Your driver is still one of the 2 or 3 most important clubs in your bag. It sets up almost every par-4 and par-5, and it can really be the difference between a fun day on the course and day full of frustration.
I can remember the best day I ever had with my driver when every shot was extra long and very straight, and I have no idea what my score was. It did not matter. I was out driving everyone by 20 or 30 yards and I couldn’t hit the ball poorly if I tried.
This TaylorMade M6 driver review is about one of the funnest drivers to hit on the market right now. If you are looking for a long, straight, and forgiving club, I would strongly recommend you reading to the end to see if the M6 is for you.
Things to Consider Before Buying The TaylorMade M6 Driver
The TaylorMade M6 Driver is easy to hit, very forgiving, and one of the longest drivers on the market right now.
The biggest new feature is TaylorMade’s “Speed Injection” technology. What that means is that behind the 2 tiny red screws on the bottom of the driver, TaylorMade injects up to 2g of resin. That may seem insignificant, but it is not. In the past, manufacturers had to leave a certain margin for error in both face thickness and polishing to stay within the legal speed limits.
With the M6, TaylorMade measures each face individually and uses a computer algorithm to inject the exact right amount of resin behind the screws so that the club continuously toes the line between legal and illegal distance. That is the key advantage to this club, it produces the highest amount of ball speed and distance possible in a driver.
In addition to that, it also has a slight draw bias and the same basic, matte black look as the M5. It is an extremely forgiving driver with Twist Face technology and a 46 gram inertia generator very low and in the back of the driver head.
This inertia generator is simply a weight that increases the MOI of the club and helps to make every shot as straight and as long as possible.
With all of those changes, however, the M6 sacrificed some customization and movable weights for the extra speed and forgiveness. TaylorMade saw the writing on the wall, that speed and distance is king, and they produced their M6 driver to make themselves one of the industry leaders in both.
Pros
- The Speed Injection technology ensures that each M6 is as long as possible under PGA rules.
- A very forgiving driver. The Twist Face technology keeps the ball going straight and long even on mishits.
- The inertia generator is a weight located in the bottom and back of the driver head that produces a high MOI and fewer mishits.
- A mid spin, mid launch driver that is easy to hit straight and high but also can produce enough spin to work the ball around the course at higher swing speeds.
- Aerodynamic design to reduce drag and create higher swing speeds.
- A decent price for the features offered.
- It looks great at setup and instills confidence as you stand over the ball.
- A simple club that works right off the rack, for golfers who care more about forgiveness than adjustability.
Cons
- Feedback and feel are both below average.
- No adjustable weights.
- There are better clubs for workability, this club is all about speed.
Features and Benefits of The TaylorMade M6 Driver
Construction (5 out of 5)
Head
The club head is aerodynamic and built for speed. The Speed Injection technology means that the club face is as thin as it can possibly be and remains legal. The inertia generator gives the club a really high MOI so that there is not twisting of the club at contact. This also helps to reduce spin and create a straighter ball flight. The weight being at the bottom of the club increases the launch angle of the driver as well giving you a good trajectory on your drives. The Twist Face technology creates some corrective angles on the club face so that mishits still end up on target and with good distance. The head of the M6 is where most of the technology of this driver is. It is big, aerodynamic, weighted for forgiveness, and very long.
Shaft Options
The stock shaft of the M6 is the Fujikura Atmos in Stiff, Regular, Senior, or Extra stiff for men and the TaylorMade Tuned Performance 45 (L) for women. Of course you can customize your shaft, but the Fujikura Atmos is a good stock shaft with a good Extra Stiff and Stiff option. The Lamkin Dual Feel grip comes standard as well and Lamkin has always been one of the better grip manufacturers.
Club Specs
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- Loft: 9, 10.5, and 12 degree options.
- Right or Left Hand.
- Lie: 56 – 60 degrees.
- 460cc
- Length: 45.75 inches
- Swing Weight: D3
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Performance (4 out of 5)
Forgiveness
For all of the reasons mentioned above, this is a very forgiving driver. It was built for speed and forgiveness and I am not sure that one of those is any better than the other on the M6. With Twist Face technology, the inertia generator, the huge sweet spot, a high launch angle, and slight draw bias the forgiveness of this club is as good as any out there.
Control/Shot Shaping
For players with higher swing speeds that naturally create more spin, you shape your shots and control the ball off the tee pretty well. It is a driver that lends itself more to hitting the ball straight, but there are those shaping capabilities. In general, however, if you are a player that likes to adjust your club some and work the ball around the course, this driver is probably not for you.
Distance
As mentioned above, the M6 is more about distance than anything else. The Speed Injection technology was a great invention that ensures high end ball speed on every shot. The aerodynamic design of the club reduces drag and cuts through the air with great speed. As far as distance goes, you will not find a club that produces more ball speed and distance.
Looks/Feel/Sound (3 out of 5)
In general, a more stable and forgiving driver lacks the feel and feedback that you find in players drivers and that is the case with the M6. It gives up some feel and produces a louder, metallic sound that is not as satisfying as some other drivers. It is a great looking driver, however, and the aerodynamic design of the clubhead is both obvious and attractive.
Cost (4 out of 5)
At right around $500, the M6 is neither the cheapest nor the most expensive driver on the market. For the features it offers, and at about $50 less than the more customizable M5 driver, the M6 is a great choice. It produces as much if not more ball speed than any other driver and the cost is maybe even a little lower than you would expect for the technology featured.
Alternatives to The TaylorMade M6 Driver
TaylorMade M2
The TaylorMade M2 was released a couple of years prior to the M6, and while there are a few similarities, the differences are more striking. While you can probably find the M2 for a lower price, it is our opinion that the technological increases available in the M6 make it worth moving up to that driver. However, if the price is too appealing, the M2 is a good club and there are some real positives to having it in your bag.
The TaylorMade M2, like the M6, is focused on forgiveness and distance at the expense of adjustability, and that is an exchange that the vast majority of golfers are more than ok with. The following list is some pros and cons of the M2, but before getting into that list, let me list a couple of the technological advances present in the M6 that you will not get in the M2:
- The Speed Injection Technology
- Hammerhead 2.0
- Inertia Generator
These 3 advances make the M6 longer, straighter, and more forgiving than the M2, and those are the 3 features that set both of these clubs apart from others.
Pros
- The biggest pro of the M2 over the M6 is the sound and feel.
- It is a very easy club to hit with effortless distance and a high launch.
- Really good for any handicap and especially higher handicaps.
- A really good price, especially if you can find a discount golf supplier that carries previous models.
- It is one of TaylorMade’s most popular drivers for a reason.
- Adjustable hosel allows you to change the loft of the club to make if right for your swing.
Cons
- The M6 is a more forgiving club.
- The new Speed Injection Technology gives the M6 a decent sized advantage over the M2 in ball speed.
- The M2 does not lend itself to workability and is even worse in this feature than the M6.
- Driver technology seems to increase at almost the same rate as computer and microchip technology, so a driver that is 4 years old can become “ancient” really quickly.
TaylorMade SIM Max
The TaylorMade SIM Max series of drivers are some of TaylorMade’s most technologically advanced. It has the same Speed Injection, Twist Face technology, and low/rear weighting that you find in the M6 so that it is just as long and just as forgiving.
There is no draw bias on the SIM Max, but it still produces a really straight ball flight. The launch is a little higher than the M6 and the SIM Max looks better at setup and feels better at impact. While the drivers are similar, the SIM Max is more technologically advanced and has some customizations available.
Pros
- The SIM Max is a bigger driver and looks huge behind the ball. The size and look of the SIM Max inspires confidence at setup.
- Has a high MOI and low center of gravity.
- A larger clubhead than the M6 is appealing to higher handicappers, but it is not so big that low handicappers are turned off.
- Has a little more shot shaping capability than the M6.
- Looks and feels better than the M6.
- The sound off the face is more pure and the feedback is better than the M6.
- A higher launch angle than the M6 which is especially good with a driver.
- Tested in a wind tunnel and the resulting aerodynamics are better than the M6.
Cons
- Costs over $100 more.
- The M6 promotes a straighter ball flight for those that struggle with a slice.
- A newer model that is very similar to the M6 in terms of features but at a much higher price.
Final Thoughts on The TaylorMade M6 Driver Review (Overall Rating: 4 out of 5)
Golfers that are looking for TaylorMade driver that they can take from the rack to the tee without any adjustments will love the Taylormade M6 driver. It is built for speed and produces some of the best distance of any driver on the market.
Everything about the driver is focused on distance, forgiveness, and launch and those are the things most golfers desire. The added forgiveness, however, takes the place of the adjustable weights that many other TaylorMade offerings have. These weights can change your launch angle and spin rates pretty significantly, especially for good golfers.
If that is important to your game, there are some other TaylorMade drivers that may work better. However, if you just want a straight drive with a lot of forgiveness and ridiculous ball speed, the M6 is a great choice.
