THE POWER OF QI
TaylorMade’s 2024 rollout of its Qi range fills the bags of all golfers with cutting edge technology.
Forgiveness and playability are the key words in TaylorMade’s 2024 introduction of its comprehensive Qi range of clubs. The Carlsbad concern has poured resources in deriving some of the easiest to play, straightest and longest clubs launched this year.
MOI TO THE MAX
The TaylorMade Qi10 Max, Qi10 LS and Qi10 drivers headline the latest array of products from a company known for its innovation and technology. Mass means more for the Qi drivers with the Qi10 Max boasting 10,000 g-cm2 in moment of inertia (MOI) forging a new frontier in this category.
In its simplest form, higher MOI equals more forgiveness. Higher MOI reduces head rotation on off-centre impacts, protecting ball speed on mis-hits and delivering more consistent launch conditions. This is measurable forgiveness. The Qi10 Max driver achieves a feat that is the result of advanced lightweight materials, a reinvented head shape and strategic placement of mass.
The forgiveness of Qi10 Max can be a benefit to golfers of all skill levels, from the everyday golfer to a major champion like Team TaylorMade’s Nelly Korda and Collin Morikawa.
But that’s not the only thing going for the Qi10 Max. Strategic mass redistribution with the new Infinity Crown, enables a deep and low center of gravity (CG) for optimal launch and spin control while maintaining high MOI. The new crown covers 97 per cent of the top surface creating a clean and elegant look.
The Qi10 Max features a shallower head shape that extends from front-to-back, housing a concentrated mass at the extreme limit from CG. This unique head shape contributes significantly to the clubhead’s inertia by allowing mass to be placed further from the centre of the clubhead. The club also utilizes the third generation of 60X Carbon Twist Face®, delivering a fast face on centre strikes, while also preserving ball speed on mis-hits.
In addition to the Qi10Max, the TaylorMade Qi10 LS delivers a lower spin and lower launch that is engineered to optimise performance for players with faster swing speeds and higher spin rates. With a deep face and a more compact overall head shape, Qi10 LS will be the preferred driver for many of Team TaylorMade’s Tour athletes. The Infinity Crown further removes excess weight previously located in less advantageous positions, resulting in optimal redistribution of mass for lower CG and better spin properties critical to players who choose the Qi10 LS driver.
And finally, the TaylorMade Qi10 driver has been strategically engineered to help players optimize distance and maximize forgiveness, wrapped in a clean, confidence-inspiring package. Qi10 features lower CG projection and higher MOI than previous TaylorMade drivers in this category, creating a driver aimed at golfers seeking the ultimate blend of distance and forgiveness.
Qi10 Max, Qi10 LS and Qi10 will be available in stores in February, 2024.
Qi10 Max has loft offerings of 9.0° and 10.5°. Shaft offerings are Fujikura Speeder NX TCS 50 (R, S) and Mitsubishi Diamana Blue TM50 (R, SR, S). Qi10 Max also comes in a women’s version at 12.0° loft with Mitsubishi Diamana Blue TM40 shaft.
A lightweight High & Light (HL) version of the Qi10 Max both at 10.5° and 12.0° lofts will be available in custom.
Qi10 LS is offered in lofts of 9.0° and 10.5°. It comes with two shaft options in the Mitsubishi Tensei AV Limited Blue 65 (R, S), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Limited Black 65 (S) and the Mitsubishi Diamana Silver TM50 (R, SR, S).
Qi10 comes with the 9.0° (RH) and 10.5° (RH/LH) lofts. The driver is equipped with Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 5 (S, R) and Mitsubishi Diamana Blue TM50 (R, SR, S) shafts.
FORGIVENESS FROM THE FAIRWAYS
Breakthrough technologies in the Qi10 family are in abundance with an Infinity Carbon Crown in fairways and precision weighting and shaping in hybrids. Both fairways and hybrids come in three different models: Qi10, Qi10 Max and Qi10 Tour.
Each member of the Qi10 fairway wood and hybrid family has a uniquely optimised face design focused around maximising ball speed across the face for each individual loft. TaylorMade engineers used iterative computer simulations to determine the shape and thickness of each area to properly maximize the COR area around where golfers are most likely to impact the ball with each fairway model.
The Qi10, Qi10 Max and Qi10 Tour fairways boast the all-new Infinity Crown that provides a clean, uninterrupted view at address while simultaneously optimising performance. Engineers relied on this new design to reshape the club, shifting more weight lower in the clubhead to maintain high inertia with a slightly enlarged face profile to inspire confidence and generate ball speed.
The Qi10 Fairways also incorporate Thru-Slot Speed PocketTM and laser etched topline that boost speed on low face shots and promote consistently accurate alignment respectively. Qi10 fairways are available in 3-wood (15°) and 5-wood (18°) with Fujikura Ventus TR Blue FW 6 (R, S) and Mitsubishi Diamana Blue TM0 (R, SR, S) shafts.
The larger front-to-back shape of the Qi10 Max Fairway allows for increased inertia that’s designed to deliver more stability at impact. A shallower profile and extreme MOI allow for higher launch and forgiveness across the face making this the most forgiving fairway TaylorMade has ever made. Qi10 Max fairways are a available in 3-Wood (16°), 5-Wood (19°), and 7-Wood (22°) with Fujikura Speeder NX TCS 50 (S, R) and Mitsubishi Diamana Blue TM50 (R, SR, S) shafts.
The Qi10 Tour fairway features a titanium head that frees up additional mass for precise CG placement in a compact, Tour-proven shape. It boasts a lower profile moveable weight system with a 50g sliding weight and a two-degree loft sleeve to offer versatile flight options. The club is an integration of a TSS weight and the innovative Infinity Carbon Crown. The TSS weight enables precise customisation for pinpoint swing weighting. Qi10 Tour fairways are available 3-wood (15°) and 5-wood (18°) lofts with the Mitsubishi Tensei AV LTD Blue (S) and Mitsubishi Diamana Blue TM50 (R, SR, S) shafts.
The Carbon Crown features again in the Qi10 Rescue and Qi10 Max Rescue families, freeing up mass for optimal positioning. Each Rescue features a different shape with the oversized Qi10 Max, classic Qi10 and compact Qi10 Tour.
The Qi10 Rescue has internal split weighting and low CG to create a versatile Rescue with extremely long distance and easy, high launch. The mid face height allows for easy launch from tight lies and confidence off the tee. Both Qi10 and Qi10 Max hybrids have the proven V SteelTM sole to improve turn interaction and versatility.
Qi10 Tour Rescue has a deeper forged C300 face with a higher toe that provides a look and performance for players seeking the ultimate combination of distance, workability, control and iron-like turf interaction with excellent versatility.
The entire Qi10 Rescue family features Thru-Slot Speed Pocket to optimize speed on low face hits and Twist Face corrective face angles designed to overcome inherent golfer tendencies on mis-hits to produce straighter shots.
The Qi10 Rescue has lofts of 3-19°, 4-22°, 5-25° with Fujikura Ventus TR Blue HB (7S) and Mitsubishi Diamana Blue TM60 (R, S) shafts; Qi10 Max comes in lofts of 3-20°, 4-23° and 5-27° and are equipped with Fujikura Speeder NX Blue (S) and Mitsubishi Diamana Blue TM60 (R, S) shafts; and the Qi10 Tour Rescue is offered in lofts of 2-17°, 3-19.5° and 4-22° with the Mitsubishi Tensei AV LTD Blue (S) and the Mitsubishi Diamana Blue TM60 (R, S) shafts.
STRAIGHT IS GREAT
The all-new TaylorMade Qi Irons promises a blend of minimalistic aesthetics and advanced multi-material technology that aim to deliver the optimal combination of distance, accuracy and solid feel in game-improvement club.
With Qi Irons, TaylorMade debuts its new Integrated System Design – a suite of technologies aimed at optimizing each individual iron head. The advantage of our system lies in the ability to facilitate communication among key technologies throughout the engineering process. This is crucial because the face design, Speed Pocket functionality and mass distribution are intricately interconnected, collectively influencing ball speeds, launch angles and spin rates.
Driven by organic face geometries, Cap Back Design and Speed Pocket technology, this comprehensive approach tunes the performance of each head to ensure ideal gapping, exemplary ball speeds and consistent launch angles throughout the entire set.
The 4- and 5-irons feature a lower profile backbar design for a low centre of gravity that encourages easy launch and towering ball flights. On the other end, shorter irons showcase a backbar design with exaggerated heel-toe weighting for higher inertia, delivering enhanced forgiveness with the ability to control ball flight with scoring clubs.
FLTD CG plays a critical role in optimizing performance throughout the set. The advantage of FLTD CG is easier launch with long irons and better control with short irons. Considering that long irons are generally more challenging to get airborne, we strategically position CG lower to invite easy launch conditions. The CG progressively rises into the short irons, which aids in control, launch, spin, trajectory and accuracy. Now in its second generation, Cap Back DesignTM with Toe Wrap Construction blends the advantages of a hollow-body iron with those of a traditional cavity back, replacing the steel back with a more efficient composite badge.
To enhance sound and feel, the 2024 Qi Irons feature re-engineered HYBRAR Echo Dampers in the 4- through 9-irons. Individually designed for each iron, these dampers incorporate strategically placed ribbed structures that sit behind the face. Each iron face aligns with the damper, effectively reducing unwanted vibrations. Furthermore, the Echo Damper collaborates with Cap Back Design and a 360 undercut with thick-thin top-line geometry to maximise COR and forgiveness while maintaining a desirable sound and feel.
Qi HL irons are crafted for players seeking higher launch and faster clubhead speeds. Loft configurations are approximately two- degree higher compared to the standard Qi model, contributing to Qi HL’s ability to achieve increased launch angles. Another defining feature is the weight reduction, with like-to-like builds of Qi HL measuring up to 26g lighter than a standard Qi iron, a design element intended to enhance clubhead speed and overall performance for a specific audience. Stock shaft options include the Nippon Steel NSPro 790 steel and Fujikura Speeder NX graphite shafts.
