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TaylorMade Qi10 driver review. All 3 models! – Club Junkie Reviews

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TaylorMade’s new Qi10 drivers are packed with new technology for maximum performance. Whether you are looking for maximum forgiveness or low-spin workability, there is a Qi10 driver for your needs. The faces are still 60 layers of carbon fiber, but in contrast to the Stealth line, feature a much more subtle blue tone. TaylorMade’s new Infinity Carbon Crown not only gives a weight advantage but also gives each driver a much cleaner and better look, to my eye. Each driver is a little different but built for maximum performance.

For the full, more in-depth review, check out the Club Junkie Podcast on every podcast platform and on YouTube.

TaylorMade Qi10 Max

This is the driver that is getting the most buzz it seems from the 2024 TaylorMade lineup thanks to its 10K MOI measurement. This 10K MOI means that the Qi10 Max head is extremely stable on mishits and will prevent the head from swinging open or closed.

The Max definitely has the largest-looking profile from address and has a more rounded shape to it compared to the other Qi10 drivers. I like the more rounded shape, and even though it doesn’t have the classic TaylorMade shape, it is easy on the eyes. The new blue carbon face is also more subtle and you don’t notice it compared to the previous red faces on the Stealth and Stealth 2 drivers.

Out on the course, or range, is where you will notice where the 10K comes into play. The first bad swing will be met with a shot that is more than likely more playable than you would have thought. The head keeps the ball on a straighter trajectory with reduced curve once in flight. You will still miss the fairway right or left with those swings but the shot will typically be straight to either side.

While my numbers from my most recent range session don’t show it, the launch on the Qi10 Max was more mid-high for me on the course. Ball speed was consistent and the Max held onto a good amount of it, even when you didn’t catch the center of the face. I went through my shots and was pretty impressed with the limited variation in ball speed throughout my session.

The spin numbers were also lower than expected and to be fair I was hitting a 9-degree Qi10 Max head, and I typically hit a low draw shot shape. I am not considered a high-speed or spin player, but the Qi10 Max didn’t spin a ton, even when hit low on the face. Only a handful of shots touched the low 3,000 RPM mark while most stayed lower than that. I think moving to the 10.5-degree head would be a better fit for me, adding some launch and a little spin to my shots would increase the distance by a few yards.

TaylorMade Qi10 LS

The model that we first drooled over in Rory and Tiger’s bags early this year! TaylorMade’s 2024 low-spin driver sports a new name, dropping the “Plus” designation. The LS model clearly has the traditional TaylorMade pear shape to it and a noticeably more compact look. A deeper face and shorter length from heel-to-toe give the look of a driver that the more skilled player will be able to easily shape shots with. The head also looks a bit more open than the Max head, and I love that TaylorMade has been able to create toplines that look more open than they appear.

The Qi10 LS creates some very long drives out on the course and range. This driver offers a little more feel and slightly quieter sound than the other two models, you can really feel the ball compress on the face at impact. For players who routinely hit the center, you will be rewarded with consistent fast ball speed and great distance. I hit my two longest drives with this head when I was going through my range session the other day.

Ball flight was flat, but the head is still easy to elevate and hit towering, boring tee shots. I thought the LS was actually going to come out really low, but I had no problem hitting higher shots with almost no spin. If spin is your problem with driver, the LS could be the pill you need as it is a very low spin head. I was rarely getting into the mid-2000s and had most shots in the high 1900 RPM. I never saw a ball go over 2,600 RPM, no matter where I hit it on the face.

Now the LS will show you a little less love when you aren’t swinging well and hitting it close to the center. For me, the start line of my shots was the farthest right of the three heads, but I saw more movement in the air on poor swings. There was also a little more drop-off in ball speed when the ball traveled away from center compared to the Qi10 and Qi10 Max heads.

TaylorMade Qi10

This is TaylorMade’s “bread and butter” head should fit a wide range of golfers. We have seen Rory move into this head, and we should see it in a lot of amateur bags as well this year. The Qi10 head bridges the gap between ultra forgiveness and low-spin distance with a little larger profile than the LS.

The shape is closer to the LS with a slightly more tapered line from the back of the hosel to the round back of the driver. I can’t stress enough how much I like the sleek look of the new Infinity Carbon Crown as it just gives a great view to the golfer.

This driver is the underrated one of the bunch in my opinion. While it isn’t the most forgiving or the lowest spin, it does everything rather well. It is pretty darn forgiving and definitely isn’t in a high spin category so plenty of golfers will find this head working for them.

I found the standard Qi10 the most consistent for me as it was easy to launch, and I think if you took away a few of the shots I hit higher on the face on the LS, this would have been the highest launching head of the group. The launch was mid-high and with that, the spin still never got wildly high. The misses were very straight and like the Max had less curve to them, more straight right or left.

To me, the ball speed numbers seemed to stay more consistent on mishits compared to Stealth 2 and center strikes had a softer feel to them. High-toe misses stayed in play with a more gentle draw and more carry than I expected, most of those shots ended in a pretty tight area. Swinging the Qi10 also felt a little different than the Max as I think the CG placement gives each driver its own unique feel through your swing. The Qi10 felt like it was a touch easier to release and rotated back to square at impact just a little faster than the Max. I don’t know if you could tell if you didn’t hit them side-by-side but if you do you can probably feel the difference.

TaylorMade definitely brought some changes to the Qi10 line, and I think, overall, they’ve crafted some really good drivers. The Qi10 Max will be great for those players who need the most stability they can to find the fairways, and I think will play to lower handicaps than expected. The Qi10 LS will be a skilled player’s wand to create shots and work the ball to positions on the fairway that allow them to score better. The Qi10 will fit a wide range of golfers who are looking for a driver that helps them on bad shots but still has the ball speed and spin to hit their longest drives.

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I have been an employee at GolfWRX since 2016. In that time I have been helping create content on GolfWRX Radio, GolfWRX YouTube, as well as writing for the front page. Self-proclaimed gear junkie who loves all sorts of golf equipment as well as building golf clubs!

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Equipment

Why Rory McIlroy will likely use the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper at the RBC Heritage

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Although we spotted Rory McIlroy testing the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper last week during practice rounds at the Masters, he ultimately didn’t decide to use the club in competition.

It seems that will change this week at the 2024 RBC Heritage, played at the short-and-tight Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head.

When asked on Wednesday following his morning Pro-Am if he’d be using the new, nostalgic BRNR Copper this week, McIlroy said, “I think so.”

“I like it,” McIlroy told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday regarding the BRNR. “This would be a good week for it.”

 

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According to Adrian Rietveld, the Senior Manager of Tour at TaylorMade, the BRNR Mini Driver can help McIlroy position himself properly off the tee at the tight layout.

Here’s what Rietveld told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday:

“For someone like Rory, who’s that long at the top end of the bag, and then you put him on a course like Harbour Town, it’s tough off the tee. It’s tight into the greens, and you have to put yourself in position off the tee to have a shot into the green. It kind of reminds me of Valderrama in Spain, where you can be in the fairway and have no shot into the green.

“I’m caddying for Tommy [Fleetwood] this week, so I was walking the course last night and looking at a few things. There’s just such a small margin for error. You can be standing in the fairway at 300 yards and have a shot, but at 320 you don’t. So if you don’t hit a perfect shot, you could be stuck behind a tree. And then if you’re back at 280, it might be a really tough shot into the small greens.

“So for Rory [with the BRNR], it’s a nice course-specific golf club for him. He’s got both shots with it; he can move it right-to-left or left-to-right. And the main thing about this club has been the accuracy and the dispersion with it. I mean, it’s been amazing for Tommy.

“This was the first event Tommy used a BRNR last year, and I remember talking to him about it, and he said he couldn’t wait to play it at Augusta next year. And he just never took it out of the bag because he’s so comfortable with it, and hitting it off the deck.

“So you look at Rory, and you want to have the tools working to your advantage out here, and the driver could hand-cuff him a bit with all of the shots you’d have to manufacture.”

So, although McIlroy might not be making a permanent switch into the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper, he’s likely to switch into it this week.

His version is lofted at 13.5 degrees, and equipped with a Fujikura Ventus Black 7X shaft.

See more photos of Rory testing the BRNR Mini here

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Equipment

Spotted: TaylorMade P-UDI driving iron

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It seems like the RBC Heritage is full of new gear to be spotted, and you can add TaylorMade’s P-UDI utility irons to that list.

We spotted a 17-degree P-UDI 2-iron in Nick Dunlap’s bag yesterday, and now have some photos of both the 3- and 4-irons. Nick has his P-UDI 2-iron setup with a Project X HZRDUS Black 4th Gen 105g TX shaft.

From what we can tell, this new P-UDI utility iron looks to have some of the usual TaylorMade technology as we can see the Speed Slot on the sole of the club for additional face flexibility. A toe screw is usually used to close off the hollow body design that will probably be filled with a version of TaylorMade’s Speed Foam that is present in the current iron lineup. This hollow body, foam-filled design should offer additional ball speed, soft feel, and sound, as well as an optimized CG for ball flight.

“Forged” is etched into the hosel, so we can assume that either the face, body, or both are forged for a soft and responsive feel. The club looks good from behind and at address, where we can see just a little offset and a topline that I would consider medium thickness. We don’t have the full details on what is under the hood or how many loft options will be available yet.

TaylorMade P-UDI 3-iron – 20°

TaylorMade P-UDI 4-iron – 22°

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Whats in the Bag

Collin Morikawa WITB 2024 (April)

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Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 LS (9 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 60 TX (45 inches)

3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (13.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX

5-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX

Irons: TaylorMade P770 (4), P7MC (5-6), P730 (7-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Mid 115 X100 (4-6), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (7-PW)

Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (50-SB09, 56-LB08), TaylorMade MG4 TW (60-TW11)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: TaylorMade TP Soto
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 2.0

Grips: Golf Pride Z-Grip Cord

Ball: TaylorMade TP5x

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