It only seem minutes ago when Rory, like Tiger, was championing the merits of playing a mixed bag. He seemed at home with the Callaway / Titleist mix but after the Masters the former World No.1 has resorted back to the TaylorMade M2 driver he got on with at the later end of the year along with their prototype irons, wedges and TPX5 ball.
Dubai Testing
Prior to this year’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic the Irishman was testing literally every club on the market. But his switch part way through the season is hardly surprising, as the TaylorMade M2 has dominated the driver count this year and Rory has seen what the brand has done for Sergio and Dustin.
Major move
The money must have also added up for Rory, who recently extended his Nike apparel deal, but until now his bag has been without a major sponsor. With TaylorMade now firmly written on the front and nearly a full set of their clubs in there too, Rory must have bagged millions in the move. As the bag and cap are the two key elements for all sponsors. Once those have been taken, there really isn’t any room left worth talking about, well if you are after tens of millions that is.
“My future rests firmly in my hands — that’s why I choose TaylorMade. I’ve been around the game long enough and I’ve seen everything, but I have never been as excited about equipment as I am right now. I came to the conclusion that this was the best way forward for me to win more majors,” McIlroy said. “I’m really excited about my new equipment and hopefully it will take me to the next level.” – Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy’s new look
Driver: 2017 TaylorMade M2 Driver, 9.5°, MCG Kuro Kage Silver 70 XTS shaft.
Fairway Woods: 2017 TaylorMade M2 Tour, 13.5° with a MCG Tensei CK Blue 90TX shaft; 2017 TaylorMade M2 Tour Fairway, 19°, Fujikura Composites Pro P95X shaft.
Irons: TaylorMade P750 Tour Proto Irons (3-4-iron), True Temper Project X 7.0 shafts. P700 “Rors Proto” Irons (5-9-iron), True Temper Project X 7.0 shafts.
Wedges: TaylorMade Milled Grind Wedges, 48°, 54° and 60°, True Temper Project X 6.5 shafts.
Putter: Odyssey Works Prototype.
Ball: TaylorMade TP5x.
Rory’s M2 Driver Stats
As evidenced by the following chart, his average numbers after multiple shots hit during his testing period were remarkable:
181 MPH ballspeed
12.3° launch angle
2119 RPM spin rate
315.8-yard carry average, 338.5 total average
Rory on playing the TPX5 ball
“I always had it in my head that the more spin I could get with a golf ball, the better,” McIlroy revealed speaking to PGATour.com. “But obviously that was working against me. I didn’t have anything in my head at that time, just sort of wanting to find the best equipment. So we got on the TrackMan and I started hitting this TP5x golf ball and I was like, ‘Oh my goodness.’
