TaylorMade Qi4D Driver

Spec and Tech
Head: 10.5 deg Core Head, Shadowfall Edition
‍Shaft: Graphite Design AD-FI 6 S
‍Configuration: Stock

If you're interested in the engineering story behind Qi4D, GolfWRX published an excellent launch report covering the new face design, weighting system, and fitting philosophy. I won't attempt to improve on their work here. My goal is to answer a different question: what is it actually like to live with this driver?

Looks
‍Chef’s kiss. I’m not being hyperbolic when I say this is the best looking club I’ve ever seen. The Shadowfall Edition swaps the standard matte finish for an all-black gloss treatment. As someone who spent the last few years staring down a GT3 and TSR2, it immediately felt familiar—in a good way.

The face has its own personality, but this is where I’d complain. Something about this carbon face really retains impact marks, and in my case it’s a little more telling of my progress than I care to see. I’m really hoping I can lock in sooner rather than later so that the wear marks look less like Andy and more like Rory.

Feel
‍Despite my grievances over the blast radius on my toe, the heel is my miss. In that way this club feels like the rest of them. The difference is that I’m still unsure of the durability of the face, and each hard miss has me checking for damage. I’ve found the center a few times though, and it’s just lovely.

The carbon face is firm, but not rigid. Soft, but not squishy. It seems to hold the ball for a split second before launching it. And as much as I fear the big miss, I’m pulling driver all year – chasing that impact.

Performance
‍Fitters say you should fit to your misses. Speaking definitively at this point would be ignoring my misses altogether. Switching from my GT3 was coming to terms with my weakness, but the Qi4D hasn’t made it a strength.

Here’s what I can say: My swing is presenting the ball with an open heel – you already know what that means. A properly timed release puts power behind the ball and sees it falling right rather than flying right.
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I’m grinding. I’ll keep my launch monitor close and continue to document any on-course consistencies.

Summary
‍Center contact explodes off the face with an immensely satisfying thwack. Poor contact, unfortunately, scars the carbon with wear marks representative of all your past failures. (It could be the celebration of your success, if you've got it like that.)

The Qi4D is a wonderful addition to any bag. For now, it’s earned a place in mine.