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Today, I’ll be reviewing the TaylorMade Qi HL irons.
The Qi HL is the Qi’s sister model, benefiting from all the same tech but featuring weaker lofts and ultra-light stock shaft and grip options. This configuration enables slower swingers to generate more clubhead speed, higher launch, and optimal carry.
Like the Qi, the Qi HL focuses on eliminating the right miss, with a progressive CG and a suite of technologies including Cap Back and Speed Pocket which are designed to deliver exceptional ball speeds, launch, and control.
Here’s what will be covered in the review:
Read on to learn what you need to know to make an informed purchase.
Note: Unless otherwise stated, stock shafts and stock grips are used when evaluating this club. In most cases, the golf clubs reviewed on Golfstead are acquired temporarily for testing purposes and are not purchased. The review that follows is based on the personal experience and research of the author. Because everyone’s swing and body are different, results with a particular club may differ from person to person.
What are the reviews like?
The Qi HL iron won a gold medal on the 2024 Golf Digest Hot List under the game-improvement category. It’s currently much less popular than the Qi, so ratings and opinions are limited.
What People Like
- easy to launch with good stopping power
- easy to put speed into the swing
- wonderful feel
- highly forgiving off-center
- fairly affordable
- premium aesthetic
What People Don’t Like
- too similar to the Stealth irons
The Features
The Qi HL irons pack the same core tech as the Qi, namely:
- Cap Back: a multi-material construction that spans the entire cavity and allows the Qi iron to enjoy the benefits of both a traditional cavity back and a hollow-body style of iron. It’s made from a lightweight polymer and is designed to maximize flexion of the face at impact.
- HYBRAR Echo Dampers: a fully encapsulated insert made of a soft polymer blend with a concentrated HYBRAR material. This is positioned behind the face to channel away harsh vibrations without compromising face flexibility.
- Thru-Slot Speed Pocket: a slot at the bottom of the sole that is designed to increase flexibility, ball speeds and forgiveness on shots hit low on the clubface, which is a common mis-hit area.
- FLTD CG: this strategic design, which stands for ‘Flighted Center of Gravity’, consists of a progressive CG that is lowest in the long irons for higher launch and higher in the short irons for more precise control.
TaylorMade marries all of the tech above to create an iron that delivers optimal gapping, straighter flights, and higher ball speeds through the entire set.
The HL model of the Qi differentiates itself in two main ways, both of which are meant to help slower swingers generate more speed, a higher launch, and more carry:
- the lofts through the set are, on average, about 2° weaker than the Qi
- it’s offered with lightweight stock and grip options
Stock Info
The Qi HL irons are available for purchase individually and in sets.
Also available is the Qi HL Combo Set, which pairs the Qi HL irons with the forgiving and high-launching Qi10 Max Rescue hybrids.
The stock shaft options are the KBS MAX Lite (steel, ultralite option) and Fujikura Speeder NX TCS (graphite). The stock grips are the Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 Lite (ultralite option) and Lamkin ST Soft Ladies.
If you’re interested, full information on shafts, grips and other customizations can be found here.
Below are the specs of the Qi HL irons. Click or zoom to enlarge.
The Performance
Distance
The Qi HL irons produce similar ball speeds and smash factors to the standard model, but the weaker lofts tend to produce a higher launch with more spin.
Whether this translates into more distance or not depends on your swing speed, your natural shot shape, and other factors.
I was personally seeing a few (around 2-4) yards less carry in my field test; your own mileage may vary. Because these irons are so powerful as it is, I suspect many players will accept the slight decrease in distance in exchange for more control on approach shots.
Forgiveness
I didn’t see much difference in forgiveness between the Qi HL and QL during my test. Ball speed preservation on mis-hits is phenomenal, and dispersions are tight.
These irons have a high MOI which promotes stability and very consistent results throughout the set. Moreover, many slower swingers will find it easier to make solid contact just because of the Qi HL’s light weight.
Playability
While I remarked in my review of the Qi iron that launch and spin were too low for my liking, I’m much more pleased with the ball flight generated by the Qi HL, which I daresay is nearly optimal for my game.
In fact, even though I used the stock ultralite options for my test, I could see myself having a lot of success with this iron using regular-weight shafts and grips simply because of the increased lofts.
Trajectories are mid-high and spin is mid. Stopping power should be more than sufficient for most mid or high handicappers.
The playability of the Qi HL is rounded out by very good consistency, easy launch, and impressive workability for a GI iron.
The Look
The Qi HL is essentially a higher-lofted version of the Qi. Aside from the “HL” on the back, everything about its thicker game-improvement profile is basically the same, from the sole width to the top line and offset.
The Qi HL iron has a modern aesthetic with fantastic bag appeal. The black Cap Back region on the back of the iron really gives the iron pop without making the design too cluttered or complicated.
The Sound & Feel
The impact feel of the Qi HL iron is sharp, but it’s muted somewhat by the echo dampers, which help it feel more forged and less “clicky” as TaylorMade irons have typically felt in the past. Feel on center contact is very solid and responsive.
Using the KBS MAX Lite stock shaft and Tour Velvet 360 stock grip, the iron feels considerably lighter through the swing. For me, it felt effortless during my field test, despite the fact that I wouldn’t game a lightweight configuration like this personally.
The sound at impact is a pleasant “crack” that is consistent across the face. Like the standard Qi model, the smooth turf interaction stands out as one of the most notable strengths of this iron.
Where To Buy These Irons Online
You can order Qi HL irons with steel or graphite shafts on TaylorMade’s official store, with optional customization through their Custom Shop.
Another option is Global Golf. They offer performance guarantees, club trade-ins, deals, and other programs designed to make the buying experience as attractive as possible.
You can also buy Qi HL irons from Amazon and PGA TOUR Superstore.
Don’t forget about eBay, where you can often find unbeatable deals on new and used golf equipment.
Final Thoughts
Those who otherwise like TaylorMade’s Qi irons but find the ball flight and spin to be too low coming into the greens should give the Qi HL serious consideration. The increased lofts may be just what you need, and it’s also worth keeping in mind that the lightweight configuration is optional.
While this iron is best suited for players with average or below-average swing speeds, anyone who wants to hit the ball higher and optimize carry distance can have great success with them.
Are you interested in the Qi HL irons? Have you played them? What’s your experience? Tell us about it in the comments below.
