Well, that should be the last one. With the 2025 TaylorMade Qi35 landing on the USGA conform list, we’ve seen everything the big boys will have to offer in January (or in one case, later this week).
USGA listings suggest that TaylorMade will release 3 driver models and that those 3 models will mirror what TaylorMade gave us with the Qi10, although there are some notable differences.
Qi35 (the simple one)
Ironically, the least visible of TaylorMade’s three new drivers is the one that should suit the highest percentage of players.
For the Qi35 standard, the most notable update here is the inclusion of a front weight port that features what the USGA indicates is a 3g weight.
Unfortunately, the USGA doesn’t give us a rear view of the club, but given that 3g isn’t a particularly significant part of the mass, it’s entirely possible, if not likely, that the Qi35 offers a front-to-back weighting system.
Maybe it’s just the swing weight, but I’m optimistic we’ll find a heavier rear-mounted mass section that can be swapped out for trajectory control purposes, which would be a pretty sweet upgrade.
Qi35 MAX (he who forgives)
We can safely assume that the MAX will once again be TaylorMade’s top MOI leader and that the MOI will once again break the 10,000 barrier.
This is evidenced by a single sign that reads: 10 kg-cm².
At this point, it looks like we’re a release cycle away from full formulas being stamped on clubs… at least when those clubs aren’t forged or contain tungsten.
deviate.
It’s starting to feel like 10k is here to stay and in the meantime I will keep reminding you that not everyone has to follow the max MBI think it makes sense that as golfers come to terms with the fact that the days of big distance gains are behind us, the stories of forgiveness are beginning to resonate.
I wish they were more focused around the right amount of forgiveness instead of absolutely maxing out what is, in a sense, an arbitrary number.
Qi35 LS (low rev)
Finally, TaylorMade will once again offer an LS (low spin) version of its flagship driver. The evolutionary note for the new LS is that TaylorMade has moved away from a complete SLDing front weight footprint in favor of two discrete locations.
Like the changes Callaway seems to have made with the Elyte, the dual-weight system eliminates the need for all the structure needed to support the sliding weight system.
Again, I’d wager that most golfers are shifting their weight to one side or the other, so it’s probably worth compromising a bit of fit to free up some weight for other purposes.
My Qi35 Questions
Is going gray a great idea? – Other photos we’ve seen of the Qi35 series suggest that TaylorMade is going all in with a gray paint scheme. I don’t hate it myself, but I don’t miss that the market has traditionally preferred black crowns for its leaders.
It’s true that TaylorMade has had success in the past with white and gray (SIM), but with its infinity crown design, it will be interesting to see if golfers love the clean look or feel like it’s a little too clean (and gray).
Is the spin under control at MAX? – I thought the Qi10 MAX was a bit off as TaylorMade didn’t do the best job of handling some of the pitfalls of the extreme UK. Specifically, the Qi10 MAX was one of, if not the, highest revving motor on the market last year.
And while, of course, there are gamers who need the revs, it was a struggle to get the Qi10 MAX below 3000 RPM for just about anyone.
My feeling is that if TaylorMade hopes to compete in performance in the 10K space, the Qi35 needs to be significantly better than its predecessor.
So we’re stuck with carbon faces then? – admittedly, this is more of a comment than a question, but after three generations of Carbon, I wondered if TaylorMade, despite assurances to the contrary, would consider moving away from Carbon.
Not this year.
With USGA notes showing CARBON on all three faces, it looks like TaylorMade is sticking with the material for another cycle.
Is this a mistake? (I guess that’s my question.)
The chatter is that not every tournament player likes it. This is certainly true at the consumer level.
The market response coupled with ongoing, albeit improving, breakage and warping issues, and I thought maybe it was time for TaylorMade to go away.
It’s not happening… at least not now.
Our carbon-faced adventure continues for another season.
What is 35 for? – Last year, the 10 in Qi10 meant 10,000 MOI (even for models that didn’t offer it). I think we can safely assume the Qi35 doesn’t offer 35,000 MOI, so what’s with the 35? Early word on the street was that the new drivers were called NOVA, so maybe that was a code name or a clever misdirection. Regardless, I’m sure there’s a story here.
How much will the Qi35 cost? – As I noted with my last article on the USGA, we are in an interesting place right now. Titleist has pushed its prices to $650, and while we can talk about whether or not that’s justified, price is often confused with quality, so I’m not sure the biggest competitors will be happy with the 50 dollars.
There’s also little doubt that the potential for hefty fees weighs heavily on everyone, and my view is that optics would be better off raising prices now than trying to deal with cost increases mid-cycle.
I honestly don’t know what it will look like when the dust settles, but $600 is the absolute floor and $650 is likely the ceiling.
More to come
The TaylorMade Qi35 drivers are expected to be officially introduced in early January. More details coming soon.
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