TaylorMade 2017 M1 Driver

The TaylorMade 2017 M1 driver is one of the most acclaimed and noticeable drivers in golf, both on Tour and at your local track. Following the success of the original M1, TaylorMade took every concept and made that driver better in the new generation. With an adjustable T-Track, multi-material construction, TaylorMade delivered a powerful and forgiving driver in the 2017 M1. There’s a reason so many top-level players trust their tee game in the hands of the ’17 M1.

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First Impressions

To say the TaylorMade 2017 M1 driver doesn’t make an immediate impression on you would be a bold-faced lie. The contrasting white topline against the black carbon crown is an attention grabber and unmistakable on the tee box. I can definitely see where a traditionalist wouldn’t go crazy for the look, but I personally love it. The head shape is a larger pear shape with a medium-depth face. With the white/black contrast, the ’17 M1 frames the ball nicely at address. The contrast does give the ’17 M1 a somewhat slightly larger appearance which may or may not work for you.

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How Does it Feel?

Hats off to the current driver market because there are a ton of great feeling drivers out there right now. I honestly think every top driver I’ve hit from the major names has felt great. All that said, there’s something extra special about the TaylorMade 2017 M1 driver. The multi-material construction affects the vibration in the club in addition to better controlling the sound and the CG. What this means is that the club feels smoother and more powerful. With 43% more carbon than the previous generation, the M1 has more of “crack” like a line drive off a wood bat and less of that metallic spring. (The M1 has a little more “openess” to it than the smaller M1 440, for those that are familiar with that driver.) The face is extremely forgiving, responsive, and the head as a whole is well balanced.

If you’re anything like me with a driver, the whole balance thing is a big deal. I like to think I’m a decent player off the tee, but I’m very sensitive to the balance of the driver head. A simple weight swap in some heads throws me off completely. Keep in mind, this makes perfect sense because you’re changing the center of gravity. With TaylorMade’s “T-Track” you’re able to make more subtle adjustments to get the club perfectly “balanced” to your preference while also tuning the shot performance. Ultimately, if it helps you find the center of the face consistently for that huge smash factor, you’re in a good spot.

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How Does it Sound?

Much like the feel, the sound of the TaylorMade 2017 M1 driver is very powerful and shares that “crack” signature. TaylorMade spent a lot of energy focusing in on optimizing the sound performance of this driver.

TaylorMade engineers relied on proven internal acoustic management techniques and modified them as necessary to meet the demands of new materials and shaping. The result: the re-definition of best-in-class sound by controlling vibration and pitch at impact.

A finely tuned titanium body and carbon crown combine for the sound of a sharp “crack” almost like a lightning strike. Given the mixed material construction, the impact sound is a lot less metallic than previous generations. In the event you’re looking to compare to the previous M1 family, the 2017 M1 definitely sounds more solid and defined.

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On-Course Performance

Club Speed	Ball Speed	Launch Angle	Spin	Carry (Yds)	Total (Yds)
109.7	163.9	13.1º	2490	285.2	306.8

Most golfers, including professionals, are constantly fighting to find consistency in their game. As an average Joe Weekend Warrior, I’m certainly no exception. What I appreciate most about the TaylorMade 2017 M1 driver is its consistency. As a fellow weekend warrior, I feel the numbers above speak pretty well for themselves. Frankly, the only reason the ’17 M1 didn’t go in my bag was because I hit its smaller cousin, the ’17 M1 440, longer and straighter.

Once again, I can’t stress enough how crucial the ability to finely adjust the driver pays off with the ’17 M1. TaylorMade’s newer expanded T-Track is able to manipulate the center of gravity more than the previous M1s. This allows you to get the club more precisely tuned to your swing as mentioned before. Once I had the T-Track dialed in, I had pretty optimal results with the M1 enabling me to control the ball and find good distance.

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Final Thoughts

I have to admit that I was pretty anxious to see how the 2017 TaylorMade woods lineup would perform. I found the 2016 TaylorMade woods to be just ok on a few fronts, and a lot of the 2017 season’s marketing hype was centered around another brand. The honest truth is TaylorMade killed it in 2017 and made some of the best woods they’ve ever produced. In a great showing for TaylorMade, the 2017 M1 driver is a great option to fit a wide range of golfers.

To put it into context, as of writing this, this is the first time in I don’t know how long that I’ve had all TaylorMade woods in my bag. No, not a single one of them was sent to me by TalyorMade. Yes, they all earned their spots purely based on performance and results through a proper club fitting.