When did TaylorMade last bring a new driver out?
In January 2024 TaylorMade brought out the Qi10 range with the standard, Qi10 LS (low spin) and Qi10 Max (maximum forgiveness) forming a three-pronged attack on the driver market, a market in which TaylorMade always excels.
Moving on from the Stealth 2, which featured a red face, the Qi10 has a navy colour with a more rounded shape as opposed to a pear shape. Tech wise it aimed the maximise the moment of inertia without losing any speed. The higher the MOI (moment of inertia), the more forgiving the club. Higher MOI reduces head rotation on off-centre strikes and reduces those mis-hits. The previous efforts to push the MOI higher got to around the 8500 mark but this driver has reached the 10,000 mark. Hence Qi10 – quest (Q), i (inertia), 10 (10k).
What’s in the new range?
This time around there is an extra choice with four driver heads – the Qi35 (standard), Qi35 LS (low spin), Qi35 Max (maximum forgiveness) and now the Qi35 Max Lite (lightweight). Gone is the blue carbon twist face and now we have a black carbon face with a striking, fairly futuristic grey matte crown.
What is the key technology?
The big talking point is something called CG projection. According to TaylorMade this is ‘a measurement of the balance point of the head projected onto the face’. This metric can help define the inherent launch conditions of the driver. When the ball is struck above that balance point, it is launched higher with less spin for a longer drive. When the ball is struck below that balance point, it creates more spin, lower launch and a shorter drive.
By lowering the balance point and optimising weight in the head, TaylorMade engineers activated a larger area of opportunity on the face for improved launch conditions. These improvements result in more distance from more of the face for each driver in the Qi35 driver family. Through interchangeable Trajectory Adjustment System (TAS) weights, the CG projection of Qi35 LS and Qi35 can be further optimised to create the most mass efficient CG adjustments for shot shape and control.
Put more simply if you think about when you strike the ball high on the driver face, the ball launches high but with little spin and it goes forever. Conversely a lower strike launches lower with lots of spin and doesn’t go anywhere. So the plan is to lower the CG projection to give you more of the face to go at and they’ve achieved that by moving weight around the clubhead.
Why the 35?
This doesn’t stand for 35,000 MOI, rather a 3 and a 5. It’s quite a convoluted explanation but the three represents Form, Function and Fit which sum up the making of the driver and the five refers to five different model heads. Yes, we did say four before but there is also a fifth SelectFit head. This is the name for TaylorMade’s fitting components and they have installed six white squares which are reflective markers. When fitting for each model these can be picked up by launch monitors like GC Quad to enable a more accurate fit. It also works with TrackMan and seems a brilliant move forward in the fitting process.
What is the TaylorMade Qi35 driver?
The most noticeable thing about their standard driver offering is that it has the same high-inertia shape as Qi35 Max. So there is plenty of it to help get the weight further back and forward in the clubhead. The overall length of the head front to back has been increased by 8mm and the weight saved/repositioned makes it a 9k driver.
This features two TAS weights; 13g back and 3g front which allows golfers to customise that CG projection. Available in 9, 10.5 and 12° lofts.
What is the TaylorMade Qi35 Max driver?
This is another confidence-inspiring driver and also features a small white strip across the top of the clubface which sits nicely with the grey crown. These Qi35 drivers have already received plenty of praise for their looks and most observers much prefer its appearance to the previous Stealth and Qi10 models. This is super forgiving and will appeal to those who hit it all over the face and here we have a 34g fixed tungsten weight but without increasing the overall head weight. This keeps the MOI at 10k, something which is imprinted on the sole of the clubhead. Testers also suggest that there is a better sound to the Qi10 Max, a driver that Nelly Korda had in her bag. Available in 9 10.5 and 12° lofts.
What is the TaylorMade Qi35 LS driver?
This low-spin offering is for the player who swings the club fast and doesn’t need that extra level of forgiveness. This features a more compact pear-shaped head and has three moveable weights – 13g and two 3gs. The 13g is positioned in the centre so is designed for a neutral flight while the weights at the front can be arranged for optimal spin, launch and shot shape control. Previously there was a moveable weight track in the Qi10 but TaylorMade believed that this took up too much weight. This will appeal to those players who really spin the ball. MOI wise this comes in at around 7.7k, should you move the heavier weight into the forward slot that drops under 7k so, if you do hit it very low on the face, there will be very little spin which is precisely what you want. Available in 8, 9 and 10.5˚ lofts.
What is the TaylorMade Qi35 Max Lite driver?
Here we have an ultra-lightweight driver which is 35g lighter than the Max. This is for the golfer who is looking to increase their clubhead speed and there is also a women’s spec with a slightly shorter 44-inch shaft. Like the Max this comes with a slight draw bias and features a single 24g tungsten weight which is designed to enhance ball speed and forgiveness. Available in 10 and 12˚ lofts.
Can I pre-order a TaylorMade Qi35 driver?
The Qi35 has been dubbed as one of the most forgiving options on the 2025 market and has received nothing but plaudits since being rolled out onto the PGA Tour.
With each model priced at a considerable £529, it would be an interesting debate as to whether the 2025 upgrades from the Qi10 are worth the price tag: but one thing is for sure, the Qi35s will be an exceptional and varied line of drivers.
Pre-orders are now available with the full range being publically rolled out on January 30th.
READ MORE: 2025 first look: what do we know about the new Ping G440 driver?
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