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This is a comprehensive review of the TaylorMade Qi35 Max driver.
Like its predecessor, the Qi10 Max, the Qi35 Max boasts a moment of inertia (MOI) of 10,000 and is the most forgiveness-oriented model in the Qi35 family.
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 lower CG projection for increased ball speeds and distance across the face compared to the previous generation.
How does the Qi35 Max driver actually perform when put to the test? How does it compare to the Qi10 Max? 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 Max driver won a gold medal on the Golf Digest 2025 Hot List and enjoys wide praise from critics and consumers, with a 4.7/5 (94% recommended) rating on the official TaylorMade store.
What People Like
- comfortable feel
- monster forgiveness keeps you in the fairway
- improved performance over the Qi10 Max
- plenty of length
- premium looks
What People Don’t Like
- lacks a draw bias
- adjustment tool not included
The Features
The features and tech of the Qi35 Max driver are similar to the standard Qi35 and include:
- 10K MOI with low CG projection: an extremely high moment of inertia (MOI) of 10000g/cm² gives the Qi35 the stability of the Qi10 Max. This is combined with a lower balance point and CG projection which is designed to produce higher ball speeds over a larger area of the face.
- Multimaterial construction: the driver is made of tungsten, steel, chromium carbon, titanium, and aluminum, all of which contribute to a complete performance package.
Part of the 10K MOI system of the Qi35 is a symmetric Inertia Generator which contains a 34g tungsten weight. The result is improved launch conditions compared to older TaylorMade driver models.
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 Max driver is available in 9°, 10.5°, and 12° 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 Max is also available in a special Designer Series colour scheme that consists of a deep glossy black finish with subtle green accents.
Also available is the Qi35 Max Lite driver, which is similar to the Max model but features an ultra-lightweight design. It’s geared towards players with slower or moderate swing speeds so that they can generate more clubhead speed and launch.
The stock graphite shafts are the Fujikura Air Speeder and Mitsubishi Diamana T+. 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 Max driver. Click or zoom to enlarge.
The Performance
In the sections that follow, I’ll talk about my experience with the Qi35 Max driver. Let’s jump right in.
Distance
While ball speeds are, as expected, slightly lower than the standard and LS models (by a couple mph), I was getting about 2 mph more ball speed on average compared to last year’s Qi10 Max, which is great. I also saw a significant distance jump of at least 10 yards.
The Qi35 Max certainly puts out a lot of distance, but when you combine the ball speeds with a higher launch and spin than its sister models, you often end up with less carry and total distance.
I was personally seeing about 5-8 yards less distance with the Qi35 Max compared to the standard model, but your results may differ depending on your natural shot shape.
Forgiveness
Similar to the Qi10 Max, the Qi35 Max is the most forgiving driver in the Qi35 family with an MOI of 10000g/cm², beating the 8000-9000 MOI of the standard model.
I was getting similar dispersion patterns to the Qi10 Max and the driver felt just as stable. But where I noticed a slight improvement was ball speed preservation in mis-hit regions and an ever-so-slight increase in ball speeds on center strikes.
You can expect this driver to keep many of your less-than-optimal strikes off the tee in the fairway.
Playability/Trajectory
TaylorMade classifies the Qi35 Max as having a mid-high launch and mid spin.
This is more or less what my testing indicated, as the launch is a solid degree higher and the spin is a good ~200 RPMs higher than the standard Qi35 with the heavy weight in the back. My average launch and spin rate were also marginally higher than the Qi10 Max.
The flight bias seems neutral. I would have liked there to be a distinct draw bias as none of the models in the Qi35 family have one. It’s a bit of a weakness given that many higher handicappers need some slice correction, although draw bias can still be introduced via the hosel adapter.
Workability is below average but is not too different from the back-weighted Qi35.
The Look
The Qi35 Max driver has a clean, modern look with a confidence-inspiring footprint.
Comparing the profiles of the Qi35 Max and Qi35 drivers, there isn’t a whole lot of difference. The elongation from front to back — stretched to provide more forgiveness — is pretty much the same, as are the curves and face area.
I personally would have liked for the Qi35 Max (and Max Lite) to have a distinct look that is different from the standard model, but it is what it is.
The Chromium version of the Qi35 Max has a mostly monochrome colour scheme (matte) with the main focus being a lighter grey, punctuated with a few pale green accents. The carbon texture of the driver is clearly visible on the crown and on most of the sole.
Aside from the altered sole design that accommodates one large back weight instead of the two interchangeable weights of the standard Qi35, there’s very little difference in appearance between the two models.
The Sound & Feel
The feel of the Qi35 Max driver at impact, as well as consistency of feel across the face, are very much comparable to the Qi10 Max. Good contact produces a solid, satisfying feel that has an added degree of stability to it thanks to the sky-high MOI.
The sound can be described as a sharp “snap” at impact, one that I found practically indistinguishable from the standard Qi35.
Most mis-hits feel impressively stable, and many of them feel and sound almost the same as sweet spot strikes.
While the driver will be very kind to you when you don’t make the best contact, it also means feedback is limited and it can be difficult to diagnose your misses; in this respect, I don’t see an improvement over the Qi10 Max.
Where To Buy This Driver Online
You can order a Qi35 Max driver with your choice of loft and shaft, or optionally do a full customization, on TaylorMade’s official store. The Qi35 Max Lite driver can be bought here.
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 Max 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
Longer and more forgiving, the TaylorMade Qi35 Max driver either matches or outclasses its predecessor in just about every way.
At the same time, the driver sacrifices a bit of speed and distance compared to the standard Qi35 in exchange for a level of stability and forgiveness that is unsurpassed.
I suggest trying the Qi35 Max if your handicap is in the upper teens or north of 20 and you’re looking for as much help as possible off the tee. There are slight performance improvements over the Qi10 Max, but if you already own last year’s model, you’ll have to decide if it’s worth the upgrade.
Are you interested in the Qi35 Max driver? Have you played it? What’s your experience? Tell us about it in the comments below.
