TaylorMade 2017 M2 Tour Fairway Wood

The TaylorMade 2017 M2 Tour fairway wood was designed with the needs of the better player in mind.  A more compact head shape and a forward center of gravity (CG) make the M2 Tour fairway wood more workable and lower launching/spinning.  TaylorMade claims the M2 Tour has the horsepower of the regular M2 fairway, but you better make sure you have the game for it before you try and bag the same fairway woods as Rory and Tiger.

First Impressions

There’s something about the regular TaylorMade 2017 M2 fairway wood that’s a little too bulky and just never really appealed to my eye, but when I first set eyes on the 2017 M2 Tour I was in love.  The M2 Tour’s footprint is indeed compact and minimal behind the ball.  Though compact, the the M2 Tour has a deeper face than you’d expect, but it wears it well with the black/white/black contrast so it doesn’t seem as deep (at least to my eye).

Obviously the white/carbon theme continues with the ’17 M2 Tour fairway wood.  I know there were mixed responses to this scheme when TaylorMade debuted it, but I love it.  The contrast looks great behind the ball and adding curvature to the white portion makes it set better to my eye at address when compared to the previous generation which had straighter lines.

How Does it Feel?

I have to tell you, the TaylorMade 2017 M2 Tour fairway wood feel is going to shake out with whether or not you’re a good fit for the club.  The standard ’17 M2 fairway wood is much more universal and has a lot of forgiveness to it.  A better player that fits the ’17 M2 Tour could very well find it to feel amazing like I did.  The face is very solid and feels like the ball absolutely launches at impact.  Being the M2 Tour is for a better striker, that feel requires a high level of precision.  This fairway wood isn’t exactly forgiving and mishit shots will let you know, but that’s what you should expect from this style of fairway wood.

The precise and responsive feel of the 2017 M2 Tour make it easier to control your shot selection.  I found it very easy to “get in tune” with club and manipulate my shots accordingly.  This statement may not make a ton of sense, but if you’ve had the experience of “lack of club awareness” then you know exactly what I’m talking about.

How Does it Sound?

One of the major focuses TalyorMade had with the 2016 and 2017 M lineups was to tune the sounds to a more appealing range for players.  TaylorMade largely accomplished this in the ’17 M2 line with the Geocoustic sole which has sound ribs on the outside to dampen vibrations and control the pitch of the club’s sound.  With good contact and some speed, the TaylorMade 2017 M2 Tour fairway wood has a solid sound to it that perfectly matches its feel.  If I could best put it into words, I’d say it has sort of a “snap-crack” to it when you catch one pure.

On-Course Performance

I have to tell you, I have not had this absurd of testing numbers in a long time.  The first time I tested a TaylorMade 2017 M2 Tour fairway wood, I was seeing some great data.  I thought, “eh, it’s a fluke, the machine’s probably juiced” or “maybe I’m just having a great day?”  Regardless, the data caught my attention and I was curious to see more.  I revisited testing about two weeks later and experienced more of the same.  It was pointed out to me “you’re spinning that thing as low as a driver with the same speeds.  Time to stop playing a driver.”  Compelling, but I still have a driver in the bag.

Ok, enough of the humble brag.  The point is, I understand why the M2 Tour is a popular option among TaylorMade staffers.  Finding that lower, yet playable, spin in a 3 wood is great.  By moving the CG forward, tinkering with the carbon composite crown a bit, and lengthening the Speed Pocket, TaylorMade certainly added speed to the M2 Tour.

The only point of disagreement I had with TaylorMade came in terms of trajectory.  By moving the CG forward, TaylorMade definitely brought the spin down, but they also brought the trajectory down.  In fact, the biggest reason I prefer the M2 Tour over the M2 fairway is because of its lower launch.  I hit too many short balloons with the regular M2, but with the M2 Tour I was hitting piercing bullets with just about the perfect height for my game.  Sure, you could tune this with different shafts, but I don’t generally consider the M2 Tour to be high launching.  Don’t misconstrue that information though.  If you fit the M2 Tour, shot height will not be an issue for you.

Final Thoughts

TaylorMade certainly nailed it when they set out to make a beast of a fairway wood for the better player.  With a strong ball flight and great feel, the 2017 M2 Tour fairway wood is a distance machine combined with excellent playability.  If that in itself isn’t enough, the M2 Tour looks sick behind the ball with its signature carbon crown.  More importantly, the M2 Tour fairway wood is flat out fun to hit if you have the game for it.

Stock TaylorMade 2017 M2 Tour Fairway Wood Specs

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