Fairway woods are notoriously some of the most difficult clubs in the bag to hit well, as they require a precise strike to get the ball launching from the turf and enough spin to hold a green from when hitting approach shots from distance. With the new Qi4D Max fairway woods, TaylorMade has gone all-in on forgiveness, utilizing an oversize 200cc head and a shallow face profile to make that task a whole lot easier.
WATCH: Kick Point: The Golf Gear Show gives their full verdict on the new Qi4D range.
The first thing I noticed when setting the Qi4D Max ($379/£319) down behind the ball is just how large the head looks down behind the ball compared to both the Qi4D core and Tour fairway wood models. The stretched-back look is designed to inspire confidence, and this model will certainly do that for those who struggle with striking their fairway woods.
It sits incredibly square at address, something you can check with the silver banner strip at the top of the face, and I feel the shallow face profile makes this fairway look as though it will effortlessly pop the ball up into the air - much like many of the best fairway woods for higher handicappers.
This larger geometry of the Qi4D Max isn't just for show, though. The size allowed the TaylorMade R&D team to push significantly more weight to the perimeter of the clubhead, which boosts the MOI, and stability on off-centre hits. Furthermore, the inclusion of a reshaped 8g TAS weight concentrates mass at the very back of the head, pulling the CG back and lower to aid launch.
I noticed just how consistent this head was during my testing inside the Golf Monthly Performance Lab, where I used a Foresight Sports GCQuad launch monitor to capture data on the entire family of TaylorMade Qi4D fairway woods.
Looking at the data below, the design philosophy of the Max becomes immediately apparent when compared to the standard Qi4D and the Tour model. The low and further back CG placement in the Max was demonstrated through a distinct jump in spin and launch.
The Qi4D Max spun at 3471 rpm, which is roughly 600 rpm more than the standard Qi4D (2876 rpm) and significantly higher than the Tour model (2751 rpm).
This extra spin, combined with a launch angle of 12.9°, resulted in the highest peak height of the group at 114.2 feet. However, because of this ‘floatier’ flight, the total carry distance was a little shy of both the Core and Tour models. The Max carried 245.9 yards, whereas the standard Qi4D pushed out to 260.9 yards thanks to its lower spin and slightly higher ball speed efficiency.
While you might lose 10-15 yards of raw carry compared to the low-spin models, the dispersion numbers were tighter, and the descent angle was steeper, helping to hold greens easier, and that was evident in my outside testing.
The club seemed to produce a towering ball flight, regardless of strike, which is ideal for those who are regularly hitting their 3-wood from the fairway. This was particularly noticeable on shots I struck low on the face - a common miss I have with fairway woods when attacking par-5s in two.
There is a slight trade-off with the footprint, however, the larger head made it a little harder to move through the first cut of rough compared to a more compact head. However, its performance from the fairway and the tee more than makes up for this minor gripe.
The TaylorMade Qi4D Max is a specialist tool for those prioritizing height, spin, and a model that competes with some of the most forgiving fairway wood models on the market. It doesn’t quite produce the ball speed of the core model, but it’s by no means slow. For the average golfer who wants a fairway wood that looks unmissable behind the ball and delivers a high, towering flight time after time, the Qi4D Max is a top-tier contender.
