Is the Taylormade M3 Driver Still Good?

Is the Taylormade M3 Driver Still Good? – Is it Forgiving for High Handicappers?

Taylormade M3 Driver

“In 2018, Taylormade released the successor to the wildly popular M1 driver: the M3.”

2018 seems like a lifetime ago, doesn’t it. That was well before anyone in the world was acquainted with the word “COVID” and before golfers had to carefully plan their tee-times and their Sunday foursomes.

It was also an interesting time for golf gear. We were well in the throes of the carbon fiber era and were awash in gear that was specifically developed for higher handicap players.

Enter: the Taylormade M3 driver.

Now in 2018, the M series of drivers was no stranger to golfers. In fact, many waited with bated breath to see how Taylormade planned to improve on the M1 driver.

But the Taylormade M3 threw a lot of people for a loop. We recently tested the Taylormade M3 driver to see if it has any merit in 2023. Read on to find out what we discovered.

“One big change that Taylormade made (no pun intended) with the M3 is the flipped and reshaped T-Track adjustable weighting system.”

In the Taylormade M1 driver, the “T-Track” sliding weight system was exactly that: shaped like the letter T. With the Taylormade M3, they changed it to a “Y” shape and flipped it upside down.

We like the decision to flip it upside down. The reason being is because this shifts the shot-shaping weight (the one that moves from side-to-side) to the rear of the head as opposed to the front of the head.

This increases forgiveness. It increases forgiveness by placing the weight in the rear of the head and increasing MOI.

So your mis-hits aren’t as pronounced because the head is stabler and doesn’t warp so much at impact. The result: straighter flight.

However, we aren’t huge fans of the “Y” shaping of the sliding weight system. The weight that dictates spin (the one that moves from front to back) isn’t affected by the reshaping.

But the curvature of the lateral track makes adjustment less intuitive. It’s harder to dial in your optimal shot shape with the Taylormade M3 than it was with the M1 driver.

That all being said, the Y shaping allows for the shot-shaping weight to reach farther back in the head which probably serves to increase MOI even more. So overall, yes, the Taylormade M3 is still an excellent driver in 2023.

Is the Taylormade M3 Forgiving for High Handicappers?

“We would say it’s not as forgiving as the Taylormade M1; but it is still impressively forgiving overall.”

The Taylormade M3 has two features that were included specifically to enhance the forgiveness factor: the Twist Face and the Hammerhead Slot.

Twist Face is now a common feature; but the M3 was the first M-series driver to feature it. The Twist Face preserves optimal launch conditions in the high-toe area and keeps spin low on low-face strikes.

The Hammerhead Slot also helps to keep spin rates low and ball speed high on low-face strikes. These two features coupled with the dual sliding track weight system make for a very forgiving driver.

More importantly though, it’s forgiving for all kinds of players, not just high handicappers. The Taylormade M3 allows you to achieve optimal spin rates and launch for your swing type.

Again though, we have to mention that the Taylormade M3 is not actually as accurate as the Taylormade M1.

This probably has to do with the curvature of the face but the fact is that shot dispersion was way wider in the M3 driver – we were commonly offline by 15+ yards.

Taylormade M3 Vs Taylormade M1

“If you want the best chance at an accurate driver, the Taylormade M1 driver may be more beneficial.”

The M1 lacks the Twist Face technology; but that may be what makes it fly straighter than the Taylormade M3.

Plus, you still get the T-Track sliding weight system with the M1.

Taylormade M3 First Impressions

Taylormade M3 Driver2

“We were glad that they did away with the white stripe on the crown.”

Taylormade replaced that white border with a silver one and shrunk it down – hallelujah.

While the silver strip is still a bit distracting at address and detracts from the aesthetic appeal of the M3, it is much more palatable than the clumsy white tundra that they slapped on the M1.

Taylormade M3 Selling Points

Twist Face technology
Y-Track sliding weight system
Hammerhead Slot
Carbon fiber appointments
Slightly raised toe area

Taylormade M3 Key Features

“The key features in the M3 were quite a departure from the M1.”

Y-Track Sliding Weights: This allows players to achieve a draw, fade or neutral bias. It also allows golfers/fitters to prioritize low spin or forgiveness.

Carbon Fiber: Like other M drivers, the Taylormade M3 features carbon fiber panels that help keep the head stable and lightweight.

Hammerhead Slot: Similar to the Speed Pocket, the Hammerhead Slot promotes fast ball speeds on low-face mis-hits.

What Handicap is it for?

“The Taylormade M3 would be perfect for mid handicappers.”

It’s great for mid handicappers who can keep the ball on the fairway consistently. It’s also good for high handicappers who need to adjust for pesky shot biases.

Taylormade M3 Options

5°, 9.5°, 10.5°, 12° lofts
Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei White shaft
Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei Blue 60 shaft
Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei Red 50 shaft
Amateur, regular, stiff and extra stiff flex

Who Should Buy the Taylormade M3?

“The Taylormade M3 is great for mid and high handicappers.”

There isn’t enough workability here to make the Taylormade M3 viable for single-digit handicappers. But there is plenty of distance and forgiveness for mid and high handicappers.

We would say that it’s good for players in the 12-22 handicap range. Plus, it’s vastly adjustable so most mid/high handicappers can gain total distance with slight tweaks.