QI10 Max Blew My Mind

[walkerdb7]

Anyone else checked out Qi10 Max yet?

Going into my fitting I was biased and expected to walk out with a Ping 10K. My hope was to maintain distance (or gain like +4), but get a fairway finder. Played a Ping before, was the 2nd gen SFT, 410 I think? Based on the reviews I watched ahead of time, seemed like the TM gave forgiveness and no distance. Ping was a nice balance. Also seemed like the standard Qi10 was a great option

To my surprise, the Max is a monster. I picked up +10 yards of carry vs my current Callaway gamer. I pulled my old fitting data from 4 years and it matched the numbers I saw the other day with the Callaway. I did that to verify that today’s numbers were consistent.  I have Arccos and my Callaway on course data with that is 278 total, so that passes the smell too.
 

I’m very hyped that TM actually delivered the Fargiveness.

Plan is to order a driver and 5W. Club Champion did not have the five wood to test and I went to a big box store hoping to take a couple swings with it before ordering.

Like any gear nut, I brought my driver as well to do one more comparison. Based on the GC quad + chrome soft instead of the track man + proV1x this time, Avg carry was 272. Callaway was 248. TM dispersion pattern significantly tighter again.  There were two or three swings where I thought it was going to be sliced off the screen and it was only 20 yards off center. Obviously need the on course real world test, but this feels like the unicorn driver I have been waiting for my whole life

Ordering the Max driver and 5W today!

CC fitting data with Trackman and ProV1X

 

Here is the old gamer Callaway

Edited January 30 by walkerdb7

[vandyland]

That is a good jump you seem to be getting there. What I find most interesting is that your ball speed is higher with the Callaway but the TaylorMade carries farther. It must be down to better launch conditions (the TaylorMade launches higher and hits a higher peak) giving you additional carry. The ability to perform on mishits is where I am seeing most of the advancements with the driver in the last few years. 

[walkerdb7]

2 hours ago, vandyland said:

That is a good jump you seem to be getting there. What I find most interesting is that your ball speed is higher with the Callaway but the TaylorMade carries farther. It must be down to better launch conditions (the TaylorMade launches higher and hits a higher peak) giving you additional carry. The ability to perform on mishits is where I am seeing most of the advancements with the driver in the last few years. 

That was the biggest thing that came through when I hit up the big box store to double check the results.

They did not have the same HZRDUS shaft that shown through in the CC fitting. The dispersion was not quite as good with the Kai'li blue, but it still felt like anywhere on the face was gonna at least carry 250 and fly within 30 yards of center.

Generally I need more height and more spin. Your insight on the TM launching more ideally is probably spot on.

Edited January 30 by walkerdb7

[GolfSpy SAM]

Dag, man - that's pretty incredible results. Are you doing the Max version in the 5-wood, as well? Same Hzrdus (sp?) shaft in both (presumably slightly heavier in 5 wood)? 

Would love to hit these - might need to make a trip down to a PGASS or something...those numbers are really spectacular (I'm not expecting more distance, to be honest, but more consistent dispersion would be killer at this point). 

[GolfSpy_KFT]

Those are some impressive gains! How did the Max look at address?

[CFreddie]

Super impressive results - thanks for sharing!  Curious about the shaft compare as well!

[Josh Parker]

Impressive number jump!  I need to talk our pro into having TM rep out to the course.

[walkerdb7]

1 hour ago, GolfSpy SAM said:

Dag, man - that's pretty incredible results. Are you doing the Max version in the 5-wood, as well? Same Hzrdus (sp?) shaft in both (presumably slightly heavier in 5 wood)? 

Would love to hit these - might need to make a trip down to a PGASS or something...those numbers are really spectacular (I'm not expecting more distance, to be honest, but more consistent dispersion would be killer at this point). 

No one has the 5W. I used to carry Dr, 3, 7. I added an extra lob wedge last year and dropped the 3 and was only carrying a 7W. Plan to go Driver 5W this year for better gaping.

Results with the 3W we not overwhelming like they were with the driver.

Carry was about same, hit the TM more consistent in terms of distance on all strikes, Callaway was longer overall, TM shape fits my eye better (Callaway looks a touch closed)and the TM has a steeper landing angle which should be nice on par 5.  Results are off the mat.

Overall the TM has more pluses for me, but I imagine most people will view the hitting results were pretty similar to each other? 

If I was not in the market for a 5W and just seeing if a new 3W was better than my 3W, I might be a more discerning how much better it was?

Needing a 5W, loving the shape, and carry consistency, it feels like a good purchase.

Qi10 Max

 

Epic Max Callaway

[fixyurdivot]

Those are impressive gains.  Looks like TM is sticking with the Stealth carbon face technology as it withstood the initial onslaught of doubters and what now appears to be isolated cases of face delamination (anyone else remember that month long+ discussion/debate?).   And the newest tech being added is the very high MOI.  Still a 460cc envelope but it appears to have a flatter profile and looks pretty darn good to me.  I'll have to check out the Qi10 at the next demo day.

[Rob Person]

Nice!  Hope you find the 5w too!

[walkerdb7]

31 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

Those are impressive gains.  Looks like TM is sticking with the Stealth carbon face technology as it withstood the initial onslaught of doubters and what now appears to be isolated cases of face delamination (anyone else remember that month long+ discussion/debate?).   And the newest tech being added is the very high MOI.  Still a 460cc envelope but it appears to have a flatter profile and looks pretty darn good to me.  I'll have to check out the Qi10 at the next demo day.

I found the feel on the driver to be unbelievable as well. Took a few swings with Stealth here and there and though it was very strange compared to a Ti driver. Almost felt dead? 
 

After hitting Qi and then switching to Ping, Cobra, Callaway, and back to my gamer, i

kept finding myself going back to the Qi10 and loving the feel too. 

13 minutes ago, Rob Person said:

Nice!  Hope you find the 5w too!

I’m gonna risk it and just order. In my last fitting, what worked in the 3W worked in the 7W. That 3W was working well enough for me…

[GolfSpy_APH]

This isn't necessarily a bad thing, just something I noted when I saw the Qi10. The TM marker on top for alignment looked so close to the heel that I felt I was going to hit the hosel. I know it is just the shaping of the driver, but it was something that really threw me for a loop. I ended up being very toe side on everything. Did you see this or did it all seem normal for you?

["Mr. 72"]

I tried it out at PGASS, and I was very impressed. It wasn't exceptionally long, but as good as all the others. However, the dispersion was crazy good! Every shot was right down the middle with the worst being 14 yards offline to the right.

I have a fitting at Club Champion today, and it's the leader in the clubhouse. 

[klownfish82]

Dang! Those numbers are surprising! I was thinking you would lose a lot of distance with the Max. I am going to a free Taylormade fitting event on Sunday. Hopefully I see something similar. Currently gaming the OG Stealth. It's great, when you hit it perfect. 

[Jeremy26]

Did any of you put it up against DarkSpeed? Those are the 2 drivers I'm most interested in hitting. I love my LTDX, but it can't hurt to see if there's any improvement.

[fixyurdivot]

48 minutes ago, klownfish82 said:

Currently gaming the OG Stealth. It's great, when you hit it perfect.

I've heard this from a couple of users, one that returned it within the 30 day test period and is back to his G400 Max.  

5 hours ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

This isn't necessarily a bad thing, just something I noted when I saw the Qi10. The TM marker on top for alignment looked so close to the heal that I felt I was going to hit the hosel. I know it is just the shaping of the driver, but it was something that really threw me for a loop. I ended up being very toe side on everything. Did you see this or did it all seem normal for you?

Jamie, I think this is only an issue on the models that were assembled backwards .  Interesting point, I'll look for this when I get a chance to test.

[revkev]

Thanks for sharing - I'm not surprised at some gains over a 4 year old driver - that's generally the mark where one should consider a change.  Your gain is extremely significant. 

I'd be very interested to see a comparison with someone who games a stealth (that they were fit for.)

I will also be interested in seeing how others do in their fittings. 

[tony@CIC]

Dang - I recently bought a Stealth 2!!!. FYI, @walkerdb7, I also had a 410 SFT and saw a big performance difference when I went to the SIM 2 Max, then as mentioned bought a Stealth 2 with the same shaft profile. While I'm seeing some distance and dispersion improvements, Stealth 2 over the SIM 2, for me the biggest difference is the sound which I prefer in the Sealth. BTW the Fuji NX Speeder at 50g is just the right shaft for me - a big improvement over the Alta in the 410. 

[walkerdb7]

3 hours ago, "Mr. 72" said:

I tried it out at PGASS, and I was very impressed. It wasn't exceptionally long, but as good as all the others. However, the dispersion was crazy good! Every shot was right down the middle with the worst being 14 yards offline to the right.

I have a fitting at Club Champion today, and it's the leader in the clubhouse. 

Keep us posted and share your results. Curious if this is working for other people or if I’m a weirdo and this works for my ugly hockey swing

[walkerdb7]

1 hour ago, revkev said:

Thanks for sharing - I'm not surprised at some gains over a 4 year old driver - that's generally the mark where one should consider a change.  Your gain is extremely significant. 

I'd be very interested to see a comparison with someone who games a stealth (that they were fit for.)

I will also be interested in seeing how others do in their fittings. 

Yes, 4-5 years for a driver is what MGS has posted a few times from industry insiders. The straightness gains is what gets me more so than the distance. 

Edited January 31 by walkerdb7

["Mr. 72"]

44 minutes ago, walkerdb7 said:

Keep us posted and share your results. Curious if this is working for other people or if I’m a weirdo and this works for my ugly hockey swing

I'm still gaming a 15 yr old Ping G15. This won't be the first time I've "tried to get rid of it", so there's a 50/50 chance I'll end up with a Ping G15... Nothing has been longer. I'm about ready to settle for better dispersion just for a new head cover!

["Mr. 72"]

I had my fitting. The one thing I don't like about CC is they don't have the stock shafts to demo. They can order them, but you're fitted with the upgraded shafts.

The driver that worked best for me was a Paradym Smoke Max with a Tensei AV Blue R flex in the upgraded 1K shaft. The new TM wasn't good for me with any of the shafts I tried. I'm a tweener, so I'm testing both R and S flex. The main thing that I needed was a 10.5 loft as opposed to my current 9.

I didn't buy a driver, so I still have the Ping 15. ~sigh~

HOWEVER, I got some crazy good numbers with the Smoke 3 wood - same Tensei shaft. My swing speed was up with the driver swing speed with a 1.51 SF, and this was 1.45 hours into the session. It was head and shoulders above anything, so I did order that in the stock shaft. Once it's in, I'll retest to see if the R flex in the stock is comparable. If not, I'll  try the stock S flex. If that doesn't work, I'll probably pay for the 1K shaft. It was that good and will give better gapping from my 2 hybrid. ...Come to think of it, I don't know the cost. $350 maybe. We'll see.

After the 3 wood is figured out, I get the driver with the same shaft. I'll buy that directly from Callaway because I have a $500 gift card.

Side note: My swing doesn't really fit that driver head profile. My swing path is typically in-to-out, not out-to-in.

[HikingMike]

On 1/30/2024 at 9:21 AM, walkerdb7 said:

There were two or three swings where I thought it was going to be sliced off the screen and it was only 20 yards off center. Obviously need the on course real world test, but this feels like the unicorn driver I have been waiting for my whole life

Does it do the same for hooks?!? 

6 hours ago, "Mr. 72" said:

I'm still gaming a 15 yr old Ping G15. This won't be the first time I've "tried to get rid of it", so there's a 50/50 chance I'll end up with a Ping G15... Nothing has been longer. I'm about ready to settle for better dispersion just for a new head cover!

Hey there. G20 here. Global Golf has some headcovers for you. Perhaps try a G430-

https://www.globalgolf.com/golf-accessories/1065797-ping-g430-driver-headcover/

Alternatively-

https://www.globalgolf.com/golf-accessories/1066285-ping-looper-driver-headcover

["Mr. 72"]

Thank you, but I've been using a Masters head cover since 2019. I may still use it with a new driver, but I'm not sure.

Yes, I was lucky enough to win the ticket lottery in 2019. Covid pushed me to 2020, but I was able to order a bunch of stuff online in 2019.

Edited January 31 by "Mr. 72"
Typo

[walkerdb7]

4 hours ago, "Mr. 72" said:

I had my fitting. The one thing I don't like about CC is they don't have the stock shafts to demo. They can order them, but you're fitted with the upgraded shafts.

The driver that worked best for me was a Paradym Smoke Max with a Tensei AV Blue R flex in the upgraded 1K shaft. The new TM wasn't good for me with any of the shafts I tried. I'm a tweener, so I'm testing both R and S flex. The main thing that I needed was a 10.5 loft as opposed to my current 9.

I didn't buy a driver, so I still have the Ping 15. ~sigh~

HOWEVER, I got some crazy good numbers with the Smoke 3 wood - same Tensei shaft. My swing speed was up with the driver swing speed with a 1.51 SF, and this was 1.45 hours into the session. It was head and shoulders above anything, so I did order that in the stock shaft. Once it's in, I'll retest to see if the R flex in the stock is comparable. If not, I'll  try the stock S flex. If that doesn't work, I'll probably pay for the 1K shaft. It was that good and will give better gapping from my 2 hybrid. ...Come to think of it, I don't know the cost. $350 maybe. We'll see.

After the 3 wood is figured out, I get the driver with the same shaft. I'll buy that directly from Callaway because I have a $500 gift card.

Side note: My swing doesn't really fit that driver head profile. My swing path is typically in-to-out, not out-to-in.

 

Confirmed, I am weirdo. QiMax was built for me

[walkerdb7]

Welp, tried one more time to hit the 5W for piece of mind. Got to see it, haha, but couldn’t hit it.

I took a few more swings today. Swung like a bad day on the course, which is good for testing purposes, and it won again 

This was a Foresight Gen 2 maybe? Looked nothing like the CG Quad and the shaft was a Tensei. I know Club Champion is a premium fitting experience, but I thought HZRDUS was standard issue stuff? Surprised 2 x different PGA SS did not have them?

 

 

Edited February 2 by walkerdb7

[walkerdb7]

Got my clubs. Took them to the range very briefly, like 30 mins...

 

Data with my Rapsodo 2 on a windy day with range balls. 5 yards of carry increase and 3 yards straighter. I was not swinging great today, which is a good thing IMO for the club comparison data.

Edited March 5 by walkerdb7