As the 2026 golf season approaches, Brad Clifton talks with TaylorMade’s Alex Simpson to explore why the driver category is about to take a major leap forward – led by the launch of the new Qi40.
TaylorMade’s approach to Qi40 focused on four critical performance dimensions: face, shaft, fitting and head design. At the heart of the driver is a new 60-layer carbon face, paired with an updated face roll designed to tighten spin consistency and improve performance on mishits. The result is greater reliability across the face without sacrificing ball speed.
A major advancement comes through the new React shaft system, developed in partnership with Mitsubishi. The colour-coded design – red, blue and white – helps golfers and fitters quickly identify swing rotation profiles, streamlining the fitting process. Qi40 also becomes TaylorMade’s most fitting-friendly driver to date, featuring launch-monitor fiducials embedded in the face to improve data accuracy during testing.
The Qi40 range includes four distinct head models. The Core is the most adjustable and suits the widest range of players, while the LS model targets maximum speed with a forward CG and low-spin profile. The Max model introduces a forged and milled aluminium construction with high MOI adjustability for accuracy and forgiveness, and the Light model is built 35 grams lighter to help players generate more speed, launch and spin.
With early tour adoption and endorsement from elite players, Qi40 represents TaylorMade’s most complete driver platform yet – offering speed, forgiveness and fitting precision across every golfer type.
