Why the TaylorMade Qi10 driver is their most forgiving yet

Rory McIlroy has a TaylorMade Qi10 driver in the bag in Dubai.

The TaylorMade Qi10 driver promises to deliver ball speed and distance alongside a massive jump in forgiveness.

TaylorMade have long been known for making some of the very best golf drivers when it comes to ball speed and distance, but lacking somewhat in the forgiveness and dispersion stakes. The new family of TaylorMade Qi10 drivers looks set to change that, with TaylorMade focusing on forgiveness more than ever before.

It’s a trend that started with the previous Stealth and Stealth 2 drivers, which TaylorMade marketed using the term “fargiveness”, but the Qi10 takes things a huge leap further when it comes to stability and helping keep drives on the straight and narrow.

The tech behind the TaylorMade Qi10: what makes it so forgiving?

TaylorMade have used four key technologies to boost MOI and forgiveness:

– Advanced Construction with Infinity Crown: TaylorMade’s advanced construction techniques allow strategic mass redistribution, enabling a deep and low Centre of Gravity (CG) for optimal launch and spin control while maintaining high MOI. The new crown covers 97% of the top surface, creating a clean and elegant look. 

– Optimized Head Shape: The Qi10 Max features a shallower head shape that extends from front-to-back, housing a concentrated mass at the extreme limit from CG. This unique head shape contributes significantly to the clubhead’s inertia by allowing mass to be placed further from the center of the clubhead. 

– Carbon Face Technology: The Qi10 Max utilises the third generation of 60X Carbon Twist Face, delivering a fast face on center strikes, while also preserving ball speed on mis-hits. This technology works in conjunction with a redesigned ledge that houses the face in a position that flexes in unison to efficiently optimize energy transfer at impact. 

– Torque-Control Shaft: TaylorMade’s extensive research and testing led to the development of a shaft with lower torque, promoting improved face closure at impact.

TaylorMade Qi10 drivers: the three models

There are three models in the Qi10 family: the standard Qi10, the Qi10 LS (low spin), and the Qi10 Max.

TaylorMade Qi10 Max

It’s the Qi10 Max that offers the greatest forgiveness and we’d expect it to be the biggest seller of the three.

The Qi10 Max has a unique head shape, with a larger footprint that’s right on the limit of what’s allowed by the rules of golf.

With an MOI of 10,000g cm² – that’s 1500 MOI points higher than the Stealth 2 HD could muster – this is the most forgiving driver in the Qi10 family and the most forgiving driver TaylorMade have ever made.

This model is the easiest of the three to square up at impact. It’s good for slicers and faders as well as golfers who impact shots all over the face.

The maximum 460cc size is squashed into a shape that gives a 9% larger footprint than the previous model, which dramatically improves stability and how the face deflects at impact (on off-center hits).

Read our full TaylorMade Qi10 Max driver review.

TaylorMade Qi10 LS

The Qi10 LS is aimed at good players with fast swing speeds, and it’s already been used on tour by the likes of Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods.

The LS is the only driver in the Qi10 range that comes decked out with a movable sole weight (18g), a feature that is particularly useful to dial in shot shape for tour pros and elite players.

An MOI of 7600g cm² is very similar to the Stealth 2 Plus it replaces but a lower CG projection helps reduce spin for additional distance.

Expect a smaller footprint and typical TaylorMade streamlined head shape.

Read our full TaylorMade Qi10 LS driver review.

TaylorMade Qi10

The standard Qi10 is the model for golfers who don’t want the all-out forgiveness of the Qi10 Max or the additional versatility of dialing in shot shape with the weight track on the Qi10 LS.

Although ‘standard’ driver models are normally extremely popular as they have a broad target audience, we’d expect many golfers to opt for the extra forgiveness of the Qi10 Max or the adjustability and spin reduction of the Qi10 LS.

Read our full TaylorMade Qi10 driver review.

What TaylorMade say about the Qi10 drivers

“This quest to 10K is the sum of a variety of proven TaylorMade technologies that have been integrated into a new shape in the Qi10 Max, literally giving us the most forgiving driver in TaylorMade history with the highest MOI we’ve ever achieved. On top of it, the evolution of 60X Carbon Twist Face features a new blue colour pattern and high contrast topline that works in unison with the Infinity Carbon Crown to provide a very clean and refined look at address position.” – Tomo Bystedt, Senior Director Product Creation 

This graph shows that the Qi10 Max driver delivers the largest jump in MOI TaylorMade has ever been able to create.

Release date

The TaylorMade Qi10 Max, Qi10 LS and Qi10 are available for pre-order at retail starting 9th Jan 2024 and available in stores 2nd Feb 2024. 

Pricing

The TaylorMade Qi10 and Qi10 Max are priced at an RRP of £499.

The Qi10 LS is priced at an RRP of £529.

TaylorMade Qi10 fairway woods

Three TaylorMade Qi10 fairway wood models sit alongside the Qi10 drivers.

The Qi10 Max fairway wood is TaylorMade’s highest MOI fairway wood ever and the most forgiving of the three. Read our full review of the TaylorMade Qi10 Max fairway wood.

The TaylorMade Qi10 Tour fairway wood is a premium, titanium fairway wood with a 50g sliding steel sole weight that can be positioned forward, centrally, or towards the back, creating the spin and launch conditions of either a strong loft Rocket 3, a typical 3 wood, or a High Launch 3-wood, all from the same head. Read our full review of the TaylorMade Qi10 LS fairway wood.

The standard Qi10 fairway wood is a very versatile option that will suit a wide range of golfers. Read our full review of the TaylorMade Qi10 fairway wood.

TaylorMade Qi10 hybrids

There are three hybrids in the Qi10 range: the Qi10 Rescue, the Qi10 Max Rescue, and the Qi10 Tour Rescue.

The TaylorMade Qi10 Rescue is for reasonable-speed players looking to replace difficult-to-hit long irons with long and forgiving hybrids. Read our full TaylorMade Qi10 Rescue review.

The TaylorMade Qi10 MAX Rescue is for lower-speed players looking to replace difficult-to-hit long irons with super forgiving hybrids. Read our full TaylorMade Qi10 Max Rescue review.

The TaylorMade Qi10 Tour Rescue is for higher-speed players who desire a lower flight and additional control from their hybrids. Read our full TaylorMade Qi10 Tour Rescue review.

TaylorMade Qi10 irons

Two iron models complete the TaylorMade Qi10 family.

The standard TaylorMade Qi10 iron is a very forgiving game-improvement iron that promises to help players with distance and dispersion. Read our full TaylorMade Qi10 iron review.

The TaylorMade Qi10 HL (high launch) iron features the same technology as the Qi10 irons but with weaker lofts, which help slower swingers increase launch and carry distance. Read our full TaylorMade Qi10 HL iron review.

About the Author

Simon Daddow – Today’s Golfer Equipment Editor

Having tested and played more than 10,000 clubs in his life, what Simon doesn’t know about golf clubs isn’t worth knowing.

He’s a specialist in all things metal having spent a large part of his career as a golf club maker and product development manager, and has worked in the golf industry for more than 30 years.

He joined EMAP Active (now Bauer Media) as Equipment Editor in 2006 and has made todays-golfer.com the most reliable source for golf club testing.

You can contact Simon via email and follow him on Twitter for loads more golf equipment insight.