50 Words or Less
The TaylorMade Qi4D Max fairway wood is a long game tool that prioritizes launch and forgiveness. Easy to look at, easier to swing.
Introduction
Qi4D has been making waves in the golf equipment space. After mixed reviews from its prior generation of clubs, has TaylorMade course corrected and offered golfers something to get excited about? Early signs point to yes. The Qi4D line of fairway woods consist of the core model, the Tour [review HERE], the Max, and the Max Lite. The TaylorMade Qi4D Max fairway wood is geared toward players looking to maximize forgiveness and launch on less-than-perfect strikes.
Looks
Golf is a social game and is best enjoyed with good friends. If you need a friend in the long game spot of your bag, the TaylorMade Qi4D Max fairway wood is there for you. It has a nice, wide footprint that is stretched back well behind the ball in order to inspire plenty of confidence. It has a beautiful, classic, rounded shape that just looks clean. While technology has and certainly will continue to evolve, this head is a shape that will always look great. [See Price / Buy]
The matte finish carbon fiber crown and subtle TaylorMade branding work very well together. A small “T” logo alignment aid and thin silver line across the top of the club face make it easy to set the face square to the ball. A row of tiny gray scoring lines across the back of the club helps make the clubhead appear just a touch more compact than it really is. And the carbon fiber pattern on the crown has a modest degree of contrast which makes it less visually distracting than the Qi35 Max FW [review HERE], as well as other recent clubs on the market.
Overall, it’s a great looking club with a friendly appearance at address with no unnecessary details that will prevent it from standing the test of time.
Sound & Feel
I wasn’t quite as enamored with the sound and feel of the TaylorMade Qi4D Max fairway wood as I was with its looks. That’s not to say that it’s bad by any means. Overall, I would describe the sound and feel as “solid,” landing in a comfortable middle zone where the sound of impact is percussive but not too loud. It produces a mid-pitch metallic ‘clack’ that stays well out of tingy territory. There is feedback available through the hands but only a modest amount.
Where the driver has a carbon face that I didn’t love the sound and feel of [review HERE], the TaylorMade Qi4D Max fairway wood maintains a steel face and, as a result, produces a more satisfying traditional sound, to my ear. Similar to my conclusion in the Looks section above, it’s a sound and feel that is timeless and likely won’t be out of place should it still be in play ten years from now.
Performance
OEMs have been working hard to improve results on off-center strikes. However, regardless of technology development, a center strike is always going to produce more optimal results (thanks a lot, physics). However, playing golf is not about producing optimal results, as good as it feels to luck into one every now and then. For most of us, it’s about getting workable results out of sub-optimal strikes so we can get around a golf course in a way that maximizes our enjoyment. That’s what the TaylorMade Qi4D Max fairway wood is going to be able to help lots of golfers do. [See Price / Buy]
During my testing, I found that reasonable mishits on various parts of the face resulted in minimal losses in distance and accuracy. Much like with the Max driver, my fitter commented that he was seeing a theme of improved performance on off-center strikes compared to recent iterations of TaylorMade woods. I quickly got the impression that the Qi4D Max is a fairway wood that could easily go in my bag and help me get balls into the fairway off the tee or get into strategic positions on par 5s. I was also able to produce enough to spin to easily hold most greens.
The TaylorMade Qi4D Max fairway wood isn’t necessarily the longest I’ve tested, but distance isn’t its primary objective. The fact is that fairway woods exist to serve a function on the golf course, not to win long drive competitions. The Qi4D Max fairway gets that equation right for a huge percentage of golfers by aiding in launch and forgiveness while providing enough distance to get golfers into the kinds of positions that will help them score. Of course, it also depends on the player. For some golfers, it may well be the longest. Others will find more distance in the lower spinning Qi4D fairway wood [review HERE].
Turning to adjustability, the TaylorMade Qi4D Max fairway wood provides only the basics. Where other models in the lineup have changeable weights to influence trajectory, the Max has the standard four degree adjustable loft sleeve which enables players to dial in loft, lie, and face angle to best suit their swing. Getting the lie angle more upright definitely helped me get my best results during my testing.
Finally, TaylorMade has taken an interesting approach to its stock shaft program for Qi4D by partnering with Mitsubishi to create a three shaft lineup of made-for shafts with the goal of simplifying shaft selection. REAX features traditional red, blue, and black profiles that correspond to the typical launch and spin needs of the player, making it fairly easily for golfers to identify which shaft makes the most sense for them. I tested the TaylorMade Qi4D Max fairway wood with the REAX Blue and found a rhythm easily since my gamer shafts typically fit into that blue “mid/mid” profile.
Conclusion
The TaylorMade Qi4D Max fairway wood is a triumph for the company. It’s a club that has the looks, sound, and feel to create staying power in golfers’ bags. It offers the kind of performance that makes it suitable for a huge range of golfers, not just high handicappers. Golfers in the market for a new fairway wood this year should put it into consideration. [See Price / Buy]
Who’s It For: Golfers who want an easy-to-launch fairway wood with maximum forgiveness and confidence-inspiring size, perfect for players seeking stability and distance on off-center hits.
TaylorMade Qi4D Max Fairway Wood Price & Specs
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2 Comments
Hi Dylan,
Thanks for the write up. What 3 wood do you usually carry, and what numbers do you get out of it? I’m just curious as to how it compares.
Thanks!
Sadly can not bring myself to buy these advanced Taylrmaid woods. Qi35 face is peeling off and can not be repaired, not built to last – expensive mistake and looking at Titleist now