TaylorMade has some new hybrids this year, the Qi10 collection, which consists of the Qi10, Qi10 Max and Qi10 Tour. This review will concentrate on the Qi10.
The Qi10 is an all-new Carbon Crown club which looks to provide the golfer with maximum forgiveness. The head shape is the ‘classic’ rounded hybrid, providing a versatile club that performs well off the tee or from tight lies.
However, the real advancement in the Qi10 design is the creation of a club that enables the mis-hits to go straight and carry a decent distance.
So how does it perform? Find out in our TaylorMade Qi 10 Hybrid review.
- RELATED: TaylorMade Qi10: Everything you need to know!
- RELATED: TaylorMade Qi Iron Review
NCG SUMMARY
The Qi10 Hybrid tested was a number 4 – which is a 22 degree club.
I don’t currently carry any hybrids and have been struggling with my long irons and so was intrigued to give this a go and see if it could provide me with the consistency lacking from my 4/5 iron.
This is a club that produces consistent results. If you struggle to find consistency with your long irons then this is a club you should seriously consider.
The club provided a clean contact off the floor with a little extra distance if hit off a tee. It also sounded nice of the clubface.
PROS
- Consistency
- Could shape it both left and right
- Ball went pretty straight
CONS
- None
1
TaylorMade Qi10 Hybrid Review: First Impressions
This club sits beautifully behind the ball. The ‘classic’ head size was to my personal liking, as was the design and the overall look of the club.
Once the club is in your hands, the irresistible urge to take a swing takes over! Personally, I find it more visually enticing than a long iron when positioned behind the ball. I was eager to assess whether it could deliver greater consistency for my 170-175-yard shots.
NCG Verdict
I am aged 46, 8 handicap golfer with a slow swing speed. I am a short hitter, but I am generally straight off the tee. Nevertheless, I grapple with consistency when using long irons, particularly impacting my performance on the more extended par 3s and 4s. Currently, I haven’t incorporated any hybrids into my bag, prompting me to contemplate whether replacing my long irons with hybrids could be a beneficial adjustment.
Straight away, I loved how the hybrid 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.
This is one of three TaylorMade Qi10 hybrid models – all designed to improve consistency and limit the damage from those bad swing shots.
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You might be thinking at this point, what does Qi even mean? Quite interesting? Quality Improvement? Quite Innovative? Well, none of those – in fact, it means quest for inertia. This simply means – 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 or green.
The data I collected using the Qi10 Hybrid is set out below. To put the numbers in context, I tend to compare myself to LPGA Tour averages – these being a carry with a 4 iron of 170 yards, ball speed of 116, launch angle of 14.3 degrees, descent angle of 43 degrees and peak height of 24 yards.
As such, I was really happy with my numbers, with the ball going pretty straight and, for me, a decent distance when compared with a 4 iron. But more important than the distance was the consistency over the 4 iron. I could also shape the ball left and right without the ball going wildly offline.
The longest shot of 182.6 yards carry was off a tee and so I would need to factor that in when playing into par 3s as opposed to playing an approach shot off the fairway or rough. This is something I had not seriously thought about before and is yet another thing to factor in when playing hybrids. The stats have made me think I seriously need to ditch the long irons in favour of some hybrids.
Overall, I was really impressed with the performance of this hybrid so much so that I could not wait to test it out on course on actual long par 3s.
Putting this hybrid to the test on course was a revelation as I am now hitting the green more often than not and confident on scoring par rather than being relatively happy scoring 4! I will definitely be replacing my long irons with a selection of hybrids. As someone who does not hit the ball a great distance off the tee, I am confident this will provide me with greater consistency with the longer approaches.
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The quest for inertia is definitely an exciting move by TaylorMade that provides the golfer with more consistency and straighter shots. You should seriously consider purchasing this club if, like me, you are in need of tightening up your long game.
- RELATED: TaylorMade Qi10 Max Hybrid Review
- RELATED: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour Hybrid Review
- RELATED: TaylorMade Qi10 Fairway Wood Review
TaylorMade Qi10 Hybrid Review: The Details
Available: 2nd February 2024
RRP: £269 / $299.99
Right-handed lofts: 19°, 22°, 25°, 29°, 33°
Left-handed lofts: 19°, 22°, 25°
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue HB (7S, 6R, 5A)
More information: TaylorMade Website
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