The TaylorMade M3 fairway wood uses 4° Loft Sleeve. Factory lofts range from 15° to 24°. Start at the standard setting and change one variable at a time.
TaylorMade Fairway Wood Adjustment Guide
M3
4° Loft Sleeve • 2018
±2° loftLoft adjustment
12 positionsHosel system
15°–24°Factory loft
58.5°–60°Factory lie
Historical spec note: The source workbook marks these loft/lie figures as estimated or reconstructed. Use them as an era reference rather than an exact factory measurement for a specific surviving club.
Model note: This model also has a 29 g sliding sole weight for left/right shot-shape tuning.
Hosel settings
| Reference position | Loft | Face / lie effect |
|---|---|---|
| STD LOFT | Stated loft | Square face; standard lie |
| One step LOWER side | About -0.75° | About 1.5° more open |
| Next LOWER reference | About -1.5° | About 3° more open |
| Maximum LOWER | -2° | About 4° more open |
| One step HIGHER side | About +0.75° | About 1.5° more closed |
| Next HIGHER reference | About +1.5° | About 3° more closed |
| Maximum HIGHER | +2° | About 4° more closed |
| UPRT | Stated loft | Most upright stated-loft position |
The TaylorMade 4° sleeve has 12 positions. The intermediate movements are not perfectly equal; TaylorMade describes each movement as changing loft and lie by roughly 0.5°–0.75° and face angle by roughly 1°–2°.
Check strike before changing the club
| High face | Often raises launch and lowers spin. |
|---|---|
| Low face | Often lowers launch and adds spin. Check strike before adding loft. |
| Heel | Can add fade or slice gear effect. |
| Toe | Can add draw or hook gear effect. |
How to adjust the hosel
- Support the head and use the correct TaylorMade torque wrench.
- Loosen the hosel screw counter clockwise until the head releases.
- Rotate to a valid setting for this exact sleeve generation.
- Fully reseat the head before tightening.
- Tighten clockwise until the wrench clicks, then stop.
Best first changes
| More launch / spin | Increase loft one step and re-check strike. |
|---|---|
| Less launch / spin | Reduce loft one step before jumping to the minimum setting. |
| Right miss | More loft on modern sleeves generally presents the face more closed. Test start direction rather than treating the sleeve as a pure draw control. |
| Left miss | Less loft generally presents the face more open. Change one control at a time. |
Factory specs
| Loft specs | 3W 15°; 5W 18°; 7W 21°; 9W 24° |
|---|---|
| Lie specs | 3W 58.5°; 5W 59°; 7W 59.5°; 9W 60° |
Common mistakes
- Using a 4° sleeve chart on a 3° or older FCT sleeve.
- Changing the sleeve and movable weight together, then not knowing which change helped.
- Continuing to tighten after the torque wrench clicks.
Disclaimer: TaylorMade sleeve systems vary by generation and club type. Confirm the exact adapter markings, supported head and compatible wrench for your club before loosening the head.