Is the Taylormade M1 Driver Still Good?

Is the Taylormade M1 Driver Still Good? – Is it Forgiving for High Handicappers?

Taylormade M1 Driver

“The Taylormade M1 driver was a near-immediate success when it debuted way back in 2015.”

It’s had its day in the sun on the PGA Tour and in the bags of some of the best players in the world.

But let’s not forget, this is 2023. A lot has changed in the world of golf club manufacturing.

Still, we see the Taylormade M1 driver in the bags of players at our local club and we would bet that anyone reading this does too.

So we wanted to revisit the Taylormade M1 to see if it still has anything to offer in the modern age.

“When the Taylormade M1 driver came out it was lauded for its versatility and distance.”

Let’s be clear. Most of that distance comes from the fact that this driver is incredibly versatile.

To answer the proposed question, yes, the Taylormade M1 is still good. Why? Because it can work for just about everyone.

The Taylormade M1 driver features a “T-Track” for adjustability.

There are two sliding weights: one near the front of the head that lets you move from draw to fade bias and one that moves from the front to the back of the head that adjusts spin properties.

While it may take some time (and a professional fitting) to dial in your optimal settings, there is no doubt that you can achieve them with this driver.

Whether you are a fast swinger with an aggressive tempo or a slow swinger with a deliberate tempo, this driver can be made to work for you.

Is the Taylormade M1 Forgiving for High Handicappers?

Taylormade M1 Driverๅ

“The Taylormade M1 is forgiving for high handicappers, low handicappers and mid handicappers.”

Let’s start with the basics. The Taylormade M1 is a 460cc driver with a nice pear-shaped head. At address, it looks forgiving if not a little busy.

The crown is made of a composite titanium/carbon fiber. It’s not as heavy as you would think for a driver with two adjustable weights on the sole.

Now if you are struggling with a slice, the Taylormade M1 driver will certainly help. If you tend to fade the ball, guess what?

The Taylormade M1 has a remedy for that as well. The Taylormade M1 is forgiving for high handicappers because it allows them to compensate for whatever mis-hit they tend to struggle against.

You can adjust for pretty much any kind of bias with this driver.

Better players will also benefit from the superb shot shapeability of this driver.

You can make it work for your faster, more aggressive swing by moving the front-to-back weight closer to the face and the lateral-moving weight to a more neutral position.

Taylormade M1 Vs Taylormade M5

“Taylormade doubled down on forgiveness with the Taylormade M5 driver.”

Not only do you get the same T-Track adjustable weights; but they threw in Twist Face technology for the M5.

For those unfamiliar, Twist face is a curvature that promotes optimal launch on low-face strikes and helps preserve ball speed on high-toe strikes.

This is a pure forgiveness feature that is intended to compensate for the most common type of mis-hits.

It’s hard to believe, but the Taylormade M5 is actually a bit of a step up from the Taylormade M3 driver – at least in terms of forgiveness.

Taylormade M1 First Impressions

Taylormade M1 Driver2

“We were utterly shocked at how tight the dispersion was after we finally tuned the Taylormade M1 the way we liked it.”

Of course, the weight settings that work for one may not work for another.

But for most of our testers, a very slight draw bias and forward-face weight positioning resulted in incredibly tight dispersion.

We’re talking divergence that stayed within the 3 – 5 yard range. Incredible.

Granted, it will take you some time to dial in the Taylormade M1 the way you like it; but if you take anything away from this review let it be that the Taylormade M1 is capable of achieving the perfect flight and spin for your swing.

Taylormade M1 Selling Points

T-Track adjustable weights
Composite design
460cc head
Highly versatile
Good for players of all skill levels

Taylormade M1 Key Features

“The Taylormade M1 represented one of the earliest drivers to feature adjustable weighting.”

It was definitely a head-turner in its time. The most defining feature of the Taylormade M3 driver is the T-Track adjustable weights.

The great thing about this weighting system is that a player could take the time and find the right settings for his/herself. You can also skip the trial and error process and get a fitting.

Either way, you are sure to get the spin/launch optimal for your swing.

What Handicap is it for?

“Amazingly, the Taylormade M1 works for a wide spread of handicaps.”

If you need more forgiveness you can adjust the lateral weight to compensate for your bias and move the front-to-back weight to the rear position.

If you need lower launch and want to mute spin, move the front-to-back weight to the forward position. Overall, we would say that the Taylormade M1 would work for handicaps in the range of 5 to 20.

Taylormade M1 Options

Stiff, regular, extra stiff flex
5°, 9.5°, 10.5°, 12° loft
Project X, Aldila, Grafalloy, UST shafts

Who Should Buy the Taylormade M1?

“The Taylormade M1 would be good for a wide variety of players.”

Plus, it’s not that expensive anymore. It usually retails for about $200. The best thing about the Taylormade M1 though is that it can be gamed by almost any kind of player.

Whether you are seeking more accuracy from the box, need more distance or have trouble with striking accuracy, the Taylormade M1 can help.

It is still most definitely a good driver in 2023 and can work for a number of handicaps.