The most forgiving driver of 2024, new blue face is a big improvement from the Stealth range, overall shape and design looks incredibly appealing sat behind the ball
Cons
There are longer drivers on the market in 2024
TaylorMade Qi10 Max Driver: Key Features
Advanced Construction with Infinity Crown: strategic mass redistribution, enabling a deep and low centre of gravity (CG) for optimal launch and spin control while maintaining high MOI
Optimised Head Shape: unique head shape contributes significantly to the clubhead’s inertia by allowing mass to be placed further from the centre of the clubhead
Carbon Face Technology: the third generation of 60X CarbonTwist Face, delivering a fast face on centre strikes while also preserving ball speed on mis-hits
Torque-Control Shaft: a shaft with lower torque, promoting improved face closure at impact
Arguably the most hotly anticipated driver launch of 2024, the new TaylorMade Qi10 Max promises a level of forgiveness never before seen.
The name Qi10 stands for the quest for inertia 10K, but what exactly does that mean? Well, the moment of inertia is a measurement of how much an object twists at impact, so in driver terms, how much the head twists when you strike a ball.
The higher the MOI score, the less twisting. In previous years, TaylorMade drivers have hovered around the 8,500 mark. However, this year, the Qi10 Max has broken through the ceiling and reached the mythical 10k figure.
How has it done that? Well, the key factor is the optimised head shape, which has been redesigned strategically to move mass away from the centre of the club head.
The shallower head shape extends from front to back, housing a concentrated mass at the extreme limit from CG.
The result is one of the biggest heads we've ever seen on a driver. While still remaining within the 460cc size limit, sat at address, this driver looks huge.
To see how this exciting new driver would perform, we took it to Spain for some green grass testing at the stunning La Hacienda Links course before putting it through its paces on a GC Quad launch monitor at Custom Golf Works in Woking.
Let's get into it.
Player Level
Despite the added forgiveness this driver provides, we have already seen it in the bag of Collin Morikawa, proving that the level of all-around performance it offers can benefit even the best ball strikers in the world.
TaylorMade Qi10 Max
TaylorMade Qi10 Max: Looks and Feel
The first thing you notice about the Qi10 Max when you have it in hand is just how big the head is.
Sat behind the ball, it holds an incredibly confidence-inspiring profile, which players who struggle with driver will absolutely love.
The overall finish on the crown is immaculate and simple, with only a small TaylorMade alignment aid breaking up the solid gloss finish.
This design is one of our favourites of 2024, and despite our general aversion to gloss finishes, this whole aesthetic really hits the mark.
Another new detail TaylorMade has added to the Qi10 range is a white line at the top of the face that is visible at the address. For us, this was an unnecessary addition. It is said to help frame the ball, but in all honesty, we would have probably preferred the transition from crown to face to have been more seamless.
Taylormade Qi10 Max Driver
TaylorMade has also opted to change the colour of the face this year and has switched out the rather garish red for a much more subdued and appealing dark navy. This is a huge improvement in our eyes. The red face was certainly one of the Stealth range's most Marmite features, and we think the blue is far more subtle and premium.
A noticeable aesthetic upgrade from Stealth 2, the sole of the Qi10 Max is very sophisticated. It utilises a combination of black and silver, with some beautifully crafted contours and a dynamic back weight to bring the whole appearance of the head together.
Overall, we've been really impressed with the appearance of the Qi10 Max. Considering the size and profile of the head, it would have been easy to allow this driver to look bloated and unappealing. However, TaylorMade has instead created a gorgeous-looking design that we think will be among the best sellers in 2024.
As we expected from this driver, the feel at impact is incredibly solid, and you can really notice the improved MOI from bad strikes as it remains stable throughout contact with the ball.
One of our issues with previous iterations of the carbon face was there was very little responsiveness. While you still receive less feedback compared to a titanium or steel face, there has been a marked improvement this year, and the hitting experience is much more satisfying.
TaylorMade Qi10 Max Driver
TaylorMade Qi10 Max: Performance and Forgiveness
TaylorMade Qi10 Max Driver
When we set up to test the new Qi10 Max, there was only one thing on our mind. How forgiving can a driver really be?
Well, after only a few shots on the range, our questions were quickly answered. From across the face, the Qi10 Max is the most forgiving driver we have ever tested.
From high on the toe or low on the heel, this club just does not give up on the ball, forcing it high into the air and keeping it online.
While MOI has become a bit of a buzzword this year with drivers, the noticeable uptick in the rating of this club has certainly made a tangible difference.
As you can see from the data above, the Qi10 Max is certainly shorter than many of the flagship models that have been brought out this year, and if yardage is what you are after, then the Qi10 or Qi10 LS is where you should be looking, however, if hitting fairways is your main aim as a golfer, then this should certainly be your weapon of choice.
With every new driver that comes out, brands make bigger and better promises regarding performance. While across the board, the majority of them ring true, TaylorMade's promise of more forgiveness from the Qi10 Max couldn't have been more on the money.
The Qi10 Max is the kind of driver that you want to give a big hug to after every drive. If you do decide to purchase it, we have no doubt it will become your best friend in the bag.
In an attempt to fully test out just how forgiving this driver is, we purposefully tried to line up to hit one right out of the toe. Despite succeeding in our attempts, you would have never guessed it from our ball flight. Walking up the hole to see where the ball had finished, we were stunned to see it only a few yards left of a shot right from the middle and only trailing behind slightly in distance.
Trust us when we say this driver marks a big step forward in what is achievable in terms of forgiveness.
TaylorMade Qi10 Max Driver
Should you buy the TaylorMade Qi10 Max?
If you want to hit more fairways with your driver, then you simply have to try the Qi10 Max.
Johnny joined GolfMagic as Reviews Editor in 2023 having worked for Sports Impact for two years as Head of Social Media, working alongside prominent golf brands including Galvin Green, Motocaddy and Wilson.
