TaylorMade Qi10 Drivers - 2024 Forum Member Review

[Hook DeLoft]

One of the golf magazines tested new drivers at 95mph and found the Qi 10 Max to be the fastest.  I'm not surprised.

[IndyBonzo]

Here are a couple of pics of the standard Qi10 face after three rounds and 4 long range sessions.

There are a few ball marks, but you really have to look for them IMO.  I think the face looks really clean given the workout it has already undergone.

I still love that blue.

[EMacK1961]

My initial outing with my Qi10 Standard Driver (3/3/24) was a feeling out session. I used my athlete's foot spray and got to work. The first shot grouping was very tight (for me), mostly near the sweet spot. The ball flight was perfect for my conditions, 10-15 mph winds, usually. The ball penetrated the wind better than my R15. It may have to do with the low launch shaft I had installed for the Qi10. My launch monitor numbers were very encouraging. 89 Swing speed, 130 ball speed, and a 211 carry. Definitely up from my R15. On one of my off-center hits, I still had good carry distance. I attribute that to the Twist Face technology doing its thing.

 

Edited March 9 by EMacK1961
Corrected photos

[Jmikecpa]

55 minutes ago, GolfSpy_BEN said:

Did you go from the standard 2 g to 4 g? I have been curious about adding a bit more weight to the head, so I’ll be following your results with interest 

I went from 2g to 4g with some lead tape. I looked up the weights and for $30 I thought that was a bit steep. I had lead tape so went that route. 

[chisag]

27 minutes ago, Jmikecpa said:

I went from 2g to 4g with some lead tape. I looked up the weights and for $30 I thought that was a bit steep. I had lead tape so went that route. 

 

... 2 gms is basically the weight of a dime so it means zero for performance, just a matter of feel. So l also find lead tape ideal for minor little swing weight or static weight tweaks. 

[Jmikecpa]

1 hour ago, chisag said:

 

... 2 gms is basically the weight of a dime so it means zero for performance, just a matter of feel. So l also find lead tape ideal for minor little swing weight or static weight tweaks. 

Could not agree more from a change to performance perspective. I just prefer to feel the head and with a CB shaft it means adding weight and I think 2g is just the start. My TSR stuff has CB shafts and are at D4 with this shafts. I think they are like D8 or so with traditional shafts in them. Weight is about the only thing that I am a stickler for and can adjust to everything else. 

Edited March 10 by Jmikecpa

[GolfSpy_KFT]

5 hours ago, GolfSpy_BEN said:

Back in January, I tried most of the new releases out at my favorite local golf shop, Golf Exchange in West Chester. While I am not crazy about swinging indoors into a net and relying solely on a LM for results, I do find it is a good way to get an initial sense of how the club swings and feels.

For me, all of the Max heads were far too spinny, so I concentrated on the QI-10 LS, the AI Smoke TD, and the Dark Speed LS.

All 3 felt great, with the QI and Dark Speed feeling the best. The fastest ball speed was the Dark Speed. And the QI checked enough of the boxes for me, that even absent this testing opportunity, it was going to be the driver I focused on this season to do an outdoor fitting and play.  

All that to say, with the right shaft pairing any of the 3 of those heads has the potential to be special. Once I get the shaft dialed in for this QI-10 LS, it is going to be a monster.  

Those are the exact three I hit as well. Darkspeed LS felt the best for me by far, but also had the most trouble keeping it from going left. It just felt FAST as heck. I think I clocked one 151 ball speed, only got to hit about 7 with it. 

Qi10 LS felt good and like I said really stable, performed about the same as the Darkspeed but didn’t want to miss left as much. Got a couple that were 290s total. 

Ai Smoke TD was really, really good. There were a few where I missed and thought “that’s gonna suck” and still got upper 250s on distance and in play. Best ball of the day was a 260s carry and 296 total distance. 

One thing I can say for sure is ALL three of these clubs felt more forgiving on misses and seemed to generate better ball speeds than my TSi3, which to me is saying something for LS heads. Definitely has me wanting to upgrade

[jbern]

7 hours ago, IndyBonzo said:

If I can continue to get distance AND combine it with the Qi10’s obvious forgiveness traits, The Octopus may end up moving to a new home soon.

I think we're all excited for the house warming party, if it happens! 

[Jmikecpa]

Got to my local place today and hit some balls on Trackman. We couldn’t get the numbers to export but I have a baseline at least to start with. 
 

SS 112.7 MPH

Ball Speed 163.4

Launch 9.8

Spin 2,485

Carry 274 yds.

I am feeling the effects of infrequent practice and having my first offseason in three years.  Club speed is down 5-6 MPH and I was living on the heel side of the driver which is not the norm for me.  Thinking part of it was I had to use the little cone tees and was in between tee heights that work for me. 
 

The ball flight with this driver is just fantastic.  I can hit my flat cut bullet on command and take one high when I need that shot.  As a stock shot it lives in a nice mid flight window that should be very playable in the Long Island wind.  Much like @GolfSpy_BEN I may play around with a shaft or two just for fun and see if I can get that launch number up a bit.

 

 

[IndyBonzo]

Hey all!

I had some range time today with the Qi10.  I only had time for a few shots, and all were into a 10mph headwind, but I got good results nonetheless.

I am not getting the 100 mph+ clubhead speeds with the Kai’Li White shaft that I am getting with my gamer, but distance is still pretty good and dispersion is top notch.

I am really impressed with the smash factor numbers I am seeing too.  See the chart above.  

These are carry numbers into the wind   I think all of these would have found the fairway or the first cut.

 

As my speed training continues I think I will find more distance.  And eventually when I can tinker more with shafts I know I can squeeze even more out of this driver.  But one cannot argue with this consistency.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 10 by IndyBonzo

[EMacK1961]

Initial impression of the Qi10 Driver (Standard) - Wow! This is one sleek looking club. TaylorMade describes it as "An Infinity Carbon Crown covers 97% of the total crown area, creating a strategic advantage for mass redistribution and enhanced forgiveness. At address, it delivers a sleek and clean view that pairs with subtle alignment cues, setting the stage for confidence and success."

I say that the dark crown with the TaylorMade logo makes alignment easy. I have never hit as many drives on the button as with this driver. My first 10 shots with it were all crisp strikes.

Compared to my R15, the contrast is night and day. Hands down, the Qi10 for me, was easier to hit.

[Michael.Sandoval33]

Better ball striking today with the Qi10 Max. Accidentally hit my 3w under Dr on the trackman for a few shots so my Dr is listed as 3w anyways, saw carries of 150-190 but still launching 20-30 degrees in the air. Definitely human error on my part while I am finding the right attack angle with the Max. I will find that sweet spot soon.

 

Edited March 11 by Michael.Sandoval33

[bens197]

Tight…these shot patterns are super tight.

For the testers…are you pleased with the head you chose?

[EMacK1961]

The TaylorMade Qi10 (Standard) did much better than expected after a rainy day in Ensenada, Mexico. 3-3-24's initial outing on the course proved this driver is one great performer.

TaylorMade says that "It's a model of consistency and balance, delivering a blend of distance and forgiveness that fits a wide range of players. CG placement is optimal, launch conditions are ideal, and the overall performance is everything you could ask for."

All I know is that I hit 27% more fairways than with my R15. The distance numbers are somewhat misleading in that the fairways were soaked and there was virtually no runout so it was pretty much carry distance. My distance number was an average of 238. For me 11 yards, that is what I would consider, a significant improvement. My usual distance is 227 with dry fairways. I can only imagine what the gain would be once the fairways dry out a bit.

TayloraMade's description of the face, "Utilizing the third generation of 60X Carbon Twist Face, the Qi10 Max delivers a fast face on center strikes while preserving ball speed on mis-hits. The redesigned ledge optimizes energy transfer at impact."

My misses to the right were not as penal. I stayed out of the olive trees that line the holes on the course and I didn't launch any OB. I attribute that to the Twist Face Technology that comes into play on mishits.

It was a very good first date. I'm looking forward to seeing how it continues to perform once the fairways get firmer.

[Michael.Sandoval33]

10 minutes ago, bens197 said:

Tight…these shot patterns are super tight.

For the testers…are you pleased with the head you chose?

Great question. I do like knowing the fact that even when my shot is not perfect, I can look down the range and know where the ball is going. This is where the Max shines and where I feel confident that I will find the perfect touch with the driver. I do wonder how the LS and Standard heads feel compared to the larger Max, but that is 100% me just wanting to try everything.

[chisag]

4 minutes ago, Michael.Sandoval33 said:

I do wonder how the LS and Standard heads feel compared to the larger Max, but that is 100% me just wanting to try everything.

 

... Feel is subjective of course but I like the feel of the standard head more than the Max. Certainly not a night and day difference but the standard head is just a little denser feeling/sounding. This that prefer a more explosive sound/feel may find the opposite. To be fair, I didn't get along with the Max at all and for me at least, looking down at that huge round head did not fill me with confidence. Even thought standard Qi10 head is larger than my Stealth2 HD, the pear shape hides the size very well. 

[Michael.Sandoval33]

13 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

... Feel is subjective of course but I like the feel of the standard head more than the Max. Certainly not a night and day difference but the standard head is just a little denser feeling/sounding. This that prefer a more explosive sound/feel may find the opposite. To be fair, I didn't get along with the Max at all and for me at least, looking down at that huge round head did not fill me with confidence. Even thought standard Qi10 head is larger than my Stealth2 HD, the pear shape hides the size very well. 

I think for me, the confidence comes from the dispersion and not necessarily myself and my swinging of the club. I agree that looking down and feeling like you can give the Max a full go is arduous at times. But I am coming around as my swing slowly fits into it. 

[Jmikecpa]

40 minutes ago, bens197 said:

Tight…these shot patterns are super tight.

For the testers…are you pleased with the head you chose?

So far, yes I am.  I have yet to get it out on the course so the jury is still out if it is the best fit.  The only change I may have made would possibly pairing it with a different shaft as I am seeing launch on the lower side for me.  Hoping to play this weekend if the weather holds and get better insight on this question.

[chisag]

3 minutes ago, Michael.Sandoval33 said:

I think for me, the confidence comes from the dispersion and not necessarily myself and my swinging of the club. I agree that looking down and feeling like you can give the Max a full go is arduous at times. But I am coming around as my swing slowly fits into it. 

 

... The Max is so much more forgiving on paper. I really wanted to play it for that very reason. But we aren't robots and the standard head is more forgiving for me. Not sure why or how, but it is. If Nelly Korda can play the Max, it certainly isn't the head but more my head. 

[bens197]

3 minutes ago, Jmikecpa said:

So far, yes I am.  I have yet to get it out on the course so the jury is still out if it is the best fit.  The only change I may have made would possibly pairing it with a different shaft as I am seeing launch on the lower side for me.  Hoping to play this weekend if the weather holds and get better insight on this question.

LS on paper definitely made sense for you.  If the RDX doesn't do it hopefully there's a graphite design that'll match up well.

[IndyBonzo]

1 hour ago, bens197 said:

Tight…these shot patterns are super tight.

For the testers…are you pleased with the head you chose?

Good questions, and good answers so far.

I am pleased with the standard head.  Initially I had concerns it would spin too much, but at 8° or so it does not, and I can swing full out at it with full confidence it will go straight and long with a good swing or near miss.  And for me that’s where it really shines - even heel and toe strikes go pretty straight, and low-face strikes are super straight.

Smash factor is better than my Paradym TD.  Like others, I am not sure my Kai’Li white shaft is ideal for me.  Eventually I will tinker there for more clubhead speed, but it’s absolutely an objectively good head-shaft combination and it performs well for me.  

[bens197]

1 minute ago, IndyBonzo said:

Good questions, and good answers so far.

I am pleased with the standard head.  Initially I had concerns it would spin too much, but at 8° or so it does not, and I can swing full out at it with full confidence it will go straight and long with a good swing or near miss.  And for me that’s where it really shines - even heel and toe strikes go pretty straight, and low-face strikes are super straight.

Smash factor is better than my Paradym TD.  Like others, I am not sure my Kai’Li white shaft is ideal for me.  Eventually I will tinker there for more clubhead speed, but it’s absolutely an objectively good head-shaft combination and it performs well for me.  

The pursuit of the best shaft is really one of the most fun parts of this process. I’m glad you like others have found some immediate success

[Jmikecpa]

37 minutes ago, bens197 said:

LS on paper definitely made sense for you.  If the RDX doesn't do it hopefully there's a graphite design that'll match up well.

I have just a few options down in the shop that I can try.  Not giving up on the shaft just yet until I figure out how much of this is just my rusty offseason swing and how much is the shaft.  Not ready to fully chalk it up to the arrow at this point.

[GolfSpy_BEN]

1 hour ago, bens197 said:

Tight…these shot patterns are super tight.

For the testers…are you pleased with the head you chose?

The head has been as advertised, I’m not completely sold on the Kai Li White shaft that Taylor Made swapped in, because my first choice from their stock options was on back order. So that is the direction I will explore further. But, the face is legit and produces good ball speed. 

[bens197]

24 minutes ago, GolfSpy_BEN said:

The head has been as advertised, I’m not completely sold on the Kai Li White shaft that Taylor Made swapped in, because my first choice from their stock options was on back order. So that is the direction I will explore further. But, the face is legit and produces good ball speed. 

What was your first choice?

[GolfSpy_BEN]

2 minutes ago, bens197 said:

What was your first choice?

Of the stock options, I was fit into the Tensei Black 65 X. But they weren’t certain of when it would be available, which is a little odd, given it is one of the 2 shafts advertised as the stock choice on their website, but such is life. 
 

[IndyBonzo]

Received an email from TaylorMade today highlighting Scottie Scheffler’s TM clubs (including the Qi10) and his dominant Sunday round and victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.  
 

https://www.taylormadegolf.com/clubhouse/677195-scottie-scheffler-witb-arnold-palmer-invitational.html?lang=en_US&utm_source=us-klaviyo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2024.03.11_scottie-scheffler-api-win&bxid=01HNYVWTQB21P9V3X9R7XECX1Q&utm_content=nprd%2Bwin%2Batp%2Beml%2Bklvyo%2Badh%2Btrplyr%2Bgra&_kx=CbjywRR_GYryDZy2PdH8ZRk_DO-y9SVszxz04k0fH2k.WAfYzm

Those final round stats are incredible. 
 

Scottie is playing the Qi10 8° with a Ventus Black 7X.

[Hook DeLoft]

4 hours ago, bens197 said:

Tight…these shot patterns are super tight.

For the testers…are you pleased with the head you chose?

I am glad I got the Max head.  I am beginning to wonder if I should have chosen the 10.5 loft instead of the 9.  However, I went to the range today and was able to get a good trajectory, so the jury is out on loft.

[bens197]

20 minutes ago, Hook DeLoft said:

I am glad I got the Max head.  I am beginning to wonder if I should have chosen the 10.5 loft instead of the 9.  However, I went to the range today and was able to get a good trajectory, so the jury is out on loft.

Hopefully you keep it up!…ballflight and the good swings!

[HikingMike]

19 hours ago, IndyBonzo said:

Received an email from TaylorMade today highlighting Scottie Scheffler’s TM clubs (including the Qi10) and his dominant Sunday round and victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.  
 

https://www.taylormadegolf.com/clubhouse/677195-scottie-scheffler-witb-arnold-palmer-invitational.html?lang=en_US&utm_source=us-klaviyo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2024.03.11_scottie-scheffler-api-win&bxid=01HNYVWTQB21P9V3X9R7XECX1Q&utm_content=nprd%2Bwin%2Batp%2Beml%2Bklvyo%2Badh%2Btrplyr%2Bgra&_kx=CbjywRR_GYryDZy2PdH8ZRk_DO-y9SVszxz04k0fH2k.WAfYzm

Those final round stats are incredible. 
 

Scottie is playing the Qi10 8° with a Ventus Black 7X.

That looks like the vanilla Qi10 in the picture. You probably knew it but I figured I'd check, the OCD requires it The Max and LS are definitely popular it seems, so it's kind of awkward to have a vanilla without a descriptor like the other two.

"Entering Sunday T1, Scheffler dominated on the greens by leading the field in Strokes: Gained Putting for the final round behind going 17-for-17 on putts inside 15-feet. He backed that up with leading the field for the tournament in SG: Off the Tee with Qi10 8.0° driver."

Wow