Over a year ago, a group of golf journalists sat in a room at TaylorMade Canada receiving the latest updates on the company’s latest product line. While 2023 was the focus of attention at the time, within the graphs being presented related to drivers past and present from the company, there were nuggets to be found. At least for me.
It was clear to the observant that the driver development trajectory for the brand had a common element of speed as is the norm these days, but the overarching theme was more forgiveness.
The company has taken the next step on that journey with the introduction of the Qi10 line of drivers for 2024. “Qi” as in quest for inertia, and plenty of it. In fact, the Max version of the Qi10 has a total Moment of Inertia of 10,000 g-cm², making it the company’s most stable driver ever. And don’t think that means it is a club only for high handicap golfers, none other than Collin Morikawa had it in play this past week at The Sentry where he tied for 5th place.
Along with the Max model, TaylorMade Golf is also introducing the Qi10 LS and standard Qi10 model.
In our opinion, after doing some testing last month, they represent the widest range of drivers, from a fitting perspective, that the company has ever offered. With adjustable features and varied designs, they range from a low spin beast to the high limits of forgiveness.
“We’re all about breaking barriers and never looking back,” says Brian Bazzell, TaylorMade Golf’s VP of Product Creation, referencing the company’s long metalwood history. “From the first metalwood to 60X Carbon Twist Face, once we commit and cross a threshold we continue to push the boundaries of innovation. Achieving the 10K inertia mark is yet another one of those in the long history of TaylorMade driving the industry forward.”
New Tech
While some pundits who have spotted early images of the new drivers on social media have remarked that the only advancements in the heads is a colour change, they would be faulty in that assumption. Plenty has been done to push the clubs forward.
Most notable, visually, is the use of a blue colour way in the face, which is actually a third generation of the 60X Carbon Twist Face® which has a higher level of durability and inverted cone face for more ball speed in areas away from the centre. Behind that face is where things get interesting.
The face is attached to a new ledge structure that was made possible through some mass manipulation. The key to this is a larger carbon crown than what was previously found on the Stealth 2 driver. Where the Stealth 2 crown was 79% carbon, the “infinity crown” on the Qi models is an astonishing 97% carbon.
With that crown and a lighter titanium casting, it allowed the Max model to be extended from front to back by 8mm. The total package ends up being 10% larger than the Stealth 2 while still coming in at 460cc. Add in a 30 gram backweight and you have a stability giant.
“This quest to 10K is the sum of a variety of proven TaylorMade technologies that have been integrated into a new shape in the Qi10 Max, literally giving us the most forgiving driver in TaylorMade history with the highest MOI we’ve ever achieved, says Tomo Bystedt, Senior Director of Product Creation. “On top of it, the evolution of 60X Carbon Twist Face features a new blue colour pattern and high contrast topline that works in unison with the Infinity Carbon Crown to provide a very clean and refined look at address position.”
While the MAX is a package that cane provide the greatest level of launch, on the other end of the spectrum is the Qi10 LS model.
More compact and with a deep face, the LS changes shape but offers the core technologies found in the other two models, with the addition of an 18 gram sliding weight for greater fine tuning of centre of gravity position.
With the new internal structure, the weight is now pushed more forward and lower than the model it replaces, boosting the ability to reduce spin while increasing launch. That will make it a popular choice among tour and high-speed players.
The One In The Middle
The balance between the Max and LS models in the Qi10 driver line is simply that, the Qi10, the core model. With the sister clubs among the trio being more extreme this year, our prediction is that this model will find many suitors, even among high-speed, precise players. That’s because is has a lower centre of gravity and higher MOI than the club in replaces in the middle of the Stealth 2 line-up.
It has a pleasing shape, profile at address, and in our experience, a high level of performance even on off centre hits. Those struck toward the heel and toe retain their face angle and ball speeds better than the 2023 line of drivers from the company.
The entire Qi10 family of drivers feature a 4° loft sleeve (+/- 2°) and build upon proven TaylorMade technologies such as the Thru-Slot Speed Pocket™ designed to optimize ball speed on low face hits.
PRICING, SPECIFICATIONS & AVAILABILITY
Qi10 Max, Qi10 LS and Qi10 are available for pre-order at www.taylormadegolf.ca and at retail starting Jan. 9, 2024 and available in stores Feb. 2, 2024.
