Tiger Woods’ use of TaylorMade’s Stealth Plus+ driver at the recent PNC Championship and the club’s subsequent release Jan. 4 created a lot of buzz for the Carlsbad, California-based company. As one of the leaders in metalwood (and now carbonwood) development, TaylorMade’s drivers always garner a lot of attention, as do the company’s fairway woods, hybrids, irons, wedges, putters and balls.
But in the not-too-distant future, TaylorMade might look back on today, when the MyTaylorMade+ program officially launches, as one of the most important dates in the brand’s history.
The MyTaylorMade+ program aspires to set up the company as the Apple of the golf world, a brand that creates an ecosystem in which hardware blends seamlessly with software and services to make the experience of being a golfer better.
That may sound like a lot of “corporate speak,” but with the help of several partners, MyTaylorMade+ tries to replicate the teams elite golfers rely on to help them play at their best.
For example, someone such as Collin Morikawa benefits from having equipment technicians, a personal trainer, a swing coach and a statistics expert who can help make sense of ShotLink analytics and data. MyTaylorMade+ aspires to bring all that to recreational golfers.
At the heart of MyTaylorMade+ is shot tracking, which can be done manually using TaylorMade’s MyRoundPro system or passively using Arccos, a shot-tracking system that TaylorMade has partnered with for the last two years. Both systems utilize GPS to help determine where you hit each shot during your round and gather club information to create detailed statistical reports on your performance.
MyTaylorMade+ processes such information to help players understand the strengths and weaknesses of their games, and reveal how they compare to players at other handicap levels. For instance, if you are a 15 handicap and aspire to be a 10, the system may reveal that you lose 1.5 shots to a 10-handicap player in putting while your driving is already at a 10-handicap golfer’s level, so it will encourage you to practice putting instead of working more with your driver.
MyTaylorMade+ also has a continuously updated repository of instruction content from people such as Rick Sessinghaus (Collin Morikawa’s coach), Chris Ryan or Me and My Golf. However, the key is the instructional articles and videos the system recommends will be based on your specific stats and performances. So, if you are putting well but struggling on approach shots, you will be encouraged to watch a video on hitting solid irons instead of improving your lag putting . As your game evolves, the recommendations change automatically.
MyTaylorMade+ also allows golfers to utilize a try-then-buy equipment program that makes any TaylorMade club available for two weeks with customized shafts and grips. If the player likes the club, he or she can pay for it and keep it. If the club does not work out, he or she can simply send it back at no cost.
Golfers also can schedule either a virtual or in-person custom fitting session and gain early access to in-demand products and exclusive, member-only swag. Some of that swag will include “Tour Trash,” equipment made for tour players that was given back, like a driver originally made for Tommy Fleetwood or a prototype wedge for Harry Higgs.
Finally, MyTaylorMade+ has member-only content that includes interviews with staff players, behind-the-scenes videos and more.
There are three levels of MyTaylorMade+: a free version, Tier I ($9.99 per month for one year or $12.99 per month) and Tier II ($19.99 per month annually or $24.99 per month).
The pay-to-use levels of MyTaylorMade+ unlock a feature powered by another partner, Swing Index. It is a two-way coaching platform called My TaylorMade Coach that allows golfers to upload down-the-line and face-on videos of their swing and send them to a coach. After watching the videos, the coach will send feedback and a roadmap of drills to help the player achieve his or her goals. Each plan is broken down into segments, and after you complete the recommended tasks, you are encouraged to upload a new video so the coach can see your progress and recommend a new set of drills to keep you moving in the right direction.
It is important to note that you do not need to use TaylorMade equipment to make MyTaylorMade+ work. The shot-tracking systems at the heart of MyTaylorMade+ can gather data for the system using any club and ball.
The goal for the company is to make MyTaylorMade+ the hub of your golf world, a place where you go to learn about your game, keep track of your progress, find instruction, watch exclusive content and buy equipment. The company also hopes to use data and insights on golfers collected in the MyTaylorMade+ environment to help it develop new equipment.