The Hammerhead technology on the sole of the TaylorMade M3 driver is effectively a next-generation ‘Speed Pocket’.
It has now been divided into zones with a larger, flexible area in the centre to increase ball speed and reduce back spin for shots hit low on the face.
The new Y-track weight system on the sole adds to the adjustability by allowing weight to be moved backwards and towards the heel and toe rather than just horizontally.
This should help to add a bit more forgiveness while still being able to fine-tune the ball flight.
There are two 11g weights which can be placed anywhere so you can place both weights back in the draw and fade positions for the most stability and forgiveness.
TaylorMade M3 driver – The results
We haven’t had chance to get the TaylorMade M3 driver on a launch monitor to have a look at our numbers yet.
But we will be doing lots of in-depth testing and comparisons over the coming weeks.
This is the driver we expect Dustin Johnson and Justin Rose to be putting into play in 2018.
We caught up with Johnson at the brand’s launch event and he was getting a little bit more ball speed than with his M1 and claims his ‘high toe’ miss is going straighter with the M3.
TaylorMade M3 driver – NCG verdict
When the 2017 versions of the M1 and M2 driver were released we didn’t think there were huge advancements or improvements.
But with the TaylorMade M3 driver we can see three really significant pieces of new technology.
This is the highly-adjustable premium driver from TaylorMade for 2018 which we expect lots of tour players to use.
We’d still expect the M4 driver to be the most popular with the club golfer as it’s £100 cheaper and some still seem to get bamboozled by sliding weights.
We’ll be doing lots more testing and comparisons with the TaylorMade M3 driver so stay tuned over the coming weeks.
TaylorMade M3 driver details
SRP: £479 (460 and 440 heads available)
Lofts: 8.5˚. 9.5˚, 10.5˚, 12˚
Stock shafts: Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei White 70 X, 60 S
Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei Blue 60 (X, S, R)
Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei Red 50 (S, R, A)
On sale: February 16
More information can be found on the TaylorMade website.
