Equipment: Lots to get excited about in the TaylorMade 2017 product range

We attended the TaylorMade 2017 product launch at West Palm Beach in Florida to see what was new and what had been improved.

There’s no way of denying that 2016 was a fantastic year for TaylorMade.

Despite being put up for sale by parent company Adidas, their M1 and M2 products were a phenomenal success with club golfers and tour pros alike.

In Dustin Johnson, Jason Day and Justin Rose they saw continued success from their own staff players.

But what validated the quality of the M1 and M2 product even further was the number of non-contracted players which turned to TaylorMade woods.

At the TaylorMade 2017 product launch event in West Palm Beach, CEO David Abeles said that there were 18 Nike players made free agents by their decision to leave the golf hardware market.

Finally… New @TaylorMadeTour M woods. 15 out of 18 Nike players made the switch to @TaylorMadeTour #TaylorMadeEvent pic.twitter.com/nmn8omD10R

— James Savage (@JamesSavageNCG) December 6, 2016

He said that 15 of them have since switched to TaylorMade product.

Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Brooks Koepka, Francesco Molinari and Thorbjorn Olesen being among those putting TaylorMade woods into play.

What is being stressed with the TaylorMade 2017 product line is that this is not new for new’s sake – they believe there are significant improvements

Particularly with their new 5-layer TP5 golf balls which have been 10 years in the making and have been creating a huge buzz among tour players.

TaylorMade 2017 product line – what’s new?

So here's the new @TaylorMadeTour M family in full. Can't wait to have a hit of EVERYTHING tomorrow #taylormadeevent pic.twitter.com/y70LleSoWQ

— James Savage (@JamesSavageNCG) December 6, 2016

There’s a new M1 and M2 and driver, fairway and hybrid – sorry, Rescue.

The TaylorMade M1 and M2 irons have also been upgraded.

We’re expecting two new sets of forged players irons and wedges to be unveiled soon and they have launched the TP5 and TP5 golf balls.

TaylorMade say their new ball is their most complete tour ball ever that should add a bit more distance, a straighter flight and exceptional greenside spin.

TaylorMade 2017 product line – M1 and M2 drivers

The look on the sole is quite a bit different on both drivers here and the difference between each driver is still fairly simple.

Get dialled in more precisely with the M1, get superb forgiveness with the M2.

The M1 has a 43 percent larger carbon composite construction than it’s predecessor which means significant weight savings are made to create a low centre of gravity and improved adjustability

A more aerodynamic T- Track system houses 27g of moveable weight (2g more than the first generation M1).

Expect Jason Day and Dustin Johnson to be sticking with M1 for 2017.

The 2017 M2 driver also has a new look with what TaylorMade are calling a ‘Geocoustic’ design.

The new Geocoustic feature combines geometry and acoustical engineering to unlock more forgiveness and better sound.

They’ve freed up some volume in the sunken part of the head which has allowed engineers to make the head larger – both the visible footprint as well as the club’s face.

TaylorMade 2017 M1 fairways and rescues also have improved adjustability.

The M2 should be more forgiving thanks to a longer and more flexible speed pocket.

TaylorMade 2017 product line – M1 and M2 irons

They’ve definitely improved the looks of the M2 irons with a thinner top-line but have still maintained their forgiveness.

A bit more weight has been saved with a new fluted hosel design which has allowed them to keep the CG nice and low to still get that high ball flight and easy launch.

The TaylorMade 2017 M1 irons look absolutely stunning. They promise similar performance benefits to the M2 but in a sleeker look that will suit the eye of better players.

Oh, hello new @TaylorMadeTour M1 irons. These look absolutely delightful #TaylorMadeEvent pic.twitter.com/MebP7DrSEL

— James Savage (@JamesSavageNCG) December 6, 2016

Both irons have speed pocket and face slot designs for more forgiveness across the face.

TaylorMade 2017 product line – First impressions

This a a very comprehensive line-up and if they have managed to improve the performance on the original M1 and M2 products then 2017 should be another fantastic year for TaylorMade.

I’m still not sure we’ll see club golfers ditching their M1 and M2 drivers for the 2017 version.

They’ve only been out for a year and will continue to do a fantastic job.

These new products will inevitably push the prices down on the original M1 and M2 products so we might see a lot of club golfers getting into those products first over the next few months.

I expect the M1 irons to be a huge hit as there will be many players who admired the performance benefits of the M2 irons but just didn’t want to look at something that chunky.

TaylorMade are at the top of their game at the moment so it will be very interesting to see how all these new clubs perform.

Stay tuned for our video reviews…

Details

TaylorMade 2017 M1 Driver: £479
Fairway: £279
Rescue: £239
Irons: Steel 7-piece set – £849
In store: January 27, 2017

TaylorMade 2017 M2 driver: £369
Fairway: £229
Rescue: £189
Irons: Steel 7-piece set – £699
In store: January 27, 2017

For more information visit the TaylorMade website here