Every year, TaylorMade excels in ensuring their golf clubs cater to players of all levels. This year is no different, with the introduction of the latest Qi10 line of drivers.

The lineup includes the Qi10 LS head, designed for players with higher speeds seeking a lower launch and spin, and extends through three additional head models, culminating in the Max High and Light.

The Qi10 Max High and Light driver is for a player with a lower swing speed who is looking for maximum launch, spin, and forgiveness. It is for the player who struggles to get the ball in the air and needs help producing correct launch conditions.

In this review, we delve into the Qi10 HL driver, evaluating its sound, visual aesthetics, and feel.

Our analysis includes a comprehensive assessment of its forgiveness, distance potential, and key technologies, coupled with a scrutiny of its advantages and disadvantages.

The purpose of this guide is to aid you in determining whether choosing the Qi10 HL is a beneficial decision to elevate your game this year.

TaylorMade Qi10 Max HL Driver

The fourth member of the Qi10 family that launched in January of 2024, the Max HL driver is very similar to the Qi10 Max.

Both heads are almost the same but the HL is equipped with a component package to help players get the ball up in the air and pick up some club-head-speed.

The overall emphasis of the Qi10 lineup is on forgiveness, surpassing any TaylorMade driver that came before. The lineup comprises three main models: regular, Max, and LS; with a fourth being the Max HL.

Tailored for players with higher handicaps, the Max and Max HL heads of the Qi10 series are engineered to deliver maximum launch, spin, and forgiveness, ensuring better ball control.

The standard Qi10 head provides a well-balanced blend of forgiveness and distance, catering to both low and high-handicap players. It features a mid-launch with mid-spin characteristics.

Conversely, the LS head is specifically designed for skilled players who prioritize distance over forgiveness, ensuring a controlled launch and spin.

The Qi10 Max HL driver is available in 10.5 and 12-degree loft options for both left and right-handed players.

Similar to other models in the lineup, it boasts a D4 swing weight, significantly heavier than the majority of drivers in the market.

Sounds, Look, and Feel

As far as aesthetics, its glossy, timelessly designed black crown aligns flawlessly square at address.

This black crown seamlessly transitions into a blue carbon twist face, distinguished by a white stripe that serves as a valuable alignment aid, a feature our team found particularly beneficial.

However, some team members didn’t strongly lean toward the shape of the Max HL’s head when compared to other choices in the Qi10 lineup. This can be attributed to the Max’s distinctive long and shallow head shape, strategically designed to enhance MOI (Moment of Inertia) and forgiveness.

The bottom of the driver club maintains a sleek appearance, dominated by a color scheme of black, white, and grey. Additionally, a subtle blue line, seemingly TaylorMade’s signature color for this year’s driver line, adds a touch of distinction.

The Qi10 Max HL impressively maintains consistency in both sound and feel, aligning closely with the enhancements seen in the Stealth 2 over the original Stealth. The use of a carbon face has enabled them to excel in delivering a consistent experience in these aspects, which they have finely tuned.

The sound produced by the Qi10 Max HL is a classic mid-pitch crack, and the impact doesn’t feel dull or tingy which we have felt with other high-launch heads. Well-executed shots yield a remarkably solid sensation off the face, with off-center strikes easily noticeable.

Forgiveness

The groundbreaking carbon twist face featured in the Stealth line served as a revolutionary technology, enabling TaylorMade’s design team to strategically redistribute weight lower and farther back in the clubhead, ultimately enhancing MOI.

This year, TaylorMade is pushing the boundaries of forgiveness with the Qi10 Max HL, showcasing an impressive 10,000 MOI.

This remarkable feat is achieved by retaining the carbon twist face, incorporating a seamlessly blended, free-flowing carbon crown, and introducing the Max HL’s head—a longer and shallower design that facilitates even greater weight distribution away from the face.

The convergence of these elements gives rise to the most forgiving driver ever crafted by TaylorMade. In our testing, the team unanimously noted a significant difference, particularly in ball control. Mis-hit shots exhibited closer proximity to the fairway’s centerline than ever before, and barring a few user errors, we observed minimal instances of erratic misses.

The heightened forgiveness and face stability establish this driver as a must-have for those prioritizing keeping the ball in play.

Distance

Highly prioritizing launch and spin, the Qi10 Max HL driver will help players pick up some distance if they struggle to get the ball in the air.

Although our team did achieve notably improved fairway accuracy compared to previous clubs, this advancement came with a trade-off.

In contrast to the diverse range of current drivers, the Qi10 Max, on average, fell between ten and thirty yards shorter off the tee.

This can be primarily attributed to the significantly higher launch and spin experienced by most players, stemming from the longer head positioning weight farther away from the face.

Key Technologies

Innovative Head Design

The Qi10 Max HL boasts a head shape characterized by increased length from front to back, effectively enhancing inertia by positioning mass farther away from the clubhead’s center.

The farther the mass is placed lower and back from the clubface, the greater forgiveness and inertia the club can deliver.

Infinity Carbon Crown

Featuring an Infinity Carbon Crown covering an impressive 97% of the total crown area, the Qi10 Max driver strategically redistributes mass for heightened forgiveness.

At address, the Infinity Carbon Crown offers a sleek and clean appearance, complemented by subtle alignment cues. This not only adds to the visual appeal but also instills confidence and sets the stage for success on the course.

60x Carbon Twist Face

Incorporating the third generation of 60X Carbon Twist Face®, the Qi10 Max HL driver introduces a considerably lighter face compared to traditional titanium constructions.

This engineering breakthrough reduces forward weight, maximizing energy transfer upon impact. The lighter face enables TaylorMade to redistribute weight lower and farther back on the club, thereby increasing MOI.

The evolved support structure of the Carbon Face Technology effectively bonds the face, safeguarding ball speeds and ensuring consistent performance across the entire clubface.

Adjustable Loft Sleeve

Featuring an innovative Adjustable Loft Sleeve, players can fine-tune the loft and face angle with a 4° loft sleeve.

This flexibility empowers golfers to customize their driver settings, optimizing performance based on individual preferences and play style.

Additionally, the sleeve allows for an upright setting, providing further customization options to cater to individual preferences.

It’s important to note that increasing the loft using this feature will slightly close the face while decreasing the loft will slightly open the face.

Stock Shaft Options

FUJIKURA SPEEDER NX TCS 50

The TCS 50 offers slower-speed players a light shaft option to give them a high launch with mid-spin. If you have a clubhead speed under 95 and are looking to get even more height and spin out of the Qi10 Max, this shaft is for you.

MITSUBISHI DIAMANA T+

The T+ offers faster club head speed players with added weight and stiffness while maintaining a mid-launch and low spin profile.

Even with the added weight and stiffness, however, we have noticed that the T+ felt softer in the tip than the speeder NX TCS 50 due to increased torque.

If you are a high-speed player however and are looking for a stock shaft option for the Qi10 Max, this is one for you.

Pros

• Maximum forgiveness, launch, and spin for players looking to get their ball in the air and keep it in the air.
• Stock shaft options to help slower players keep speeds up while increasing launch and spin.
• Twelve-degree head to help increase launch angle even more.
• The most forgiving driver, TaylorMade has ever created.

Cons

• Creates too much launch and spin for any mid to low handicap with medium to high speed.
• The look of the shallow and elongated head at the address can be disruptive to some player’s eyes.

Key Takeaways

1. Player-Centric Lineup: The TaylorMade Qi10 line of drivers caters to players of all levels, with a specific emphasis on forgiveness. The lineup includes models for higher swing speeds (Qi10 LS) and lower swing speeds (Qi10 Max High and Light).
2. Forgiveness Revolution: The Qi10 Max HL showcases groundbreaking forgiveness with an impressive 10,000 MOI, achieved through innovative technologies like the carbon twist face, Infinity Carbon Crown, and the longer and shallower head design. This makes it the most forgiving driver ever crafted by TaylorMade.
3. Distance Trade-Off: While the Qi10 Max HL significantly improves fairway accuracy and aids players in getting the ball in the air, there is a trade-off in distance, however. On average, it falls between ten and thirty yards shorter off the tee compared to other drivers, primarily due to higher launch and spin.
4. Aesthetics and Feel: The driver features a timeless design with a glossy black crown transitioning into a blue carbon twist face. The visual appeal is complemented by alignment aids, but some team members expressed reservations about the distinctive long and shallow head shape. The sound and feel are consistent and solid, with a classic mid-pitch crack on well-executed shots.
5. Innovative Technologies: The Qi10 Max HL incorporates several key technologies, including an innovative head design for enhanced inertia, an Infinity Carbon Crown for mass redistribution and forgiveness, a 60x Carbon Twist Face for a lighter face and increased MOI, and an Adjustable Loft Sleeve for loft and face angle customization.

Recommendation

We recommend the TaylorMade Qi10 Max High and Light driver for golfers with lower swing speeds who prioritize forgiveness and struggle to get the ball in the air. This driver is ideal for players seeking maximum launch, spin, and forgiveness to enhance ball control and accuracy.