TaylorMade M3 and M4 Woods and Irons Launched

TaylorMade M3 and M4 Woods and Irons Launched - Everything you need to know about the new TaylorMade M3 and M4 drivers, fairway woods, rescues and irons

TaylorMade M3 and M4 Woods and Irons Launched

TaylorMade could well have changed driver design as we know it with the launch of the new M3 and M4 drivers for 2018 with ground breaking Twist Face technology.

The new lines, which will replace M1 and M2 on Feb 16^th, comprise woods and irons that are said to boast more forgiveness, enhanced adjustability and a new matte silver colour scheme.

GEAR TEST: TaylorMade M3 v M4 Driver

Through thousands of shots during human testing, TaylorMade claim to have discovered that the bulge and roll properties on the face of drivers (which creates the gear effect on off-centre hits that returns the ball back to the fairway) has been flawed up until now, and redesigned it to provide straighter distance.

TECH TALK: TaylorMade's Twist Face Explained

The discovery was that when golfers mishit shots high on the toe, their clubface is more closed to the path and vice versa on low, heel misses, the face becomes more open.

The new Twist Face creates the proper accentuated curvature via adjusted loft and face angles (more loft and more open face in the high toe by around 1˚ and vice versa in the low heel) to correct the ball flight and reduce dispersion by up to 11 yards on mishits. The new Twist Face design should also reduce distance loss and produce more consistent spin.

TaylorMade M3 Range

Twist Face features on both the new M3 and M4 drivers, which replace the M1 driver and M2 drivers respectively, along with a host of other new technologies.

These include the new Hammerhead slot behind the face, which is said to create a 67 per cent larger sweetspot that prior generation drivers. This slot has been made longer, thinner and lighter than previous Speed Pockets thanks to reinforced outer regions.

A new Y Track on the M3 driver features two 11g weights, which can be moved independently to alter spin, launch, forgiveness and shot shape. The tracks are now connected, allowing for over 1,000 combinations when you factor in the +/- 2˚ adjustable loft sleeve.

REVIEW: TaylorMade M3 Driver

The M3 fairway wood doesn’t feature Twist Face, but it does boast a heavier sliding weight (29g vs 25g on 2017 M1) on a track that has been made longer and moved 3.5mm further forwards to reduce spin thanks to a smaller screw head. Use of more carbon fibre throughout has also improved the overall forgiveness by saving 8g of weight.

On the compact M3 Rescue, a stepped crown, which also features on the M3 fairway, lowers the CG to help get the ball up in the air more easily and a 30g sliding weight adjusts shot shape.

With the M3 irons, TaylorMade has focused on maintaining the flexible face and low CG that provides distance but with less energy loss and inconsistency across the face.

To do this job, Face Slots have been combined with new Ribcor technology, which essentially comprises two bar-like structures behind the ends of the hitting area that stiffen the outer portions of the clubhead. This reduction in energy loss is also said to improve the sound and feel at impact.

Compared to the M4 irons, the M3 offers a cleaner, more compact look and also features 15g of tungsten in the toe to boost forgiveness.

REVIEW: TaylorMade M3 Irons

The TaylorMade M3 driver has an RRP of £479 with the Tensei CK Red, Blue or White shaft. A lower spinning 440cc version will be available later in the year. The M3 fairway RRP is £279, M3 Rescue is £239 and M3 irons are £849 for True Temper XP100 steel shafts and £1,049 for Mitsubishi Chemical's Tensei graphite shafts. The M3 range will go on sale from February 16^th.

TaylorMade M4 Range

The M4 wood line has less of a focus on adjustability and has been made even more user-friendly across the board.

The new M4 driver now features a fixed 41g back weight, which is 86 per cent heavier than on M2. This has resulted in a 10 per cent higher MOI. The Geocoustic construction from M2 continues but has been refined, offering a larger profile and improved sound and feel.

REVIEW: TaylorMade M4 Driver

The face itself has been made larger overall and thinner in the heel and toe areas to generate more uniform performance across it.

There’s also a D-Type version, which has the 41g weight positioned more in the heel of the club for extra draw bias. The paint line on the crown has also been adjusted to make the leading edge look square even though the clubface is closed compared to the standard M4.

The M4 fairway and hybrid both feature a stepped crown that lowers the CG and increases launch while use of more carbon fibre throughout improves clubhead efficiency on strikes across the face.

On the M4 irons, Face Slots and Ribcor technology feature up to the 7-iron to reduce energy loss and increased overall distance. A Fluted Hosel 2.0 saves further weight to make the irons more forgiving – in fact, the MOI is 24 per cent higher than it was on the M2 irons.

On the M3 and M4 irons, added distance comes with improved sound and feel through added Face Slots and by stiffening the outer sections of the clubhead to minimize energy loss at impact.

REVIEW: TaylorMade M4 Irons

The TaylorMade M4 driver has an RRP of £369 and will also be available in draw-biased D-Type version. The M4 fairway RRP is £229 (Tour version £279), M4 Rescue is £199 and M4 irons are £749 for KBS Max 85 steel shafts and £849 for Fujikura Atmos graphite shafts. The M4 range will go on sale from February 16^th.