TaylorMade · Driver · 2016 · Previous model
TaylorMade M2 (2016) driver
Maximum forgiveness, 4.0 of 5
TaylorMade's 2016 forgiving driver, sold on "maximum forgiveness without sacrificing distance": a 460cc head with a carbon crown, its weight low and slightly back, and a face built to keep ball speed on heel and toe strikes, in 9.5°, 10.5° or 12°. TaylorMade no longer sells the M2 (2016) new, and the Qi4D Max is the current model in its line.
4.0 of 5 forgiveness score
$179.99 used at 2nd Swing Golf
New instead: TaylorMade Qi4D Max, $649.99 at TaylorMade, checked 2 Nov
Choose it if
- You miss the centre of the face and want a forgiving TaylorMade head for little money.
- You need a left-handed club or a senior flex: both were stock builds.
Choose something else if
- If your drives curve right, look for the 2017 M2 D-Type instead: TaylorMade's draw-biased M2, more heel-weighted with slight offset.
- Class
- Maximum forgiveness
- Stock lofts
- 9.5° · 10.5° · 12°
- Stock flexes
- Senior to extra stiff
- Hands
- Left or right; left-handed in 9.5° and 10.5° only.
- Used
- From $179.99 at 2nd Swing Golf, checked 31 Oct
What changed in the Qi4D Max
Both are TaylorMade's forgiving 460cc heads at a 45.75-inch standard length. The 2016 M2 holds its weight low and slightly back with none you can move, has a face with an inverted cone, and came left-handed in 9.5° and 10.5° only. The Qi4D Max has two weights you can swap (13 and 4 grams), a 60X carbon Twist Face and an aluminium collar, and sells the 12° left-handed as well. The 2017 M2 that replaced it moved 25 grams low and back and made the face 7% larger; it and TaylorMade's M4 and M6, which we also cover, came between them.
TaylorMade no longer sells the 2016 M2 and we found no shop selling it new, but used ones cost a fraction of a new Qi4D Max. Choose a used 2016 M2 for a forgiving TaylorMade head for very little money; choose the Qi4D Max for the movable weights, the newer face or a left-handed 12°.
| Detail | M2 (2016) (previous) | Qi4D Max (current) |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Maximum forgiveness | Maximum forgiveness |
| Forgiveness score | 4.0 of 5 | 4.0 of 5 |
| Stock lofts | 9.5° · 10.5° · 12° | 9° · 10.5° · 12° |
| Slice help | None stated | None stated |
| Stock flexes | Senior to extra stiff | Senior to extra stiff |
| Hands | Left or right; left-handed in 9.5° and 10.5° only | Left or right |
| Price new | No longer sold new | $649.99 at TaylorMade, checked 2 Nov |
| Price used | From $179.99 at 2nd Swing Golf (9.5°, stiff flex, poor condition), checked 31 Oct | From $499.99 at 2nd Swing Golf (10.5°, regular flex, average condition), checked 31 Oct |
Build a whole bag around it, or check the lofts in the bag you carry.
The TaylorMade M2 (2016) came in a senior (A) flex as well as regular (R): what the senior flex changes, and who it suits.
M2 (2016): the questions buyers ask
- Is the TaylorMade M2 (2016) forgiving?
- Yes. It is TaylorMade's maximum forgiveness driver, with lofts up to 12°. It scores 4.0 of 5 on our reading of what TaylorMade publishes about it, the top score among the drivers we cover.
- Who is the M2 (2016) for?
- It suits golfers who miss the centre of the face and want a forgiving TaylorMade head for little money.
- Does the M2 (2016) come in senior or ladies flex?
- Senior, yes; ladies, only in the women's M2, a separate model. TaylorMade listed senior (A), regular (R), stiff (S) and extra stiff (X) for this model.
- Is the M2 (2016) sold left-handed?
- Yes, at 9.5° and 10.5°; TaylorMade made the 12° right-handed only.
- How much does the M2 (2016) cost?
- TaylorMade no longer sells it new. Used from $179.99 at 2nd Swing Golf, checked 31 Oct. Prices change; the seller's page has today's.
How the 4.0 adds up
The forgiveness score is our reading of what TaylorMade publishes about the head, from 1 to 5. It is not a test result. How every score works.
| Part | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Head | 4 | A maximum-forgiveness driver head, the most forgiving kind TaylorMade made. |
| Forgiveness score | 4.0 | of 5 |
Draw help, lofts, flex and hand don't change the score. They decide which version fits you, and the picks for a slice or a slow swing use them.
Specification sheet
| Maker | TaylorMade |
|---|---|
| Model | M2 (2016) |
| Model year | 2016 |
| Type | Driver |
| Class | Maximum forgiveness |
| Handicap range the maker states | – |
| Offset | – |
| Sole | – |
| Moment of inertia (MOI) | – |
| Face technology | Inverted Cone Technology: a thinner face with a thicker cone at its centre, so the fast area spreads toward heel and toe; a redesigned Speed Pocket in the sole for ball speed on low strikes |
| Construction | A 460cc titanium head with a carbon crown, the weight it saves moved low and slightly back in the sole for a high MOI, a face with TaylorMade's inverted cone to keep ball speed on heel and toe strikes, a Speed Pocket in the sole for low strikes, and a 12-position hosel that moves the loft up or down by 2 degrees. 45.75 inches. Buying used, the stock shaft tells the two M2s apart: TaylorMade fitted the 2016 head with a Fujikura Pro 60 or Pro 50, the 2017 head with a Fujikura Pro XLR8 56. |
| Stock steel shafts | – |
| Stock graphite shafts | Fujikura Pro 50, Fujikura Pro 60 |
| Stock flexes | A (senior), R (regular), S (stiff), X (extra stiff) |
| Stock lofts | 9.5° · 10.5° · 12° |
| Hands | Left or right; left-handed in 9.5° and 10.5° only. |
| Men's or women's | Men's |
| List price when new | $399 (2016 model); not a price today |
| Price at TaylorMade | – |
Compare with other maximum forgiveness drivers
No matching clubs. Clear the search or loosen the filters.
| Lofts | Slice help | Hand | Where to buy | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | Maximum forgiveness | 10.5° · 12° · 15° | Draw-biased head, built to reduce a slice | A · R · S | RH · LH | $299.99 at Tour Edge checked 2 Nov | ||
Cobra OPTM MAX-D (2026) | 4.0 | Maximum forgiveness | 10.5° · 12.0° | Draw-biased head, built to reduce a slice | A · R · S · X | RH · LH | $399 at Cobra checked 2 Nov | |
Cobra OPTM MAX-K (2026) | 4.0 | Maximum forgiveness | 9.0° · 10.5° · 12.0° | – | A · R · S · X | RH · LH | $399 at Cobra checked 2 Nov | |
| 4.0 | Maximum forgiveness | 9.0° · 10.5° · 12.0° | Slight draw bias built into the head | A · R · S | RH · LH | $399.99 at Srixon checked 2 Nov | ||
| 4.0 | Maximum forgiveness | 9° · 10.5° · 12° | Draw setting on the adjustable weight | A · R · S · X | RH · LH | $447 at Golf Discount checked 2 Nov | ||
| 4.0 | Maximum forgiveness | 9° · 10.5° | Draw-biased head, built to reduce a slice | A · R · S · X | RH · LH | $447 at Golf Discount checked 2 Nov | ||
Wilson DYNAPWR Max+ (2026) | 4.0 | Maximum forgiveness | 9° · 10.5° · 12° | – | A · R · S | RH · LH | $499.99 at Wilson checked 2 Nov | |
| 4.0 | Maximum forgiveness | 9° · 10.5° · 12° | Draw setting on the adjustable weight | A · R · S · X | RH · LH | $647 at Golf Discount checked 2 Nov |
Order: Most forgiving in this class first, then price. Use the arrows to sort. A dash means the maker does not publish it.
See all drivers on the most forgiving driver page, or compare this club side by side. Waiting for a sale? The Black Friday golf club deals page has the price to beat on every club we price.
Sources
The specification comes from these pages; open the maker's page before buying, because prices and shaft options change. Check the exact shaft and hand at the shop before ordering.
- TaylorMade's specifications, archived copy of 18 Mar 2016
- TaylorMade's specification chart
- TaylorMade's specifications, archived copy of 11 Feb 2017
- TaylorMade's press release
- TaylorMade's page on availability (checked 23 Oct)
- TaylorMade's drivers list
- Golf Discount's search results (checked 23 Oct)
- 2nd Swing Golf's used listings (checked 31 Oct)
- Pre-owned: seen at 2nd Swing Golf from $179.99 (checked 31 Oct)