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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 Max Hybrid
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 oversized Qi10 Max.
So how does it perform? Find out in our TaylorMade Qi10 Max Hybrid review.
I don’t currently carry any hybrids and have been struggling with my long irons. I was therefore intrigued to find out if the Qi10 Max would result in a higher shot yet retain distance.
This club didn’t disappoint it produced very consistent results and was the best in the Qi10 range in terms of accuracy.
PROS
CONS
The Qi10 Max has an all-new carbon crown, which allows weight redistribution for maximum forgiveness. The head shape is the largest in the Qi10 line-up aiming at providing higher launch and so greater height.
Like the Qi10 Hybrid family, the club sits beautifully behind the ball. The oversized head shape gives you extra confidence over the ball. Straight away, the club provided a clean contact off the floor and also sounded nice off the clubface.
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.
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.
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.
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The data I collected using the Qi10 Hybrid Max 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 satisfactory distance compared to 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.
Due to the higher spin rate, the rollout (difference between carry and total distance) was slightly less when compared with the other Qi10 Hybrids, so it could be a better option to hit if you require the ball to stop on a green.
Even with the high spin rate, the descent angle and peak heights were not that different to the Qi10 and Qi10 Tour. As such, the distances did not seem to suffer from the high spin rate.
The stats have made me think I seriously need to ditch the long irons in favour of some hybrids, with a hybrid like this being a good option to hit to a tightly guarded long par-3 or for a long second shot into a par-4 when you need the ball to stop.
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Overall, I was really impressed with the performance of this hybrid. The offline stats were the best I produced, so I could imagine this becoming a go-to club if I had to hit it straight.
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 looking for a club to hit a 4-iron distance into a green.
RRP: £269 / $299
Right-handed lofts: 20°, 23°, 27°, 31°, 35°
Left-handed lofts: 20°, 23°, 27°
Shafts: Fujikura Speeder NX TCS 50 (R, A) and 60 (S). A women’s offering is also available with Fujikura Speeder NX TCS 40 shaft and the Lamkin ST Soft Grey/White grip.
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