TESTED: TaylorMade M2 irons

MODEL AND SHAFT PLAYED: TaylorMade M2 4-iron to approach (gap) wedge, fitted with stiff-flex steel shafts.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: The oil-can colouring and look is cool and modern. These irons feel light, however in swinging them they come across as being very aerodynamic. It feels like you don’t have to force the clubs to keep them on plane during the swing.

VERDICT: The distance through the bag with the TaylorMade M2 irons was exceptional. It sounds strange but I almost picked up too much distance! I overshot several greens, but that’s a real positive as the extra distance was significant. I also liked the trajectory. Getting the ball up in the air quickly felt easy. They were also more accurate and any wedge shot I struck was spot on, too. The clubheads of the M2s appear to be quite large and they do come across as a higher handicapper’s iron, but they work incredibly well! They are hugely forgiving; it didn’t feel like I ever missed the sweet spot even though I obviously did. With one 5-iron struck out of the toe in particular, it was incredible how well the ball reacted for such a poor strike.

WHAT I LIKED: The M2s’ forgiveness, smoothness and ease of use.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: The look is modern but they appear as though designed for high handicappers.

MODEL AND SHAFT PLAYED: TaylorMade M2 4-iron to approach (gap) wedge, fitted with stiff-flex steel shafts.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: They’re nice irons to look at – I like the dark grey colour of the clubheads. There’s a definitely lightness to the clubs, not necessarily in the head but overall. I currently use a set of TaylorMade RSi 1 irons, which feel heavier in the head, whereas these M2s seem light from top to toe. My initial thought is I like that lightweight feel, plus they feel very good addressing the ball.

VERDICT: The TaylorMade M2 irons are very similar to my RSi 1 irons for feel at impact and the way the ball reacts off the clubface. I didn’t sense a huge difference between the two sets. I did notice the extra forgiveness of the M2s, as several times my mis-hits didn’t travel as far offline as I thought they would and shots weren’t punished as badly as they should have been, but I still wouldn’t say there’s a huge variance in forgiveness compared to the RSi 1s. I’d say the same for distance, accuracy and trajectory, too. But I like the RSi 1s so that’s a good rap for the M2 model.

WHAT I LIKED: The look and colour scheme of the irons.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: It’s hard to pick any one thing, but in the end maybe I just didn’t fully adjust to the irons’ lightness.

FACTS & FIGURES

SUITABILITY: All golfers, especially players seeking more forgiveness.

SHAFTS: A choice of REAX 88 High Launch steel shafts or M2 REAX graphite shafts, in addition to numerous additional custom shaft options.

SET COMPOSITION: M2 spans 4-iron through to pitching wedge and approach wedge, with a sand and lob wedge also available.

LEFT-HANDED MODELS?: Yes.

HOW MUCH?: $169 per iron in steel or $189 each in graphite.

TAYLORMADE SAYS: “M2 irons are the embodiment of TaylorMade Golf’s pursuit to equip golfers with both maximum distance and playability in a game-improvement iron. Designed for golfers who would benefit from an iron that prioritises both distance and trajectory, while also delivering great forgiveness and feel, the M2 iron is designed for complete performance. By pushing the boundaries of innovation, the engineers behind M2 created a dominant blend of distance, peak trajectory, look, sound and feel that will give many golfers performance they didn’t know they were missing.

“In creating the M2 irons, engineers employed many innovative features, including a new, proprietary fluted hosel, 360-degree undercut, Inverted Cone Technology, a new 3D badge and the company’s patented Speed Pocket technology.

“A significant amount of mass is trapped in the hosel of all irons. To position the centre of gravity low in the M2 iron, TaylorMade’s engineers utilised a new fluted hosel design to remove discretionary mass from the hosel, redistributing it lower and further back in the clubhead. The M2 iron also features an advanced topline construction – a 360-degree undercut that functions to increase the unsupported face area while saving weight to lower the centre of gravity.”

Contact TaylorMade on 1800 700 011 or visit www.taylormadegolf.com.au