The best driver is the one that fits you, and TaylorMade is taking a new approach to ensuring golfers not only get the right Qi35 driver head, but also the right shaft.
Our well-equipped team of Kris McCormack and Wadeh Maroun recently traveled to TaylorMade Kingdom in Carlsbad, Calif., to see first-hand the new fitting practices.
So, how does it work? TaylorMade Kingdom Master Builder Duane Anderson said that after years of studying fit data, he began to notice that certain types of golfers tended to be suited to certain types of shaft flex profiles from a release pattern perspective.
“It comes down to, first of all, when do we remove the shaft?” Anderson said. “Should we unload early? [before the shaft is parallel to the ground]? Are we unloading in parallel? Or do we hold the set angle for a long time and release after paralleling, very late?
Anderson said he finds that early release patterns tend to work better with shafts that have a stiffer overall profile, such as the Fujikura Ventus Black. Those who hold the ball longer tend to play better with softer shafts like the Fujikura Ventus Red.
The second part looks at how players release the club, which is now easier to measure thanks to TaylorMade’s Qi35 SelectFit head, which has launch monitoring reflectors (called fiducials) built into the club, allowing for more accurate data collection.
Jack Hersh/Golf
Players with a high closing rate and hand release prefer a softer tip, while players with a body release and slower closing rate tend to prefer a stiffer shaft.
Maroun comes from a competitive tennis background, so his hands are very active when releasing the ball, resulting in a late release and a quick closing. To complement that, Anderson built him a driver with a Ventus TR Red shaft, which has the same stiff butt as the Ventus Black, because Maroun told him he didn’t like the kicking feel of the shaft.
“Oh! That’s a good sound,” McCormack said after Malone’s first swing.
Now that Anderson has the Maroun in a shaft he likes and he’s consistently hitting the ball straight, it’s time to change the clubhead to adjust the trajectory.
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“I’m trying to fit the shaft based on contour and swing type to get us into the fairway more often and more consistently,” Anderson said. “Now I have huge levers in my head. The loft is the first one. The CG position. We put these big weights that can move a long way to change the CG position. Then I have a tilt sleeve so I Loft angle, face angle and lie angle can be changed.
When Maroun hit the ball a little higher, they switched to the Qi35 LS head and went up to loft. But the first few swings sent him a little to the right.
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This leads to the final change: flipping the clubhead to a neutral upright position on the loft sleeve, as the standard lie angle of the Qi35 LS is flatter than the core clubhead.
“Oh, boy!” Malone said after the first ball. “That feels even more powerful.”
In just a few minutes, Anderson provided Maroun with a driver with more loft and a shape he liked, which allowed him to achieve ideal ball flight without too much spin, and Maroun carried the ball for over 280 yards in the air.
The entire Qi35 range is now available to order and customize on Fairway Jockey.
Want to reinvent your bags in 2025? Find the right location near you at True Spec Golf.
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