Equipment: TaylorMade 2017 M1 irons review – First hit
Our TaylorMade 2017 M1 irons review took place during the launch event at West Palm Beach in Florida.
Oh, hello new @TaylorMadeTour M1 irons. These look absolutely delightful #TaylorMadeEvent pic.twitter.com/MebP7DrSEL
— James Savage (@JamesSavageNCG) December 6, 2016
I spent time hitting the irons on the range at Ibis Golf and Country Club trying out a variety of different shafts.
This TaylorMade 2017 M1 irons review is done very much on a ‘first hit’ basis with some more in-depth Trackman testing and videos coming soon.
TaylorMade 2017 M1 irons review – First impressions
This was a product that really caught my eye during the launch event as it was the only really brand new product we got to hit.
The new M1 and M2 woods and M2 irons were the second generation of the respective clubs while the M1 iron was something we hadn’t seen at all before.
Another reason they caught my eye was the fact they looked absolutely superb.
The M2 irons were a fantastic club from a performance point of view offering great distance, high launch and forgiveness.
But many ‘better players’ just found the looks to be a bit too chunky.
I guess I even fell into that category as although I’m a 17 handicapper and need all the help I can get, I still want to look down at an aesthetically pleasing iron.
With the M1 irons it looks like TayalorMade have packed all the performance benefits of the M2 into a sleeker, more compact iron, with better feedback, sound and feel. Yes please.
TaylorMade 2017 M1 irons review – The technology
TaylorMade used 15 grams of high-density Tungsten in the toe-side sole of the 3 through 7 irons to lower and center the CG.
This was to create even more speed and distance by way of an increased moment of inertia (resistance to twisting) on off-center impacts.
Weight savings were also made by using a fluted hosel which means the weight could be redistributed to key areas therefore not compromising the look preferred by better players at address.
A lot of work has been done in the new @TaylorMadeTour M1 & M2 irons to improve sound and feel #taylormadeevent pic.twitter.com/1KgLYsYbgQ
— James Savage (@JamesSavageNCG) December 6, 2016
We’ve once again got face slots which were first seen in the RSi irons and are are designed to improve consistency of ball speed on off-centre hits.
TaylorMade 2017 M1 irons review – The results/NCG verdict
I hit the new M1 irons alongside the new M2 irons to see which would be my model of choice.
It was really pleasing to see that the performance with the M2 and M1 were very similar.
Granted, the really bad shots with the M2 were a little better than the rubbish ones with the M1 but overall I wouldn’t say there was much in it.
So if it came down to a straight choice it would be the M1 all day for me.
TaylorMade have succeeded in creating an iron that has the performance benefits of the M2 bus looks, sounds and feels much better.
Also, these irons go really far. I’d normally expect to carry a 7-iron 145 yards but with the M1 and M2 I was getting it to carry up to and over 155 yards with a total distance of 163-165.
I did thin a couple which carried a bit further…
Yes I know the lofts are a bit stronger than most 7-irons on the market but the flight does seem to be nice and high.
If you adjust your yardages accordingly, you won’t be flying it over the back of the green.
I’d expect these irons to be popular with players from 5-20 handicaps so TaylorMade have done a great job in creating an iron with such wide appeal.
Details
SRP: Steel 7-piece set – £849, Graphite 7-piece set – £1,049
Stock shafts: True Temper XP95 steel or MRC Kuro Kage Silver graphite. Additional custom shaft options are available.
In store: March 2017
For more information visit the TaylorMade website HERE
[skylab_video id=”51819″]YouTube M1 irons[/skylab_video]
James Savage
Former equipment editor of NCG. Inconsistent ball-striker and tea-maker.
