TAYLORMADE M4 DRIVER - SIBLING RIVALRY
The new TaylorMade M4 driver might be the no-fuss sibling of the TaylorMade M3, but its performance makes it anything but the red-headed stepchild of the family.
Taking over from the 2017 TaylorMade M2, which carved out a considerable niche among Tour pros as well golfers of all abilities, the TaylorMade M4 driver continues the simple approach, forgoing the comprehensive weight tracking customisation found in the M3.
But the TaylorMade M4 driver features a larger and more forgiving face than the M2 and shares the groundbreaking Twist Face technology and Hammerhead slot found on the M3 to make hitting longer and straighter drives a reality.
TAYLORMADE M4 - LET'S TWIST AGAIN
If you don't already know or haven't seen the M3, here's a quick tech recap: Twist Face technology improves the gear effect on strikes from the high toe and low heel areas, to lengthen and strengthen your drives.
And yes, Twist Face technology really does mean the clubface is twisted. Not to the point where you can notice it when you're over the ball, but when your ball striking begins to look like a Nick Nolte mugshot, it's there to provide a soft landing.
Twist Face technology came about after TaylorMade studied over half a million shots and realised that a high toe impact usually reared its ugly head after an out-to-in swing path with a shut clubface, while the opposite was true for low heel strikes: an in-to-out path and an open clubface.
So how does Twist Face technology help the TaylorMade M4 driver? The twist in the high toe area will add loft and produce more spin, and the open face will offset the left and low ball flight; the twist in the low heel area decreases loft and spin and produces a slightly more closed clubface to change the weak, high slice into a straight and strong drive.
HAMMERHEAD SLOT
The TaylorMade M4 driver also gets the new Hammerhead slot for greater ball speeds and is part of the reason the M4 is lighter and more forgiving than the TayloMade M2 it is replacing.
In conjunction with thinner carbon fibre panels on the crown and sole, the Hammerhead slot has freed up 8g of weight on the M4's clubface and pushed an additional 19g of weight rearward to increase the driver's stability and MOI (moment of inertia) - a major factor in making the M4 more forgiving.
TAYLORMADE M4 - IT SOUNDS AS GOOD AS IT LOOKS
The M4's sole has also been a redesign hotspot, with a "Geocoustic" design dishing out more distance while producing a sound at impact that will literally be music to the ears.
Featuring a gentle curve that TaylorMade say allows for a low CG (centre of gravity) and bigger clubhead , the "Geocoustic" sole not only improves the feel of the club, it also produces a better sounding strike when the ball and clubhead collide.
The curved sole makes higher frequency sounds rattle through the M4's clubhead, instead of just the dull bass frequency thuds that are common in other drivers, to make it sound as sweet as it looks - which is a very important thing to consider when you start smoking it past your buddies' drives.
M4 D-TYPE - DRAWING INSPIRATION
Hitting long, high draws off the tee like Dustin Johnson or Brooks Koepka is merely a dream for most golfers, but the TaylorMade M4 D-Type can turn at least one of those desires into reality.
The D stands for draw and the TaylorMade M4 D-Type is biased to make it easier than ever to shut the clubface a hair at impact and produce a sneaky little draw. But it also helps players who consistently fight the slice thanks to its slight offset and heel weighting bias, which gets the D-Type's face shutting quicker and easier than any other driver on the market.
TaylorMade reckon the M4 D-Type is good for 20 yards of draw bias compared to the standard M4, and it's also emblazoned with a bunch of visual cues to help square up the club for a draw at impact.
The M4 is offered in lofts of 8.5, 9.5, 10.5 and 12 degrees for right handers, and 9.5 and 10.5 degrees for left handers and features the TaylorMade adjustable hosel for quick loft changes of two degrees up or down. It is fitted with a Fujikura Atmos Red shaft and Lamkin Dual Feel grip as standard.
For women, the M4 is available in 10 .5 and 12 degree lofts and is fitted with a TaylorMade Tuned 45 shaft while the M4 D-Type is fitted with a Matrix Platinum White Tie shaft that complements the driver's draw bias.
The TaylorMade M4 driver will be available at GolfBox on February 15.