6 Questions Answered About the TaylorMade M1 Driver

Brian Bazzle, Director of Product Creation-Metalwoods at TaylorMade, has seen the creation of many golf clubs. His knowledge and expertise are truley one of a kind and recently we had the chance to speak with him about the latest metalwood from TaylorMade, the M1 driver.

It seems that customization of ball flight in the new TaylorMade M1 Driver is at the core of this product. Can you please tell us how your team came up with this concept and how the plan to implement the design came about?

More and more, consumers are seeking complete personalization in the products they buy. This trend extends far beyond the golf industry, so we wanted to bring it to market with our lead product in a way that was equally intuitive and functional. TaylorMade pioneered Moveable Weight Technology with the r7 driver back in 2004, and we have been perfecting and innovating around it ever since. The adjustable weights on the M1 driver offer the perfect combination of left/right and speed/forgiveness adjustability that will make this driver a favorite among Tour players and everyday golfers alike.

With adding the CG adjustability how much difference in spin and or ball flight will customers see with this new technology?

Our testing shows that adjusting the Back Track can impact launch conditions by up to 0.8 degrees of launch and 300 rpm of backspin. With this feature, we’ve given the consumer complete control of their tee shots: for more speed, slide the weight towards the front of the face. For more forgiveness, move the weight towards the back. To complete the experience, the adjustable draw/fade weight in the Front Track provides 25 yards of left to right and adjustable hosel +-2 degrees of loft to find your perfect ball flight.

What performance gains were made with the TaylorMade M1 over TaylorMade R15 in regards to distance and accuracy? What will the PGA Tour players see and what will the average golfer see?

Our testing, both in-house and on Tour, has shown increases in ball speed across the board over past models. The reactions on Tour have been nothing short of amazing, as we’ve had many staff players picking up significant ball speed once they were properly dialed in. We expect most, if not all, of our Tour players to switch to M1 in the next few weeks.

What changes were made to the M1 driver face vs the R15 face. And how will it help golfers?

The big story here isn’t so much the face, though the face area was increased, it is the crown, and the changes we made to the overall construction of the golf club. After years of research and development, we reached a point where the use of lightweight carbon in the crown helped us unlock huge performance gains over a traditional titanium clubhead. The proprietary carbon crown, aside from looking super premium and lustful, saves weight in the club that can be used elsewhere. Specifically, thanks to the weight savings in the crown, we were able achieve the best CG location possible, projecting at center face, leading to unprecedented launch, spin, and ball speed numbers. The saved weight also allowed us to implement the T-track adjustable weight system on the bottom of the club, giving consumers the ability to personalize the golf club more than ever before. The new multi-material construction truly unlocks the greatness of this club.

I see there is alot of custom shafts with the TaylorMade M1 Driver that are not going to be “Upcharged” and 3 “Standard” shafts. How did TaylorMade go about picking what shafts would be work with the new M1 Driver Series?

We really listened to our consumers and the Tour on this one. The Fujikura Pro (high), Aldila Rogue (low), and Mitsubishi Kuro Kage (mid) are three of the most popular names on Tour right now, and are highly sought-after by consumers. Providing these three options with distinct trajectories to choose from was the final step in ensuring that the M1 emerged as the best option for those in search of distance and personalization.

Will there be any new custom color options on the TaylorMade M1 Driver in the future?

The look, design, and finish on the M1 driver has been received so well by everyone who has had the chance to look under the headcover. At this time, we do not have plans to introduce any other color options.

Hopefully this interview gives you deeper insight about the TaylorMade M1 driver. If you’d like help or if you have any other questions please reach out to our PGA Professionals. They’re here for you!

Learn more about other awesome TaylorMade golf clubs:

Alan Unruh

Alan Unruh is a Class “A” member of the PGA of America, and holds PGA Certifications in General Management, Golf Operations and Player Development. With these certifications, he is among the 1% of PGA members that hold multiple PGA Certifications. He has a profound passion for the game of golf along with extensive experience and knowledge regarding planning and strategy for golf operations, rules of golf, tournament operations and golf swing fundamentals. Alan has also played a crucial role helping manage multiple high profile tournaments throughout his career including the USGA Women’s U.S. Open, PGA and LPGA Tour events, and multiple NCAA and AJGA events.