TaylorMade · Driver · 2018 · Previous model
TaylorMade M4 driver
Maximum forgiveness, 4.0 of 5
TaylorMade's 2018 forgiving driver, sold on "straight distance + ultimate forgiveness": a 460cc head with a 41-gram weight pad low in the back and a Twist Face, in 8.5°, 9.5°, 10.5° or 12°. TaylorMade no longer sells the M4 new, and the Qi4D Max is the current model in its line.
4.0 of 5 forgiveness score
$161.99 used at 2nd Swing Golf
New instead: TaylorMade Qi4D Max, $649.99 at TaylorMade, checked 2 Nov
Choose it if
- Your misses come off the heel and toe and you want a forgiving 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 M4 D-Type instead: TaylorMade's draw-biased version, with 41 grams moved toward the heel to fight a slice.
- Class
- Maximum forgiveness
- Stock lofts
- 8.5° · 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 $161.99 at 2nd Swing Golf, checked 31 Oct
What changed in the Qi4D Max
Both are TaylorMade's forgiving 460cc heads with a Twist Face, at a 45.75-inch standard length. The M4 holds a fixed 41-gram weight pad low in the back, has no weight you can move 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.
TaylorMade no longer sells the M4 and we found no shop selling it new, but used ones cost a fraction of a new Qi4D Max. Choose a used M4 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 | M4 (previous) | Qi4D Max (current) |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Maximum forgiveness | Maximum forgiveness |
| Forgiveness score | 4.0 of 5 | 4.0 of 5 |
| Stock lofts | 8.5° · 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 $161.99 at 2nd Swing Golf (10.5°, 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 M4 came in a senior (A) flex as well as regular (R): what the senior flex changes, and who it suits.
M4: the questions buyers ask
- Is the TaylorMade M4 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 M4 for?
- It suits golfers whose misses come off the heel and toe and who want a forgiving head for little money.
- Does the M4 come in senior or ladies flex?
- Senior, yes; ladies, only in the women's M4, a separate model. TaylorMade listed senior (A), regular (R), stiff (S) and extra stiff (X) for this model.
- Is the M4 sold left-handed?
- Yes, at 9.5° and 10.5°; TaylorMade made the other lofts right-handed only.
- How much does the M4 cost?
- TaylorMade no longer sells it new. Used from $161.99 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 | M4 |
| Model year | 2018 |
| Type | Driver |
| Class | Maximum forgiveness |
| Handicap range the maker states | – |
| Offset | – |
| Sole | – |
| Moment of inertia (MOI) | – |
| Face technology | Twist Face: a face curved to send heel and toe misses straighter; a Hammerhead slot behind the leading edge for ball speed on low strikes |
| Construction | A 460cc head with a carbon crown, a 41-gram weight pad low in the back of the sole, a Twist Face and a 12-position hosel that moves the loft up or down by as much as 2 degrees. 45.75 inches. Buying used, you need not hold out for a 12°: the hosel adds up to 2 degrees to a 10.5°, and the 10.5° was sold in either hand. |
| Stock steel shafts | – |
| Stock graphite shafts | Fujikura Atmos Red 5, Fujikura Atmos Red 6 |
| Stock flexes | A (senior), R (regular), S (stiff), X (extra stiff) |
| Stock lofts | 8.5° · 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 | $429.99 (2018 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 7 Jan 2018
- TaylorMade's specifications, archived copy of 18 Aug 2019
- Golfweek's launch report
- TaylorMade's page for the draw-biased version, archived copy of 20 Aug 2019
- TaylorMade's page for the women's version, archived copy of 25 Sep 2020
- TaylorMade's page on availability (checked 22 Oct)
- Golf Discount's search results (checked 22 Oct)
- 2nd Swing Golf's used listings (checked 31 Oct)
- Pre-owned: seen at 2nd Swing Golf from $161.99 (checked 31 Oct)