TaylorMade M1 Driver

Loft Options & Stock Shafts

Technology

Tour Driver

The 2017 TaylorMade M1 460 is a driver that hands control back to the golfer. Two sliding weights, a four-degree loft sleeve, and a low-spin head shape mean you can dial in ball flight to a degree most drivers won't allow. This is the second generation of the M1, and TaylorMade sharpened the formula rather than reinventing it.

The headline is adjustability. A 15-gram weight rides in a front track that moves heel to toe, letting you bias the driver toward a draw or a fade. A separate 12-gram weight sits in a back track that runs front to back, shifting the center of gravity to trade spin for forgiveness or the other way around. Combine that with the loft sleeve and you have a genuinely tunable head, not a marketing gimmick with two settings.

What you give up is automatic help. The M1 460 spins low and rewards a repeatable swing. Put a decent strike on it and the ball leaves hot with a penetrating flight. Miss the center and it lets you know. This is a driver for players who chase distance through control, not correction.

• Low to mid handicap players with a consistent strike who want to fine-tune launch and spin rather than accept factory settings
• Anyone fighting a two-way miss who wants a driver that can be biased toward a draw or a fade through the front track
• Faster swingers who spin the ball too much and lose distance to a ballooning flight
• Players who like tinkering and will actually use the weights and loft sleeve instead of leaving them in the box position

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between the M1 460 and M1 440?

The 460 has a larger head, a slightly deeper face, and a bit more forgiveness on off-center hits, which makes it the easier of the two to launch. The 440 is more compact and sits lower spinning for stronger players who want maximum workability. Both share the same two-track weight system and loft sleeve.

How much can you adjust the loft on the M1 2017?

The four-degree loft sleeve lets you move the stated loft up or down two degrees. A 9.5-degree head can play anywhere from about 7.5 to 11.5 degrees. Changing loft also nudges the face angle, so expect small changes in how open or closed it looks at address.

Does the M1 460 really spin as low as TaylorMade claims?

With the back weight slid forward and a solid center strike, yes, it produces low spin numbers for its size. If you slide that weight back you'll pick up spin and forgiveness, so the same head can be set up two very different ways depending on what your swing needs.

Is the M1 too much driver for a mid handicapper?

It can be if you buy it and never touch the settings. Set to the back position with the weight neutral, it's playable for a mid handicapper with reasonable clubhead speed. If your strike is scattered, a more draw-biased and higher-launching driver from the same era will give you easier results.

Can you set the M1 460 to fight a slice?

You can help it. Slide the 15-gram front weight to the heel and add loft with the sleeve, and the driver will launch higher and encourage a draw bias. It won't fully correct a hard slice the way a dedicated draw driver does, but it takes the edge off a fade for many players.

Is the TaylorMade M1 driver good for high handicappers?

No. The TaylorMade M1 is a tour design aimed at better ball strikers. Its category typically suits 0 to 8 handicaps. High handicappers will find a game improvement model more forgiving.

Alternatives to the TaylorMade M1

Other tour driver models from different brands, closest to its model year.