Ping G430 10k Max Vs Taylormade Qi10 Driver
Manufacturers have achieved 10k+ MOI so it’s time to see which driver utilizes this advancement in the best way.
Ping G430 10k Max Driver Overview
“The G430 10K features a carbon fiber crown, fixed rear weight and adjustable hosel.”
The footprint of this driver looks massive; but it’s still 460cc. The crown is matte black with the “turbulators” that help cut through the air.
The Ping G430 10k Max was exceptionally forgiving but the spin rates were a bit high for me – regularly exceeding 2700 RPMs. It currently retails for $550.
Taylormade Qi10 Driver Overview
“The Qi10 features a carbon fiber twist face, infinity carbon crown and Speed Pocket.”
The Qi10 has a clean look at address and a cool blue carbon face. The head is mostly black with minimal blue bordering.
The Qi10 is forgiving all over the face and keeps up with the Ping G430 10k Max in that arena.
But I got an average of 6.9 extra yards compared to the G430 10K because of the lower spin rates. The Qi10 driver is $600.
“The Taylormade Qi10 also yielded tighter dispersion – a testament to the 10K+ MOI. So in my opinion, it is the better 2024 driver.”
Ping G430 10k Max Driver
In 20 Words or Less
The Ping G430 Max 10k driver plays effortlessly straight and inspires confidence with how it sits behind the ball.
Taylormade Qi10 Driver
In 20 Words or Less
The Taylormade Qi10 driver combines accuracy with forgiveness. It looks great behind the ball and in the bag.
Ping G430 Max 10k Driver – First Impressions
My first impression of the Ping G430 Max 10k was that it was massive.
In fact, I would say that it looks bigger than the most recent Big Bertha drivers and that’s saying a lot. It still has the “turbulators” on the crown that purportedly improve aerodynamics so if you’re a fan of that sort of finned look, you’ll like the looks of the Ping G430 Max 10k driver.
There was never a time during my testing where I felt that I had to play coy with this driver. Despite its size it still feels light – probably due to the carbon fiber crown panel – so I was swinging it as firm as possible every single time.
The adjustable hosel allows you to tweak loft and lie but I didn’t need to mess with that feature very much. That’s because the Ping G430 Max 10k naturally plays straight and produces a mid/high launch window (14° launch angle on average).
Taylormade Qi10 Driver – First Impressions
“I liked the depth of the face and the look of the crown right away.”
I could tell that this was going to be a very “user-friendly” driver and I was right. In fact, I had to open up my stance quite a bit to get a true mis-hit out of this thing. It’s very easy to find the sweet spot and even when you miss it, you aren’t punished nearly as much as you may deserve.
While the Taylormade Qi10 driver didn’t play quite as long as say, the new Callaway Paradym Smoke Ai Max, the dispersion was tight which is, I believe, more important for beginners and high handicappers. After all, distance will always follow accuracy – the inverse of that statement is not always true.
In any case, I loved the way the Taylormade Qi10 driver helped me produce favorable lies whether I was warmed up or not.
Ping G430 Max 10k Driver Selling Points,
- Infinity carbon crown
- Third generation Carbon Twist Face construction
- Through Speed Pocket
- Higher MOI than previous Stealth models
- Multi-material construction
- Optimized head shape
- 10,000+ MOI rating
Taylormade Qi10 Driver Selling Points
- Infinity carbon crown
- Third generation Carbon Twist Face construction
- Through Speed Pocket
- Higher MOI than previous Stealth models
- Multi-material construction
- Optimized head shape
Who is the Ping G430 Max 10k Driver for?
“The Ping G430 Max 10k driver may have been designed with high handicappers in mind, but we can really see why its just as popular with the better players.”
Because at the end of the day, who’s going to turn down a ridiculously high MOI rating in a driver that doesn’t produce a ton of side spin? That’s why I can see this driver in the bags of both high and mid handicappers.
If you want to impart more shape to your drives, the Ping G430 Max 10k driver will not work for you. But for mid and high handicappers who are more concerned with forgiveness and distance, the Ping G430 Max 10k driver ticks a lot of boxes. The Ping G430 Max 10k currently retails for $600.
Distance: 97/100
Accuracy: 98/100
Forgiveness: 98/100
Feel & Control: 95/100
Overall Score: 97/100
Who is the Taylormade Qi10 for?
“The standard Taylormade Qi10 driver would be a good choice for handicappers in the 18-25 range.”
More to the point, if you are having trouble staying out of the rough with your current driver, the Taylormade Qi10 would definitely be worth the upgrade. The updated carbon fiber face construction works wonders towards coaxing favorable lies out of all kinds of mis-hits.
If you tend to hit the ball heavy or are a 25+ handicapper, the Taylormade Qi10 Max version would probably be better for you. But the standard is still plenty forgiving and accurate for most high handicappers.
Even as a brand new driver, the Taylormade Qi10 utilizes some of the most successful forgiveness features from past models like the Through Speed Pocket. And while distance could be enhanced a bit, I have to agree with Taylormade’s claims that the Taylormade Qi10 is the most forgiving driver in the company’s illustrious history.
Distance: 96/100
Accuracy: 98/100
Forgiveness: 98/100
Feel & Control: 96/100
Overall Score: 97/100
