TaylorMade Qi10 Max Driver Review

The launch of a new series of TaylorMade drivers is one of the most hotly anticipated events in a gear writer's calendar. It feels like the whole world is waiting to see if TaylorMade has yet again produced one of the best golf drivers in the game. So when the box finally arrived on my doorstep containing the new Qi10 family, I was very interested to open it up. In there was the new Qi10 series of drivers, featuring the Qi10, the Qi10 LS, and the subject of this review, the Qi10 Max. 

WATCH: Joe Ferguson tests and compares all three TaylorMade Qi10 drivers

Having been fortunate enough to receive a full product briefing by the TaylorMade team, it's very apparent that the Qi10 Max is very much the hero product of this particular family, so much so the whole series was named after this model. The quest for 10k MOI was what the TaylorMade engineers set out on hence the ‘Q’ for quest, the ‘i’ for inertia and the ‘10’ for 10k, giving us the Qi10.

To give you some context, the previous attempts to push MOI higher had plateaued around the 8500 mark and it had always been felt that pushing for higher and higher MOI went hand in hand with a loss of speed and excessive spin. The engineering of the Qi10 Max aims to dispel the notion that speed and forgiveness are opposing forces. So essentially what TaylorMade hoped to have achieved here is its most forgiving driver of all time with no compromise on ball speed.

So what has TaylorMade done? Well to start with, they have stretched the head shape creating a 8mm longer profile front to back which begins to move that CG into a deeper, more MOI friendly location immediately. This also creates a 9 percent larger footprint on the Qi10 Max than the Stealth 2 HD. On top of that, it has engineered the inside of the head to be able to push mass into more extreme locations, again boosting MOI. The 60 layers of carbon remain, making up the face, as does Twist Face technology.

In terms of looks, many - myself included - will be pleased to see the back of the red face that adorned the Stealth and Stealth 2 range. While it certainly had its fans, I felt it was divisive and lacked broad appeal. Instead it has been replaced with a clean, dark navy face which will sit better with a larger majority in my opinion. A nice addition to the face is a subtle white line that runs along the top edge of the face, giving an excellent reference for alignment.

The top of the club is vastly different from its predecessor with a new infinity crown spelling the end of the road for the thick border strip at the top edge of the club. Instead a clean, uniform, gloss black finish covers the entirety of the crown giving a much less fussy aesthetic.

Down behind the ball, I really liked the new shaping of the Qi10 Max. As well as being pretty enormous, it is extremely rounded, similar in shape at least to a Titleist TSR2. The sheer size of the footprint will give less competent ball strikers real confidence that they can make good contact here.

In terms of performance, I was eager to put the Max to the test and was fortunate enough to be able to test the product on a sunny, warm afternoon in South Carolina. Testing was done using the TaylorMade TP5X golf ball and data was collected with a Trackman 4 launch monitor.

First things first, the Qi10 Max is astonishingly forgiving. Some of the poorer strikes I administered to the ball were hugely flattered by the high MOI of the driver. Ball speed remained pretty constant no matter where I hit it on the face and dispersion was pleasingly tight both from a length and directional perspective.

The feel and sound were both impressive, with the Qi10 Max unleashing a powerful and meaty sound at impact but at a decent pitch. Feel was enjoyable with impact producing a deep and lively sensation, but the real stand out takeaway from strike was the stability. The resistance to twisting, even when struck at the very extremities of the face, was genuinely impressive.

Spin levels were somewhat predictably on the higher side when hit at my normal 9 degree base loft but definitely not out of control. I was averaging around 3000rpm at 9 degrees, but a simply tune down in loft easily brought me into the mid 2000s, which produced a strong flight and reasonable distance.

Nothing much to report regarding ball speed, it remains very comparable to the Stealth 2 HD before it, albeit slower than the other two models in the new range for me. 

Interestingly, I feel the head is probably quicker than the launch monitor data would suggest, and here is why... TaylorMade has decided on a playing length quarter of an inch shorter for the Max than the other two models which for me at least, resulted in a drop in clubhead speed and subsequently a drop in ball speed. Having spoken to representatives of TaylorMade, the feeling is that a slightly shorter driver will allow centre contact to be made more regularly, resulting in higher average ball speeds over a longer period.

Only time will tell on this, but I am not sure this is a great move, particularly when the main story of the Qi10 Max is that we can hit it pretty much anywhere on the face with similar results. 

TaylorMade has deliberately left any nod to a draw bias out of the name or marketing for this product, believing that the consumer perception of any flight bias may deter some, but it is certainly set up from a CG point of view to neutralise a right miss. Instead of draw bias, TaylorMade is referring to this as ‘straight distance’ in an attempt to be more inclusive. Whatever you want to call it, there is an evident draw bias, not as prevalent as some in this category, but it is certainly in there.

The Qi10 Max justifies its position as the hero product of this range, delivering incredible levels of forgiveness and stability without compromising speed. I can see this driver in the hands of a broad spectrum of player, from the weekend warrior all the way to some tour professionals (Collin Morikawa has one in the bag), albeit with a lower base loft than they may be used to.