TaylorMade Qi10 Drivers - 2024 Forum Member Review

[TJ Hall]

7 hours ago, EMacK1961 said:

My "On the course" review of the Qi10 is a journey. Much like the one Scotty Scheffler made - https://golf.com/gear/drivers/scottie-scheffler-taylormade-qi10-driver-masters/?utm_campaign=forecast&utm_source=golfcom&utm_medium=email&utm_content={date(

The Qi10 is far and away the most advanced driver I have had in my hands. With the Thru-Slot Speed Pocket, lower CG, Twist Face Tech and the Carbon Crown, this thing is a beast. But how did it perform? Ah, that is the question.

In order to test the driver, the MGS staff wanted us to really put the Qi10 through its paces. That we did. I have the Qi10 Standard model. The adjustable hosel either gives the driver head a higher or lower loft setting. My driver head is at 10.5 degrees. It adjusts from 10.5 to 12.5 degrees higher and from 10.5 to 8.5 degrees lower. MGS had us try all the settings and report our findings.

Well, I golf in Mexico, essentially on the Pacific Ocean, where we get about a 10-15 mph onshore breeze every day. On the course, I found that with the higher loft settings, the ball ballooned a bit. The lower loft settings had a more penetrating ball flight. Now I have my driver set at 1.5 degrees lower than standard, essentially giving me a 9 degree driver.

As far as playability, the Qi10 with the Twist Face Tech beats my old TaylorMade R-15. The Twist Face Tech helps bring off-center hits more online. With our course lined with pesky olive trees, the Twist Face Tech has made a big difference. On shots where I would be headed into the treeline with my R-15, my Qi10 saves the day.

I usually work the ball from right to left (I'm a right-hander). I found that my draw was not as pronounced with the Qi10. Now with an off-center hit to the toe, which is my usual miss, the Twist Face Tech helps bring the shot back toward center. Actually, more like the right third of the fairway. I do lose a little distance but I'm still in play.

A big test will come this Sunday. I'm playing in the 2024 Golf Fore The Animals tournament at Baja Country Club. We'll see how the club, and my swing, hold up under pressure.

To date, I would give the club a score of 20 out of 20. I'm playing with the club 3 times a week with extra range time in there as well. I don't have access to advanced analytics like Trackman, etc. The only thing I use is my Voice Caddy Swing Caddy SC100. It produces carry numbers that are legit 15-20 yards better than with my old R-15.

IMHO, who wouldn't want a Qi10 in their bag if distance and accuracy were improved? I know I would. That's why if TaylorMade wants this driver back after this test, they'll have to pry it out of my cold, dead fingers.

Nice results so far @EMacK1961…looking forward to hearing how the Qi10 performs for you tomorrow!

[Hook DeLoft]

I played 18 this morning.  The Qi 10 Max may have just knocked my gamer out of the bag.  I'm going to get in one last launch monitor session this coming week to confirm. 

[EMacK1961]

2 hours ago, TJ Hall said:

Nice results so far @EMacK1961…looking forward to hearing how the Qi10 performs for you tomorrow!

As long as I do my part, lol

[Jmikecpa]

On 4/3/2024 at 4:19 PM, GolfSpy_APH said:

With final reviews around the corner what are some closer to closing thoughts?

Has TaylorMade made a large improvement with these? 

From a cosmetic perspective 100%, this maybe the best looking driver I have ever played. Will have to wait until my final review to find out if the performance matches the looks. 

[GolfSpy_BEN]

Getting ready to play my first round with the QI-10 LS. Here we go…

[IndyBonzo]

51 minutes ago, GolfSpy_BEN said:

Getting ready to play my first round with the QI-10 LS. Here we go…

So sorry you had to wait Ben!  I suspect you will like it!

[Jmikecpa]

Plan was to get out and test today now that I am back from my three day drive to and from Charlotte. Unfortunately that is not going to happen and I really don’t see me doing much for the rest of the day besides napping and watching golf. 30 hours in the car over three days is apparently more than my limit these days. Hoping to get to the range a few days this week before I play Saturday morning. 

[jbern]

On 4/4/2024 at 11:51 AM, CFreddie said:

Good question - I've never had one either, but as a sample size of one here, I only use the alignment aid on the top of the crown to help place the ball off the face of the driver.  Said another way, I typically place the ball a tiny bit towards the toe, using the alignment aid to ensure I'm positioned correctly (I've found I typically hit the ball more towards the heel, so I'm just adjusting for that).  Without an aid, I think this could be a bit more challenging (for me, at least).  But I do like the clean look of @Jeff in the Mitten's driver!

My old PXG driver got a pretty nasty sky mark on it from when I let my younger brother borrow it over the winter. I decided to take a play out of @Jeff in the Mitten’s playbook and paint the top with matte black paint. It matches very well, helped hide the sky mark a little and it got rid of the alignment mark. So I’m going to give it a try and see how that works! Like @Jeff in the Mittensaid, it wasn’t too terribly difficult, I just tried to be as precise as possible with the masking tape!

 

[jbern]

3 hours ago, GolfSpy_BEN said:

Getting ready to play my first round with the QI-10 LS. Here we go…

Woohoo! Good luck and enjoy! Looks like a nice day!

[TJ Hall]

57 minutes ago, jbern said:

My old PXG driver got a pretty nasty sky mark on it from when I let my younger brother borrow it over the winter. I decided to take a play out of @Jeff in the Mitten’s playbook and paint the top with matte black paint. It matches very well, helped hide the sky mark a little and it got rid of the alignment mark. So I’m going to give it a try and see how that works! Like @Jeff in the Mittensaid, it wasn’t too terribly difficult, I just tried to be as precise as possible with the masking tape!

 

That turned out really nice!  Do you have a before picture with the sky mark?  It doesn’t look like it was ever there!

[BobbyRicky69]

I got a qi10max 10.5. It’s an awesome driver but I think ima end up trying to trade it for the LS model!

[CFreddie]

1 hour ago, jbern said:

My old PXG driver got a pretty nasty sky mark on it from when I let my younger brother borrow it over the winter. I decided to take a play out of @Jeff in the Mitten’s playbook and paint the top with matte black paint. It matches very well, helped hide the sky mark a little and it got rid of the alignment mark. So I’m going to give it a try and see how that works! Like @Jeff in the Mittensaid, it wasn’t too terribly difficult, I just tried to be as precise as possible with the masking tape!

 

Great work! Sorry about your brother - hoping he owes you sometime in the future

[Hook DeLoft]

3 hours ago, jbern said:

My old PXG driver got a pretty nasty sky mark on it from when I let my younger brother borrow it over the winter. I decided to take a play out of @Jeff in the Mitten’s playbook and paint the top with matte black paint. It matches very well, helped hide the sky mark a little and it got rid of the alignment mark. So I’m going to give it a try and see how that works! Like @Jeff in the Mittensaid, it wasn’t too terribly difficult, I just tried to be as precise as possible with the masking tape!

 

Great job!  I can't see any sign of a mark.

[Jean D]

Quick update:  got my new MCA (Mitsubishi Chemical) C6 Blue 60 S shaft on my Qi10 Max 9 deg for a simulator round today… WOW. I’ve gained 10 yards, now averaging 274.5yds, and dispersion is even tighter than with the Tensei AV Limited Blue 60R.  Getting much lower spin with the C6, but lower CH speed and ball speed, but more straight distance.  Very interesting shaft.  

Working on getting the simulator up and running so I can get proper data and can hit each shaft in alternating groups of 5 to get some hard data.  Updates as I can.

PS- I’ve now hit just shy of 1000 balls with the Qi10 Max, and the face looks brand new.  No issues so far! (Fingers and toes crossed!)

Edited April 8 by Jean D

[GolfSpy_BEN]

Today’s round was a mixed bag. There were a couple of good drives and a couple of the bad drives, and everything else fell somewhere in between. For reference, there was a 45 minute frost delay and we were sent off the back because that side of the course is higher elevated and sees the sun sooner. 

It was still around 45 degrees when we tee’d off at 10:20 am with a brisk intermittent wind that seemed to pop up at the most inopportune moments. My first 3 drives were in the fairway, but painfully short. Leading to bogeys on 3 of the first holes. 

After that, I settled in and played the remaining holes +2 to finish with a 76. The front nine ( our back nine for the day) saw my 3 best drives of the day including a personal highlight on  my nemesis, the par 4 second hole. There is a creek that runs across the fairway and requires a layup or a drive that carries 240 yards. My normal play on this hole is a 6 iron which in turn leaves a 7 iron into a tight green. With the mindset of hitting the driver for testing purposes, I hit a good one that carried the required 240 and left with a gap wedge in. So that was a nice change of pace.

Ultimately, my wedges and putter (a hole out and 29 putts) carried the day, which is a little concerning, given this was the QI-10 LS’s big audition for a spot in the bag this season. I’m going to try and sneak in one more round prior to the final review, but with rain in the forecast Monday through Thursday of this week, it’s looking iffy, at best. 

[jbern]

8 hours ago, TJ Hall said:

That turned out really nice!  Do you have a before picture with the sky mark?  It doesn’t look like it was ever there!

I posted a before photo on a GMT post here: 

I wasn’t able to find the original photo on my phone so it must be on the iPad that I left at work. It wasn’t the worst sky mark I’ve ever seen, but I could see it at address and that was no fun for me. 
 

8 hours ago, CFreddie said:

Great work! Sorry about your brother - hoping he owes you sometime in the future

We didn’t officially agree on any compensation, but we’ve gone golfing twice together and he’s paid both time so far!

[jbern]

3 hours ago, GolfSpy_BEN said:

Today’s round was a mixed bag. There were a couple of good drives and a couple of the bad drives, and everything else fell somewhere in between. For reference, there was a 45 minute frost delay and we were sent off the back because that side of the course is higher elevated and sees the sun sooner. 

It was still around 45 degrees when we tee’d off at 10:20 am with a brisk intermittent wind that seemed to pop up at the most inopportune moments. My first 3 drives were in the fairway, but painfully short. Leading to bogeys on 3 of the first holes. 

After that, I settled in and played the remaining holes +2 to finish with a 76. The front nine ( our back nine for the day) saw my 3 best drives of the day including a personal highlight on  my nemesis, the par 4 second hole. There is a creek that runs across the fairway and requires a layup or a drive that carries 240 yards. My normal play on this hole is a 6 iron which in turn leaves a 7 iron into a tight green. With the mindset of hitting the driver for testing purposes, I hit a good one that carried the required 240 and left with a gap wedge in. So that was a nice change of pace.

Ultimately, my wedges and putter (a hole out and 29 putts) carried the day, which is a little concerning, given this was the QI-10 LS’s big audition for a spot in the bag this season. I’m going to try and sneak in one more round prior to the final review, but with rain in the forecast Monday through Thursday of this week, it’s looking iffy, at best. 

Bummer that the Qi10 wasn’t the star of the show for your round. At least you got some confidence on “the creek hole.”  Was there any signs that less than stellar strikes were still going straight or not loosing as much distance? 

[CFreddie]

7 hours ago, jbern said:

I posted a before photo on a GMT post here: 

I wasn’t able to find the original photo on my phone so it must be on the iPad that I left at work. It wasn’t the worst sky mark I’ve ever seen, but I could see it at address and that was no fun for me. 
 

We didn’t officially agree on any compensation, but we’ve gone golfing twice together and he’s paid both time so far!

Haha - love it!!!

[TJ Hall]

8 hours ago, jbern said:

I posted a before photo on a GMT post here: 

I wasn’t able to find the original photo on my phone so it must be on the iPad that I left at work. It wasn’t the worst sky mark I’ve ever seen, but I could see it at address and that was no fun for me. 
 

We didn’t officially agree on any compensation, but we’ve gone golfing twice together and he’s paid both time so far!

I can see how that mark would be distracting, the repair turned out really good!

[GolfSpy_BEN]

8 hours ago, jbern said:

Bummer that the Qi10 wasn’t the star of the show for your round. At least you got some confidence on “the creek hole.”  Was there any signs that less than stellar strikes were still going straight or not loosing as much distance? 

Less than stellar strikes were just plain awful. Some went straight, some drifted right. 
 

Although to be fair to the QI-10, this is probably an “archer, not the arrow” scenario as I have been fighting my swing a bit lately 

[Jeff in the Mitten]

I'm not one of the official testers, but I recently played my first round with my Qi10 LS and I have to say, when comparing to my Stealth Plus, this thing is truly more forgiving and just has a faster face.  I read TM reinforced the face with better construction to the rest of the driver, probably also a learning from all the Stealth 2 faces that came off, and I think it is yielding faster ball speeds for me personally. 

I wasn't swinging "great" and a few drivers were just downright bad in terms of strike location on the face.  One was so far off the toe I thought for sure it was going to be a snap hook into the trees...It was 265 on the left side of the fairway!   I would've been happy with 210 in the fairway with how bad I hit it.

Then a few hit "on the screws" just flew off the face so fast!  The LS dropped my spin to right around 2,000 when compared to about 2,500 with my Stealth Plus, and I think it's paying dividends in the form of about 10-15 more yards and tighter dispersion!  

I don't love the name...but how can you please everyone there...so consider this guy a happy Qi10 believer!

[Jeff in the Mitten]

With my previous post, and more swings on the range, I think the LS was built to be an anti-left club!  My Stealth Plus was a straight ball, but had the tendency to get a little "pully" at times, especially if I really went after it.  With the Qi10 LS I'm playing a beautiful baby fade!  

Anyone else who historically struggles with a left miss find these to help???

[EMacK1961]

Although I didn't win my tournament, the Qi10 performed admirably. Mine was the only Qi10 in the field. It garnered quite a bit of attention with guys getting a look at it. I mentioned the carbon fiber crown, the twist-face technology, how light it felt, and how it worked for me. I let a few try it on the range and they all had smiles on their faces afterward.

[Michael.Sandoval33]

Took the Qi10 Max out to Green Tree GC for another 18 holes today and proceeded to shoot 97 again. I was 10/14 on total fairways, and 9/10 using the Qi10. I think that I have personally maxed out on driving distance with the driver, but I believe with some swing coaching I can improve in that area for the future as my swing speed and technique progress. There was one real "Wow" moment with the Qi10 today which was clearing over a large uphill slope that I could not get over last time around. All in all, just another very solid day with the driver. One more tee time scheduled for this week before final reviews, but at this point, I don't think there is much left for me to really question about the Qi10 Max. But if you all have any final questions for me this week, please feel free to ask! 

Cheers!

 

[HikingMike]

15 hours ago, Michael.Sandoval33 said:

Took the Qi10 Max out to Green Tree GC for another 18 holes today and proceeded to shoot 97 again. I was 10/14 on total fairways, and 9/10 using the Qi10. I think that I have personally maxed out on driving distance with the driver, but I believe with some swing coaching I can improve in that area for the future as my swing speed and technique progress. There was one real "Wow" moment with the Qi10 today which was clearing over a large uphill slope that I could not get over last time around. All in all, just another very solid day with the driver. One more tee time scheduled for this week before final reviews, but at this point, I don't think there is much left for me to really question about the Qi10 Max. But if you all have any final questions for me this week, please feel free to ask! 

Cheers!

 

Boom! Congrats on breaking 100 multiple times now. That is fun to see

[HikingMike]

On 4/5/2024 at 12:46 PM, IndyBonzo said:

TaylorMade Stealth 2 versus TaylorMade Qi10 (Standard)

I am excited to share the results of the TaylorMade driver comparison test. 

Both heads are 9*.  The loft sleeve was set at the lowest loft/lowest spin setting, which reduces loft to 7* and opens the face 4*.

The test was conducted on a Foresight GC2 launch monitor with GS Pro driving range software using Bridgestone Tour B RX balls.  I hit about 10 shots with each, and picked the best 5.  The shaft was an Otto-Phlex model, i.e., ACCRA iSeries M2.  I think the distances are a bit inflated by the monitor, tbh, but if so they are consistently so.  Here are the results:

Results were very similar in most respects.  As expected, the Qi10 was more accurate, and yielded about 200 rpm more spin.  The Qi10 also launched the ball higher.  The Stealth provided about 2 yards more distance and 2 mph ball speed, which are minimal differences.

In other words, comparing the standard models year over year, TaylorMade managed to make the club more accurate and forgiving without sacrificing distance.  That is an impressive achievement IMO.  The Qi10 is an excellent driver, without question.

Personally, I struggle with keeping spin down.  My current gamer is the low spin Paradym TD, which helps me in that regard.  I also hit the Paradym in this test, with the same conditions, but at 9* loft and with an Accra FX 3.0 M0 (Otto-Phlex) shaft.   While both Accra shafts I used are excellent, high quality shafts, the shaft in the Paradym is more "premium" than that used in the Qi10 and Stealth 2.  Here are the Paradym results:

As expected, spin was lower, launch was lower (due to the shaft?), and speed and distance were greater as a result.

Tentative plans are in the works to allow me to try the Qi10 LS head after reviews are posted. I am excited to see if it can match the Paradym's distance performance and forgiveness.

I plan to game the Qi10 standard again Saturday and will report back with more results!

This data is awesome. Great post! And great job doing the testing and gathering. 

It looks like the Qi10 Standard has the two outliers in the whole bunch in carry distance with the long one at 245 yards, and the short one at 219. The 219 caught my eye at first, but then I saw the 245 and I guess those would even each other out in the average. However, you said you hit around 10 each, and picked the best 5. So with that 219 shot in there, it might indicate the Qi10 Standard had more "not great" shots than the Stealth 2.

Anyway, the Qi10 Standard and Stealth Plus are remarkably close for you in the averages. I get your conclusion, "more accurate and forgiving without sacrificing distance", but they look preeeettttttty close to a wash for me. And I'll just add that you look much more consistent than me at driver

[Jean D]

Quick update:

The new MCA C6 Blue 60S continues to impress.  Hit on the sim for a quick 30-ish minute session after my rough day at the office… Average distance over 24 shots : 271.4yds.(Longest 276.3yds, shortest 264.1yds)  Average dispersion (fore/aft): 8yds, average dispersion (side to side): 12yds. The C6 Blue 60Scomes in at 5g heavier than the Tensei Blue 60R, which I seem to like.  These are the first Mitsubishi Chemical shafts I've ever owned, and I am really enjoying them.  The combo feels really good and the price was very reasonable through Fairway Jockey (even with shipping, duties and UPS’ painful brokerage fees into Canada).

The head continues to do well, but did notice some ball marks on the face after the session today- to be fair, I’ve not tried cleaning it , but they will likely come off.

Pics attached.

Edited April 10 by Jean D
Never write a post when tired...ugh

[EMacK1961]

@golfspy_ben is going to help me with this. I took a slo-mo video of me using the Qi10 Standard. I wanted to get the impact and the sound...that thwack! That sound of a good shot. Well it only took one take but I got one. I hope the video can be uploaded and it will do the club justice.

[TylorJudd]

On 4/7/2024 at 4:27 PM, GolfSpy_BEN said:

Today’s round was a mixed bag. There were a couple of good drives and a couple of the bad drives, and everything else fell somewhere in between. For reference, there was a 45 minute frost delay and we were sent off the back because that side of the course is higher elevated and sees the sun sooner. 

It was still around 45 degrees when we tee’d off at 10:20 am with a brisk intermittent wind that seemed to pop up at the most inopportune moments. My first 3 drives were in the fairway, but painfully short. Leading to bogeys on 3 of the first holes. 

After that, I settled in and played the remaining holes +2 to finish with a 76. The front nine ( our back nine for the day) saw my 3 best drives of the day including a personal highlight on  my nemesis, the par 4 second hole. There is a creek that runs across the fairway and requires a layup or a drive that carries 240 yards. My normal play on this hole is a 6 iron which in turn leaves a 7 iron into a tight green. With the mindset of hitting the driver for testing purposes, I hit a good one that carried the required 240 and left with a gap wedge in. So that was a nice change of pace.

Ultimately, my wedges and putter (a hole out and 29 putts) carried the day, which is a little concerning, given this was the QI-10 LS’s big audition for a spot in the bag this season. I’m going to try and sneak in one more round prior to the final review, but with rain in the forecast Monday through Thursday of this week, it’s looking iffy, at best. 

This far have you seen any discernible advantages or disadvantages over the Paradym? Curious myself as a Paradym user. 

[GolfSpy_BEN]

57 minutes ago, TylorJudd said:

This far have you seen any discernible advantages or disadvantages over the Paradym? Curious myself as a Paradym user. 

Throughout my limited testing, I’ve found that the Paradym TD was more forgiving on off center strikes, but the QI-10 LS produces slightly higher ball speeds on center strikes. When the swing is groovin’, the QI is a beast.