Taylormade Qi35 Driver Review

This is Golfer Geeks’ Taylormade Qi35 driver review.

I’m an avid golfer, a 7ish handicap on my way to a 2 (been a 5.6) and frequent tester of golf clubs and equipment since 2015.

Performance Review

Launch Monitor #s

Club Speed	Ball Speed	Carry Distance	Vertical Launch	Peak Height	Spin
103 mph	151 yds	253 yds	13*	104 ft	3200

Bag Appeal: (3) A step down from the Qi10. Head shape and cosmetics are average at best. I do like the new face color.

Sound/ Feel: (4) Nice and solid. Probably on par with it’s premium competition.

Forgiveness: (4) No doubt it’s forgiving, though I didn’t hit it well.

Distance: (4) Ample distance when you catch it and.

Flight / Launch: (4) It launches plenty high with good peak height.

What Makes the TaylorMade Qi35 Driver Different?

The TaylorMade Qi35 driver targets solid ball strikers who want distance, forgiveness, and adjustability without max-game-improvement features. It includes movable weights to dial in ball flight and shape shots.

The performance gains over the Qi10 are subtle. Some golfers prefer the older model’s shape and aesthetics.

If you have a repeatable swing, want shot-shaping capability, and haven’t upgraded in 2+ years, the Qi35 deserves testing. But it’s not a must-upgrade from the Qi10.

The Qi35 is aimed at the “solid but not Tour-level” player who wants distance, forgiveness, and adjustability in a sleek, modern head.

It features TaylorMade’s most advanced materials mix yet—chromium carbon, tungsten, titanium, steel, and aluminum—all working to optimize CG, MOI, and face flex.

If you:

• Have a repeatable swing and want to shape your shots,
• Like the idea of playing with movable weights to dial in your ball flight,
• Want something that feels and sounds premium…

…then the Qi35 absolutely deserves a test drive.

Just remember: the performance gains over the Qi10 are subtle, and some golfers may prefer the older model’s shape and look. But if you’re in the market for a new big stick and haven’t locked into a driver in the past couple seasons, the Qi35 should be on your short list.

My Experience with The Qi35 Driver

I hit the Qi35 a ton on the range alongside the Qi10.

Three separate days of testing, in fact. This happens when my swing isn’t exactly “firing.”

That said, I pieced together a bunch of good drives, some not so good, and some terrible over those three days.

Terrible drives were thrown out because they reflect on me, not the equipment.

Personal testing is already skewed because none of us are consistent enough to pick up on all the nuances of each driver.

I think the Qi35 is a solid driver and reflects the cutting edge of driver tech.

That did not translate into better driving for me in my testing. Especially when testing it against the Qi10.

I’ll likely hit the Qi35 again when my swing is better to confirm a few things.

Who Should Play the TaylorMade Qi35 Driver?

The TaylorMade Qi35 driver works best for low-to-mid handicappers with repeatable swings who want adjustability and workability.

It’s not ideal for beginners or golfers fighting slices—the max forgiveness models (Qi35 Max or competitors) serve those players better.

I think it serves a wide variety of golfers. From low to better high handicaps.

I don’t think it’s a great pick if you fight a slice or if you’re a beginner.

Here’s how Taylormade classifies the Qi35:

• Forgiveness – Higher
• Spin – Mid-low
• Launch – Mid
• Head Shape – Max

Low handicaps: (Yes) Certainly an option for you.
Mid handicaps: (Probably) It’s supposed to accomodate you, but you want to test it before you pull the trigger.
High handicaps: (Probably not…but maybe) It’s pretty demanding in my testing. Again, you should probably test it for yourself.

What Are the Best Alternatives to the TaylorMade Qi35 Driver

Three strong alternatives for player-performance drivers:

• TaylorMade Qi10 ($399) – Nearly identical performance with better looks for $250 less.
• Titleist GT2 ($649) – Explosive distance with premium aesthetics and ample forgiveness.
• Cobra Darkspeed X ($450) – Excellent distance and forgiveness at a value price.

Taylormade Qi10 – Superb performance. Classic head shape. Premium looks. ~$120 less than the Qi35.

Titleist GT2 – My current favorite driver. It’s got ample forgiveness, explosive distance, premium looks, and costs the same as the Triple Diamond Max.

Cobra Darkspeed X – Another one of my favorite drivers from last year. Plenty long. Plenty forgiving once I moved the heavy sole weight to the rear position, and at a bargain basement price now.

Check out more Taylormade drivers.
Check out more mid handicap drivers.

Customer Reviews

Final Verdict

The Qi35 is a solid driver with all the latest Taylormade tech.

• It’s long.
• It’s forgiving
• It’s got great sound and feel

Is it a major step up over the Qi10?
Nope…nothing I could tease out.

Should you upgrade if you own the Qi10?
I’m in the “no” camp.

As usual…

My #1 suggestion is to test it before you buy it.

Either at your local golf store or take advantage of Global Golf’s risk free Utry trial program. I use it and recommend it.  

Thanks for checking out our Taylormade Qi35 driver review.

Scoring Scale

Score	Meaning
5	Among the Best
4	Very Good
3	Average / Acceptable
2	Below Average
1	Poor
0	Not Applicable / Bad