The Loop

TaylorMade's new M1 and M2 irons build on speed, add forgiveness

December 06, 2016
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TaylorMade’s new M1 and M2 irons share the names of its M1 and M2 metalwoods. They also share a firm commitment to using face-flexing technology to change average golfers’ iron games.

While both new irons will employ the distance technologies of sole and face slots, each does so in a different package. M2 might best be characterized as a pure distance iron, while M1 is a slightly more compact iron that still has distance as a priority.

“The M2 recipe is pretty simple,” says Tomo Bystedt, TaylorMade’s senior director of product development for irons. “We want distance and height, and now with the new M2 we’re delivering more forgiveness.”

While last year’s version of the M2 iron did not incorporate face slots, the new M2’s use of the face openings improved face flexibility on toe and heel mis-hits.

The challenge with the face slots, however, is that they require supporting geometries that can raise the center of gravity, producing more spin, which is less efficient for distance. To combat that issue, the M2 features a weight-saving, redesigned, fluted hosel and a thinner topline with internal rib structures to control vibration and improve sound and feel.

There’s also a new design to the slot in the sole, called the “speed pocket,” that improves face flexibility and reduce spin but also saves weight. The key is a redesigned front part of the slot that’s a third thinner than last year’s version. That saved weight from the slot and hosel help keep the center of gravity low for higher launch and less spin.

A final piece to enhance the new M2 iron’s feel is the design of the cavity badge, which features fins behind the face slots designed to control vibration.

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The challenge with the M1 iron was to achieve the same forgiveness and speed benefits of M2 in a more compact shape. The M1 incorporates the same thin wall feature on its sole slot, as well as a thinned out topline and fluted hosel, both of which help to lower the CG. It also features the same fins on the cavity badge that control sound and feel.

The M1 fuses tungsten into the lower, outer toe section of the 3-iron through 7-iron. The heavier tungsten adds stability and shifts the center of gravity both lower and closer to the center of the face.

In stores Jan. 27, 2017, the M2 irons will retail for $800 (4-iron through LW). The M1 irons will be available March 1, 2017 ($1,000; 3-iron through SW).