Wilson FG Tour M3 Driver Review – The FG Tour M3 driver represents a new era for Wilson as it is their first adjustable driver in over 100 years of making golf clubs.
As well as having an adjustable hosel the Wilson FG Tour M3 driver also comes with three adjustable sole weights. The 7 gram screw is the standard weight that arrives in the sole. In a pouch with the wrench are a 3 and an 11 gram weight that can be interchanged into the port on the centre/back of the sole.
Wilson FG Tour M3 Driver Review
A few other drivers have had interchangeable weights in the heel and toe, but not many have been in the centre to change the weight of the club. They are easy to change although the threads on the weights seemed to deteriorate quicker than expected after changing them in and out a few times.
I found that the weights really affected how the club feels and performs. Better players will probably like the heavier 11 gram weight to feel the head a little more, whereas mid handicappers may prefer the standard or lighter 3 gram weight to try and get a little more ball speed.
The FG Tour M3 driver also comes with an Aldila Phenom shaft in a choice of 50 gram or ‘Nasty Long’ 60 gram weights. Getting the right combination will require some time on a launch monitor as the various configurations of shaft and sole weight did change how the M3 felt in your hands quite significantly.
Whilst you are on your launch monitor you should also factor in the correct loft setting. There are six settings from 8.5° to 11.5° in half degree setting with the exception of 10°, which is a little odd as I would have thought that would be a key option for most players. Wilson say that this is because, like most adjustable drivers, the shaft and hosel axis are misaligned to create the different loft options and the hosel geometry does not allow for this loft option.
Like most adjustable loft drivers, when you change the loft you change the face angle and hence the lie of the club and there is no method to counter this. This is OK when you are just changing the lie slightly, but if you go to the extremes at 8.5° or 11° then it may be something to take into account.
Now that I have fully set up the Wilson FG Tour M3 driver, how did it play?
Firstly, at address the dark coloured 460cc titanium head was a nice size and sat behind the ball very well. Wilson claim it is compact, but it seemed a more normal 460cc size to me. There is a subtle Wilson icon on the crown to help align the ball if you need it, but it does not stand out too much so you can ignore if you want to.
The face is large and seems reasonably tall with quite a straight top line when behind the ball. The adjustable hosel is a pretty standard size, but more visible at address than most clubs. However, it was more hidden in the set up of the driver than in the Wilson FG Tour M3 fairway.
The sound was towards the louder end of the scale and a little on the hollow side due in part to the tall crown. The feel was good and solid without being spectacular. Generally the flight was very good and the adjustability options did change the trajectory in a meaningful way, but it will be important to get fitted or spend some time on the range configuring it to get it right for your swing.
The Wilson D100 driver seems lighter than the FG Tour M3 driver and for most golfers it performs just as well, if not better, and is cheaper too. Wilson aficionados, and some better players, will prefer the adjustability options that the FG Tour M3 driver offers as the combination of loft, weight and shaft should give you a ‘right weight’ driver that performs well.
Reviewed by Martin Hopley – Golfalot.com
