Equipment
Getting up to Speed with TaylorMade's New Woods
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As if averaging 314 yards off the tee last year wasn’t enough, Dustin Johnson’s picked up extra punch in 2019 by upgrading to TaylorMade’s new M5 and M6 drivers. After rocketing a 401-yard drive in his first 2019 event with the M5, Johnson captured the Saudi International in Dubai a month later using the M6 and then the WGC-Mexico with the M5 in late February. He’s planning to alternate the models throughout the year.
“The biggest selling point to him is ball speed,” says Keith Sbarbaro, TaylorMade’s Vice President of Tour Operations. “He felt like his was down a little bit last year. But now he’s back up to speed numbers -- 186 miles per hour -- he hasn’t seen in two years.” Word has gotten out: Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Jason Day and Tiger Woods are also playing the new drivers.
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But the M5 and M6 are not just for Tour pros. They help golfers of all skill levels generate additional ball speed. The key: Each driver features an all-new Speed Injected Twist Face that maximizes ball speed and thus distance. Every clubhead is individually injected with tuning resin, to dial the ball speed to the threshold of the USGA’s legal limit. That push in velocity translates to instant distance. But you still need accuracy, as well. Which is where Twist Face helps you find the fairway. The face’s corrective curvature reduces side spin and delivers straighter shots -- particularly when you make contact with the ball out on the high toe or low heel. To boot, a flexible Hammerhead 2.0 slot behind the face enlarges the sweet spot and preserves ball speed on miss-hits.
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Since switching to the M5 driver this year, Woods has been crushing the ball and hitting plenty of fairways. And he’s thrilled. “What TaylorMade has done with Speed Injected Twist Face is allow us to have a hotter face that feels more stable,” says Woods. “The fact that it's at the legal limit and that's as fast as you're gonna get... you'll have the confidence to blow it by your competition when you step up to the tee. TaylorMade drivers are far superior in speed and consistency than all the other products. It’s kind of a no-brainer to get the M5 or M6. They’re legal and hot.”
Which model is best for you depends on your preference. You can adjust the M5’s loft and movable sole weights, to one of 21,000 ball flight/launch settings that works optimally with your unique swing. The loft-adjustable M6 features an aerodynamic carbon sole that further enhances forgiveness. And there’s a third model, the draw-biased M6 D-Type, that guides your slices back to the fairway.
Each driver has matching fairway woods that also employ similar technology, such as Twist Face to help your shots travel straighter and longer. The line even includes an M6 Rescue––the first-ever hybrid with Twist Face––which scored 20 out of 20 stars in Golf Digest’s 2019 Hot List. Tour pros are playing sets of the woods for the sheer distance, as well as the consistency in feel, performance and distance gapping.
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![TM19_M6_FWY_Hero05_V1_16x9.jpg](http://golfdigest.sports.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/golfdigest/fullset/2019/02/25/5c74522c36104b07d964a0cf_TM19_M6_FWY_Hero05_V1_16x9.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.966.544.suffix/1573167973075.jpeg)