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Today, I’ll be reviewing the TaylorMade Qi10 LS driver.
With the Qi10 family, TaylorMade redesigns its previous tech and makes a number of enhancements and changes to the construction of the driver to increase moment of inertia (MOI) as much as possible.
The Qi10 LS model, in particular, sports a lower-spin, lower-launch, compact design with a new adjustable sole weight system, all of which are geared towards skilled players. Tour pros including Tiger Woods and Tommy Fleetwood have gamed the Qi10 LS.
How does the Qi10 LS driver actually perform when put to the test? How does it compare to the previous generation Stealth 2 and the other models in the Qi10 family? Who is it best suited for? Is it worth putting in the bag?
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 Qi10 LS driver won a gold medal on the 2024 Golf Digest Hot List. It earned an average customer score of 4.9/5 (100% recommended) on the TaylorMade store, and critics generally rate the driver positively.
What People Like
- exceptional forgiving for a low-spin driver
- sole and hosel adjustability
- explosive distance
- sleek better-player looks
- more accessible than the Stealth 2 Plus
What People Don’t Like
- many testers would like lower spin
The Features
The Qi10 LS driver shares many of the same core technologies as its sister models, namely:
- Infinity Carbon Crown: the carbon portion of the crown extends virtually all the way to the top line, covering about 97% of the top of the driver. This enables weight savings that are redistributed to increase MOI.
- High-Contrast Alignment Aid: a high-contrast alignment line just below the transition point between the face and crown works with the alignment logo to make setting up square easier than ever.
- 60X Carbon Twist Face: comprised of 60 layers of carbon sheets strategically arranged to maximize energy transfer and ball speeds in all regions. The third generation version of this face has an improved support structure that is designed to flex more, thus delivering even better mis-hit performance than previous generations.
Unique to the Qi10 LS is the following:
- a more compact, aerodynamic shape and a deeper face
- an internal weighting profile that promotes lower spin and launch than the Qi10 or Qi10 Max
In addition, the driver features a newly designed sliding weight track on the sole.
Like the Stealth 2 Plus, the weight housed in this track (18g) can be slid towards the heel for a draw bias or the toe for a fade bias, but the new design presumably helps the Qi10 LS be more forgiving since the weight can be moved lower and farther forward.
Stock Info
The Qi10 LS driver is available in 8°, 9°, and 10.5° standard lofts at 460CC.
Included is a 4° loft sleeve that allows you to adjust loft, lie and face angle. There are 12 possible sleeve variations that can increase or decrease the loft and lie angle by ±2°, and the face angle by ±4°.
The stock graphite shafts are the Mitsubishi TENSEI AV Limited Blue and Mitsubishi TENSEI AV Limited Black, the former providing higher launch and spin. The stock grip is the Golf Pride ZGRIP Plus2.
If you’re interested, full information on the driver, shafts, grips, their specs, and any custom options can be found here.
Below are the specs of the Qi10 LS driver:
The Performance
Distance
During my field test, I was a little surprised to find that clubhead speed and ball speed were not noticeably different from either the Stealth 2 Plus or the standard Qi10, particularly on center contact.
I was getting a satisfyingly low spin rate, which will potentially help fast swingers (maybe 100+ mph) pick up considerable distance. But it’s not the lowest-spinning driver I’ve tested by any means.
In my case, I was getting a few yards more carry and total distance than the standard Qi10.
Forgiveness
The Qi10 LS is exceptionally forgiving for a low-spin driver — mis-hit performance is nearly as good as the standard Qi10 despite the lower average RPMs.
Compared to the Stealth 2 Plus, the Qi10 LS has a slight edge when it comes to ball flight consistency, which is an objective win. Bad swings and poor contact can certainly lead to missed fairways, but you’ll get a decent amount of help.
Also worth mentioning: I found during my test with the Uneekor EYE MINI launch monitor that while dispersions were the worst in the Qi10 family, ball speeds across the face were similar to the standard Qi10.
Playability
Trajectories produced by the Qi10 LS driver tend to be on the low side with moderately low spin. Penetration and wind performance is as good as you would expect from a low-spin driver.
I found that the launch angle wasn’t much lower than the standard Qi10 (maybe around 0.5° on average), and combined with the lower spin, this tended to result in a fairly flat trajectory. But the exact flight will largely come down to your swing.
With the sole weight in the neutral position, the driver doesn’t have much of a flight bias. Draw and fade biases when the weight is slid towards the heel or toe are respectable at around 10-15 yards away from center either way.
Workability is the best in the Qi10 line and should be plenty for elite players or low handicappers to be able to shape shots as desired.
The Look
If you’re acquainted with the Qi10 and Qi10 Max models, one of the first things you’ll notice is that the Qi10 LS has a better-player look. The club sets up quite traditional and clean at address, and it features a new high-contrast alignment line to make setting up square easier than ever.
The driver is compact from front to back, the face is deeper, and it has more of a pear shape. This reflects the fact that the CG is not as far back and the Qi10 LS is not as forgiving as its sister models.
While red accents dominated the Stealth and and Stealth 2 drivers, the Qi10 LS goes with a blue colour to pair with the black gloss finish. I think this colour scheme could perhaps be less polarizing and more widely appealing than the Stealth, although TaylorMade doesn’t appear to be offering custom colours this time around.
Perhaps the most distinctive visual feature of the Qi10 LS is the sliding weight track on the sole. This new, unique design allows the weight to slide into a shallow pocket on the heel side, so there’s more draw bias potential than might appear at first glance.
The Sound & Feel
The Qi10 LS driver feels very aerodynamic through the swing. The feel has a degree of power, solidness and responsiveness that, combined with the sound, should give better players a very pleasant experience off the tee.
Impact produces a crisp “snap” sound, but like the Stealth 2 Plus was in relation to its siter models, I found it to be a little more lower-pitched, quiet and muted than either the Qi10 or Qi10 Max.
Feel and sound are surprisingly consistent across the face for a low spin driver. You can still diagnose your misses pretty easily, but you don’t have to worry about being harshly punished through the hands unless you make undue contact with the turf.
Where To Buy This Driver Online
You can order a Qi10 LS driver with your choice of loft and shaft on TaylorMade’s official store, or you can optionally do full customization through their Custom Shop.
Another option is PGA TOUR Superstore. They offer performance guarantees, club fittings, club trade-ins, and other programs designed to make the buying experience as smooth as possible.
You can also buy the Qi10 LS driver from Global Golf and Amazon.
Don’t forget about eBay, where you can often find unbeatable deals on new and used golf equipment.
Final Thoughts
TaylorMade’s Qi10 LS driver isn’t inherently as ultra-low spin as some other drivers on the market, but it’s impressively forgiving for the amount of spin it generates. Many better players evidently appreciate this, as you can bet that Tour pros had input through the development process.
The Qi10 LS also provides other benefits you’d come to expect from a low-spin driver including a penetrating ball flight and a compact footprint, although I would have liked a little more distance personally.
The adjustable sole weight is a nice bonus, and overall, this driver is a worthy successor to the Stealth 2 Plus that should appeal to low handicappers in general. Golfers that would like an even lower flight with less spin should consider playing the 8° loft and trying a different shaft.
Are you interested in the Qi10 LS driver? Have you played it? What’s your experience? Tell us about it in the comments below.
