TaylorMade Golf M3 and M4 Driver, Fairway Wood, and Rescue Preview

TaylorMade Golf is shifting the landscape of golf club engineering with the introduction of their new M3 and M4 metalwoods.  In a radical departure from traditional driver face design, TaylorMade's breakthrough innovation - Twist Face technology - promises new thresholds of never before seen performance. You might even call it a plot twist in driver design (see what I did there)? 



Seriously though, the concept is intriguing and it's sure to be a polarizing topic in the industry.  Twist Face technology is supposed to deliver a corrective face angle for shots hit off-center that should result in longer, straighter shots.  I'll have a full report for you from the PGA Merchandise Show on whether or not the benefits are real and tangible. 

Traditional driver faces feature uniform curve from the heel to toe (bulge) and crown to sole (roll).  Studying data captured from more than half a million shots that simultaneously tracks head presentation (in-out path, angle of attack, loft, impact location), initial launch conditions, and final landing location of the golf ball, TaylorMade discovered there was a flaw in this traditional design. 

High face shots and high toe shots had a left tendency of the target line and spin significantly less.  While low face and low heel shots tend to land right of the target line with a significantly more spin. 

 

To counteract the high-toe miss (a hook), the driver face has been literally twisted open (loft increased and face opened) on the high-toe to help straighten ball flight.  Similarly, to counteract the low-heel miss (a slice) the driver face has been twisted closed to de-loft and close the face in the low heel area. 

 

 

Re-imagining traditional driver face design, TaylorMade’s Twist Face technology is truly the first of its kind. Twist Face, featured in both the new M3 & M4 drivers, is TaylorMade’s solution to counteract golfers’ most common misses, more specifically, those resulting from the high toe and low heel impacts. 

M3 Driver 
In addition to Twist Face technology, the M3 driver features a new matte silver front section and a raised, aerodynamic five-layer carbon composite crown.  Years of research and development have culminated in some of the thinnest, strongest and lightest composite panels in the industry. 

 

Exclusive to the M3 in both the 460cc and more compact 440cc model is a new intuitive Y-Track adjustability system.  This allows for CG adjustment of the head to obtain desired, optimal ball flight parameters.  Unlike the T-Track on both the 2016 and 2017 M2 drivers, the heel-to-toe track and front-to-back track on the M3 are connected utilizing two 11 gram weights. 

 

The Y-track gives the golfer more precise CG adjustability than ever before with more than 1,000 unique CG configurations.  That's more than double the number of positions in the 2017 M1.  Add in TaylorMade’s 12 position, 4-degree ultra-lightweight aluminum Loft Sleeve (back sleeve compatible) and the result is an unparalleled level of personalization. 

A new Hammerhead slot housed in the sole was engineered to work in combination with Twist Face and Inverted Cone technologies to deliver maximum ball speed across a larger area of the face and larger sweet spot. The Hammerhead slot’s design is defined by three design elements: the central Speed Pocket, the face geometry, and the stiffening ribs. 

 

The M3 ($499) will be available in 8.5*, 9.5*, 10.5*, and 12* lofts with shaft options that include: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Red, Blue, or White shafts, and a variety of other premium shafts. 

M4 Driver 
The M4 driver is a replacement for the M2 driver and offers all the same technologies as the M3 except for the Y-Track adjustability system.  The emphasis with the M4 driver is on unparallelled forgiveness and straight distance.  A thinner and lighter face increases ball speeds, while an 86% increase in weight in the rear of the club improves stability. 

 

Also new to the M4 is Geocoustic technology.  This combines geometry and acoustical engineering to deliver more forgiveness and best-in-class sound.  Geocoustic sole shapes allow for a low CG and larger head size, but with a more curved sole which has inherently higher frequencies, leading to better sound and feel. 

 

The M4 ($429) will be available in 8.5*, 9.5*, 10.5*, and 12* lofts with a Fujikura Atmos Red shaft. An M4 D-Type driver for players who prefer a draw bias option will also be available. 

M3 Fairway 
Constructed with a 450 stainless steel body, strong Ni-Co C300 face and new, thinner 5-layer carbon composite crown (same as the M3 and M4 drivers), the new M3 fairway takes a premium, adjustable fairway to the next level. 

 

 

An improved track system that houses more moveable weight allows for the adjustment for preferred shot shape; from fade to draw, more than ever before.  Similar to the M3 driver, the M3 fairway also utilizes an ultra-thin, ultra-light crown and sole panel.  Discretionary weight is placed low and forward into the M3's clubhead to create driver-like launch conditions (high launch & low spin). 

The sliding weight track (SWT) incorporates a new, smaller Loft Sleeve screw, which positively affects the Speed Pocket.  By taking up less room on the sole, the Speed Pocket length from heel-to-toe is extremely efficient promoting faster face-flex and ball speed on mishits low on the face and also reduces backspin leading to more overall distance.  The M3 fairway woods ($299) are available in 15*, 17*, 19* lofts. 

M4 Fairway 
The M4 fairway wood incorporates everything learned from the use of multi-material composition, Speed Pocket, Geocoustic Technology, and ICT integration to deliver maximum distance and forgiveness by way of a larger sweet spot and more optimal launch conditions. 

 

 

A new split-weight mass pad separates the weight at the outward extremities of the head to maximize ball speed on mis-hits.  A thinner, stronger Ni-Co C300 face along with Inverted Cone Technology (ICT) also contributes to minimizing ball speed loss on off-center impacts.  The M4 fairway woods ($249) will be available in 15*, 16.5*, 18*, 21*, and 24* lofts and come with a stock Fujikura Atmos Red shaft. 

M3 Rescue 
The new M3 Rescue incorporates a moderate sized, Tour-proven and preferred shape with more moveable weight than the M1 Rescue and a new sole design that will appeal to players of all ability levels. 

 

The crown showcases a whole new look with a premium two tone, matte silver front section and gloss black back body framing the ball beautifully. 

The sole is engineered with a performance-driven adjustable sliding weight system, allowing golfers the opportunity to not only experience the neutral/fade biases of its predecessor, but also having more moveable weight for an unparalleled level of personalization. The M3 hybrids ($249) are available in 17*, 19*, 21*, and 24* models with Mitsubishi Tensei Blue shafts. 

M4 Rescue 
The M4 Rescue produces exceptional ball speed and a larger sweet spot for enhanced overall playability.  A cut-through Speed Pocket helps to increase launch and maximize ball speed on shots hit below center face. 

 

Similar to the M4 fairway, a new split-weight mass pad separates the weight at the outward extremities of the head to increase the club’s forgiveness by preserving ball speed on shots hit off-center.  The M4 Rescue is designed to help average golfers replace a long iron with higher, longer and more draw-biased performance.  The M4 Rescue ($219) will be available in 19*, 22*, 25*, and 28* lofts with Fujikura Atmos Red shaft.