REVIEWS: The TaylorMade M1 / M2 Iron Testing Thread

[JC DeLaO]

Just got my box from Taylormade last Friday containing (2) 6-irons; M1 and M2. I plan on getting some range time in next week to give them an evaluation. Thanks GolfWRX and Taylormade!

[Bubb]

I'm not part of the testing, but I just shot a 77 this morning with my new M2 irons. It was my first round with them. Hit it to a foot with my 7 iron on a par 3. Long, light, forgiving, and sound good all in a relatively compact head for their segment. I tried the G400 irons and they were too bulky for my taste. Couldn't make consistent contact.

[stevemac]

Didn't get an extended test this weekend. We are moving and my wife keeps finding more things for me to do. Particularly lifting, etc. I hit a few with each club before the round and it is hard to get over just how easy these are to hit. Yes the M1 has less offset but the M2 starts to grow on you. As I said in the earlier posts, my iron game has not been great. Yesterday I was able to use the irons on 5 shots into greens-distance was good on all, and came up short on only one shot. I was hitting 1 club less than normal and the ball went right where I wanted it to go. It is amazing that even with the strong lofts, the height is good and the ball stops. IT IS INCREDIBLY EASY TO HIT IT EXACTLY WHERE YOU WANT TO HIT IT, WITH ONE CLUB LESS. The M1 flight is a little lower but I am not hitting either of these crazy high. A thin shot with the M1 finished on the green and just a little short of pin high. The shaft is a little softer on the M2 and the overall length is about 1/4 more.

[myurick2]

I was very excited to get my hands on the M1 and M2 irons from Taylor Made. The irons both looked good to me in photographs and at the golf shop. I received two seven irons; an M1 with a regular steel XP90, and an M2 with the stock "reax" steel in regular flex. Both irons are a huge improvement aesthetically over last years models, which were very busy, to my eye. They have reigned in those weird plastic wings on the back of the M2 that looked lie they would break from clacking together in the bag. Don't know whether that ever happened- but it looked like it could have. There is more of an insert at this point. Both of these irons were clean at address and very attractive. I liked the satin finish on the M1 particularly. I thought it made the iron look a little more trim- but the M2 looked really good as well. I was surprised that the M2 did not look overly large, and did not look overly offset. The soles were beveled at the back, so there was a large sole, but should play lie a thinner sole. I really like that feature as I am a picker, and sole design and turf interaction are extremely important to me. I can't play an iron with a large sole and lots of bounce. The soles on both of these irons were beautiful and looked very functional. So- great job on looks. I thought the stock grips could have been a little better, even though they were about the same as everyone else's stock grips. Putting really great grips on a club seems to be a small thing, and I don't understand why manufacturers don't seem to pay attention to the grip. These seemed a little "waxy." The M2 looked about a half inch longer than the M1 at stock length. Overall, the look of both clubs made me excited to get them to the range.

 

I had a major spinal fusion a few years ago that really took a toll on my club head speed, and on top of that, I have been struggling with my swing of late. 10 handicap- but I a pretty good putter. My first few swings with the M2 were not great. I felt like the club felt and sounded very "clacky" and hollow. Not that great. I was a little disappointed. My first few with the M1 were about the same. Tried making a little bigger shoulder turn with the M2 after I was a little bit loose- HOLY COW! I figured out that I must have been mishitting both clubs toward the toe- pretty badly. I have a tendency to do that if I am not warmed up. Once I started making solid contact with a decent shoulder turn, the M2 really came alive in my hands. Towering flat height, for me, and very long. No more clacky hollow feel, just a very mild pleasant sensation- then zoom. Once I started making better swings, back to the M1, which was a very nice iron. Shorter than the M2 (though not short) and a little lower ball flight. Felt nice and substantial without being heavy. Very forgiving on slight mishits.

 

But the M2 was the star for me. High trajectory and very long. Club felt lively and fun. Frankly, unless a player wanted a lower trajectory, or likes to hit a lot of knock downs or feel shots, I don't know why anyone wouldn't choose the M2. They are very attractive and a very fun iron. I think folks who say that the M2 feels and/or sounds clicky, clacky or hollow may be mishitting the iron toward the toe. I am not judging- I mishit a lot of shots at first. I agree on toe mishits the iron did not feel great. It almost felt like plastic. The ball still flew pretty well, but it wasn't a very enjoyable experience. Not painful, just felt very dead. But when hit nearer the center, the iron felt fantastic. Light, springy and very lively.

 

I may look into buying a set of M2's. I liked them that much. I am pretty happy with my current irons, but the M2s are a very good iron. Great looking, lively, fun and forgiving. The M1 was a nice iron, and looked a little better than the M2 due to the satin finish- but it's not for me at this point. I'll take high straight and far, even if I am not crazy about polished stainless. One stand out feature previously mentioned was the lovely sole design on both sets, but particularly the M2. For such a forgiving iron, the club was very nice for a picker- went through the turf very nicely. That's rare in my experience. I liked the REAX shaft- it was lively and easy to swing. The grips are OK, though I think WINN's would be better. I also think the satin finish would look better, and that the irons could be differentiated by the cavity insert alone.

 

Thanks to WRX and Taylor Made for the opportunity to test the clubs. It was a lot of fun.

[cz13X4]

Finally got my two 7 irons. Stock stiff shafts. I play s55's, and while they are good, I really wouldn't mind moving to something else.

 

Looks:

The m1 and m2 actually don't look half bad. The m2 is chrome, the m1 is a brushed finish. The top line of the m2 is more rounded, while the m1 is more square. The sole of the m2 is more square front to back, while the m1 is more rounded front to back. Both have a very similar blade length, which is hardly larger than the s55. I have always though TM irons had a great shape from address, but to be honest, I have never played a set. For their category, they look very good. The offset on them isn't as in your face as a lot of irons in this category. It is well hidden, and in the m1, actually looks quite good.

 

Feel:

They feel powerful off of the sweet spot, clunky if you miss. Pretty much as you'd expect, but any iron can feel good if you can find the sweet spot. The shafts are typical stock shafts. I play modus prototype e11 in my s55, and the stock shafts don't hold a candle to them. Good for some I'm sure, but someone who has been spoiled with the good stuff I'd rather pull them and recycle them.

 

Sound:

They aren't quiet. The m2 was louder for me than the m1. The m1 sounded softer, the m2 sounded clanky.

 

Performance:

Good for good these irons were basically the same for me, with the m2 actually flying a little lower than the m1. These are 7 irons and were comparable to my s55 6 iron which I hit plenty high. I'm not a jacked iron loft guy, but if I found the right iron, I could try to adjust. They seem to spin lower than my s55 which would concern me with holding greens. I don't have any numbers to compare, I'm more of a visual person when it comes to ball flight and on course play. These haven't hit the course yet for me. The irons were both very forgiving.

 

Quality:

They seem to be built well, and I'm not sure if they will have issues with the slots as they have in the past. Paint fill was good. Grips were crooked. Ferrules and install looked ok. Not top of the line quality in terms of construction, but there are a lot of components in the head and these still seem pretty good.

 

If I had to pick a set of m2 or m1 to play, it'd be the m1. I bet it would make a great driving or long iron club.

 

Sorry for the darker pics, crunched for time at the moment and wanted to post something.

 

Thank you TaylorMade for sending me something to test. I was bummed I didn't get to test the tp5/x this year, but I am more than happy to try out new irons, as the s55 won't be around much longer.

 

I also wouldn't mind passing them along for someone else to test and write about. Can't do much with just two single irons!

[ylwdogsc]

Received two 7 irons with stock stiff shafts. Will test as soon as I can, should be next week (recovering from injury.)

[dcipher]

Received my M1 and M2 7-irons last week.

 

First impressions: both are so similar, but I do prefer the M1's looks over the M2, but both are very nice looking. I was surprised to see that the M2 had a slightly longer shaft - maybe 1/2" - see the pic. I'm used to playing a fairly "thick" iron (MIzuno JPX 850), so these didn't feel that much different.

 

 

 

I immediately took these to the range. I really wanted to fall in love with them, but really didn't. They both went about the same distance, but was hard to tell exactly. I needed to take them to the course and hit some real shots, which I did today. I put myself in many different situations and hit 3 shots from each - everything from a 160 yard approach over water to a 100 yard shot blocked by trees.

 

Full shots with the M1 made me say "WOW" when i hit it flush - felt like i absolutely crushed it, but in reality, only about 2 - 3 yards longer. I did have a hard time consistently hitting the M1 - not sure why, but found myself struggling to make consistent strikes with the M1. Miss hits still flew far, however. When hit well, the ball felt like it took off high and straight. Slightly higher than my JPX 850.

 

Played one half-shot with the M1 - low runner - felt very much in control and felt great off the face.

 

Full shots with the M2 felt good, but not great. Ball flight seemed lower, and when hit well, about 3 - 5 yards longer than my Mizuno. I'm used to playing a slight draw with my irons, but the M2 actually faded a bit on some shots, but most of the time, it just flew dead straight.

 

Played one half-shot with the M2 - same low runner i played with the M1. I thought i hit it perfectly, but came up short - didn't feel like i could control the distance as well as the M1.

 

The shafts on the M1 and M2 are lighter than the 115 gram shafts I'm used to played, so I'm sure that played a part in my being a bit "off" when hitting these clubs. However, by the time i got to the par 3 7th hole, I hit the JPX 850 just right of the green and stuck both the M1 and M2 tight to the pin. I hit the M1 about as good as I could hit it, and was sure it was 10 yards long, but it wasn't - it was within 2 yards of the m2 and pretty much even with my JPX 850 (although it flew straighter).

 

If I had to choose between the M1 and M2, I'd go M1. I like the look better and it just felt better when hit well. I'd definitely go get fit and pick a shaft that matches my swing better. But overall, i like the feel of the JPX 850 better than either the M1 or the M2.

[myurick2]

I was very excited to get my hands on the M1 and M2 irons from Taylor Made. The irons both looked good to me in photographs and at the golf shop. I received two seven irons; an M1 with a regular steel XP90, and an M2 with the stock "reax" steel in regular flex. Both irons are a huge improvement aesthetically over last years models, which were very busy, to my eye. They have reigned in those weird plastic wings on the back of the M2 that looked lie they would break from clacking together in the bag. Don't know whether that ever happened- but it looked like it could have. There is more of an insert at this point. Both of these irons were clean at address and very attractive. I liked the satin finish on the M1 particularly. I thought it made the iron look a little more trim- but the M2 looked really good as well. I was surprised that the M2 did not look overly large, and did not look overly offset. The soles were beveled at the back, so there was a large sole, but should play lie a thinner sole. I really like that feature as I am a picker, and sole design and turf interaction are extremely important to me. I can't play an iron with a large sole and lots of bounce. The soles on both of these irons were beautiful and looked very functional. So- great job on looks. I thought the stock grips could have been a little better, even though they were about the same as everyone else's stock grips. Putting really great grips on a club seems to be a small thing, and I don't understand why manufacturers don't seem to pay attention to the grip. These seemed a little "waxy." The M2 looked about a half inch longer than the M1 at stock length. Overall, the look of both clubs made me excited to get them to the range.

 

I had a major spinal fusion a few years ago that really took a toll on my club head speed, and on top of that, I have been struggling with my swing of late. 10 handicap- but I a pretty good putter. My first few swings with the M2 were not great. I felt like the club felt and sounded very "clacky" and hollow. Not that great. I was a little disappointed. My first few with the M1 were about the same. Tried making a little bigger shoulder turn with the M2 after I was a little bit loose- HOLY COW! I figured out that I must have been mishitting both clubs toward the toe- pretty badly. I have a tendency to do that if I am not warmed up. Once I started making solid contact with a decent shoulder turn, the M2 really came alive in my hands. Towering flat height, for me, and very long. No more clacky hollow feel, just a very mild pleasant sensation- then zoom. Once I started making better swings, back to the M1, which was a very nice iron. Shorter than the M2 (though not short) and a little lower ball flight. Felt nice and substantial without being heavy. Very forgiving on slight mishits.

 

But the M2 was the star for me. High trajectory and very long. Club felt lively and fun. Frankly, unless a player wanted a lower trajectory, or likes to hit a lot of knock downs or feel shots, I don't know why anyone wouldn't choose the M2. They are very attractive and a very fun iron. I think folks who say that the M2 feels and/or sounds clicky, clacky or hollow may be mishitting the iron toward the toe. I am not judging- I mishit a lot of shots at first. I agree on toe mishits the iron did not feel great. It almost felt like plastic. The ball still flew pretty well, but it wasn't a very enjoyable experience. Not painful, just felt very dead. But when hit nearer the center, the iron felt fantastic. Light, springy and very lively.

 

I may look into buying a set of M2's. I liked them that much. I am pretty happy with my current irons, but the M2s are a very good iron. Great looking, lively, fun and forgiving. The M1 was a nice iron, and looked a little better than the M2 due to the satin finish- but it's not for me at this point. I'll take high straight and far, even if I am not crazy about polished stainless. One stand out feature previously mentioned was the lovely sole design on both sets, but particularly the M2. For such a forgiving iron, the club was very nice for a picker- went through the turf very nicely. That's rare in my experience. I liked the REAX shaft- it was lively and easy to swing. The grips are OK, though I think WINN's would be better. I also think the satin finish would look better, and that the irons could be differentiated by the cavity insert alone.

 

Thanks to WRX and Taylor Made for the opportunity to test the clubs. It was a lot of fun.

UPDATE: Went to store and got a set, combo irons with the two hybrids. Also got a 10.5 M2 driver and a 16.5 HL 3 wood and a TP putter. Putter was an impulse purchase, but it was pretty nice. Excited to play with the new toys.

[hammergolf]

Finally was able to get out and test the M1 and M2 7 irons I received. Initial thoughts:

 

LOOKS:

They are both good looking club. Not too long heel to toe and topline was not that distracting. M1 is more what I like to see shape wise, but M2 was not bad at all. Personally, not a fan of seeing the face slots. But I could see how some people may like how they frame the ball.

 

PERFORMANCE:

Both of these clubs perform. M2 has a very high trajectory and the M1 has a high trajectory. Distance was good on both, about what you would see from other irons in this category. Good forgiveness on both models.

 

FEEL:

This is where both clubs failed for me. Every shot felt the same regardless of contact. Clubs had what I would call a "broken" feel. Almost like something was loose on the club. Sound was even worse. I play cast clubs so I was not expecting a forged like sound and feel, but frankly these clubs just sounded and felt really bad.

 

Overall a good performing iron, but due to the poor sound and feel they are not something I would play. I appreciate being selected to test these and hope to be lucky enough to test other clubs in the future.

[Ace2000]

Finally got to test these on-course vs my current RocketBladez Tours (which I absolutely love) -

 

Specs: (loft differences must be kept in mind)

 

RBladez Tour 7 Iron – 33.75 degrees loft – 110 gram shaft – 36.75 inches – 2.3mm offset - I hit this club 165 yards

M1 7 Iron – 30.5 degrees loft – 95 gram shaft – 36.75 inches – 2.9mm offset

M2 7 Iron – 28.5 degrees loft – 75 gram shaft – 37 inches – 4.2mm offset

 

 

Both clubs feel very light compared to my 7 iron.

 

 

M1

 

- Has a very odd sound on contact ... almost sounds a tad like a fairway wood "ting" ... not a fan

- Looks very good at address with the brushed finish

- Most shots I hit with it seemed to fall out of the sky (very likely a lack of spin) ... ball flight was much lower than I would have expected (not super low, just not much different than my 7 iron)

- Inconsistent misses ... next to no distance gains vs RocketBladez Tour 7 iron

 

M2

 

- Doesn't look as good at address as the M1 ... chrome finish at address is not an issue in even direct sunlight for me

- Feels and sounds quite nice to my ears at impact ... not a classic sound but very good considering what type of club it is

- Ball flight is very strong (comes off hot) ... ball stays high in the air for awhile ... very high and lands soft

- 10-12 yd longer on average vs my 7 iron ... it even had the horsepower to hang with my 6 iron

- VERY forgiving on thin strikes ... couldn't believe how a near-top still traveled to nearly the front edge in the air and still went as far as the M1 did on a good strike

- Shaft is too light

 

 

RECAP

 

M1 = Bad (for me)

M2 = Good (for me)

 

 

Even though I'm a 2 hdcp and don't fit the M2 "mold", I could see myself playing this club from 4-6 iron (although gapping would be a major issue mixing these with almost anything else) if it had a heavier shaft in it (I can only imagine how far this 4 iron must go... yikes)

 

 

M1 = 2.5 stars

M2 = 4.5 stars

 

 

Thank you so much GolfWRX and Taylormade! It has been great fun so far!!

[Bobcat271]

Hello All, just played my 5th round with the M2 in the bag. Both clubs perform outstandingly. From a game improvement stand point they as much as you could ask for. I have hit some shot with both M1 and M2 that I would not have tried with my forged XTDs. I like the M1s so much that I went and snagged me a set. All I can say is my test is over or maybe it is really just beginning...

[jea1962]

Recently received the M1 &M2 7 irons. Appearance is similar in size but M2 has slightly more offset and a wider sole. The shafts were regulars, M2 1/2" longer. The M2 had a Reax shaft with an irregular step pattern while the M1 had the Project 95 with standard step pattern. The top line of both irons are appealing, not too big. Interestingly, the M2 top line seems thinner than the M1 but that because they used 2 different finishes in the top line. 80% is a satin finish and 20% is a polished finish giving impression of two metals fused. Bottom line, it easy to see the satin top line therefore making the M2 top line look smaller than the M1. Why?

 

Looking forward to putting the M's through a test against my Calloway Apex CF16. Will report later.

 

Photo order is( left to right) M2, M1, Apex CF16

 

[tpeterson]

Thank you to golfwrx and TaylorMade for this opportunity. Currently playing to a 9.7 index - very straight driver, good with my hybrids, decent short game, but just a so-so iron player. I have always been a short hitter. The chance to try out both the M1 and M2 irons (both 7 irons in regular flex) came at a great time. I have been playing Cleveland TA7 irons with TT sensicore regular shafts for the last 14 years. Over the past year I have been trying to decide on a new set of irons that will give me some much needed length with a touch of friendliness.

 

Visual first impressions:

 

The M1 7-iron is visually appealing to me as far as the finish and overall look. Even though it is classified as a players' iron, it doesn't seem so tiny that it would be tough to hit. I am not a huge fan of the bright yellow badging but I probably could get over it. The iron inspires confidence with its topline and a little bit of offset. The "rubber" piece on the hosel is a little bit funky to me.

 

I thought the M2 7-iron would look clunkier than it really is. Besides the finish being a little bit different, the difference between the M1 and M2 is actually pretty small. The M2's topline and sole are a touch wider, but not by much. Not a huge fan of the fluted hosel since it can be seen at address. The M1's fluting is only on the rear of the club.

 

I did notice that the sole's finish did scratch pretty easily. Overall, I thought the M1 and M2 are pretty good looking but I would definitely give the edge to the M1. I also preferred the stock Lamkin grip on the M1 vs. the ribbed M2 grip.

 

On course action:

 

They both feel solid. I tried hitting both irons in all different types of on-course situations over a two week period. Both clubs launch the ball high but I would not say they balloon. For me, the M2 was about 10 yards longer and higher than the M1. Compared to my Cleveland irons, they are 1 to 1 1/2 clubs longer.

 

M1 loft = 30.5

M2 loft = 28.5

Cleveland TA7 loft = 33.5

 

I know this accounts for the distance gain but the ball definitely comes off hot compared to my set. I was hoping I would hit the M1 better since I like the appearance better, but that was not the case. The M2 definitely felt better for me and I felt more confident with it in my hands.

 

I am actually considering buying set of M2s but maybe with the TT XP95 regular shafts and different grips. That might have to wait until Titleist releases their 718 sets (interested in the AP1 and AP3 models).

 

Thanks again for the opportunity.

[Bstein74]

First off, thank you again to GolfWRX and TaylorMade for this opportunity to be part of this testing.

 

My M1 and M2 irons were delivered yesterday morning, and a I bypassed mowing my lawn to go to the range to try them out. Was interested to see how they compared to my Wilson Staff D300 irons, which I've liked all season.

 

First Impressions - They definitely have more offset than I'm used to. Liked the muscle look of the M2 over the M1.

 

 

 

 

 

Feel – I hit the M2 first, and found it to be very solid when hit on the screws. There was almost no feel off the clubface at all. When I mishit it, you knew it was, but it wasn't harsh at all. Hit the M1 next, and same type of feel when hit solid. Much more harsh when mishit though, but I knew that was coming.

 

Distance and performance – This is was where I was curious to see how they would play...... The M2 went out high in the air, and just kept going forever. Now granted my eyesight isn't that great anymore, but it looked like I got about 10 - 15 yards more from the M2 compared to my D300. The only thing I didn't like about the M2 was how much I was able to turn it over. Got a lot more hook compared to my D300. Don't know if that was from the REAX shaft, but would love to find a less spinning shaft to correct that.

 

The M1 wasn't a great performer for me. Same height as the M2, but much straighter off the club face. Didn't get any great distance advantage as compared to my D300.

Can't game a player's iron anymore, and testing this one just reaffirmed that......

 

 

Final thoughts – Was very happy with the distance I gained with the M2 compared to my current gamer. Very good performing iron for me, and something I would definitely consider changing them out if I could reduce the spin off the face. If you're looking for more distance, you need to try these out.

 

The M1 just wasn't for me, but as a player's iron, I can see it as a great option.

 

Going to try to get out and play 18 holes with my 7 year old son, and look forward to trying out the M2 in different scenarios on the course. Will do another writeup when I get done with that round.

 

Once again, thank you to GolfWRX and TaylorMade for allowing me to test these out.

 

Quick update, was able to get 18 holes in last Saturday, and hit the M2 for a couple of shots. Even when I mishit it, it still got me pin high on the green. Already ordered a set of M2 irons from a fellow WRX. Looking forward to getting them and putting them in my bag. Thanks again to WRX and TaylorMade for this opportunity to improve my game.

[dave412]

Played around w/ these last week on vacation rounds.. hoping for a range session this week.. ill send my full review here soon.. I can say that both are 1 full club longer than my I25's.. And in general launch considerably higher than what im used to.. Im not sure if thats good or bad for me.. ive always hit it pretty low.. I know the distance increase is all loft related.. but its attractive to me as i approach 40! to be able to hit 1 club less into greens sounds awesome on paper..

[Ace2000]

These are ours to keep once we are done testing right?

[dave412]

Finally shook free from the family to go and give these a real hard test run. Thanks again to the WRX community and Taylor Made for allowing me to participate!!

 

Looks – I loved the look of the M1. I liked how it didn't have that shiny chrome look. I also liked how the vertical slots framed the ball.

 

M2 was just too big and shiny for me. It didn't suit my eye at all. Both are really great looking clubs to be honest, I just preferred the M1.

 

Feel – So, I play Ping I-25's. Ive been a Ping guy for probably close to 20 yrs. So Ive grown accustomed to the feel of a Ping, if that makes sense. Both the M1 and M2 felt very hard/firm to me. They both made a very loud "clicky" sound that I'm not accustomed to. Both felt similar to me. A harder hit than I'm accustomed to.

 

Distance and performance – Both M1/M2 were consistently flying 5-10 yds longer than my I-25. And definitely flew a little higher. But I felt like the TaylorMades just weren't spinning as much. My 7 iron would go out, hit the green, take one hop and stop. Both M1/M2 would hit and roll out considerably. I loved the added distance, and I loved the added height, but I just felt like I couldn't stop them. Almost like hitting balloon balls/knuckleballs to steal one from Crossfield. I even tried to hit some punch shots and different things to try and manufacture more spin, but I just couldn't make these spin enough for my liking. It was also difficult for me to flight either of these clubs down.

 

Comparison - M1 looked and felt better to me. My natural draw was still present, which I liked a lot. Shaft was lighter than I'm used to, but I could definitely get used to it with some practice.

 

M2 was just too bulky. It definitely wants to go straight! For someone looking for "game improvement" M2 is it! High/Long/Straight shots w/ this club!

 

Final thoughts – I think these 2 irons will appeal to a wide variety of players. M1 ticks enough boxes for low handicappers to consider gaming these. M2 ticks enough boxes for higher handicappers looking for distance and forgiveness.

 

I really wanted to like M1. As I approach 40 yrs old, the idea of more distance is appealing to me! All the previous reviews I read had me almost convinced that this might be something to pursue going forward.

 

The hard feel and the clicky sound is something I could learn to live with, but the lack of spin I seemed to be getting is a deal breaker for me. I wish I had access to something that would give me spin data to back this up. But there was definitely a difference when a shot from my I25 hit the green. I25 hit and checked quickly, the M's hit and rolled out a few yards. It felt out of control to me!

 

That and the fact that I found it difficult for me to flight either of these down..

[Jim Marshall]

1

[Jim Marshall]

Taylormade M1, M2 7 iron review

 

Thanks to GolfWRX and Taylormade for making this possible

 

Me: 61 years old, Handicap index is 8, Driver – Taylormade M1 Neutral, Fairway woods and Hybrids – Ping G30, Irons – Ping I25, Wedges – Ping Glide – Irons and Wedges Regular flex steel shafts.

 

7 Iron Clubs and Shafts

Ping i25 with Ping CFS SR shaft

Taylormade M1 with True Temper XP 95 R300 Shaft

Taylormade M2 with Reax Steel by FST R88 High Launch shaft

 

 

Distance (average): Ping 155, M1 160, M2 165

 

Feel:

Ping - Softer in the sweet spot and more rock like towards the heel or toe

M1 - Softer in the sweet spot and more rock like towards the heel or toe

M2 - Softer in the sweet spot and less harsh towards the heel or toe

 

Flight:

Ping – High, M1 – Similar to Ping, M2 – Higher

 

Grip: M2 – I like the rib in the grip – took a few minutes to get used to the feel

 

Looks and top line:

Ping - I like the brushed finish

M1 and M2 - Highly polished and well contrasted parts and labels – a nice look

 

Weight: M1 - Somewhat heavier, M2 - Similar to Ping

 

Loft:

Ping - 6 iron – 30 Deg, 7 iron – 33 Deg, 8 iron – 37 Deg

M1 - 6 iron – 26.5 Deg, 7 iron – 30.5 Deg, 8 iron – 35.0 Deg

M2 - 6 iron – 25 Deg, 7 iron – 28.5 Deg, 8 iron – 33 Deg

 

Commentary

As expected the M1, being more of a players iron, was less forgiving on off center hits and very rewarding for sweet spot hits. The M2 was more forgiving across the face and much less harsh feeling for off center hits. Compared to my Ping i25’s the flight was about the same for the M1 and slightly higher for the M2 which was also to be expected. Both clubs are well designed for the intended player skill levels and would be fine additions for any player.

 

This brings me to the possibly contentious part of the review – loft angle. I was wondering what they did to make these clubs fly the ball further as the metallurgy has not changed that much in 10+ years as far as I can find in research. And most “improvements” in club heads these days has more to do with weight shifting and impact dampening. A look at the loft angles gave me the answer. The M1 and M2 7 iron lofts are lower than my i25 6 iron! No wonder it goes as far as my 6 iron. Now I understand that Taylormade, and others, will go to great lengths to tell you the loft angle is not the full answer for the increased distance – and they have a point – with the lower center of gravity to get a higher launch angle and longer hang time the loft has to be lowered to maintain the distance expected which greatly helps higher handicap golfers – and I applaud anything that makes the game easier to a point. The other aspect that is left out of this review is the shaft, which in my opinion has as much effect on the performance of the club as the head. I experienced this during a recent club fitting that the shaft can add/remove many yards and height and change the impact feel – but for this test all we had was the clubs as shipped.

 

Conclusion

Golf clubs are a highly competitive market and Taylormade is one of the top competitors. The M1 and M2 lines are well made, great looking and about the pinnacle of golf technology. They appeal to a wide range of skill sets and offer options to make any golfer better.

 

Pictures:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[turbo1952]

,Received my TM M1 and M2 7 irons the morning I left for 10 days of golf at Bend (Crosswater, Tetherow and Pronghorn) and then Bandon Dunes where I had hoped to try them out in the high mountain desert and links conditions. Unfortunately my test report will have to wait until my return. Thanks Golfwrx and TaylorMade for the opportunity.

 

Finally got an opportunity to test the M1 and M2 7 irons I received from Golfwrx and TaylorMade. I am 65 years old with a handicap index of 7. I currently play a set of TM SLDR irons (3-PW) w/ Fujikura 67 graphite shafts R-flex. These were my first cast irons after years of playing Mizuno and TaylorMade forged clubs. The TM irons I tested were the M1 w/ True Temper X95 steel shaft ® and M2 w/ the stock Reax 88 high-launch steel shaft.

 

Other evaluators have noted how the two 7 irons looked alike at address but the M2 appears larger and clunkier to my eye as I'm more used to player's irons. However the 2017 M2 appears smaller than the 2016 model. The M! was more appealing at address and I liked the color much better.

 

After hitting more than 200 balls over a period of days w/ both clubs here are my conclusions:

M1 - I hit this 7 iron about 6 yards farther and 15 feet higher than my SLDRs. Off-center hits went nearly as far as those hit in the sweet spot.

I was able to work the ball slightly w/ this iron but to a less degree than the SLDRs. The sound of the ball coming off the club was a

bit clicky but not overly so. I would consider adding these irons to my bag but w/ graphite shafts. More re this below,

M2 - Although I hit this iron 15 yards father than my SLDRs I couldn't get over the offset and larger size of this iron. I was also not able to

work the ball w/ the M2. I wouldn't put this club in my bag despite the added distance.

 

To great a better comparison of these irons against my SLDRs I went to my fitter Noel English at the Reynolds of Kingdom of golf and did a Trackman comparison of the M1/M2 against my SLDR 7 iron w/ the Fujikura 67 shaft in each. The M2 was clearly the distance winner - over 15 yards longer than the SLDR and higher. The M1 was slightly longer than the SLDR.

 

In conclusion I am waiting to do a comparison among the SLDR, M1 and the new PS790 early next week before making a purchase. I am really looking forward to testing a club that promises M2 distance w/ the feel and workability of player's forged iron. I'll report on my evaluation next week.

[Golfer220]

Finally was able to play a few rounds with the M1 and M2 test clubs. I found the M1 to be a little harder to hit than the M2 . Distance wise the M2 was unbelievably a lot longer than the irons I have in my bag and felt really good even on mishits without losing to much on distance and ball flight. The M1 was a different story. On mishits I lost too much distance and the feel for me , and I mean only me, was a little to harsh. I have an order of M2's custom fitted on order and will be in my bag by the 20th of this month. Can't wait to see the results across the complete set!! Would have loved to add photos but my go pro decided to go on the blink.lol

[surgebernier]

Went outside this morning and low and behold there was two boxes from Taylor made. Kept thinking "What did I order, and when?". LOL Opened the boxes and pow, there they were, and I started to remember about the testing I had signed up for.

Let me start by saying that I received 7 irons not 6 irons. At first glance the clubs both m1 and m2 look pretty nice. Some difference in size, the m2 looks a bit chunkier than the m1, but I suppose that's the idea. Both clubs have significant thicker top lines than what I am currently playing (Taylor Made r7 tp, and Callaway cf 16 combo set). I prefer thinner top lines and more of a classic look. The cut out hosel's on the clubs are a bit distracting to me, but the m1 hides the back chunkiness well.

I do like the feel of the heaviness at the bottom of the club, makes me feel like I could cut through any rough. My current irons are 2* flat so I'm interested in seeing how these will react to my swing being standard lie. Going to take them out tomorrow so stay tuned for the performance part of the review.

 

 

 

Hello all, so I've been out the last couple weeks I hurt my back. Finally able to swing I took these baby's out for a test drive, and what they say is true, these things go forever.

First the M2: I personally don't like chunky irons, especially the top line, prefer a more classic look. The M2 is the definition of a chunky iron. Just to much club for my likes, almost looks like a pro hybrid. But the performance is undeniable, high (and I mean high), straight and long, and I mean long, also very forgiving miss hits were not severely punished. At least 2 clubs longer than my current TM r7tp, and 1/2 to 1 club longer than my Callaway cf16 combos. I do not like the look of the huge hosel with the cutouts, it's very distracting to me. But they were well liked by my buddy who is a 3 handicap and plays Titleist ap1. The sound is loud and sounds a little crackly (if you know that sound) almost like a old fairway wood. Feel is hard couldn't tell if I missed it a little toward the toe or heel, but I guess that's the idea. Overall a really good iron for someone looking for amazing distance and forgiveness.

 

Now to the M1. Like I said in my previous post the look is quite appealing hiding the help behind the club well. It's an iron I could get used to and play. It's long, 1 -2 clubs longer than my TM r7tp, and around 1-1/12 from my Callaway's. What I noticed right off the bat is the sound, they sound like they are made of plastic. It sounded like if I swung hard I was going to break it into pieces. I couldn't get over that sound, now I've never hit this type of iron before so I don't know if that's normal or not, I just hated it. But the performance was outstanding, very very high, straight, and as I mentioned long. I play a draw and these things just went straight, maybe a 2 yard draw. I did tend to push both these irons to the right, I guessing because they are standard lie and not flat lie like mine. Overall I could play these M1 irons, but I would have to wear ear plugs so I didn't hear the sound.

 

Overall I would say that TM has created irons that would improve anyone from high to middle handicapper's game. For me the M1 suits me better, but again that sound, and I could put these in my bag. The M2 was well received by some of my buddies they said they would like to give them a try, just to big for me. Game improvement is the goal and I believe TM has hit that on the nose with these irons.

 

I would like to thank WRX for giving me the opportunity to test these irons, and also everyone who reads this post and gets something out of it.

[lionsgate]

I received 2 Taylormade irons...Both 7 irons. My apologies for the late review as I have been hospitalized.

 

I found both irons to be compatible as far as distance and feel. Thought the M2 seemed to have a little higher ball flight.

I have a fairly high ball flight anyway. The shafts were a little heavy, but that is only because I have not yet returned to full strength.

 

Given everything equal both irons performed above expectation. After hitting both irons numerous times I came to the conclusion

I could play either the M1 or the M2 with no fall off in performance. Distance was almost spot on with the M2 getting an edge for trajectory

and carry. M1 a little lower ball flight with ample run out. Both irons stopped on the dime on the green. The M1 was a little easier

to spin back. Great feed back from both irons on the strike...pured it or missed it a little. I will soon turn 60 and have been a 7 handicap until

my recent hospital stay. I am sure I will probably go to a lighter shaft in graphite. I must say I was thrilled with the results as I have not been a Taylormade iron fan before. I am looking to purchase a new set for my 60th. birthday and as always will make sure to be properly fitted. The M1 and M2 are definitely at the top of my list for a new set. I have always been a club junkie and love to see the new innovations in equipment. If your one of those guys who don't go through a fitting...take the time and do it right...it will pay huge dividends! Great improvements on both irons.

Thank you to GolfWrx and Taylormade for allowing me to participate. Look forward to participating in future tests! Thank you!

Just an FYI...majority of the gentlemen I play golf with are between 50 and 60 years old...over 50% of them play Taylormade irons and drivers...

common comments are the driver and irons are long, straight and forgiving. Easy to launch and forgiving! You be the judge?!

[livininparadise]

Excited and grateful to have been chosen to test TaylorMade M1/M2 Irons. If I am correct I am seeng you receive a 7 iron for one or both sets to test. My question n is after testing what do you do with the 7 Irons?

 

Thanks

 

I'm pretty sure you get to keep them.

I'd like to purchase an M1 from anyone after they are done trying it out.

 

I will send you both of them if you just pay the shipping