2017 TaylorMade M1 Driver - Tested By You

Tested By You - We challenge TaylorMade to fit Golf Monthly reader and 5-handicapper Ben Gilg to one of its new M1 or M2 drivers

Tested By You - GM Readers Review New Gear

With every year the challenge to break the mould and stand out in the driver market gets harder and harder.

A victim of its own success – and its often bold marketing claims - TaylorMade has a bigger fight than most convincing golfers its latest iterations are worth shelling out for over more dated, second-hand technology.

To give it a fair and fighting chance, we challenged TaylorMade to fit Golf Monthly reader and 5-handicapper Ben Gilg to one of its new M1 or M2 drivers, and then let him loose on his own home course back in Shropshire in the following weeks.

Before the reigns came off Matthew Bryne, who has worked on tour for TaylorMade fittings it roster of players, was given the chance to dial Ben in for his perfect head, shaft and adjustable setting during a chilly spring morning at West Hill Golf Club in Surrey.

You can read Ben's initial impression below and watch his interview in the video above, but to see how the M1 driver fared at his home club you'll have to read the June issue of Golf Monthly magazine.

Matthew's Fitting Analysis

“Ben was keen to get a bit more carry and eliminate his occasional miss right, with any distance gains a bonus. To do that we took him from a 70g regular shaft to a 60g stiff and increased his loft from 9.5° to 12°. These set-up in the M1 gave him more spin and a higher launch to find that extra peak height and carry, while the stiffer shaft gave him a tighter dispersion pattern.”

Ben's Initial Feedback

“The extra loft gave me obvious ball flight improvements on the day, with the extra loft making it seem easy to hit like a big 3-wood. Being custom fit has also given me the confidence to swing easy with more control.”