TaylorMade Qi10 Drivers - 2024 Forum Member Review

[TG8]

On 2/19/2024 at 10:18 AM, GolfSpy_BEN said:

QI-10 LS Fitting

Once I received confirmation that I was to be one of the testers for the QI-10 LS, I stopped in to one of my absolute favorite places, The Southwest Golf Ranch, to see the head pro and club fitter, Steve Landrum. Steve is fantastic at what he does, so I am including his contact info, if you ever find yourself in Southwest Ohio and in need of his services:

They use trackman and an outdoor range for fitting purposes. 
 

I cannot stress enough, how beneficial seeing the actual flight of the balls you are hitting is, during the fitting process. Having gone through this sort of process with the Titleist irons and now this driver, I won’t do a fitting any other way.

My current gamer:

 

I have mentioned it in my intro, but given my slightly negative AOA and propensity for producing spin, I have found an LS head in combination with a heavier X-Stiff shaft does a decent job of keeping my driver spin manageable. With that in mind I chose the following head to test:

After hitting a warm-up bucket with my PW, 7i, and current gamer to get loose (it was 45 degrees Fahrenheit with a light breeze) we got down to business. The Paradym is a 10.5 head, so that we started with the corresponding QI-10 LS head and this shaft:

After 3-4 swings, Steve switched to 9 head and the following setting:

as well as sliding the weight to the draw setting. That combination started producing a subtle fade with spin in the high 2000’s to low 3000’s, which for my swing is about right. With the settings settled upon, I took turns alternating between the Tensei black shaft as mentioned above and these shafts:

As is shown in Taylor Made’s shaft matrix:

These were the best stock options available to me for this test. There is a temptation to put a Ventus black 7X into play, after testing is complete, but that is a post for another day…

In all, I hit between 50-75 balls with these three shafts. From a performance standpoint, they produced an average: spin of 2900 rpm 

carry of 245 yards

total of 267 yards

ball speed of 153 mph

height apex of 87 feet

There wasn’t a standout performer in the group, as they all did similar in that regard. Which brings us around to feel. 
 

Feel is such a subjective measurement, but it absolutely has to be accounted for. After factoring feel into the equation: the shafts finished in the following order; Tensei Black, Kai Li White, Aldila Rogue Silver. 
I left the fitting encouraged by the results and reassured that the driver I am testing is setup to help me succeed. Which is the point of this entire exercise. With that said, the work continues and the waiting game commences…

Cannot wait to hear how it compares to your

[IndyBonzo]

2 hours ago, HikingMike said:

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.

I just call it Goldilocks!

[Jmikecpa]

Snuck in a quick range session last night in 30 MPH winds and the Qi10 LS is just stable in the wind.  Very good flight for where I am living and the conditions that I play in most rounds.  Now the rest of the bag was an abject disaster, but at least I was able to find the fairway with the driver.  Today is the nicest it has been in several weeks so hoping I can sneak away and get in another range session before I play this weekend.

[jbern]

2 hours ago, HikingMike said:

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

I did not catch that it was the vanilla Qi10 when I looked through his WITB earlier! Good catch! That is very interesting. I've only seen reports of pros using the LS or the Max.

[IndyBonzo]

I got some more range time with the Qi10 today.  I was able to bump several up in distance to the 245-260 range.   I know I am fighting my winter-onset over the top swing, but even so the Qi10 standard is impressing me with its firepower.

That shot rolled out to 261, even with my over the top.  (Working on fixing it.  It is costing me tons of clubhead speed.)

This range time was after playing 18 holes, poorly.  But not the driver’s fault.  It was solid. I will have more to share from today’s round in a follow-up post.

Here’s a teaser:  the Qi10 popped off again on the course.  

Edited March 13 by IndyBonzo

[Michael.Sandoval33]

19 minutes ago, IndyBonzo said:

I got some more range time with the Qi10 today.  I was able to bump several up in distance to the 245-260 range.   I know I am fighting my winter-onset over the top swing, but even so the Qi10 standard is impressing me with its firepower.

That shot rolled out to 261, even with my over the top.  (Working on fixing it.  It is costing me tons of clubhead speed.)

This range time was after playing 18 holes, poorly.  But not the driver’s fault.  It was solid. I will have more to share from today’s round in a follow-up post.

Here’s a teaser:  the Qi10 popped off again on the course.  

When you see Indy step up to tee off

[CudaKota66]

47 minutes ago, IndyBonzo said:

I got some more range time with the Qi10 today.  I was able to bump several up in distance to the 245-260 range.   I know I am fighting my winter-onset over the top swing, but even so the Qi10 standard is impressing me with its firepower.

That shot rolled out to 261, even with my over the top.  (Working on fixing it.  It is costing me tons of clubhead speed.)

This range time was after playing 18 holes, poorly.  But not the driver’s fault.  It was solid. I will have more to share from today’s round in a follow-up post.

Here’s a teaser:  the Qi10 popped off again on the course.  

As a fellow Hoosier, I feel your hibernation struggles!! It sucks having a 4-5 month 'off season'

[BreakfastBall15]

1 hour ago, IndyBonzo said:

I got some more range time with the Qi10 today.  I was able to bump several up in distance to the 245-260 range.   I know I am fighting my winter-onset over the top swing, but even so the Qi10 standard is impressing me with its firepower.

That shot rolled out to 261, even with my over the top.  (Working on fixing it.  It is costing me tons of clubhead speed.)

This range time was after playing 18 holes, poorly.  But not the driver’s fault.  It was solid. I will have more to share from today’s round in a follow-up post.

Here’s a teaser:  the Qi10 popped off again on the course.  

That’s some pretty solid dispersion there even with those 2 off to each side

[Hook DeLoft]

MGS has just released the Best Drivers of 2024.  None of the Taylormade Q's finished in the top 5 of any category.  However, when you look at the data, the differences between the TM's and the top finishers was small.  I noticed the Max model wasn't in the test.  I assume that is because TM decided not to provide one.  I think the company made an error there.  The Max may have been top 5 in everything if it had been in the test.

[GolfSpy_BEN]

Just now, Hook DeLoft said:

MGS has just released the Best Drivers of 2024.  None of the Taylormade Q's finished in the top 5 of any category.  However, when you look at the data, the differences between the TM's and the top finishers was small.  I noticed the Max model wasn't in the test.  I assume that is because TM decided not to provide one.  I think the company made an error there.  The Max may have been top 5 in everything if it had been in the test.

The Max was included, you just have to scroll to the bottom of the list. It finished really low, seventh from the bottom

[GolfSpy_BEN]

The overall scores for each driver were:

LS - 8.9

Standard - 7.9

Max - 7.5

[Hook DeLoft]

Well heck.  You're right, the Max was tested.  I blame not enough coffee. 

[chisag]

1 hour ago, Hook DeLoft said:

MGS has just released the Best Drivers of 2024.  None of the Taylormade Q's finished in the top 5 of any category.  However, when you look at the data, the differences between the TM's and the top finishers was small.  I noticed the Max model wasn't in the test.  I assume that is because TM decided not to provide one.  I think the company made an error there.  The Max may have been top 5 in everything if it had been in the test.

 

... Always interesting but these tests are just starting points. And when you have 35 testers and a wide range of abilities doing the testing, it is a remote starting point at that. For instance with my 95-98mph swing, smooth transition, +2 AoA and a natural slight draw my driver choose can be radically different than someone swinging 110 with a -2 AoA and an aggressive transition that plays a power fade. As well as the 85mph swinger with an inconsistent AoA and a moderate transition that hits both draws and fades. Add in stock shafts that can perform very poorly for one tester and very well for another and it's another variable that can produce almost opposite performance.

... I have said many times I can't swing indoors on a LM hitting balls into a screen anything like I swing on a golf course with a target in the distance. If I am on a range, seeing the trajectory will affect my swing, something I don't see indoors. I imagine there are some players that are the opposite, feeling comfortable indoors and not seeing the flight might even be an advantage. The point being it is very player dependent and again what works really well for @cnosil might not work for me at all. He is such a valued tester and I assume he its totally comfortable indoors hitting clubs since he has done it thousands of times and I just do poorly indoors playing golf swing, not golf. 

... And taking individual preference and performance into account, the Qi10 Max should have been a top performer for me and coming from the Stealth2 HD, it was the natural choice. Yet it performed very poorly for me on the course. The standard Qi10 has produced more additional yards than any driver I have hit almost inexplicably because I hit the Stealth 2 HD farther and more accurately than the standard Stealth 2. Admittedly it looked much better to my eye at address and that has an effect. 

... While fun to read, it is always infinitely better to get fit with no pre conceived preferences. Obviously if a driver head looks good to your eye, it goes to the top of the demo list but of course it may not end top being the best performer. Playing a slight draw as my stock tee shot the Stealth 2 HD was not on my radar but during my fitting it produced the best distance and dispersion. As always ymmv ...

Edited March 13 by chisag

[cnosil]

7 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

... Always interesting but these tests are just starting points. 

  these tests done by MGS are simply a place to start and to provide information to golfers that don’t try different clubs and typically see PGA pro X play well so they have to get that driver, iron, wedge, putter, or training aid.    The most wanted driver may not work for you and the 35th driver may actually be best.  Basically don’t buy off the rack,  try multiple options and see what might actually be best.  If you have no idea where to start this test gives you some suggestions. 
 

I have been a most wanted tester since 2017 and seldom has the most wanted driver been the driver that works best for me.   

[Michael.Sandoval33]

38 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

... Always interesting but these tests are just starting points. And when you have 35 testers and a wide range of abilities doing the testing, it is a remote starting point at that. For instance with my 95-98mph swing, smooth transition, +2 AoA and a natural slight draw my driver choose can be radically different than someone swinging 110 with a -2 AoA and an aggressive transition that plays a power fade. As well as the 85mph swinger with an inconsistent AoA and a moderate transition that hits both draws and fades. Add in stock shafts that can perform very poorly for one tester and very well for another and it's another variable that can produce almost opposite performance.

... I have said many times I can't swing indoors on a LM hitting balls into a screen anything like I swing on a golf course with a target in the distance. If I am on a range, seeing the trajectory will affect my swing, something I don't see indoors. I imagine there are some players that are the opposite, feeling comfortable indoors and not seeing the flight might even be an advantage. The point being it is very player dependent and again what works really well for @cnosil might not work for me at all. He is such a valued tester and I assume he its totally comfortable indoors hitting clubs since he has done it thousands of times and I just do poorly indoors playing golf swing, not golf. 

... And taking individual preference and performance into account, the Qi10 Max should have been a top performer for me and coming from the Stealth2 HD, it was the natural choice. Yet it performed very poorly for me on the course. The standard Qi10 has produced more additional yards than any driver I have hit almost inexplicably because I hit the Stealth 2 HD farther and more accurately than the standard Stealth 2. Admittedly it looked much better to my eye at address and that has an effect. 

... While fun to read, it is always infinitely better to get fit with no pre conceived preferences. Obviously if a driver head looks good to your eye, it goes to the top of the demo list but of course it may not end top being the best performer. Playing a slight draw as my stock tee shot the Stealth 2 HD was not on my radar but during my fitting it produced the best distance and dispersion. As always ymmv ...

I haven't read the results yet, will look through them shortly. But, this is where I believe MGS shines. We, the average golfer, are given the opportunities to test and share how we feel about the clubs. So far we have seen positive showings from the Qi, but we also don't hit 18,000 balls in testing. I am still looking for the feel of the Max but I am the outlier of the group thus far.

[Jean D]

1 hour ago, Hook DeLoft said:

MGS has just released the Best Drivers of 2024.  None of the Taylormade Q's finished in the top 5 of any category.  However, when you look at the data, the differences between the TM's and the top finishers was small.  I noticed the Max model wasn't in the test.  I assume that is because TM decided not to provide one.  I think the company made an error there.  The Max may have been top 5 in everything if it had been in the test.

The biggest thing to remember about MGS's listing (or anyone else’s) is that it is just a list. It’s their results. Yours will vary. A LOT!   I swung every single driver in the list during my recent fitting, and none of them worked for me like the Qi10 Max 9deg with the Tensei AV Limited Blue 65R shaft.  The list should be a starting point, not a “it’s top of this list, therefore it will be perfect for me".  

[Hook DeLoft]

I agree that such lists are just a starting point. 

On to the testing:  I have been surprised by how little draw bias there seems to be in the Max.  I am used to companies marketing their most draw biased driver as the most forgiving.  Even turning the loft up hasn't caused me to fear the left shot.  It may well be more draw biased than the other two models but it isn't excessive by any means.

[jbern]

I was surprised the Qi series drivers didn't have a better showing with the MGS most wanted driver testing. My sample size isn't very large; the six of you and two golf mates; but they have all had very good success with the Qi10! My one friend said his dispersion during his fitting was hands down tighter with the Qi10 Max than any other driver he tested. He didn't look at distance closely. Like several other people have said, it's good to get fit! 

@cnosil, can you provide a specific example of which driver was your best fit vs the MGS most wanted? 

[EMacK1961]

Today, I want to take a minute and talk about the aesthetics of the new TaylorMade Qi10. i'd rate the aesthetics a 10 out of 10. They scored a winner with the design. From the up close look to the look at address, this driver is great. There are no contrasting color changes except on the crown with the TaylorMade logo in white on the crown as an alignment aide. The face blends in with the black surround with almost no discernible edge.

Compared to my R15, the Qi10 looks like something that came off the mother ship. It has a totally modern look to it. TaylorMade uses the term "sleek". I totally agree.

The 60X Carbon Twist Face is deep which blends in with the crown and sole of the club. The blue and white accents on the face only add to the overall look.

As far as using the club, to me, it has a very even sound across the face. There is a crisp 'Thwack!" even on mishits. My R15 lets me know immediately when I don't hit the button, particularly with the ball flight being more off line than with the Qi10.

The Qi10 definitely raises my confidence the more I use it. I see the dispersion being better than with my old R15.

The head cover lets everyone know that there's a TaylorMade in the bag. It gets attention from the other golfers at the club. When I park my pushcart near the 19th hole and I'm having a cold one, I see people checking the club out, noticing that I've got new tech.

Overall, based on what I've seen, If I saw this club vs others, I'd give it a much closer look and even give it a try in a hitting bay. I'd suggest that you don't overlook this club.

[IndyBonzo]

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to squeeze in 18 holes yesterday at Valencia Golf & CC.  While I didn’t play terribly well, the Qi10 driver was not the cause. It performed very well.

I was very pleased with fairways hit and distance.  Dispersion, as always was excellent.  Some of the fairway misses were with other clubs.

Of course, it was a great time. I feel for the three gentlemen I played with who had to listen to me prattle on about the Qi10 review process.  They were good sports.

Also, my old swing came to visit one time, and this happened:

 

The distance potential for this driver is definitely there.

We are leaving the warm and sunny climes of Florida this weekend, but upon return to the Midwest, it’s time to experiment with some other shafts to really dial it in, including one or two Otto-Phlex options I have in reserve.  Then I can do the simulator testing of the different sleeve adapter settings, and go head-to-head against the Stealth 2.  I also hope to get some feedback from my long hitter buddy and see how he compares it to his G430 LS.  And then finally some serious comparisons against my gamer once everything is perfectly adjusted.

No matter how that test comes out, I can assure you already, dear reader, that the Qi10 is objectively an excellent driver.

Thanks again to TaylorMade and MGS for this opportunity.  It has been a blast and there’s lots more to come.

Edited March 13 by IndyBonzo

[BallsLeon]

@IndyBonzo what a bomb! Looking like Rory out there!

[Rob Person]

Great job on the driver performance!

[Michael.Sandoval33]

Well. It is going to be a great weekend to get out and golf! I will be playing the back 9s this weekend to give the Max a full show, so I went ahead and put the Arccos trial to use and will be able to share my results here. 

Oh, and another quick view of the Carbon Twist Face after some more use, of course.

 

[Michael.Sandoval33]

The Qi10 Max did its job today, it was my irons that failed me but that is a whole different story. I felt more relaxed in my swing today, not trying to force power and I think it showed in the accuracy. As my swing progresses, the distance will come with it. 

Edited March 14 by Michael.Sandoval33
Sizing

[Rob Person]

That's fantastic @Michael.Sandoval33 !  I too am learning more about slower equals smoother, and eventually smoother will lead to faster, with regards to swinging the clubs.  I dont have great distance now, but they are straighter for sure.

[Jean D]

I am so envious of everyone able to go to a golf course and play right now…. the season in Ottawa is easily still a month away, assuming we don’t get another snow storm or torrential rains between now and then.  Will be running my R10 and GS Pro range this weekend while I play at my local simulator (Saturday and Sunday… my wife is awesome!!!) and will have more data to share after.  Fingers crossed for a solid 2 days of golfing!

Jean

[chisag]

4 minutes ago, Rob Person said:

That's fantastic @Michael.Sandoval33 !  I too am learning more about slower equals smoother, and eventually smoother will lead to faster, with regards to swinging the clubs.  I dont have great distance now, but they are straighter for sure.

 

... This is really easy to confuse. In reality swinging slower is never a good idea. What is a good idea is slowing down your body. You can swing your arms and club as fast as you can control while keeping your kinetic chain together. But moving your trunk too hard or too quickly will make it impossible for your arms to keep up. Many confuse swinging "hard" with swinging "fast". Us manly men have a ton of strength in our chest and shoulders so it makes common sense to use it, but more often than not it is counter productive to generating club head speed. 

... So like many opposites in golf like hitting down to make the ball go up, many will find success "swinging slower" if their bodies are moving too quickly or violently. But in reality they aren't swinging slower and in many instances they will actually swing faster by slowing down their body movement. 

[Michael.Sandoval33]

11 minutes ago, Rob Person said:

That's fantastic @Michael.Sandoval33 !  I too am learning more about slower equals smoother, and eventually smoother will lead to faster, with regards to swinging the clubs.  I dont have great distance now, but they are straighter for sure.

Yeah that is the biggest thing I have taken away from everyone that has tried to help my golf game. Rarely is "distance" the main point of what they speak about. I know we all want it though. I would love to drive as far as everybody else with the Qi10, but I am very happy that it kept me sane on the course today.

[BreakfastBall15]

7 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

... This is really easy to confuse. In reality swinging slower is never a good idea. What is a good idea is slowing down your body. You can swing your arms and club as fast as you can control while keeping your kinetic chain together. But moving your trunk too hard or too quickly will make it impossible for your arms to keep up. Many confuse swinging "hard" with swinging "fast". Us manly men have a ton of strength in our chest and shoulders so it makes common sense to use it, but more often than not it is counter productive to generating club head speed. 

... So like many opposites in golf like hitting down to make the ball go up, many will find success "swinging slower" if their bodies are moving too quickly or violently. But in reality they aren't swinging slower and in many instances they will actually swing faster by slowing down their body movement. 

I agree that swinging slow is not a good idea. I used to go through the arms/hands not keeping up to getting too far out in front from time to time. I find when I do the whole "slow down" the swing thing my drives get substantially worse. Doing a lot of rotational and anti-rotation work in the gym has really helped me get my hips and trunk to rotate so I don't have to slow down my swing at all. Now its smooth and fast vs hard and fast depending on the shot and I've found it's made a huge difference. 

[IndyBonzo]

Cool story here in part about Rory’s Qi10 driver and his “once a round” caddy rule. 
 

https://apple.news/A5IE357KOTcSlfOPTwKODaA