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What’s new? How much does it cost? And how does it perform? Paul Miller brings you the low down on the TaylorMade Qi10 Driver
TaylorMade has a new driver this year, the Qi10, which aims to provide the golfer with improved distance but more importantly, extra forgiveness. So how does it perform? Find out in our TaylorMade Qi 10 Driver review.
Overall, I was really impressed with this driver’s performance. When you are over the ball, you want to hit it, and so it gives you confidence before you even hit the ball.
The Qi10 produced consistent ball speed numbers and carry distance relative to my low club head speed. It was also extremely consistent across the board. I am right-handed and play with a fade and every shot I hit did just that, with not one shot going left.
If you are someone who is looking for consistency from your driver, this is a great option.
PROS
CONS
This is a great-looking club! Personally, I love the new look, and a move away from the red ‘Stealth’ design is fresh and different. The overall design has been well thought out, with a head shape that is pleasing to the eye. This results in a visually appealing and confidence-inspiring club at address.
I am aged 46, 8 handicap golfer with a slow swing speed. I don’t hit the ball a great distance, but the strength of my game is generally the consistency of my driving. I can hit the ball both ways, but I do favour a fade off the tee.
Straight away, I loved how the club sat behind the ball. I just wanted to hit it and see how it performed. For my initial testing, I used a Foresight Sports GC3 simulator at the Worksop Indoor Golf Centre.
Before getting into the numbers, let’s try to explain what Qi10 actually means! You might be forgiven for thinking the Qi is a play on IQ or even the QI (quite interesting) quiz show – but sadly, you would be mistaken. Qi stands for the quest for inertia, or to put in a more understandable way, the quest to produce the least twisting head for off-centre shots. The less the club twists, the better. In practical terms, this will result in your bad shots going further than they would have and closer to the fairway.
TaylorMade has achieved this by extending the boundaries of its carbon head technology. The latest driver features an Infinity Crown, characterised by a continuous carbon construction from the rear of the head to the face. This innovative design not only conserves mass and reduces weight but also enables redistribution to more strategically advantageous positions for optimising launch and spin. Additionally, the driver retains the twist face technology and incorporates a sliding weight on the sole, providing additional options for fine-tuning and customisation.
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The data I collected using the Qi10 driver is set out below. Even though I tend to fade the ball off the tee, I do have a tendency to hit the odd shot left. As such, the data below surprised me a little in that not one shot went left!
The other interesting thing to note was that the peak height is about five yards lower than what I would expect. I play most of my golf in the North of England on links courses and can hit the ball too high when playing into the wind. A driver that produces a slightly lower ball flight might be more suitable in such conditions. So, even if the Qi10, for me, does not produce knock-out distance results, it might be a much better club for all-round play that can perform well in the conditions I play.
To put the numbers in context, I tend to compare myself to LPGA Tour averages – these being a carry with the driver of 218 yards, ball speed of 140, launch angle of 13.2 degrees, descent angle of 37 degrees and peak height of 25 yards. As such, I was pretty happy with my numbers below and having a one-sided miss, which would help consistency out on the course.
So, even if the carry and total distances were about five yards less than I would expect, this club provides consistency and a shot shape I can rely on and work with. If someone could guarantee me that a driver, with my normal swing, would only go right, then I would be very happy as there would be no second guessing myself when stood over the ball.
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The Qi10 seems to be about providing golfers with a club they can trust and ensuring even the bad shots are not card wreckers.
One thing to note is that this club was not custom-fitted and I am sure that if a few tweaks were done here and there, the spin and launch numbers might improve. As with all drivers, it is important to get a good custom fit to see which lofts, shafts, etc suit best.
Overall, I was really impressed with this driver’s performance. When you are over the ball, you just want to hit it, and so it gives you confidence before you even hit the ball. As someone who mainly hits a fade, this club definitely would give me confidence on the tee to do just that.
The Quest for Inertia is definitely an exciting move by TaylorMade, and this club will definitely provide you with consistency off the tee and minimise those card-wrecking drives.
Available: Now
RRP: £499 / $599
Right-handed lofts: 9°, 10.5°, 12°
Left-handed lofts: 9° & 10.5°
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 5 (S, R, A) and Mitsubishi Diamana T+ 60 (R, S, X) shafts.
More information: TaylorMade website
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