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TaylorMade 2017 M1 Fairway Woods and Hybrids: What you need to know

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With its 2017 M1 line, TaylorMade makes its fairway woods even more adjustable and forgiving, while giving its hybrids a new level adjustability. Here’s what you need to know about both offerings.

M1 Fairway Woods

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The M1 fairway woods have a smaller footprint and more compact appearance at address than TaylorMade’s new M2 fairway woods. Most better players will prefer the look of the M1 fairways at address, as well as their center of gravity (CG) location, which is closer to the face to create a lower, more workable trajectory.

Sticking to its M name — which stands for multi-material — TaylorMade’s M1 fairway woods are made from multiple materials, including 450 stainless steel bodies, Ni-Co C300 club faces and thinner, six-layer carbon composite crowns.

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The familiar sliding-track system on the M1 fairway woods allows center of gravity (CG) to be adjusted with a 25-gram tungsten weight that tweaks draw and fade bias. Compared to its predecessor, the track has been shifted more rearward, making room for what TaylorMade calls a “Speed Pocket” behind the face. The design change pushed the overall CG of the clubs rearward, helping raise launch angle and forgiveness. The Speed Pocket also plays a role in increasing ball speed on off-center strikes.

While TaylorMade admits that the M1 is not its longest-flying fairway wood (that title belongs to the new M2), the distance gap between the two fairway woods has closed. The M1 has increased ball speeds by an average of 1 mph when compared to the 2016 M1 fairway woods, TaylorMade says.

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Like past models, the 2017 M1 fairway woods are adjustable, and their new loft sleeves (made from aluminum) have 12 different loft settings, allowing golfers to adjust loft +/- 2 degrees from printed lofts and adjust lie angle.

To improve turf interaction, the soles of the M1 fairway woods have been recessed in the rear portion, helping reduce drag through impact. This will allow the club to exit quicker from the grass and prevent digging. Our early testing results show that the new sole design can really help on shots from tight lies.

The new M1 fairway woods, like the new M1 drivers, use a new FF2FF manufacturing process that reduces crown weight to lower the CG of the club head and create a slightly higher launch angle. Compared to the M2 fairway woods, the M1 fairway woods will continue to produce slightly more spin, according to the company.

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The M1 fairway woods will be available on Jan. 27, 2017 for $299.99 in 15 (3-wood), 17 (3HL), and 19 (5-wood) degrees, each coming stock with Mitsubishi Rayon’s Kuro Kage Silver TiNi fairway wood shafts. There are also 30 shafts available at no upcharge, and stock clubs will be outfitted with Lamkin UTx grips.

M1 Hybrids

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Like the M1 fairway woods, the M1 hybrids use a 4-degree aluminum Loft Sleeve to allow golfers to tweak loft, lie and face angle.

TaylorMade’s 2017 M1 hybrids introduce a new weight-track system on sole, which employs a 27-gram tungsten weight to enable golfers to give the clubs more draw and fade bias, if needed.

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Like the M1 fairway woods, there is also a Speed Pocket behind the face of the hybrids, helping increase ball speeds on off-center hits. The Speed Pocket is designed to help the face flex more on toe and heel strikes, helping mishits fly more like good shots.

Designed with input from TaylorMade staffers, the top rail and overall size of the hybrids is closer to that of a driving iron than what you’d expect from a typical hybrid. This allows players to better dial-in trajectories, making the clubs more versatile as well.

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The M1 rescues clubs come in 2 (17 degrees), 3 (19 degrees), 4 (21 degrees) and 5 (24 degrees) models, and will be available on January 27 for $249 each.

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5 Comments

5 Comments

  1. Mr Poopoo

    Dec 8, 2016 at 2:50 am

    I see TM still has some of the old Adams Golf engineers still on staff doing the hybrids.

    • Jack

      Dec 9, 2016 at 3:28 am

      Yeah that bottom edge looks like the tight lies clubs. Plus they bought them just to get the speed slot patent anyway. I’m sure they are good. Honestly fairway woods are now better than ever, with just minor tweaks every year.

      I’m not sure if this years’ clubs are better than the last though. Some of the testing and feedback has been kinda soso.

  2. DJ

    Dec 7, 2016 at 6:40 pm

    they look like game improvement clubs.

  3. Bob Chipeska

    Dec 7, 2016 at 12:13 pm

    The only thing I need to know is when they plan on releasing the M1 v3.0, so I can pick one of these up at $150.

  4. Leon

    Dec 7, 2016 at 10:33 am

    Cheapmade

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Whats in the Bag

Christiaan Maas WITB 2026 (June)

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Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D LS (8 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6 X

3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9 TX

Irons: TaylorMade P770 (3), TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7TW (5-PW)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 10 X, True Temper Dynamic Gold X100

Wedges: TaylorMade Prototype (50-SB09), TaylorMade MG5 (56-HB12, 60-LV07)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400

Putter: TaylorMade TP Juno

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord

Check out more in-hand photos of Christiaan Maas’ clubs here.

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Equipment

TaylorMade MySpider Tour and Tour X: More customizable build options now available

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TaylorMade Golf’s MySpider program underwent a substantial overhaul over the last month. Firstly, the company launched the option to customize the Spider ZT model, and now the program has returned with the MySpider Tour and MySpider Tour X.

The revamped page now gives golfers complete control over every visual and functional detail of their putter on the popular Tour and Tour X head, with every cosmetic idea thought of. In MySpider Tour, golfers can choose from four head finishes, 16 paint fill colors, nine Surlyn face insert colors, three aluminum insert options, six sightline configurations, and four hosel options — L-neck, small slant, double bend, center shaft. Six sightline options are available in MySpider Tour, including the optically engineered True Path alignment system. MySpider Tour X gives builders the option of four head finishes, four hosel configurations, and five sightline options, also including True Path alignment.

One of the more interesting features of the new MySpider program is the availability of three distinct face insert options. Along with the usual Surlyn Pure Roll insert trusted by Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, which can be customized from nine colors, golfers can now also select firmer options. Two are offered with the black aluminum Pure Roll insert, slightly firmer than the traditional insert, or for the firmest feel, golfers can choose from two colors of milled aluminum inserts.

Another fun addition to the MySpider Tour is the ability to use the “Tommy Sightline.” The custom alignment aid design, which was first drawn onto Tommy Fleetwood’s putter by PGA Tour Rep James Holley, is based on the milled sightline on his Spider ZT head. There are five shorter lines on the left and right of a longer central line serving as the traditional short line alignment aid.

See below for the full specifications sheet for MySpider Tour and Tour X:

MySpider Tour

MySpider Tour X

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Equipment

Then and now: Comparing Rory McIlroy’s current setup to his record-breaking 2019 Canadian Open victory

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In Rory McIlroy’s first appearance at the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, he crushed the record books to earn his 16th PGA Tour title in dominating fashion, winning by seven shots over Shane Lowry and Webb Simpson.

McIlroy’s score of 22-under-par 258 is the lowest 72-hole score to date at the Canadian Open, and his closing 61 is also the best final-round score in the history of one of golf’s oldest tournaments. Finally, with his win in 2019, McIlroy became only the sixth player to win the career Triple Crown, adding to his victories at the U.S. Open in 2011 and The Open Championship in 2014, joining Tommy Armour, Walter Hagen, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and Tiger Woods in a coveted list.

So, with that, why not compare his current setup to the clubs he used to break all the records?

Driver

2019: TaylorMade M5 (9 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D (9 degrees @8), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7X (45 5/8 inches)

McIroy led the Tour in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee in 2019; he’s doing the same in 2026. Between now and then, McIlroy has switched from the Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX (a shaft with slightly more feeling in the tip) to the original Fujikura Ventus Black 7X, having just made the change to the heavier version from playing the 60X.

What’s interesting about McIlroy’s 2019 setup is that the weighting on his driver is actually set in the high-draw setting, using the T-Track weighting system, whereas in the Qi4D, he’s currently using a heavily rear-weighted setup. (Two 13-gram weights in the rear and only two 4-gram front weights.)

The TaylorMade M5 driver he played in during his Canadian Open win was the company’s first head that they claimed to design to initially exceed the USGA’s COR limit, and then injected with tuning resin to bring it back in bounds.

Fairway woods

2019: TaylorMade M6 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 80 TX; TaylorMade M5 5-wood (19 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 90 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8X; TaylorMade Qi4D 5-wood (18 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9X

The TaylorMade M6 fairway wood that McIlroy was using during the 2019 season is still in the bag of some of the best golfers on Tour in 2026. Just check out Justin Rose’s winning setup from the Farmers Insurance Open earlier this year. This year, though, McIlroy has still been searching for his top-end-of-the-bag setup, having played both the new Qi4D and the Qi10, which he won the Masters with.

The same shaft swap can be seen in the fairway woods as the driver, along with slightly less loft on the 5-wood.

Irons

2019: TaylorMade P750 (4) Buy here, TaylorMade P730 (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0
2026: TaylorMade P760 (4), TaylorMade Rors Proto (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0

The biggest difference between McIlroy’s custom set and the stock P730s is the groove design. While the P730s were constructed with 14 MX-9 grooves on their milled faces, McIlroy’s proto heads instead use the higher-spinning, 16-groove layout of the TW2 grooves. Other big differences between the sets are that McIlroy’s 7- and 8-irons have thinner toplines, are 1 degree stronger in loft, and are 1/4 inch longer than the original P730 builds.

With McIlroy’s 4-iron, the switch from P750 to P760 sees a transition to a two-piece construction with Speed Foam in it, which allows McIlroy to launch the ball slightly higher, with more workability.

Wedges

2019: TaylorMade Milled Grind (48-09SB), TaylorMade MG Hi-Toe (52-09SB, 56-09SB, 60-LB09), Shafts: Project X Rifle 6.5
2026: TaylorMade MG5 (46-09SB, 50-09SB, 54-11SB, 60-08LB @61), Shafts: Project X 6.5 (46-54), Project X 6.5 Wedge (60)

Between 2019 and 2026, McIlroy’s focus on his short game has been much more apparent. It was the reason why he switched back to the TP5 golf ball, to help with launch, spin and control with his wedges leading up to his career Grand Slam victory in 2025. The most apparent changes to McIlroy’s wedge setup are his lofts and bounce. He’s slowly delofted his pitching to a sand wedge, but has increased the loft on the lob wedge, bending his current 60-degree to 61. With that, adding more loft to his lob wedge also slightly increases the bounce and leading-edge sit point, so, as a result, he plays a lower-bounce lob wedge compared to 2019. The MG5 wedges are also softer than the first Milled Grind option from 2019. McIlroy also no longer plays the full-face grooves found on the Hi-Toe.

Putter

2019: TaylorMade Spider X
2026: TaylorMade Spider Tour X

Notice anything similar. Yes, the copper finish on Rory McIlroy’s Spider X putter in 2019 is a slightly more reflective finish than the recently released torched PVD finish. McIlroy was using the True Path alignment system, but now uses only a single white sightline.

Ball

2019: 2019 TaylorMade TP5 (#22)
2026: 2025 TaylorMade TP5 (RORS)

As mentioned above, McIlroy had transitioned from the TP5 to TP5x golf ball since his victory in Canada in 2019, but now is black with the same style of golf ball as his victory at Hamilton Golf & Country Club.

Grips

2019: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
2026: Golf Pride MCC

Interesting, McIlroy actually used Golf Pride’s Tour Velvet Cord grips during his victory in 2019 (it was during a 2+ year switch to the corded TV) as opposed to his usual MCC grips, which he has played for most of his career.

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