TaylorMade’s new game improvement iron features new technology that is fine-tuned for each individual iron in the bag, so how did we find them? Find out in our TaylorMade Qi iron review.
NCG SUMMARY
These irons sit well into the game improvement category but are well worth testing for all level of golfer. They are super long, extremely forgiving and produce a tight dispersion that could definitely move players away from more traditionally sized heads.
The long irons are easy to launch and feel and sound great at impact.
PROS
- The back of the club looks great in the bag.
- Long distance
- Performed really well on the course in real-world golf
CONS
- Thicker soles may not suit the feel of all players.
TaylorMade Qi Iron Review: First Impressions
As someone gaming an iron on the smaller end of the spectrum, Hannah thinks that these irons look really good from the back, they would sit nicely in the bag, and you can’t really tell they are a game improvement iron. TaylorMade have put chrome plating on these game improvement heads for the first time, so the clubs should wear much less and keep a premium look for a much longer period of time.
NCG Verdict
These irons are so packed with new technology it’s going to be hard to cover it all. So let’s start with Hannah’s performance with the clubs. Hannah’s current P7MC 7 iron flies around 153 yards, and P770 5 iron carries 175, which are numbers that work for the gapping into fairway woods and wedges. With the Qi irons, Hannah averaged in the 170s carry with a 7 iron and then over 190 yards with the 5 iron, a 20-yard gain per iron.
What was very interesting is that despite distinctly stronger lofts in the Qi irons than in Hannah’s current gamers, the Qi irons achieved a higher peak height, so they would still have plenty of control hitting into greens. This is a misconceptions golfers have with game improvement clubs, they think the ball comes out like a low rocket and the increase in yardage comes at a cost to control.
TaylorMade has worked really hard to make sure this is the case. This year, they have introduced their new Integrated System Design, which basically means that each individual iron head is specifically designed with different mass distributions to produce optimal launch and spin characteristics.
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These irons see the return of speed pocket technology, which is a face design that flexes differently across the surface to produce consistent ball speeds no matter where you strike the face. The Qi irons also feature FLTD CG, which we have seen in TaylorMade’s player’s irons before, which basically means the centre of gravity is lower in the longer irons and higher in the scoring clubs. The 5 and 4 iron specifically feature a lower profile backbar to drag that centre of gravity down for better launch.
Hannah has never hit the long irons so high with the 5 iron carrying up where she would normally see a 5 wood carrying. She said it was hugely confidence-inspiring knowing that even on poor strikes, the ball still carried a good distance and flew really high.
The Qi irons feature the second edition of Cap Back Design with toe wrap construction that blends the advantages of a hollow-body iron with those of a traditional cavity back, replacing the steelback with a more efficient composite badge that improves the sound and feel of the strike, likening it more to a P790/P770 feel.
Hannah could never get comfortable using a whole bag of these irons as the soles are too wide for her on the shorter irons when playing downhill shots or tight links lie knockdowns, but there is definitely an argument for her to put a 5 or 4 iron in play. Matt Bovee (head of irons at TaylorMade) and the team have built a 4 iron that, for Hannah, ran out to a 218-yard total, which is creeping into 3-wood territory and could be a useful ally from the tee in her summer tournament schedule.
These are brilliant distance irons, and with a ‘straight distance’ design to stop the long irons going right, they should absolutely feature at your next iron fitting and be considered for your bag in 2024.
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TaylorMade Qi Iron Review: The Details
Available: Now
RRP: £999 / $999
Shafts: KBS Max MT 85 steel shafts (S, R), Fujikura’s Ventus Blue graphite shafts (7S, 6R & 5A
Lofts: 7i – 28.0°
More information: TaylorMade Website
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