TaylorMade M5 Tour Driver

The TaylorMade M5 Tour driver is loaded with technology in a compact 435cc package.  With some slight tweaks, technology such as the Twist Face, inverse T-Track, and Hammerhead slot make their return.  The new technology in play is the process of Speed Injection.  This process allows TaylorMade to optimize the “COR” across the entire face for higher ball speeds by injecting a tuning resin into each driver head to hit as close to the legal limit as possible.

The Looks

TaylorMade continued the same color schemes from the M3/M4 lineup last year.  The biggest difference in the M5 Tour (as well as the standard M5 and the M6) is there is much less silver on the crown/topline and the carbon fiber has a matte finish.  Over the ball, my eye sees the silver going a bit further down the face than the M5 Tour’s predecessor.  This gave me the illusion of a deeper face but in reality, it’s pretty standard.  To some, I’m sure this could also play a role in whether or not they see the face opened or closed.

My very first impression upon receiving the club was that the footprint was classic pear shape.  Better players who like a compact shape with a tapered back to the crown will love it.  While there are a lot of great drivers out this year, the TaylorMade M5 Tour might be my favorite shape/profile on the market.  That’s the honest truth.

How Does it Feel?

There’s a lot to cover in the Feel section so buckle in.

First, let’s talk about the effect of the T-Track weighting.  I can’t speak for everyone, but my experience is that the placement of the weights in TaylorMade’s T-Track great impacts the feel of the club.  (To be fair, I find that with most adjustable weights in any club.)  The whole point of the weights is to manipulate the center of gravity.  So it makes sense that the feel would change.  With the weights set as pictured in this review, I found the balance of the head to feel funny throughout the swing and had control issues.  Moving both weights all the way up actually helped quite a bit, but I couldn’t get the ball in the air and needed more spin.  When I moved the weights to a neutral position in the back of the club, the feel was much smoother and the balance felt better to me.

Next let’s talk about the M5 Tour’s feel at impact.  The feel of the M5 Tour is reminiscent of hitting a wooden baseball bat dead on the sweet spot.  It’s almost muffled but still very solid.  Again, the wood baseball bat comparison is good to imagine.  A line drive off of a wood bat feels much different than a line drive off of metal bat.  I would have to imagine that TaylorMade’s tuning resin injected into the face plays a large role in this feel.  Overall, the face feels very solid while providing good feedback in your hands.

How Does it Sound?

If you were to walk up to me on the range while I’m heroing away and ask me what I thought of the TaylorMade M5 Tour driver, the sound is the first thing I’d mention.  Honestly, I’ve written a lot of reviews and have found creative ways to explain impact tones, but I’m somewhat at a loss here.  I’ve heard people say it sounds like it’s hot melted, and while that’s a close comparison, I don’t totally agree with it.  The sound is definitely solid, but it’s very muffled.  Don’t get me wrong, when you hit one pure, it’s a very satisfying sound with a lot of pop…I just don’t know how to describe it!  The sound isn’t metallic at all and it doesn’t sound like any of the recent TaylorMade woods.  It’s just different.  I imagine this is largely related to the tuning resin injected in the head.

If you’ve hit this club before, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the sound as well.

On-Course Performance

TaylorMade considers the M5 Tour to be a “player’s driver” and while I generally think that’s a relative classification, I think it’s pretty true here.  The smaller 435cc head is a good bit lower spinning and can be difficult to launch depending on how well you dial in your settings.  It’s also less forgiving given the smaller sweet spot.  That said, the M5 Tour is long and very workable.  The key is getting your weight settings right.  I struggled a lot with this club until I moved the weights to the back of the head.  This helped me launch the ball at a much better angle and my spin was still about as low as I’m hitting anything else right now.

In regards to the forgiveness, I’d say there’s a little help from the technology, but hitting the sweet spot is critical.  Extreme misses may stay within the boundaries of the hole, but you’ll experience plenty of distance loss.  If you’re going to play this driver, you just need to keep it around the crosshairs.  I also felt the smaller size of the M5 Tour also made shot manipulation easier.  The head of the driver seems easier to control and less “corrective” so you can easily steer one right or left, up or down.

Speed Injected Face

Speed Injection the is the big tech addition to the TaylorMade driver lineup this year.  Let’s explain what this does.  This process allows TaylorMade to manufacture all of their driver heads with face thicknesses as close to the legal limit as possible.  As each head “comes off the line,” it gets tested to see where it measures in terms the legal limits.  Based on the results, TaylorMade then injects a tuning resin which will optimize the COR across the face – aka make the face as hot as possible without being illegal.  This leads to more ball speed and greater distances off the tee.  Apparently, .3% of the heads produced don’t need any injection.  I would be extremely curious to hit one of those heads next to a Speed Injected head and see if there’s a noticeable difference.

Inverse T-Track

Moveable weights on a track system isn’t new to TaylorMade drivers by any means, however, since the original M1, the system has changed each year.  The ’17 M1 had the fade/draw bias right behind the face whereas M3’s Y-Track moved the fade/draw bias adjustments to the rear of the head.  The M5 Tour’s T-Track is similar to the M3’s Y-Track except that the fade/draw weighting now slides along the perimeter of the club as opposed to the Y fashion before.  I like this setup better because I feel the fade/draw bias allows the second weight to control the trajectory more independently.  What I mean is I can now adjust the shape bias while not repositioning the CG closer to the front of the club.

Final Thoughts

The TaylorMade M5 Tour driver packs a lot of punch by utilizing tried and true technology along with the new Speed Injected face.  The smaller profile of the M5 Tour is going to appeal to better players looking for low spin and better shot shaping capabilities.  As always, I highly recommend getting properly fit to make sure you’re playing the right driver for you.  While you may love how the M5 Tour looks behind the ball (I do), you may be better off with the forgiveness from the larger 460cc models.

Stock TaylorMade M5 Tour Driver Specs

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