Table of Contents
In this TaylorMade Driver Review our senior golfers and I tested the latest new releases in 2024. The top pick for us is the the TaylorMade Qi10 Max for the average senior golfer looking for increased distance and maximum forgiveness.
Read on, I’ll break down each driver, so you’ll get a first hand glance at which is best for you.
TaylorMade Driver Review Qi10 Series Quick Summary
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Since the inception of the SIM driver line, I have not felt a more forgiving head than the Qi10. It seems that TM has been on a mission to resolve the lesser forgiving Stealth line of drivers.
The Qi10 series of drivers offers three different models (Qi10, Qi10 Max & Qi10LS) to accommodate a large range of handicaps.
The most forgiving Qi10 Max is geared towards high handicaps while the Qi10 STD and Qi10LS are designed for mid+ to single digit handicaps. The main objective behind the Qi10 name is maximizing the high MOI (Moment of Inertia) for overall stability.
This increase in higher MOI decreases how the face can twist on off-centered hits which results in straighter ball flights. In fact, the “10” in Qi10 represents the amount of MOI (10,000). Therefore, this driver series is one of the softest, most forgiving drivers on the current market.
REASONS TO BUY
✅ Exceptional results for the TaylorMade Qi10 & Qi10Max
✅ New, more forgiving heads
✅ Solid feel, even with off-center hits
✅ 60 layer carbon face that promotes a softer feel
✅ Adjustable loft sleeve (+ or – 2 degrees)
✅ Available in several lofts (9°, 10.5°, & 12°)
REASONS TO AVOID
❌ The MAX version might help you hit more fairways, but a distance loss is almost a guarantee.
❌ The super pricey LS DRIVER version is not much different performance-wise than the Stealth 2.
Testing TaylorMade Drivers
Over the past 30 years, TaylorMade Golf has pioneered many uncharted driver head designs. From the historic Bubble Shaft to the latest Twist Face Technology, many manufacturers have tried but cannot overtake their #1 place on the market.
Being a TM staff player for the past 8 years, I have personally experienced their triumphs and failures. Respectfully, there have been products I either loved or products that sat in the darkest corner of my garage.
Fortunately, the Qi10 line of drivers has ignited my curiosity about what I can accomplish off the tee. Keep reading for my full TaylorMade driver review which covers the complete Qi10 driver series.
TaylorMade Qi10 Max Driver
Distance: 3.0 stars
Feel: 4.5 stars
Accuracy: 5.0 stars
Looks: 4.0 stars
Total: 4.125 stars
Let’s start with the most forgiving option, the Qi10 Max. Visually, I think the head shape and large size of the driver can instill a confident look at address for the player that struggles off the tee.
Unlike the previous years’ models, the top of the driver has a shiny finish that reflects shades of blue and purple. Honestly, I think it’s one of the better-looking finishes TaylorMade has made in several years. The overall shape of the head resembles the SIM 2 Max driver. Elongated from front to back, it mimics the shape of a triangle.
If you need a “fairway finder” and don’t mind losing a few yards this driver is perfect for you. The loss of yardage comes from the hosel design of this club.
Since more of the shaft enters the head than the Qi10 and Qi10LS, the shaft becomes shorter which affects your swing speed. When I tested these drivers, I noticed that my swing speed went down 3 mph slower because of the reduction in shaft length.
In my opinion, this will greatly contribute to improving dispersion control and straighter drives. This driver may not go as far as others, but the main concept is to increase the number of fairways hit.
TaylorMade Qi10 Driver
Distance: 4.5 stars
Feel: 5.0 stars
Accuracy: 4.5 stars
Looks: 4.0 stars
Total: 4.62 stars
Geared towards high single-digit handicaps to someone in the low 20-handicap range, the Qi10 boasts a draw-biased lightweight design. Aesthetically, the head is less triangular and more curved in overall shape than the Max.
Although the head is still rather large compared to the Qi10LS, I found it pleasing to the eye at address. The large weight positioned on the bottom heel of the club helps the average golfer square up or close the face at impact resulting in fewer fades and slices.
When I hit this driver, I knew I was hitting a TaylorMade product given its distinct “crunch” sound and solid feel. The trajectory was mid/high but my spin rate appeared to be rather low because the ball speed generously released the ball 12+ yards in rollout.
My only issue with this driver is the location of the logo on the top. It does not look to be centered which can affect how centered the ball is hit. Personally, I hit a lot of heel shots when I addressed the ball in line with the logo.
I surprisingly hit the ball much more solid when I addressed the ball towards the toe. Making this small adjustment yielded my fastest ball speed numbers on the launch monitor. This isn’t the first time I’ve had to set up a TM driver this way.
TaylorMade Qi10LS Driver
Distance: 4.5 stars
Feel: 4.5 stars
Accuracy: 3.5 stars
Looks: 5 stars
Total: 4.375 stars
Comparable to the unforgiving TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, this version is not designed for the weekend warrior. However, this LS (Low Spin) head is equipped with an 18-gram (movable) front weight.
The TaylorMade Qi10 LS allows the lower handicap golfer the ability to shape their tee shots with ease. Unlike other drivers in the past, the movable weight is closer to the face which helps promote low spin.
With a much more compact look to the club head at address, it’s to be expected to see pros like Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, and Dustin Johnson put it in play.
The downside to this version is mishits have little to no forgiveness. For example, my misses on the heel and toe were noticeably more off-line than the Qi10 and Qi10 Max mishits.
Since I tend to be a high-ball hitter, I thoroughly enjoyed the piercing shots off the tee. In the review of my testing, the overall ball flight was relatively low, but my distance was about the same as the SDT Qi10 driver. I could see this driver being a great fit for the low-handicap golfer who likes to play a low trajectory off the tee.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I was quite impressed with this series of TaylorMade drivers. Anytime I get to see faster ball speeds occur from engineering, I get excited. As I expected, TaylorMade technologies have proven themselves worthy of maintaining that #1 position for drivers.
