Forum Member Reviews: TaylorMade Qi10 Drivers

It has been a long time since we had TaylorMade as part of the Forum member testing platform so we were thrilled to deliver the TaylorMade Qi10 drivers to six of our Forum members for testing.

TaylorMade driver releases always cause a stir on the Forum and this year was no different. There was great anticipation that TaylorMade had done something special. This was evident as we had more than 6,300 people signing up and more than 500 sharing their desired driver specs to test.

We selected two testers for each driver head. That meant the Qi10 LS, Qi10 and Qi10 Max each had two testers. We found different golfers with varying skills, swing speeds and backgrounds to test these drivers. The overall goal was to make these reviews relatable to the everyday golfer.

Testers were assigned which driver they were going to test. All of the testers then had a fitting to dial in which stock shaft was the best for them.

TaylorMade Qi10 First Impressions

First impressions can set the tone for how confident a golfer is with a club. Of course, there are always honeymoon periods with new clubs and that is why our testers review clubs over a six-week period. How did our testers find the TaylorMade Qi10 drivers when they arrived?

Tester Jmikepca (Qi10 LS Tester): “In a word, this driver is just stunning! I like that they have moved away from the red and black and into the black and blue colorway; it is really a nice look. The headcover is done really well, and one little touch that was nice is the TM logo that is on the bottom of the headcover is a soft plastic that actually flexes a little bit. Nice touch that shows someone spent some time designing the headcover. One immediate reaction I had to this driver is that it looks like it has no loft on it.”

“Not sure if this is the Twist Face effect or not, but it has a very tall flat appearing face. I do really like that new Infinity Carbon Crown that they are using for this driver. Tester Michael Sandoval: “There is not much that can be said negatively about the looks of the Qi10 Max. However, when I unboxed the club, my initial thought was, “It is bigger than I remember it being at the fitting.” Even with that being said, the Qi10 is still in the running to win the Beauty Pageant. The carbon blue face carries an understated “Bang” that cannot be missed.”

Tester Reviews: TaylorMade Qi10 Max

The Qi10 Max was a headliner as it broke the 10k MOI (forgiveness) for the first time for TaylorMade. This meant a big shift from the normal distance story that TaylorMade is often known for. A switch to bringing more attention to the forgiveness side of drivers is very noteworthy and is why we are leading off with how our testers found the Qi10 Max, before moving into the other two options.

From tester Hook DeLoft: “I don’t care how good a club looks if it doesn’t deliver. This club delivers in spades. For me, this club delivers elite ball speed numbers on off-center hits. After adjusting the loft and adding some lead tape, the performance on the course was outstanding. At my slower swing speed, I just don’t think I can get more out of a driver.”

High Handicap Perspective

From tester Michael.Sandoval33 who has a higher handicap: “When I first started testing the Qi10 Max, the dispersion was not as tight as expected. The larger head was daunting to me, and I found that my shots were constantly fading off the tee into what would be considered out of bounds.”

He followed up by saying, “Throughout my continued use and as my comfort with the driver grew, the grouping of my shots vastly improved though the fade never fully went away, even when adjusting the loft sleeve of the driver to both open and close the face. In that same sense, the Qi10 was very forgiving to me as I grew accustomed to knowing no matter where I connected off the face, the ball was either going to launch and stay straight or fade late in its carry and well within the ranges I was seeking.“

With testing ending for each tester, they had to make the choice whether to game it or pass it along for another member to test. For each, the performance and consistency meant there was no way the TaylorMade Qi10 Max was leaving their golf bags.

Tester Reviews: TaylorMade Qi10

Solid, if not spectacular, results from the Qi10 Max meant the Qi10 standard model had a lot to live up to. Was it able to do so? Let’s find out.

Tester IndyBonzo: “TaylorMade has really impressed your author with the Qi10. Yes, it can be long and accurate and it’s undeniably forgiving. It’s gorgeous too, and that blue face just screams class. But beyond all that It holds up. After beating countless range and sim balls and playing on-course repeatedly, the driver face looks near new, with only slight ball marks on the face. (Darn range balls.)

“Also, the wide selection of stock (no upcharge) shafts is one of the best I have ever seen in a driver offering. It virtually guarantees finding one that will work with your swing. It turned out that, in looking back at my numbers from testing, the stock Kai’Li White shaft (low spin!) gave me the best results, including over the premium shafts I tried in the standard Qi10.

“Finally, the loft sleeve and adjustability settings just work. Launch angle and spin were affected precisely as predicted by settings changes. The adjustability from the sleeve exceeded my expectations, and is better IMO than that offered by Callaway in the drivers to which I am accustomed.”

And Emack1961, who is coming from a TaylorMade R15, had this to say: “This club performs. Pure and simple. If you have a driver that is a few years old, do yourself a favor and give this club a look. Book some time at your fitter of choice and give it a go.”

All in all very solid, but that didn’t mean the TaylorMade Qi10 made the bag for both testers. While Emack1961 easily replaced the older TaylorMade R15, IndyBonzo didn’t quite jive with his. While it did perform well and was very forgiving, it was lacking in workability. This led to a (spoiler alert) swap with Golfspy Ben, who was a tester for the Qi10 LS.

Tester Reviews: TaylorMade Qi10 LS

The low-spin model is traditionally built or used by lower handicaps but, with ever-improving forgiveness characteristics, can still be an excellent option for others. Anyone who struggles with excessive spin can add this to their list.

Tester Quotes

For Golfspy Ben, as we mentioned, he swapped his out with another tester. Why? After a few sessions, the back of the driver cracked. This led to a loss in confidence that was hard to get over. TaylorMade promptly replaced the broken driver and he was able to continue testing in a timely manner but, ultimately, the Qi10 LS wasn’t a fit for him.

From Golfspy Ben: “When my swing was grooving, this driver produced great drives and left me hungry for more. The headcover is of premium quality and really well done.

“The further we get into this season, I will be keenly watching for other cases of the club malfunctioning because I am genuinely curious if what happened to me was a one-off or a part of a larger pattern of quality concerns for TaylorMade.”

Another Perspective

From tester Jmikecpa: “The good is the flight and how stable the ball is in the wind. I saw this on the range and just struggled with trusting it on the course. The club responds very well to what you put into it, and it is really just point and shoot. This is what most would term as the “player’s” model. But I think that any decent ball striker that is in need of spin reduction could play this model. This is because it is surprisingly forgiving for the design. Again as stated above this driver is just flat out stunning to look at behind the ball. I think that TaylorMade nailed it with the blue and silver color way.

“The only real knock that I have right now on the Qi10 LS is that it is a bit hard to turn over with the flat stock setting and just the design as a whole. I did move the sliding weight all the way to the heel. That was some help but this is a driver that is meant to be straight to a fade for most.”

Another driver and another split for making the bag. There were some ups and downs with the LS during testing but it does what it is supposed to do and, as we found out with our testers, in the end it just isn’t the driver for everyone.

Key Takeaway From Our Testers

The looks and update to a blue carbon face were a huge win for the entire group. When it came to aesthetics, the Qi10 series won over all our testers.

The feel of the club was also praised by the group. Neither too firm nor soft, they found the face to be responsive and hold up really well over the longer testing period.

Forgiveness was a big story going in and our testers felt that TaylorMade achieved their goal with this series of drivers, sometimes to the detriment of workability.

Stock shaft options were solid. Some testers really liked the vast options that come with up to a four-degree difference while others found it confusing and wished there was a guide that came along with the driver and tool.

The Final Verdict

We had all of our testers grade the drivers at the end of the reviews covering a range of topics that would total to 100 available points. Here is how the results shook out.

TaylorMade Qi10 Max – 93 and 88, TaylorMade Qi10 – 98 and 93, TaylorMade Qi10 LS – 86 and 91

All in all, a very solid finish for the TaylorMade Qi10 series of drivers with four of six making the bags of our testers.

Want to read the full reviews? Go here: Forum Member Reviews: TaylorMade Qi10 Drivers

What is Forum Member Testing?

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Members who are selected interact, engage and write a review on the specific product while enjoying the fun of trying new gear!

Member testing is vital because it gets gear in the hands of you, the golfer. Our members give honest feedback on how any product or service works for a variety of handicaps and abilities to ensure our readers are even more informed when making purchasing decisions. 

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