- 2 months ago
Joe Ferguson talks to Dan Parker about his experience testing the TaylorMade Qi4D and the Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond Max drivers and which one he'll be putting in his bag for the 2026 season.
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00:00Right then, Joe, I think we've got the top two drivers of 2026, in your opinion anyway, here with us
00:04today.
00:05And what we wanted to do, having you done all the data, giving us your views, which you've seen online
00:09and in video,
00:10put them head to head out on the golf course and help decide between the two.
00:15Why are these the top two firstly? And are they as close as you keep telling me?
00:18Well, they're the top two for me. This is a selfish video, isn't it?
00:22I'm like, I'm almost trying to build my bag. We're only a bit of that elsewhere.
00:26But I've got down to the two that I think, I'd say for me, but also maybe the broadest spectrum
00:32of players as well.
00:33From the two bigger companies.
00:34Because there'll be people watching this thinking, oh, I've got a massive slice. These are useless for me.
00:37I need those max Ds. There'll be people who want the lowest spinning product possible.
00:41But broadest spectrum and the highest performing and the quickest heads I've tested.
00:46I was really keen to see it, like I said, from a data point of view inside.
00:50Really interesting, really close. I'll talk about that in a minute. We'll pop it all up on the screen.
00:54I just wanted to get out. Where are we, Dan?
00:56We're at Cabot Citrus. I keep calling it Cabot Circus in Bristol. That's a shopping center in Bristol.
01:00No, Cabot Circus in Florida. Very different, two very different places.
01:03Cabot Citrus Farms. We've just played. We've just played on the...
01:06Caroo.
01:07Caroo course. And there's a load of drivers out there.
01:09It's nice and open, but there's plenty of hazards of bunkers and waste areas to try and be able to
01:15hit some different shots.
01:16So it was, yeah, it was a good test.
01:18And I'm still trying to get my conclusions together, but I'm getting more of an idea of the in-play
01:28characteristics.
01:29And people say this all the time, don't they? We get it all the time in the comments about nothing
01:32between them.
01:32Date is the same.
01:34And to an extent, that's kind of true, but when you see the slight flight biases, when you see the,
01:40you know, I tried to hit a couple low bullets and one felt easier for that.
01:45And there's certain ones missing one way, one's slightly missing the other side.
01:49So these are the nuances I personally think, when we're in this stage of drivers that do a lot of
01:55similar things from a ball speed point of view, from a forgiveness point of view.
02:00Those are the differentiators for what we're really going to tune it and make it appropriate for everyone's game.
02:06And I was seeing that myself.
02:07And this is the fascinating thing. It's all well and good doing the studio and getting your data.
02:10That's a really important part of testing, but getting it out in real life is what's really important.
02:14Let's talk about these models we've spoken about.
02:16You'll have seen it in the title and the thumbnail, but let's get really specific about this.
02:19We've got QI4D Core and Quantum Triple Diamond Max.
02:23The caveat here, some people will say, well, why have you not picked the core model from each range?
02:28Why have you not picked the Max from the Quantum?
02:30Because I think these two are the most similar comparable products.
02:34So basically the core model in QI4D this year, as you'll have seen if you've watched any of my reviews
02:39on the review channel or the written reviews,
02:42which actually is basically the tour-only dot head of last year in QI35 and in QI10.
02:51The head shape's changed. It's a slightly lower spin profile, but it is technically the core model.
02:56But it's on the lower spinning end of the spectrum, whereby this Triple Diamond Max that has come in is
03:03probably far more comparable in a launch and spin and overall profile point of view.
03:08So that's why, A, I'm comparing them because I think they're most similar, and B, because I genuinely, this is
03:13a head-to-head battle to get in my bag.
03:14To get in your bag, and they're very close, spec the same, Ventus Black 6X.
03:19Yeah, 45 and a half inches, both tipped an inch.
03:22So it's a real head-to-head and spec point of view, and let's say the reason why I brought
03:26these two out is because the data was so close for you.
03:28So data-wise, the main stuff I saw, I guess pound for pound, in terms of packing a punch, they
03:35were pretty similar,
03:36but in my testing, in that controlled studio environment, when I'm just freewheeling, I just move that quicker.
03:42Yes, but TaylorMade went quicker through the air for you.
03:45Yeah, for a number of sessions I had, the aerodynamic work, and that's the story TaylorMade had been giving us,
03:49that there's no limit on club head speeds.
03:50We know ball speeds and CORs have been limited, but if you can move the implement quicker, then realistically on
03:57the flip side of it,
03:57you know, on return and your output, it's going to get better, and that's what I saw.
04:01I was swinging that on average around the 119 mark, I was more, just over 117 with that,
04:08which actually equated to a very similar amount of ball speed difference, so it's kind of two miles per hour
04:13between each,
04:14so really, the Callaway was probably a more efficient head.
04:17If you're getting two miles an hour more ball speed, but you were moving it two miles an hour quicker,
04:22you'd expect to see that as a bigger gap, so I would suggest all the smash factors I was seeing,
04:27I was getting more efficient work from the Callaway head, but because I was moving that quicker,
04:32and subsequently getting a two-mile-an-hour quicker ball speed, I was actually hitting that a little bit longer.
04:36From a spin point of view, I mean, to get into the realness, the QI4D core head was spinning a
04:42little bit lower for me,
04:432,300 revs, I was 2,400 with that, so it's like really nitpicking, very similar product,
04:50but yeah, I guess the point today was to get out on the course into those real-life situations,
04:53you've got a dog leg, left to right, right to left.
04:56We've had a decent wind here today on occasion as well, affecting that.
04:59There's been a couple of holes you've described quite beautifully as like puzzles, because there's bunkers,
05:03you don't quite like where to land it, and these are the things that never come into your head when
05:06you're gathering data,
05:08so let's talk about them on the course then.
05:13Am I going to get to a conclusion on this video, because now I'm out on the course,
05:17and I'm actually seeing more ball flights and seeing with the shape of the holes,
05:20I'm actually feeling most of my misses with the QI4D are just a little weak cut.
05:24But my misses with the Callaway, the Quantum, Chuckle Diamond Max have just been what I've done there,
05:30just a bullet, hard straight pull.
05:32It feels like there's a little bit more left in that than that,
05:35which ordinarily a lot of good players would steer away from the one that goes left.
05:38I worry about right all the time.
05:40So happy to see that.
05:41And it's a really powerful...
05:42That's a powerful miss for you, what you just hit there, actually.
05:44The data, as we've seen, is like negligible between the two, the ball speeds, the spin.
05:50I don't like the head covering.
05:51Yeah, the clanging.
05:52Well, I thought I'd get them out so you could see them,
05:53and I've just made them hurt each other, and you nearly took my eye out there.
05:57I think I do prefer the look head-wise.
05:59Seeing these in the sun, which we haven't seen at home, I prefer the Callaway.
06:02Do you?
06:02Yeah, I think it looks gorgeous.
06:04I like it.
06:05And what you see now with this QI4D, outside, so I've been testing this a lot in a shed
06:11and indoor studios with artificial lighting,
06:13you can really see the slight little copper, see a little copper hue.
06:17I like that.
06:18It's a hue.
06:18It's not a...
06:19Who's hue?
06:20Hue.
06:20Hue?
06:22You said that to me on the podcast.
06:23I was like, no.
06:24I haven't seen it in proper light.
06:26I completely agree.
06:26It looks gorgeous.
06:27They both look great.
06:28And as you said on the part, you said you reviewed,
06:30these feel like the two for this year.
06:32They're the two for you, and they're very pretty.
06:34I've enjoyed seeing and hearing you hit them.
06:36They sound great as well.
06:37That sounds more powerful for me.
06:38It's got great thump to it.
06:40Back nine, I'm going to try and do a bit more of what I'm doing here.
06:42I'm going to try and hit some different shots.
06:43I've just been in stock drivers on the front.
06:46I'm going to try and cut a couple.
06:47I'm going to try and hit some low ones.
06:48Good thinking.
06:49Let's stress test them, eh?
06:53Shut up, bro.
06:54Also pub.
06:55So I think...
06:56Well, let's go.
06:57Let's start with feel.
06:58Feel, for me, you, Dan, behind the camera,
07:01who we were playing with, Neil,
07:02everyone was saying when I hit the Callaway,
07:05that's hit.
07:06Oh, that felt hit.
07:08That's ripped.
07:09Beautiful noise.
07:10It's beautiful, but it's more aggressive.
07:12It's slightly louder.
07:13It's slightly...
07:14I think, yeah, probably aggressive is the right word for it,
07:17whereas the tailor-made with the carbon face
07:19does have that kind of dull...
07:21Thump.
07:22It's a thump, but it genuinely doesn't sound as powerful,
07:26but it is as powerful.
07:27So, like, the data, again, is so comparable,
07:29but it's a perception thing.
07:31Every time I hit this, you guys are like,
07:33oh, thumped.
07:34That looks good.
07:35That's hammered.
07:35That's hammered.
07:37It wasn't quite immediately screaming that
07:39from the feel and the sound,
07:41the acoustics coming from that one.
07:43So that was an interesting play.
07:44What I didn't love about Triple Diamond last year
07:46in Elite, I loved the whole head.
07:48I played it for a while,
07:50but two things about it.
07:52The last one, the last model,
07:54the head was a little bit smaller.
07:55So this is the 460cc version.
07:57So the Triple Diamond you can get in Quantum
08:00is 450cc and sits a little bit more open.
08:02It's more compact, more pear-shaped.
08:04What they've done with the Triple Diamond max,
08:05increased them a wide,
08:06put it up to 460cc,
08:07spread the head out.
08:09And for me, all through the testing indoors
08:11and what I saw today outdoors,
08:13my miss was left, which I like.
08:15I mean, a lot of good players don't.
08:16A lot of people want to,
08:17a lot of good players want to take that left side of play.
08:19Diaf, Sam, wants to see it go the opposite way
08:20entirely, doesn't he?
08:21Exactly the opposite.
08:22I fear that big right.
08:24So if I just hit one
08:25and the club face just wanted to go a touch left on me,
08:28I'm fine with that.
08:29It's a powerful mirror
08:30and I just lose that high spinny one to the right.
08:32And we saw that today quite a lot.
08:34They were misses,
08:35but they were well down there,
08:37not in complete nonsense.
08:38They weren't fanning up into the wind.
08:40They were going through it
08:41and being in a fine position for you.
08:44Yeah.
08:44I would say it was a more aggressive miss.
08:46It was spinning less
08:47or closing the face down.
08:48It was hot and it was going.
08:49I'd say my miss on that was safer.
08:51Yep.
08:51It was spinnier.
08:52It was right.
08:54I'm prone to it.
08:55I'm prone to that sort of high right.
08:57So I guess you've got to be careful
08:58what you wish for.
08:59Around a course like this
09:00was a little bit open.
09:01Yeah.
09:01It's good to have a miss
09:02that's aggressive
09:03and just still be up there
09:03because there was a bit of room.
09:05But if I was playing another golf course
09:06where I, you know,
09:08oh, I've necked it.
09:09It's spun up.
09:09It's just dropped right.
09:10It's just in the right semi
09:11but it's 25 yards back.
09:14Perhaps more playable at Woburn,
09:16for example, you know.
09:17Let me get your opinion though
09:18looks-wise
09:19because I started out
09:21I was 90...
09:23Smitten.
09:24Well, I was 85, 90% sure
09:26I'd be in QI4D.
09:27I love the look of it behind the ball.
09:28I love how squarely it sits.
09:30Love that white line
09:31on the top edge there.
09:32How it frames the ball.
09:33Yep.
09:33The crown of the Callaway
09:35in the sun today
09:36and again, you know,
09:36we're out in the UK.
09:37I've not seen the sun
09:38since maybe October.
09:39So to come out here
09:40and see these two heads
09:41in the light
09:42and the same on the sole.
09:43I think the Callaway's sole
09:44in the sun
09:44looks even more
09:47even better than it does
09:47back in the studio at home.
09:49So for me, the looks,
09:50the Callaway's absolutely killed it.
09:52This is a preference for me as well.
09:53It's awkward
09:53because he's right-handed for me
09:54but I can see more loft
09:55on the Callaway
09:56because of the
09:57sort of laser etchings
09:59on the face.
09:59That's something I prefer.
10:00You like the white line
10:01at the top of the TaylorMade.
10:02Back in the TaylorMade
10:03you could buy the fitting head
10:04that has the LME's
10:05launch monitor label
10:06so you can see more face.
10:07So if that's a preference
10:08you can get...
10:09And I like a banner strip
10:10and you don't.
10:11I've got a banner strip
10:11on my current driver.
10:12You don't like a banner strip
10:13and these are all
10:14real nitty-gritty personal things
10:16but the Callaway
10:17and the sunshine
10:17has absolutely shone.
10:18Both clubs have by the way.
10:20They look mint.
10:21But that's an interesting thing
10:22again coming outside.
10:24Now I knew you
10:24flew out here
10:27leaning toward the TaylorMade
10:28because of the data
10:29because you played
10:30TaylorMade product before
10:31and I just think
10:32you were like
10:33I think this trip
10:34will confirm
10:34that this club
10:35will go in my bag.
10:37However,
10:38after today
10:38and listen
10:38we've only played
10:39we did play 18 yesterday
10:40we played 18 today
10:4136 holes out in the sun
10:43in some nice conditions
10:46I don't want to lead you
10:47where are you at?
10:48Yeah, I'm nowhere.
10:49Great, that's cool
10:50that's a nice conclusion
10:51for everybody.
10:52I guess if you're hoping
10:54where's the payoff
10:55for people, Joe?
10:56I think to me
10:56this leads into the whole
10:58fitting isn't
11:00a one and done
11:01like
11:01you can go into
11:03that fitting session
11:03you can spend an hour
11:04and go
11:04yeah, these numbers are great
11:05I'll go and
11:06I'll take that drive
11:08and then you get out
11:09on the golf course
11:09and the misses
11:10that were deleted
11:11off the track man
11:12or whatever
11:12in the fitting
11:13are real
11:14you've got to go
11:15and play them
11:15you've got to go
11:15and find them
11:16and you've got to see them
11:18and your swing
11:20when you've got a consequence
11:21because there's a bunker
11:21over there
11:22and there's trees over there
11:23it's very different
11:23to your swing
11:24in the fitting bay
11:25when you can just drag
11:26another ball
11:27and clap
11:27and then get
11:28so
11:29I used to see it
11:29all the time
11:30when I worked
11:30at Celtic Manor
11:31there was a tailor-made
11:32fitter Tom Davis
11:33who used to bring
11:33the likes of Bradley Dredge
11:35and a lot of tour players
11:35down
11:36and the fitting
11:37would take maybe
11:38I don't know
11:38a couple of hours
11:39to dial in what they think
11:39they want face angle
11:40and laugh
11:41but then they'd go
11:41out on the golf course
11:42and they'd put them
11:42on a tight hole
11:44they'd go and find a hole
11:45with a left to right wind
11:45and that's that stuff
11:46like how does
11:47how does stuff react
11:48when you're in that
11:49left to right wind
11:49and that shot you hate
11:50and can you knock one down
11:52I found I was more
11:53successfully knocking down
11:54that quantum
11:55much more aggressive
11:56flight when I was
11:56trying to hit that
11:57punchy one
11:57but when I wanted
11:58to scoop one up
11:59and get some better air time
12:00I found I was better
12:01off leaning back
12:02and scooping that up
12:02so I just
12:03sounds like you need
12:04more time actually
12:05if anything
12:05and I'm sorry
12:06that's not a great
12:06payoff for everybody
12:07but that is the reality
12:08of testing equipment
12:09right
12:09one more thing to note
12:10though I thought
12:11one of the outstanding
12:12qualities about
12:12quantum max
12:14the triple driver max
12:16sorry
12:16the toe strikes
12:18and we're going to get
12:19really into this
12:19on the review channel
12:20and really start
12:21getting into strike
12:22location
12:22what we're seeing
12:23in terms of ball speed
12:23drop off
12:24spin drop off
12:25dispersion drop off
12:26I alluded to it
12:27on the G440k review
12:29whereby out of the heel
12:31that's unbelievable
12:31like the free hosel
12:32design that Ping
12:33have put in there
12:34Sam who was testing
12:35losing like less than
12:37a mile an hour
12:37of ball speed
12:38and some really
12:38severe heel hits
12:41the toe strikes
12:42I was getting off
12:43the Callaway driver
12:44yeah of course
12:46still drawing
12:47still going left
12:47on me
12:48but they were
12:49they were just
12:50ending up just
12:50into the left
12:51rough for example
12:51it's a couple of
12:52toe balls with a
12:53tailor made that
12:53went further left
12:54than I thought
12:55and like I said
12:55I'm probably
12:56I came out here
12:57leaning towards that
12:58it's changed a little
12:59bit on course
13:00and now I'm getting
13:01like my only option
13:02is to go back in
13:02back into the lab
13:04more data
13:05more of that
13:06get back out
13:06on the golf course
13:07more golf
13:07more real life
13:08yeah
13:09correct
13:09and unfortunately
13:10that's just
13:10people need to be
13:12aware
13:12that's just a harsh
13:12reality of
13:13we want it to be
13:14so easy
13:15we want to get
13:15into a fit in
13:16we want the fitter
13:16to go
13:16oh yeah
13:17you're 45 and a
13:19half inches
13:19you're D4 specs
13:219 degree loft
13:22with this shaft
13:22that's it for you
13:24my friend
13:24Romeo done
13:25show me
13:26show me on the
13:26golf course
13:27show me on the
13:27pressure
13:27all the things
13:28we've spoken about
13:29all the unquantifiables
13:30you've got two
13:31brilliant drivers
13:31still to me
13:32the two outstanding
13:34drivers of the year
13:34for someone
13:35of a moderate
13:38to quick swing speed
13:39I think you're going
13:39to struggle to get
13:40the launch and spin
13:41out of these
13:41if you're on the
13:42slower end of the
13:43spectrum
13:44but the payoff
13:46of the video to me
13:47is exactly that
13:48just invest some time
13:50these are big money
13:51if you're going to
13:52be going into a new
13:53driver this year
13:54more than ever
13:55it's going to cost you
13:56more money
13:56and it's only going
13:57one way
13:58so put the pressure
14:00on your fitters
14:00put the pressure
14:01on the people
14:01selling you this stuff
14:02to say
14:02or go back
14:03for more than
14:03one fitting
14:04on a different day
14:05when your swing
14:05might feel a bit
14:06different
14:06x and y and z
14:07go to one
14:08two or three fittings
14:08and see how you get
14:09on is a good bit
14:10of analysis
14:11100%
14:12but yeah
14:12to similar drivers
14:14when you look
14:14at the launch data
14:16and you just look
14:17at raw numbers
14:18very similar
14:19you get out
14:20on the golf course
14:20you begin to see
14:21those nuances
14:21the personalities
14:22what that does
14:23off the toe
14:23when I'm trying
14:24to hit that low one
14:25when I'm hitting
14:25that shape
14:26you've got to get
14:26to know
14:27the characteristics
14:28and see if that
14:28matches up
14:29with what you want
14:30in your game
14:30and I'm sorry
14:31there's no conclusion
14:32that's fine
14:33sorry that you're
14:33looking at me
14:34like I've let
14:34everyone down
14:36and we are just
14:37sorry
14:38that Callaway driver
14:39is sat in the sun
14:39now looks amazing
14:40that's my takeaway
14:41from this
14:42thanks Joe
14:44you're more than welcome
14:45yeah you're trying
14:45to wrap up
14:46I just want to know
14:46what everyone else
14:47thinks
14:47there's going to be
14:48a ton of beer
14:48all over this
14:49you should see this
14:49from every angle
14:50you'll see me hitting it
14:51we'll put some traces
14:52on
14:52you'll see what's going
14:53on
14:54let me know
14:55if you think
14:56I'm missing anything
14:57I should lean to one
14:58if you think
14:58I just look better
14:59you're hitting another one
15:00just let me know
15:01let me know
15:01what you would play
15:02if you've tried it
15:03really keen to hear it
15:04and that's all I've got Dan
15:05cool
15:06gonna go and have some pizza
15:07thank you
15:27thank you