Golfstead is reader-supported. When you buy through links on the site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Our affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network and Amazon Associates.
Today, I’ll be reviewing the TaylorMade Qi35 LS driver.
The Qi35 LS is the low spin model in the Qi35 family of drivers, designed for faster swingers or better players to optimize their ball flight off the tee for max distance.
The driver carries forward TaylorMade’s latest cutting-edge technologies including the Infinity Carbon Crown and Carbon Twist Face, but makes several enhancements and introduces a three-weight sole system with the lowest CG projection out of all Qi35 drivers.
How does the Qi35 LS driver actually perform when put to the test? How does it compare to the Qi10 LS? 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 Qi35 LS driver won a gold medal on the Golf Digest 2025 Hot List and enjoys wide praise from critics and consumers, with a 4.8/5 (98% recommended) rating on the official TaylorMade store.
What People Like
- excellent alignment features
- modern, sleek looks
- not overly unforgiving for a low-spin driver
- controllable with ample workability
- produces bombs that go a long way
What People Don’t Like
- more expensive than its sister models
- spin rates are too low for some better players
The Features
While the Qi35 LS driver has a more traditional pear shape meant to appeal to better players who are looking to optimize their launch and spin, its features and tech are similar to the standard Qi35:
- Low CG projection: a lower balance point and CG projection are designed to produce higher ball speeds over a larger area of the face. The LS model has the lowest center of gravity (CG) projection in the Qi35 family for the lowest spin and most potential distance.
- Multimaterial construction: the driver is made of tungsten, steel, chromium carbon, titanium, and aluminum, all of which contribute to a complete performance package.
The Qi35 LS’s Trajectory Adjustment System is similar to that of the standard model but features three weights instead of two: one in the back (13g) and two in the front (3g each). These weights can be swapped to alter the CG and flight characteristics; for example, concentrating weight in the port near the toe will introduce a fade bias.
Other tech to note includes:
- Infinity Carbon Crown: this special carbon crown design extends virtually all the way to the top line to cover nearly all of the top of the driver, enabling weight savings that are redistributed to increase MOI.
- Thru-Slot Speed Pocket: this flexible pocket increases sole flexibility, leading to increased ball speed and forgiveness low on the face.
- Carbon Twist Face: 60 layers of carbon sheets are strategically arranged to maximize energy transfer and ball speeds in all regions of the face.
Stock Info
The Qi35 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°.
In addition to a Chromium variant, the Qi35 LS is also available in a special Designer Series colour scheme that consists of a deep glossy black finish with subtle green accents.
The stock graphite shafts are the Mitsubishi Kai’li Dark Waves Blue CB and Mitsubishi Kai’li Dark Waves White. The stock grip is the Golf Pride ZGRIP.
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 Qi35 LS driver. Click or zoom to enlarge.
The Performance
In the sections that follow, I’ll talk about my experience with the Qi35 LS driver. Let’s jump right in.
Distance
During my field test, I was getting similar ball speed numbers to the standard Qi35, which I’m happy with.
Spin is, of course, lower — in my case, about 100-150 RPMs on average. With the heavier 13g weight in a front port, you’ll likely see at least 300 RPMs less spin than the back-weighted standard. Spin readings with the 13g weight in the back aren’t much lower than the front-weighted standard.
For me, I was getting the best distance with the 13g weight back, but those with even faster swing speeds may find that a different configuration gives them more distance off the tee. Overall distance potential is excellent.
Forgiveness
With the 13g weight in the front heel or toe ports, the forgiveness of the Qi35 LS driver is quite poor; ball speeds across the face are good, but dispersions can be wide if you’re not a consistent ballstriker.
With the 13g weight back, forgiveness tends to be marginally better than a front-weighted standard Qi35 but is certainly not on the same level as the Qi35 Max or back-weighted Qi35.
This driver can be pretty harsh to players who don’t make a quality strike; with the weight forward, you will not be saved from a nasty hook or slice.
Playability/Trajectory
TaylorMade classifies the Qi35 LS as having a low launch and ultra-low spin. This seems quite accurate based on what I saw during my session, although the spin numbers really differentiate themselves from the standard Qi35 when the sole weight is shifted forward.
With the 13g weight back, the flight bias is neutral. Putting the weight in the toe and heel ports will introduce fade and draw biases, respectively, and it will also produce a low, penetrating trajectory that does very well in windy conditions.
The Qi35 LS is the most workable driver in the Qi35 family. There’s plenty of workability regardless of the sole weight configuration, although if you plan to put various shapes on your shots during your round, I suggest leaving the 13g weight in the back port so you’re starting from a neutral baseline.
The Look
The Qi35 LS driver is, as expected, the most compact driver in the Qi35 family. With a more traditional pear shape, less elongation from front to back, and a deeper face, it’s what many better players expect when they set up behind the ball.
At address, the driver sets up clean, with nearly all of the crown made of carbon. The carbon texture of the driver is clearly visible on the crown and on most of the sole, while the high-contrast alignment line works with the alignment logo on the crown to make setting up square easier than ever.
The Chromium version of the Qi35 LS has a mostly monochrome colour scheme (matte) with the main focus being a lighter grey, punctuated with a few pale green accents. It’s an appealing look overall, but I do find the Designer Series version to provide better contrast for the various visual elements.
In addition to the large back weight, the Qi35 LS also has weight ports near the face on the heel and toe sides of the driver. Despite this, the overall aesthetic feel is consistent with its sister models.
The Sound & Feel
The Qi35 LS driver produces a powerful, responsive feel at impact that is slightly firmer than the standard and Max models, while the impact sound can be described as a sharp “crack”. Together, this makes for an extremely satisfying hit when you make center contact.
The overall feel/sound profile is pretty similar to that of the Qi10 LS, and at the time, I rated it very highly.
As the low-spin, better-player driver in the Qi35 family, I was expecting pretty distinct mis-hit feedback during my test. Feedback is fairly distinct, but I was surprised by the amount of consistency I experienced — enough to take the edge off poor contact, but still clearer than its sister models.
Where To Buy This Driver Online
You can order a Qi35 LS driver with your choice of loft and shaft, or optionally do a full customization, on TaylorMade’s official store.
Another option is Global Golf. They offer a performance guarantee, a try-before-you-buy program (UTry), club trade-ins, and other incentives designed to enhance the buying experience.
You can also buy the Qi35 LS driver from PGA TOUR Superstore and Amazon.
Don’t forget about eBay, where you can often find unbeatable deals on new and used golf equipment.
Final Thoughts
The TaylorMade Qi35 LS driver does what you would expect it to do: provide low spin and a penetrating trajectory off the tee in a traditional package. It has the potential to deliver even more distance than the previous-generation Qi10 LS.
Having said this, the driver truly stands out from the standard Qi35 only when the 13g weight is in a forward port. With the weight back, many golfers will find that they’re better off gaming the front-weighted standard model in order to benefit from the added forgiveness.
Golfers with handicaps in the single digits or better, or skilled players in general, should definitely give the Qi35 LS a try, although it may not be worth the upgrade if you already own the Qi10 LS due to the viability of the standard Qi35.
Are you interested in the Qi35 LS driver? Have you played it? What’s your experience? Tell us about it in the comments below.
