, to bring this together. The crown reminds me of the interior of a BMW... the composite weave with the theme being sports car. Pure marketing and confidence. It seems busy on top, but I liked the R1 graphics so it would not bother me. I just needed the R1 to be lighter and more forgiving. It was forward weighting but not SLDR or R15 forward. I think TM has gone back to R1 possibilities with the back sliding weight. Hopefully, they cut out weight - do not recall seeing the overall weight of the head.

The fairways are stll SLDR-like, and the hybrids do not look forgiving at all -- TM's top line is what they market the most, and I believe that is where they make money in the short run, but do a disservice to the golfing public in the long run. The golfing public is gullible. I think Callaway markets more ethically -- make a great, traditional looking adjustable highly forgiving yet performing driver and market that driver to the masses. Then say, "Heck we do have this line for better players - Alpha or Pro - but if is for about 5% of the market (or 50% of golf forums .... lol)". But TM ... I grimmace every time I saw a SLDR,  R15, and now an M1 advertisement. They really need to stop it and do the Callaway dance.

Why would they if they outsell Callaway? Marketing strategies are based on net positive value of sales. Also, I don't think Callaway is any more ethical. Their job is to sell new equipment to the public. That is their service. The public doesn't have to buy the clubs. TM and other manufactures want the public to want to buy the club. No one is being forced.

I did not hit the hybrid or fairway due to limited time. I did over hear TM's German head of R&D; talk about why the hybrid was black but all other metalwoods were white. He stated that it just didn't look good to the consumers.

[Natural Patrick]

Thx.

It does look like they used a lot of creativity with different materials - tungsten, composite, steel, to bring this together. The crown reminds me of the interior of a BMW... the composite weave with the theme being sports car. Pure marketing and confidence. It seems busy on top, but I liked the R1 graphics so it would not bother me. I just needed the R1 to be lighter and more forgiving. It was forward weighting but not SLDR or R15 forward. I think TM has gone back to R1 possibilities with the back sliding weight. Hopefully, they cut out weight - do not recall seeing the overall weight of the head.

The fairways are stll SLDR-like, and the hybrids do not look forgiving at all -- TM's top line is what they market the most, and I believe that is where they make money in the short run, but do a disservice to the golfing public in the long run. The golfing public is gullible. I think Callaway markets more ethically -- make a great, traditional looking adjustable highly forgiving yet performing driver and market that driver to the masses. Then say, "Heck we do have this line for better players - Alpha or Pro - but if is for about 5% of the market (or 50% of golf forums .... lol)". But TM ... I grimmace every time I saw a SLDR,  R15, and now an M1 advertisement. They really need to stop it and do the Callaway dance.

I mean, you could have Jason Day in an ad with his new M1, and say "This is my driver, but I am a pro, and practice every day with it. It is made for my low spin needs. It is set up for consistent center contact for more distance. TM makes a driver for players whose driver speed is not more than 105 and who have trouble making center contact -- it's called the Fore1 - forgiving all over the face, more spin for carry and distance, a lighter head for more speed - just what you need to try to keep up with me. And you will be yelling Fore1 when you hit into the group in front of you 260 yards away. So mates, wait a tad longer for that group to clear out... And if I wasn't so darn awesome, I'd be hitting the Fore1.. Give it a shot."

Yeah,Taylormade needs to be more like Callaway. lol ?

[newtogolf]

Yeah,Taylormade needs to be more like Callaway. lol ?

It would help them financially, TM has been losing a lot of money and market share lately and Callaway seems to be where most of the TM customers went to.

I like the look of the M1 driver, I also liked the R15.  I hit the R15 almost as well as the V Series so TM was headed in the right direction after the SLDR debacle.  They may have gotten it right with the M1.  The Aeroburner just looked like a JetSpeed and Burner model with a new paint job and a longer shaft.

[Natural Patrick]

It would help them financially, TM has been losing a lot of money and market share lately and Callaway seems to be where most of the TM customers went to.

I like the look of the M1 driver, I also liked the R15.  I hit the R15 almost as well as the V Series so TM was headed in the right direction after the SLDR debacle.  They may have gotten it right with the M1.  The Aeroburner just looked like a JetSpeed and Burner model with a new paint job and a longer shaft.

What is the SLDR debacle you speak of ?

[Mr. Desmond]

Why would they if they outsell Callaway? Marketing strategies are based on net positive value of sales. Also, I don't think Callaway is any more ethical. Their job is to sell new equipment to the public. That is their service. The public doesn't have to buy the clubs. TM and other manufactures want the public to want to buy the club. No one is being forced.

I did not hit the hybrid or fairway due to limited time. I did over hear TM's German head of R&D; talk about why the hybrid was black but all other metalwoods were white. He stated that it just didn't look good to the consumers.

Think I made persuasive arguments in my post.

You only returned from the TM event, and I'm sure you're enthused for them. So was my clubmaker - he likes them, had persuaded me to try TM ... but the reality is otherwise... get some mental distance from this event and get back to me.

Evidence of their issues -- TM is on the selling block, they've suffered financially since the RBZ, top people have left, and rapid turnover at the top.

[newtogolf]

What is the SLDR debacle you speak of ?

That when it was first launched most non-pro's couldn't hit it near the distances TM was claiming. Eventually TM realized that the spin was so low that they only way to get any distance out of it for someone with less than 105mph swing speed was to jack the loft way up but by that time people had moved on to other options.

[Mr. Desmond]

What is the SLDR debacle you speak of ?

See post 14 -- results of debacle.

SLDR is great for players who make center contact with speed -- the market for those players, I'd guess, is about 5% of golfers.

TM marketed the SLDR to the masses ... masses can't hit it, masses no longer buy TM, until TM lovingly lures them back with this BMW interior inspired driver... lol. No, I am certain it is a great driver, Tour Pros will love it. But do you do yourself any good in the long run marketing a Player's Driver to the masses. Evidence over the last 3 years says no. Callaway is way up, TM is way down.

I will hit it. Why not? And tell my 22 yr old with 114 SS that he ought to buy one in about 2 years... when TM brings out the next great driver, and he wants something inexpensive to replace the R1 that I sent him.

[boogielicious]

Quote:

Originally Posted by boogielicious

Why would they if they outsell Callaway? Marketing strategies are based on net positive value of sales. Also, I don't think Callaway is any more ethical. Their job is to sell new equipment to the public. That is their service. The public doesn't have to buy the clubs. TM and other manufactures want the public to want to buy the club. No one is being forced.

I did not hit the hybrid or fairway due to limited time. I did over hear TM's German head of R&D; talk about why the hybrid was black but all other metalwoods were white. He stated that it just didn't look good to the consumers.

Think I made persuasive arguments in my post.

You only returned from the TM event, and I'm sure you're enthused for them. So was my clubmaker - he likes them, had persuaded me to try TM ... but the reality is otherwise... get some mental distance from this event and get back to me.

Evidence of their issues -- TM is on the selling block, they've suffered financially since the RBZ, top people have left, and rapid turnover at the top.

Allow me to judge for myself please. I happen to be playing all Titleist at the moment, so I'm not easily swayed.

This thread is about the event. I shared my experience, which was my first time, for the other members. I also gave a look into the new clubs and my time walking the course with Steve Bowditch. You've turned the thread into a referendum on TM marketing practices.

If you want to discuss that, it is fine, but not the topic of this thread.

[Mr. Desmond]

I apologize. I also discussed the Driver, and then allowed myself to venture into marketing. Probably because it is a pet peeve.