December 8, 2016 – Sensational! TaylorMade Golf has made it again. The official global launch of their innovations has been a great show, which no golfer would want to miss. The magical night of December the 5th at the Hilton West Palm Beach Hotel in Florida (U.S.), the stage chosen for the occasion, was buzzing just moments before the start of the #TaylorMadeEvent.

Some two hundred people waited with bated breath – pro ambassadors, managers and designers, commercial teams and golf media partners around the world. Curiously, in the access corridor there were more Spanish people in the posters (Sergio Garcia and Jon Rahm, along with Dustin Johnson) than at the entrance (myself, of course, exclusively for MyGolfWay.com).

And we started with TaylorMade Golf General Manager David Abeles, as orchestra conductor jumping onto the stage. After stating that the company brings no products to the market that are not measurably better than the previous ones, he uncovered the great secret… What’ll it be? A new M3 driver, perhaps? But so fast, after what the M1 and M2 have achieved in 2016? Impossible! …

We start with a video and a date to remember:

Whatever it is, it will arrive on 01.27.2017.

Well no, it’s not an M3 driver, ha ha! The excitement within TaylorMade’s entire staff is because … “By 2017 we will fill the golf bag with the highest-performing products in the history of this company,” said David Abeles. The result of so much research and development is a bag full of innovations for 2017, under the slogan: “M, SAME LETTER. BETTER EVERYTHING”. The all-new M family, designed for your best game, even better.

“Our mission is to be the company with the best golf products in the world, with golf clubs that no one would expect. That is our commitment to golf.”

Thus began the catwalk, opening the show by one of the biggest surprises… the golf ball. Presented by Eric Loper, Senior Director of Development for the golf balls of the brand, the new TP5 (and its sister TP5x) is the result of ten years dedicated to the R&D of this product. It is announced as the most complete Tour ball, aiming to be the best golf ball in the world, and capable of unseating the Titleist ProV1.

This is a five-layer high performance golf ball that promises to be the future of the Tour Balls. And someone else was also surprised – our Jon Rahm, as he confessed in a video. The Spanish golfer on the staff of the brand has been faithful to the ProV1x for 15 years and wouldn’t be considering switching if it were not a tangible improvement in terms of trajectory and distance. The radar doesn’t lie!

We then went on to putters and wedges with Bill Price, Senior Director of Development of the categories. Since Jason Day put the red Spider in play, and then Dustin Johnson chose it in the black version, the two winning Majors with it, it was clear that there was something new that worked. Then came Sergio Garcia, who chose the TP JUNO, more classic, for the Ryder Cup 2016, and everyone noticed his putter.

Three very different players with something in common, the new Pure Roll, an insert on the face of the putter with the grooves ground with a 45 degree inclination and filled with a polymer that promotes the top spin, causing the ball to roll immediately towards in front.

And then we were shown the Milled Grind wedges, with an original softly fluted sole, which will be a pleasure to hit from under the ball.

Next to came is Tomo Bystedt, Senior Director of Development of the TaylorMade Golf Irons. What is coming for the skilled players is the Tour Proto, with a mechanized forged face that offers more forgiveness and more distance in a profile iron blade. Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm have already placed their respective orders.

And with the same letter M, but better in everything, appear the new M1 and M2 irons, with success assured. The M1 irons arrive with more distance and control, while the M2 irons promise more distance and height, both introducing the concept of Geocoustic, tuning the sound, which is applied to the entire M family.

Finally, we got to the launch of the woods, which completes the M (multi-material) family for 2017, with Brian Bazzel, Senior Director of Driver, Fairway Woods and Rescues Development. In 2016 the M1 has been a new standard in drivers worldwide, with a multi-material head that solved the carbon composite problems of one decade ago.

The new M1 driver (in the picture opening this report) goes further, with a body of a lower density titanium alloy and an added carbon panel at the toe of the sole. That is, with 43% more carbon composite than its predecessor, the saved weight has been focused towards a redesigned and more aerodynamic Track system, which offers greater trajectory adjustability, from high-to-low. In addition, using the FF2FF process ensures that all the pieces fit perfectly, giving a touch of superior quality.

And its brother, the new M2 driver, raises the limits of the design and engineering of the successful M2 2016, with a Speed ​​Pocket three times more flexible, which releases more forgiveness, in tune with the best sound of the Geocoustic.

Here, the first reactions of the pros:

By the way, without contracts, without obligations… we remember the count that indicates that 15 of the 18 Nike Golf players have moved across to the M1 or M2 2016 drivers (including, Tiger and Rory), since their sponsor announced its withdrawal from golf club production. Why? It can only be for one reason, the extra meters.

To close the evening came Keith Sbarbaro, Vice President of TaylorMade Golf on the Tour. Of the company, Keith is most in contact with the Tour players, all world-class golfers. But he didn’t come alone!

Last year the surprise of the presentation at Boston was Jason Day. This year the star of the show was… the one and only Dustin Johnson, who came with all his five trophies of 2016, beginning with the U.S. Open and ending with the Ryder Cup.

The room exploded with applause to welcome this great supporter of the company. He talked about his 2016 season and his expectations with the new clubs for 2017, and left in new waves of applause.

The party came to an end with a rush to get pictures, at last with permission, of all the new equipment. Then on to a lively reception dinner and, the next day, an opportunity to try out these powerful products at The Club at Ibis, in West Palm Beach.

Pictures: ©MyGolfWay.com

Por MIGUEL ANGEL BUIL