Just for comparisons 3 years ago Rick did a review with the Taylormade SIM 2 drivers and the results were almost the same; Sim 2 carry was 285 yards, 158 mph ball speed and 2159 spin. I've played with the SIM 2 for two years and will not be upgrading to a driver with identical performance. Golf brands have pretty much hit peak performance and they are selling you the same product with a different name and color with a much higher price tag. Thanks Rick for doing the review, but I will keep my money and buy more bitcoin.
That's EXACTLY what's happening in tennis. Even though they claim selling new technology, there's not much going on for improvement. Yet again, it'll always be relevant to WHO is hitting those clubs or those racquets. Let's save some money for whatever ...
When Rick does reviews he is such a fan of everything. I’d love to see him get that excited about the lesser advertised clubs too. Keep up the good work!
Rick can you do a study with all the 2025 drivers with groups of golfers at different handicaps and then compare the results, spread distance etc? Would be an interesting way for us to see what clubs suits us the viewers, talking technology etc is cool but really all people care about is what they can use to get an edge on their game.
Yes! Love Rick's reviews but let's face it most of us are high/mid handicappers so shelling out £530 seems a bit pointless, unless it's a game changer!
@@steviesteve1good god, are you lot that gullible. There has been zero tech increases in drivers in years and years. Nothing will be a game changer for you. Literally nothing. The only way you will get better is developing a good repeatable swing and getting a driver and shaft combo to suit. That does not have to be the latest and greatest. I still haven’t found anything that out performs my rocket ballz stage 2 with standard shaft and I’m off 5 and average 250m drives with it
Just peaked the LS costs.....649$ from 629$ last year. Why is there a 20$ increase for the driver when they got rid of the weight track which costs more to install and maintain? These prices are getting absolutely ridiculous
im a bit of a taylormade fanboy, so slightly biased, but even so this is the best looking driver out of all the releases this year. cant wait to try it
100x's better than the Elyte and I love Callaway. Made a driver review on the Paradym when that came out and actually got a golf gift box from them for that. Loved them ever since but these drivers look like they came from, like Rick said, space.
2035 is probably when I can afford one but what a beautiful looking driver, maybe I can find a demo someday to play with. TM still top of my list for looks and hopefully feel as well, thanks Rick nice review
Buying in the year 2035 will probably out of reach for me. I started playing regularly just two years ago at age 68. Too bad that’s when I.ll be able afford on when , I need it now when just starting to improve 😂😂😂. Oh well, I got my Epic Star the first carbon head. Funny it came out in 2017 now just able to afford, but something’s just can’t wait. Maybe I’ll get a cost of living increase in my SS allowance to afford one 😢😢😢 Thanks for yet another great video !!!
@ first of all, that’s awesome you get to play regularly now, I am disabled (spine injury) and closing fast on 40, I play with 90+ year olds several time a year I swear it’s great for longevity and health and just please continue having fun. New gear is easier to play but I game 2 sets made before you were 20 and 2 sets before you were born they are all a ton of fun regardless of the score. No matter the clubs you get to play hope many years of fun to you. 😳 😬got deeper than I expected responding
Last year he uploaded a fitting video that made him and the fitter look bad, so he took it down. He was being visibly frustrated and rude to the fitter; I think his apology video is still up on his main channel
@@edmacfarlane9483 did you not see the car crash fitting video from Rick when he tested and was fitted for Titleist GT? 😂😂 You won't find it on hid channel anymore
I tried a Qi10 standard last year but had to return it because it was too high spinning. I was waiting for the LS to go on sale but I may wait and buy this 35 after seeing your review.
These companies kill me with how quickly they dump new products. What’s more is how often people gobble them up. It’s a fighter jet! It’s a Lamborghini! You’ll be an astronaut!
@@PUCKnEH mate come on, if they “lower cog” anymore it’ll be dragging on the floor, they’ve been lowering it for the past 20 years… if they add more “speed slots” there’ll be no slots left and the club head will explode into infinite carbon particles from the utter speed. 😂😂😂 I’ll out drive you with a r7 super quad, and I’ll put £500 bet on it.
This is what Stealth should have looked like. There was a lot of buzz about the red face but for all the buzz there was a lot of hate. That was a huge miss for them
I commented at some video before, that you really should put Taylormade 10,5° in the back with lofted down setting. Not coz I like TaylorMade as a brand (quite opposite actually) but for the two main reasons. 1. TMs are the flattest drivers. 2. Their one access loft sleeve changes the face angle ~3° open when you loft it down 1,5°. Both of those are great for you. You don't have to fear your snap hook and you can swing freely and forget that guided fade swing experiment of yours that is robbing your distance. If you happen to like how those drivers look, great. But in spec those are simply the best fit for you as a golfer.
Love the look, much better than the Qi10. Still not planning to ditch my G430 yet!!! One of your best reviews for a long time Rick, seem relaxed and happy.
@@BAyernaKED their website says: "Unparalleled Distance and Forgiveness Unlock Another Level of Performance with Qi35 Drivers and Experience More Distance from More of the Face." So yes, of course they did.
The QI35 max actually reminds me of my SIM 2 max now. Might be looking at upgrading now. EDIT: haha, I actually posted this before I got to the part that you mentioned it looked like the SIm as well.
its been 3 years since i came back to golf playing regularly -- love TM, PING, Callaway but these drivers look really nice.... will wait for a budget friendly opportunity to get on and upgrade my TM Stealth RED. Great info video RS!!!
Hey Rick, always enjoy your reviews. With the centre of gravity of the driver head being highlighted here, I'd love to see some slow motion shots of the driver face stricking the ball. See if we can tie up the ball strike position and the spin rate and launch angle, plus it would look super cool!
since you brought up cobra - never owned own...always play ping. that said, i felt cobra made the best 'looking' drivers. i actually think this TM model beats them...
@@chadode9048 I totally agree with you on the look for the Qi35 and it might be the best looking driver in the past 5-6 years. My previous favorite TM driver was the SIM (looks/adjustment) and SIM2 (performance/forgiveness) and the Qi35 has resemblance to both IMO so I'm very interested to hitting them this year.
After my Qi10 face de-laminated this season, I worry about all the adhered carbon (face, top, and now bottom) on this new model. The second I am out of warranty I would be holding a $500 unhittable stick.
Yep happened to me too luckily I sent it back and got my money back. Not good because I could hit that the Qi10 max better than I could than any driver I've ever hit
@@jgdbb30004 Crazy. I got my covered with TM warranty, which was super easy and convenient...But it happening again is certainly on my mind. I think about cold days, hot days, and wet days and the reliance on adhesives and dissimilar materials (expansion, contraction, etc.) I might be over thinking, but my old Cobra had a carbon crown and it too cracked away from the rest of the aluminum body.
I am a pro caddie and an elite amateur competitive player, my tour pro I caddie for hovers around 184-187 ball speed so he’s top end for speed. He has tried all sorts of equipment because he doesn’t have to stick with his sponsorship for driver and putter. I hover around 180-184 ball speed myself. So there is some backstory to what I’m about to say. He really enjoyed the stealth, stealth 2, and qi10. The only problem is he would cave the carbon face in anywhere from 2-4 times per season! That’s unacceptable. Most touring pros who game taylormade drivers with above average ball speeds do end up caving in or cracking the carbon face in only a matter of a couple months. If you’re an average golfer maybe you don’t have to worry about that but I would be worried about cold weather and range balls with the carbon face which is scary when they make you pay the immense price for the driver. It’s good product for sure but it is the highest risk on the market for breaking, by far.
New to golf, cant believe how nonsensical the marketing is compared to other sports, its almost condescending they think this will work on the average person.
Except for the average golfer there will literally be no difference in performance from a driver from 5 years ago. They do it because they know people will be fooled into paying the money for it. @@JimN109
Don't buy new or expensive, I upgraded my very old Titleist driver recently for a new all singing all dancing model and there is zero difference in distance or direction, don't fall for the fancy advertising.
RICK Please review the MD Golf Superstrong STR50 Irons! I've jumped the gun a bit and bought a set but I haven't been able to find any reviews on them at all no matter where I search. Love the vid, Thank you!
The driver head looks amazing! Kind of wish I didn't buy the Qi10 4 months ago and waited for this! Super happy with the performance and looks of the Qi10 driver but the looks of this are superb
Great video as always Rick. Love all your reviews and this new driver looks amazing! Been considering getting the Sim 2 driver as a new Q10 is just too expensive. Would give my left 🥜 for one of these 😂😂 keep the great videos coming good Sir!
Great review and I must admit ,a really good looking driver.I was thinking of going for a Titleist fitting but I am now seriously thinking about the new taylormade driver.Excellent video Rick.
I think for the goal of being low spin and long driver, the Cobra DS Adapt LS has the win. I've hit both with stock shaft options and the Fujikura Pro 60 and 70 are better low spin shafts than what you can get for no up charge with TaylorMade. With a 9 degree head, the lowest I could get my spin down to was 3200 on the TM with the Kai Li White. I got the Cobra down to 1900 with the Fujikura Pro 70X.
Looks are always a personal thing but I’m amazed Rick considers this to be a polarising design. Yes it’s very modern looking but with its muted colours, matt finish and smoother contours it couldn’t be more universal in terms of looks. It’s a cracking looking driver and you’ve have to be some kind of extrovert colour fiend to dislike it. P.S. It might be a bit low spinning but those RPM figures looked spot on for Rick. Other testers are getting higher spin.
I think at this point all the manufacturers are going to be pretty close on performance. Taylormade seems to nail the look and shelf appeal more times than not for my eye. Love the look of this one
I 100 percent agree with Rick, a 16 degree driver would market the high to mid handicap even beginners , golf was big in my friend circle is getting bigger every year lol people who have never touched a club have taken extreme interest in the game and 16 degree driver would sell like hot cakes
Comparing Taylormade and Lambo is a perfect analogy. You expect both marques to come out with monster spoilers, Bluetooth exhausts and multiple machine guns
Rick it’s almost like the driver you got fitted for was perfect in terms of loft, lie, shaft and head. Can’t just say the others that you bought standard off the shelf are too low spinning because they aren’t fit for you whatsoever. Have to start putting these in the same shaft and specs to make these allegations
Except they aren't really categorically better. The only model that definitely improved for Rick over last year was the Max. For the Qi10 review posted last year on his main channel on 9th of January 2024, he got more carry and total yards with the base Qi10 and LS model than he did with the Qi35 base and LS. These were his numbers: Qi10: ball speed 155.6 / spin 1912 / side angle 0.5 L / 285 carry / 309 total Qi10 LS: ball speed 156.2 / spin 1951 / side angle 2.7 L / 284 carry / 309 total Qi10 Max: ball speed 154.1 / spin 2704 / side angle 1.3 L / 266 carry / 286 total
@@GaryCahuengaonly players that will get the benefit are the plus handicap players Scratch and low single figure plays won’t even see a difference over the QI 10 golf equipment is just getting ridiculous imo
@@escos0410 Right. Get fit for a driver in October/November, wait a couple months til the new models come out, then buy the model you got fit for at like half the price. As shown by Rick between the Qi10 and Qi35, most of us aren't going to be able to take advantage of the miniscule "improvements" between models that are only one year apart.
Interesting take on the loft up aspect! I am gonna try a max at 12*. Lived the review Rick but wish you would tell us what stock shafts were available and which one you were hitting
Love all your reviews. Just not sure why none of you guys mention anything about shafts? Or what stock shaft offerings will be? Maybe you can start adding that in all reviews. Thank you for all your content Rick! Cheers
TM might just get me back with this one. Been begging for an all matte/carbon without all the colors. I also think they will win big that they offer them in black gloss since so many people love that.
Lower ball speed but higher launch and lower spin compared to the Elyte range. Will be interesting to see how forgiving they are on the miss hits with such low spin.
Crazy to think you can buy a full second hand set of clubs for the same price as this driver. Go spend 200 on some irons, 100 on 2 wedges, 150 on a second hand driver (that will go 250 yards instead of this going 260) and 100 on a putter. That’s if your anything above an 18 handicap thinking this will make you a better golfer.
Good review overall, but I'm not sure why you've summarised them as too "low-spin" at the end when you've lofted all the drivers down? Why not test them at their standard loft on standard settings and leave the one you were fitted to in it's own category
Not a fan of the headcover colors, but I do really like the styling and overall performance of the iQ35's. I don't think they will get the Ping G430 10k out of my bag, but I will def look at giving them a swing and see what happens
I’ll wait a couple years and pick one up at 2nd swing for half price. Was a hack, still a hack, and in a couple years I’ll still be a hack. Good stuff Rick ⛳️⛳️⛳️
@DavidSwanson6576 yea me too I had a Jet Speed driver that was the same deal as the SLDR and to this day it's the longest driver I've ever used by a serious amount I'm not sure that Rick fully understands the principle of long hitting The launch angle on these drivers were seriously high like 15 plus degrees or more With spin in the 1900's and the extra speed from the face this is the recipe for big hitting Just look at the launch angles and spin of long drivers and that's testament to what it takes to get it out there Factor in 8k MOI into the mix and wow And if 1800 rpm is too low then the shaft options these days are huge And ball choice can help Irons are being made with jacked up lofts so higher spinning ball makes sense
If the standard and max versions that you had been fitted for were too low spinning, why were you fitted in to the cranked down loft?? Isn't that one of the primary things a fitting would cover?
I personally buy now either the stealth 2 plus or the qi10. I didn‘t Like the new optic. I mean the prices going down. Save. Great Video Rick Shiels! Love your content! Best wishes from Germany.
every time rick talks about unforgiving low spin drivers i cry inside a little cus i KNOW hes gon be talking about the damn SLDR, and i know hes damn right cus its been in my bag for goddamn years
Fascinating stuff, especially the lofted up idea. The golf clubs that have me curious are Golfyr from Switzerland. Can you play a decent round with only seven clubs? They reckon you can.
I had a Qi10 and the face was my biggest issue. I felt I had to swing so hard to get it to feel like my old Sim. And then my swing was bad. My swing speed is 125mph average and I can get up to 132mph. But I switched to the GT3 Titleist and I love it.
Just for comparisons 3 years ago Rick did a review with the Taylormade SIM 2 drivers and the results were almost the same; Sim 2 carry was 285 yards, 158 mph ball speed and 2159 spin. I've played with the SIM 2 for two years and will not be upgrading to a driver with identical performance. Golf brands have pretty much hit peak performance and they are selling you the same product with a different name and color with a much higher price tag. Thanks Rick for doing the review, but I will keep my money and buy more bitcoin.
He absolutely striped the Sim2 Max. Yet never gamed it. Literally is a zero-sense golfer.
L... 😂. Why do people actually believe this man! 😂😂
@@xblindfoldedhad to play that god awful sounding ping instead
I had the max. The crown cracked after about 4 rounds. Got my money back n changed to a ping
That's EXACTLY what's happening in tennis. Even though they claim selling new technology, there's not much going on for improvement. Yet again, it'll always be relevant to WHO is hitting those clubs or those racquets. Let's save some money for whatever ...
Performance aside, the difference between the looks of the TM and Callaway this year is larger than I've ever seen.
Seems like it switches every year
The elyte is hideous
@@tyroneshoelaces315 who cares what the sole looks like on any driver as you don't see it. I'm going to play what ever one works best.
Only for the sole. The elyte head still looks great and that's what you're seeing
I'm a Callaway fan boy, but the new Elyte driver is the ugliest thing I've ever seen.
When Rick does reviews he is such a fan of everything. I’d love to see him get that excited about the lesser advertised clubs too. Keep up the good work!
Rick can you do a study with all the 2025 drivers with groups of golfers at different handicaps and then compare the results, spread distance etc? Would be an interesting way for us to see what clubs suits us the viewers, talking technology etc is cool but really all people care about is what they can use to get an edge on their game.
Agreed 👍🏾 love this idea don't know why more people aren't doing it
Yes! Love Rick's reviews but let's face it most of us are high/mid handicappers so shelling out £530 seems a bit pointless, unless it's a game changer!
@steviesteve1 yesssssir no doubt!
@@steviesteve1good god, are you lot that gullible. There has been zero tech increases in drivers in years and years. Nothing will be a game changer for you. Literally nothing. The only way you will get better is developing a good repeatable swing and getting a driver and shaft combo to suit. That does not have to be the latest and greatest. I still haven’t found anything that out performs my rocket ballz stage 2 with standard shaft and I’m off 5 and average 250m drives with it
@ calm down Sherlock 🤣🤣 can’t you read? 😅 must be having a bad day 😂
Rick, your reviews absolutely nail it. Right on the money, TM needs to release that driver in a 15 or 16 degree. Love your content. Thank you
Just peaked the LS costs.....649$ from 629$ last year. Why is there a 20$ increase for the driver when they got rid of the weight track which costs more to install and maintain? These prices are getting absolutely ridiculous
shits gotta catch up to them eventually ford dealers selling 130k trucks no one is buying
Bidenflation is why
Yeah this is getting ridiculous, 650 for one club…
Titleist did it so TM figures why not
im a bit of a taylormade fanboy, so slightly biased, but even so this is the best looking driver out of all the releases this year. cant wait to try it
100x's better than the Elyte and I love Callaway. Made a driver review on the Paradym when that came out and actually got a golf gift box from them for that. Loved them ever since but these drivers look like they came from, like Rick said, space.
Hands down the best design. Top 5 best designs all time for me. And Callaway Edge Driver looks like a cheap knock off
But will it actually hold up? TM has made the least reliable driver for the last 4 years.
@@jacobwilkie241Something about the colors on the Elyte make it look cheap
Looks like AMG designed it. Love the look. Currently hitting a paradym ◇◇◇, but had multiple TM over the years. Would consider going back with these.
Guess they couldn’t find a picture of a Lamborghini on the internet 🤣. Great review Rick 🤘😎
2035 is probably when I can afford one but what a beautiful looking driver, maybe I can find a demo someday to play with. TM still top of my list for looks and hopefully feel as well, thanks Rick nice review
Buying in the year 2035 will probably out of reach for me. I started playing regularly just two years ago at age 68. Too bad that’s when I.ll be able afford on when , I need it now when just starting to improve 😂😂😂. Oh well, I got my Epic Star the first carbon head. Funny it came out in 2017 now just able to afford, but something’s just can’t wait.
Maybe I’ll get a cost of living increase in my SS allowance to afford one 😢😢😢
Thanks for yet another great video !!!
@ first of all, that’s awesome you get to play regularly now, I am disabled (spine injury) and closing fast on 40, I play with 90+ year olds several time a year I swear it’s great for longevity and health and just please continue having fun.
New gear is easier to play but I game 2 sets made before you were 20 and 2 sets before you were born they are all a ton of fun regardless of the score. No matter the clubs you get to play hope many years of fun to you. 😳 😬got deeper than I expected responding
“We didn’t film it…. For obvious reasons” 😂😂😂
what is the obvious reason? 😅
@@clementchim4672 ask Titleist
Yes - what is the reason?
Last year he uploaded a fitting video that made him and the fitter look bad, so he took it down. He was being visibly frustrated and rude to the fitter; I think his apology video is still up on his main channel
Because in the past, Rick had uploaded a fitting video that was very controversial to the viewers. Rick ended up taking down the video
$700 for an extra 5-yards. Will stick with my Cobra LTDx. Love TM, but horribly over priced!
LTDx absolutely goated driver!
@@CommanderJona Agreed. Absolutely LOVE my LTDx!!
It’s not an extra 5 yards though is it, it’s probably barely 0.2 yards. It’s all bs.
Bang on
LTDx is goated for sure.
Anybody else noticed that rick‘s drives have gotten significantly better in dispersion over the last few years?👏🏼✊🏼
The fitting joke 😂
"We didn't film it.... for obvious reasons"
I didn’t get it?
@@edmacfarlane9483 did you not see the car crash fitting video from Rick when he tested and was fitted for Titleist GT? 😂😂
You won't find it on hid channel anymore
@@chrissellings thanks. no I missed that! Might try and find it somewhere.
One of the best driver reviews you have put out! Great info and detail!
He read what he was fed
I tried a Qi10 standard last year but had to return it because it was too high spinning. I was waiting for the LS to go on sale but I may wait and buy this 35 after seeing your review.
These companies kill me with how quickly they dump new products. What’s more is how often people gobble them up.
It’s a fighter jet! It’s a Lamborghini! You’ll be an astronaut!
Yeh it’s laughable, and crazy people buy into it every year. Seems like the stealth and qi10 were basically £500 prototypes they sold to the public
Hahahah spot on - no folks it’s the same club as last year with a different print
@@krisl9454not it not. Tells us you’re you’re clueless with out telling us.
@@PUCKnEH mate come on, if they “lower cog” anymore it’ll be dragging on the floor, they’ve been lowering it for the past 20 years… if they add more “speed slots” there’ll be no slots left and the club head will explode into infinite carbon particles from the utter speed.
😂😂😂
I’ll out drive you with a r7 super quad, and I’ll put £500 bet on it.
I replaced my m1 2 years ago with paradym. I will continue to hit the paradym this year and probs next year too.
This is what Stealth should have looked like. There was a lot of buzz about the red face but for all the buzz there was a lot of hate. That was a huge miss for them
The Stealth Irons match up with this color scheme too.
I am a carbon fiber nut... I love the look of these! Thanks for sharing Rick! Always enjoy your club reviews!
It cracks
I commented at some video before, that you really should put Taylormade 10,5° in the back with lofted down setting.
Not coz I like TaylorMade as a brand (quite opposite actually) but for the two main reasons.
1. TMs are the flattest drivers.
2. Their one access loft sleeve changes the face angle ~3° open when you loft it down 1,5°.
Both of those are great for you. You don't have to fear your snap hook and you can swing freely and forget that guided fade swing experiment of yours that is robbing your distance.
If you happen to like how those drivers look, great. But in spec those are simply the best fit for you as a golfer.
When you get excited Rick it gets me excited! One of the best looking drivers I’ve ever seen! Definitely makes me want to try one!
Love the look, much better than the Qi10. Still not planning to ditch my G430 yet!!! One of your best reviews for a long time Rick, seem relaxed and happy.
Before I watch a single second of the review ... did they promise more distance, more forgiveness and better performance, by any chance? 😅
😂😂😂😂
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
To keep the facade, they don’t say, “compared to our last driver…” 😂
Actually, no they didn't
@@BAyernaKED their website says: "Unparalleled Distance and Forgiveness
Unlock Another Level of Performance with Qi35 Drivers and Experience More Distance from More of the Face."
So yes, of course they did.
Still using a slightly damaged TaylorMade R9 driver with a regular shaft, carry it 299 yds awesome driver!
Keep up the great info, always watch your vids as a big part of my research on new gear
Excellent technical and performance analysis!!🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽
The QI35 max actually reminds me of my SIM 2 max now. Might be looking at upgrading now.
EDIT: haha, I actually posted this before I got to the part that you mentioned it looked like the SIm as well.
I swing sim 2 max , got it 2 years ago for 250 love it
its been 3 years since i came back to golf playing regularly -- love TM, PING, Callaway but these drivers look really nice.... will wait for a budget friendly opportunity to get on and upgrade my TM Stealth RED. Great info video RS!!!
The way ricks hitting it I thought the 35 was from the yard dispersion 😅
Hey Rick, always enjoy your reviews. With the centre of gravity of the driver head being highlighted here, I'd love to see some slow motion shots of the driver face stricking the ball. See if we can tie up the ball strike position and the spin rate and launch angle, plus it would look super cool!
300k subs in the near future! Congrats on yet another success Rick!
Respect of the levity on the fitting
TD Max is still faster and further than anything Taylormade has
Rick forgot to include Cobra Darkspeed and DS-Adapt when mentioning TaylorMade's inspiration behind the look of the Qi35
Yep, when he was talking about how futuristic looking it was, I was like hello, Cobra?
since you brought up cobra - never owned own...always play ping. that said, i felt cobra made the best 'looking' drivers. i actually think this TM model beats them...
@@chadode9048 I totally agree with you on the look for the Qi35 and it might be the best looking driver in the past 5-6 years. My previous favorite TM driver was the SIM (looks/adjustment) and SIM2 (performance/forgiveness) and the Qi35 has resemblance to both IMO so I'm very interested to hitting them this year.
@Steve-qg3ym I think Ricky like the cobra but wants a driver Pete will approve of lol
Nike SQ Machspeed Black
Love the honesty and non-bias reviews Rick, you're a real one 👍
Best looking driver I’ve seen in a years! Great review. Can’t wait! Cheers Rick.
After my Qi10 face de-laminated this season, I worry about all the adhered carbon (face, top, and now bottom) on this new model. The second I am out of warranty I would be holding a $500 unhittable stick.
Yep happened to me too luckily I sent it back and got my money back. Not good because I could hit that the Qi10 max better than I could than any driver I've ever hit
@@jgdbb30004 Crazy. I got my covered with TM warranty, which was super easy and convenient...But it happening again is certainly on my mind. I think about cold days, hot days, and wet days and the reliance on adhesives and dissimilar materials (expansion, contraction, etc.) I might be over thinking, but my old Cobra had a carbon crown and it too cracked away from the rest of the aluminum body.
Won’t consider TM myself until the carbon face is gone. I’m a high speed player and like my clubs to last a few years.
@@roondoggers87 I hear yah... I will switch back to Titleist drivers when the opportunity presents. Season or two out of a driver is just wasteful.
Happened to me, too. No more TM drivers for me.
Good call by the fitter to use a 10.5 head lofted down, when lofted down it opens up the face and helps to take the left side of the course out
I am a pro caddie and an elite amateur competitive player, my tour pro I caddie for hovers around 184-187 ball speed so he’s top end for speed. He has tried all sorts of equipment because he doesn’t have to stick with his sponsorship for driver and putter. I hover around 180-184 ball speed myself. So there is some backstory to what I’m about to say. He really enjoyed the stealth, stealth 2, and qi10. The only problem is he would cave the carbon face in anywhere from 2-4 times per season! That’s unacceptable. Most touring pros who game taylormade drivers with above average ball speeds do end up caving in or cracking the carbon face in only a matter of a couple months. If you’re an average golfer maybe you don’t have to worry about that but I would be worried about cold weather and range balls with the carbon face which is scary when they make you pay the immense price for the driver. It’s good product for sure but it is the highest risk on the market for breaking, by far.
cap
Mine caved after 17 rounds. Not even a range session in there. Never a carbon face again.
That’s probably one of the best looking drivers I’ve ever seen, love taylormade products, great review Rick👍
Thanks for sharing. Ive been a Callaway guy for a while but considering going back to TM and your video is a big part
New to golf, cant believe how nonsensical the marketing is compared to other sports, its almost condescending they think this will work on the average person.
It obviously does work or they wouldn't do it would they...
Go mizuno if you want no frills, they’re much better, only thing they talk about is moi basically, all these other manufacturers are tweaking lol
Except for the average golfer there will literally be no difference in performance from a driver from 5 years ago. They do it because they know people will be fooled into paying the money for it. @@JimN109
Don't buy new or expensive, I upgraded my very old Titleist driver recently for a new all singing all dancing model and there is zero difference in distance or direction, don't fall for the fancy advertising.
How else can they sell something worth 50£ for £500? 😂
Rick, you've put some great work in on your swing plane. Always top tier content, ser.
Would be good to see swing speed for each model to see if that was the same or it impacted the distance
This core model driver is absolutely phenomenal. Just got fit for 9° with the HZRDUS Black GEN 4. A freakin beast!!!
Thank you for your constant videos!
It does look great. The one driver I'm very interested to see the review of, is the new Wilson Dynapower Carbon driver
Please do a head to head comparison between this and the Sim 2 Max!! Love your vids!
Late Christmas Bonus. Getting fitted for the LS. Thanks Rick
Rick!! U r CRUSHING those! I’m a big TM guy ! I’m going to be trying those 4 sure
RICK Please review the MD Golf Superstrong STR50 Irons! I've jumped the gun a bit and bought a set but I haven't been able to find any reviews on them at all no matter where I search. Love the vid, Thank you!
Great review Rick lets get the channel to 300K 🎉
The driver head looks amazing! Kind of wish I didn't buy the Qi10 4 months ago and waited for this! Super happy with the performance and looks of the Qi10 driver but the looks of this are superb
Great video as always Rick. Love all your reviews and this new driver looks amazing! Been considering getting the Sim 2 driver as a new Q10 is just too expensive. Would give my left 🥜 for one of these 😂😂 keep the great videos coming good Sir!
Great job to you and your team, looks like you found yourself a new driver for this year..
Awesome video - loved the space shot - great stuff
Looks incredible. Can’t wait to hit it. Most exciting driver release this year
Amazing video like always
Great review and I must admit ,a really good looking driver.I was thinking of going for a Titleist fitting but I am now seriously thinking about the new taylormade driver.Excellent video Rick.
I think for the goal of being low spin and long driver, the Cobra DS Adapt LS has the win. I've hit both with stock shaft options and the Fujikura Pro 60 and 70 are better low spin shafts than what you can get for no up charge with TaylorMade. With a 9 degree head, the lowest I could get my spin down to was 3200 on the TM with the Kai Li White. I got the Cobra down to 1900 with the Fujikura Pro 70X.
Looks are always a personal thing but I’m amazed Rick considers this to be a polarising design. Yes it’s very modern looking but with its muted colours, matt finish and smoother contours it couldn’t be more universal in terms of looks. It’s a cracking looking driver and you’ve have to be some kind of extrovert colour fiend to dislike it. P.S. It might be a bit low spinning but those RPM figures looked spot on for Rick. Other testers are getting higher spin.
A great review, as always!
I do enjoy the look of them...especially not having a weird face color is nice too
Nicest driver looks wise so far. Great changes. I am a fan of TM and I think Rick should be using this moving forward.
Love the review Rick
these look sick. the carbon mat finish is so nice. It reminds me of the top of the Callaway Rogue ST which is probably my favorite looking club
I don't know what to say other than it looks freaking amazing and of those are so forgiving as you say they are incredible
I think at this point all the manufacturers are going to be pretty close on performance. Taylormade seems to nail the look and shelf appeal more times than not for my eye. Love the look of this one
I 100 percent agree with Rick, a 16 degree driver would market the high to mid handicap even beginners , golf was big in my friend circle is getting bigger every year lol people who have never touched a club have taken extreme interest in the game and 16 degree driver would sell like hot cakes
It does look lovely and if you got the bucks, go nuts and enjoy it. I won’t be swapping out until my Sim2 cracks.
You should review lower end “cheap” launch monitors. Like the sky track, rapsodo, etc
Comparing Taylormade and Lambo is a perfect analogy. You expect both marques to come out with monster spoilers, Bluetooth exhausts and multiple machine guns
The one they fit for Rick is an incredible fairway finder!
Swing is looking good Rick
The drivers look good but don't seem any better to anything else from the past 10 years
Rick it’s almost like the driver you got fitted for was perfect in terms of loft, lie, shaft and head. Can’t just say the others that you bought standard off the shelf are too low spinning because they aren’t fit for you whatsoever. Have to start putting these in the same shaft and specs to make these allegations
Nice to see a driver come out that you can categorically say is better than the previous model
Except they aren't really categorically better. The only model that definitely improved for Rick over last year was the Max. For the Qi10 review posted last year on his main channel on 9th of January 2024, he got more carry and total yards with the base Qi10 and LS model than he did with the Qi35 base and LS. These were his numbers:
Qi10: ball speed 155.6 / spin 1912 / side angle 0.5 L / 285 carry / 309 total
Qi10 LS: ball speed 156.2 / spin 1951 / side angle 2.7 L / 284 carry / 309 total
Qi10 Max: ball speed 154.1 / spin 2704 / side angle 1.3 L / 266 carry / 286 total
@@GaryCahuengaonly players that will get the benefit are the plus handicap players
Scratch and low single figure plays won’t even see a difference over the QI 10
golf equipment is just getting ridiculous imo
@@escos0410 Right. Get fit for a driver in October/November, wait a couple months til the new models come out, then buy the model you got fit for at like half the price.
As shown by Rick between the Qi10 and Qi35, most of us aren't going to be able to take advantage of the miniscule "improvements" between models that are only one year apart.
Interesting take on the loft up aspect! I am gonna try a max at 12*. Lived the review Rick but wish you would tell us what stock shafts were available and which one you were hitting
The Qi10 gave me such an improved performance. Might wait til 2026 for another
great video Rick, waiting for TM to present the new driver in 11 months 🙂
Rick please review the Maltby ts line of irons. Mainly the Maltby ts3. Budget irons you can get for $500
I’ve moved from Ping to the Qi10 max last year and it was a revelation for me.
It’s a shame that the vibe for the Qi10’s was not great on this review.
Love all your reviews. Just not sure why none of you guys mention anything about shafts? Or what stock shaft offerings will be? Maybe you can start adding that in all reviews. Thank you for all your content Rick! Cheers
TM might just get me back with this one. Been begging for an all matte/carbon without all the colors.
I also think they will win big that they offer them in black gloss since so many people love that.
Can you review Bettinardi’s putter line ups?
Lower ball speed but higher launch and lower spin compared to the Elyte range.
Will be interesting to see how forgiving they are on the miss hits with such low spin.
Ping driver fanboy here, but this is the best looking driver ever!
I’ve been waiting this video :)
Crazy to think you can buy a full second hand set of clubs for the same price as this driver. Go spend 200 on some irons, 100 on 2 wedges, 150 on a second hand driver (that will go 250 yards instead of this going 260) and 100 on a putter. That’s if your anything above an 18 handicap thinking this will make you a better golfer.
Good review overall, but I'm not sure why you've summarised them as too "low-spin" at the end when you've lofted all the drivers down? Why not test them at their standard loft on standard settings and leave the one you were fitted to in it's own category
Very good point
Great point. Lofting down is going to change the lie as well.
I have always played the highest lofted driver you can get but 16 degrees is too high.
Not a fan of the headcover colors, but I do really like the styling and overall performance of the iQ35's. I don't think they will get the Ping G430 10k out of my bag, but I will def look at giving them a swing and see what happens
I’ll wait a couple years and pick one up at 2nd swing for half price. Was a hack, still a hack, and in a couple years I’ll still be a hack. Good stuff Rick ⛳️⛳️⛳️
The SLDR was actually 2013 😮! But if this is a ‘modern day’ SLDR then I’m in 👍🏻
@DavidSwanson6576 yea me too
I had a Jet Speed driver that was the same deal as the SLDR and to this day it's the longest driver I've ever used by a serious amount
I'm not sure that Rick fully understands the principle of long hitting
The launch angle on these drivers were seriously high like 15 plus degrees or more
With spin in the 1900's and the extra speed from the face this is the recipe for big hitting
Just look at the launch angles and spin of long drivers and that's testament to what it takes to get it out there
Factor in 8k MOI into the mix and wow
And if 1800 rpm is too low then the shaft options these days are huge
And ball choice can help
Irons are being made with jacked up lofts so higher spinning ball makes sense
As soon as I saw no color and a matte crown I knew Rick would love it. Haha
If the standard and max versions that you had been fitted for were too low spinning, why were you fitted in to the cranked down loft?? Isn't that one of the primary things a fitting would cover?
I personally buy now either the stealth 2 plus or the qi10.
I didn‘t Like the new optic.
I mean the prices going down. Save.
Great Video Rick Shiels!
Love your content!
Best wishes from Germany.
Careful with the Stealth 2, the faces tend to have issues with coming off.
every time rick talks about unforgiving low spin drivers i cry inside a little cus i KNOW hes gon be talking about the damn SLDR, and i know hes damn right cus its been in my bag for goddamn years
Having a Blacked out model for every driver is a great idea
Compared to the Elyte that looks like it belongs in the beginner box set you get from a big box store, this looks incredible.
These look a lot better than the Callaway! Hopefully the performance is there as well
100x's. Just sucks Rick didn't try the lite.
300k Subscribers lets goooo!!!
Fascinating stuff, especially the lofted up idea. The golf clubs that have me curious are Golfyr from Switzerland. Can you play a decent round with only seven clubs? They reckon you can.
I had a Qi10 and the face was my biggest issue. I felt I had to swing so hard to get it to feel like my old Sim. And then my swing was bad. My swing speed is 125mph average and I can get up to 132mph. But I switched to the GT3 Titleist and I love it.
Your up there with the very best pros then in terms of swing speed
Have you broken any? I swing around 125 and have had to face insert pop out on the stealth, stealth 2, and Qi10.
@@kylejenks7949 I have broken my original SIM driver bottom of face (underneath driver head) after 3 years of use