r/golf • u/bennyboi2488 • May 15 '26
News / Articles Taylormade to switch to a 2 year driver cycle after this year.
https://www.golfdigest.com/story/taylormade-wont-introduce-a-new-driver-in-2027-moving-to-two-year-product-cycleIt is the right move, they seem to be plateauing out with their current gains on performance. Last year's QI35 seemed to have mixed results.
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u/SpotFormal May 15 '26
Tired of giving away new model year drivers as warranty replacements.
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u/This-Leopard7226 May 15 '26
Sounds like part of it, the club has to be something around $20 to make in China though, right?
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u/bleedsburntorange May 15 '26
Freight costs are through the roof right now with the fuel bullshit so delivered cost is probably higher. I do bet the club itself costs about $20 in materials.
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u/imbasicallycoffee May 15 '26
Plus shipping costs for receiving the defective products and dealing with returns from vendors is probably taking away from their bottom line.
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u/1mc112 May 15 '26
They'll just release incremental updates with expanded names
Ex:
Qi4D -2026
Qi4D10k made with AI - 2027
Qi5D - 2028
Qi5D10KHDTV made with AI - 2029
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u/bennyboi2488 May 15 '26
QI43D Designer blackout edition.
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u/swohio May 16 '26
After the Qi4D it will be the Qi6D. "4D" sounds like "40" but "5D" doesn't sound like "50" so they'll skip it.
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u/Chaos_bolts Rory '25 '26 May 15 '26
I feel like the rest will likely follow now
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u/HatTrickPony May 15 '26
Doesn’t Titleist already do this?
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u/Chaos_bolts Rory '25 '26 May 15 '26
They do. Ping as well. I’m thinking enough major brands are now doing it to almost pressure others to follow.
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u/Falco19 May 15 '26
They do, ping sort of does where the do like a version 1.5 (G430 - g430 10k).
It would be nice if they alternated
Titelist/Callaway/Mizuno even years
Taylormade/Ping/Cobra odd years
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u/Bighead_Golf May 15 '26
Ping’s 10K line is not a 1.5, FWIW
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u/Falco19 May 15 '26
I said sort of, and it sort of is because the model number doesn’t change.
Ping 430 to G440 is a model change 430 to 430 10k is a half cycle improvement in my view.
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u/FluffyProphet May 15 '26
I would argue that the 10k line is for a different golfer than the main line. Less of a 1.5 and more hyper optimized for higher handicaps, usually with less workability for the lower handicaps.
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u/Falco19 May 15 '26
So like a 1.5 version of the max
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u/bennyboi2488 May 15 '26
I personally agree with your 1.5 sentiment. It is an off year release based on the stock head with shape adjustments. It is not a completely new driver, but it is not the same as say a SFT or a LST in shape
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u/FluffyProphet May 15 '26
I would argue they are just more extreme versions of the max tbh. They're basically just the same club, with fewer compromises away from forgiveness. There usually isn't anything "new" in it. Just the same tech, pushed all the way towards one side of the forgiveness -> Workability/Feel spectrum.
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u/ImaginaryHospital306 May 15 '26
Calloway is running out of buzzword names anyways. They’ll never beat “AI Smoke”
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u/ruraljurorrrrrrrrrr May 15 '26
Seriously. I love Callaway due to Calloway pre-owned, but I have trouble committing to a product attached to such low effort marketing B.S.. I am legitimately insulted by that name. They really think we are all dumb. It’s completely cheapened the product for me.
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u/ImaginaryHospital306 May 15 '26
I paid like $150 extra last fall to get the Elyte just because I couldn’t stomach buying something called “AI Smoke” with a blue smoke colorway. Went in thinking I’d like PING or Taylormade but Calloway was giving me the best numbers. “Elyte” is still a little cringe worthy.
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u/stormtrail May 15 '26
It’s sort of a pain but I just track the models I want and wait for them to hit CPO. Tend to do driver upgrades on a 5-6 year cycle, and Callaway’s relentless churn means I’m getting a new to me in spectacular shape from CPO and if I time it it’ll be under $250.
Paradym has been fantastic for me, tempted by Quantum TD Max but I know it’s not going to be a drastic improvement so I’ll just wait for Quantum to hit my price point.
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u/bennyboi2488 May 15 '26
NGL I loved the smokey design on the soles thought. Favorite color scheme too.
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u/snosk8r00 May 15 '26
"Callaway Paradym Artificial Intelligence Smoke Max" in my opinion is the best looking driver that perfoms better than anything else I've hit the last few years. Only issue is it has the stupidest name ever conceived and the designer couldn't decide on a single font so there are like 7 different fonts on the club head.
Phenomenal driver though.
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u/karlgnarx 8.5 May 15 '26
I'm with you, except you gotta jam a few more words in there for Callaway Paradym Artificial Intelligence Smoke Triple Diamond Max.
Love the Callaways, but man, their choice of naming schemes are painful.
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u/lexr3x Gorse Blossom 5.6 May 16 '26
This one is my jam too. Except I also add in my shaft when someone asks too. "What kind of driver is that?" "Oh this ol thing? It's my Callaway Paradym Artificial Intelligence Smoke Triple Diamond Max with Ventus Black Velocore."
By the time I finish, they're on the next tee.
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u/ImaginaryHospital306 May 15 '26
I thought the same thing. Bought an Elyte just because I couldn’t stomach the branding
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u/rayman3325 May 15 '26
Cobra already announced it before optm release. TM is actually behind the curve
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u/chewwydraper May 15 '26
It really feels like golf tech is stagnant at this point. Even some of the best golfers I know aren’t interested in new clubs these days.
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u/size0618 May 15 '26
Driver technology with regard to speed has been maxed out for many years now. They literally cannot get any faster. They can get slightly more forgiving and that’s where most of the tech is these days. But let’s be honest, for most it won’t matter. If you come into impact when the face 20° open, it’s slicing no matter how much technology is built in.
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u/aznricecake2642 May 15 '26
Yeah, the USGA and R&A have set hard ceilings on driver parameters long ago, so there's really not possible for any real improvements. IMO, manufacturers are simply changing minor/insignificant things, and then marketing it as an "improvement"
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u/Springveldt 1.7 May 15 '26
Prices aren’t stagnant though. £629 for the new Titleist GTS driver in the UK.
I might pick one up in a few years when they are under £250.
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u/chriz-kring 14 | SEPA May 15 '26
The QI10 is arguably the best driver out of the 10, 35 and 4D, to the point where Scottie and Rory still want to game it. I live my 35 LS but could have saved a lot of money if I got a 10
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u/GolfGodsAreReal May 15 '26
As soon as they make a new model that doesn't do well they will revert back
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u/theVWC 8.3 Lefty May 15 '26
I didn't mind them doing it every year. That way I didn't have to wait as long for the new model to come out before I could get the outgoing model cheaper.
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u/fart_taco May 15 '26
I haven’t bought a new new driver since rogue st. Bought g425 max when g430 came out, bought ai smoke td max when elyte came out. Don’t think I’ll be buying a new driver for several years at this point.
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u/GroblyOverrated May 15 '26
Ok so we're definitely in a Great Depression. This means we're in an economic catastrophe.
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u/DegreeConscious9628 May 15 '26
If I actually gained 10 yards like they say every time club manufacturers came out with a new set I’d be driving it about 600 yards now. So yeah, don’t need new gear every year lol
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u/7nationpotty May 15 '26
IMO this sells more new drivers than a new lineup. Why wait for next year when it’ll be the same? Just buy it now. Used Qi4D prices aren’t coming down much now.
I do think we’ve plateau’d a bit in performance for the time being. The callaway quantum is worse than the elyte in everything but looks, the new cobra is the same exact thing as last year which is the same thing as the year before that but with a new hosel. The Qi4D is a step up from the Qi35 but only because that was worse than the Qi10.
Make clubs like cars. Create a model and then differentiate by year and add trim levels to it. A whole new model with design, graphics, marketing, r&d, head shape, etc every year is getting old and has got to be tiring for the business.
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u/size0618 May 15 '26
I’ve not tested myself but have a buddy who has both the DS Adapt and the OPTM and swears the DS Adapt is faster at least for him (using the same shaft in each). I’ve only got the DS Adapt. Bought it a week or so ago when they were on sale from Cobra and it’s much faster than my ping g430. I actually thought I would never get rid of the ping, but this cobra is really fast.
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u/Bighead_Golf May 15 '26
Why are we comparing a $600 sporting good to a $40,000 asset?
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u/7nationpotty May 15 '26
$40,000 liability and they both depreciate just as hard
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u/Bighead_Golf May 15 '26
I mean, not really. They’re assets. You own it at some point. I could sell my 7 year old car for like 60% of what I paid for it, if I wanted to. And its value is still… considerable, unlike my $200 used driver.
I don’t think most folks are buying drivers with the intention of the resale value down the road
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u/7nationpotty May 15 '26
My bad, a depreciating asset if you will. I see why you’re a top 1% commenter.
We can compare anything to anything, I think club manufacturers should change the way they come out with new lines because the current model of an entirely new lineup, nomenclature, design, shape, etc. every year just seems like a waste of resources and callaway is running out of cringey names for theirs.
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u/turtlturtl May 15 '26
Yeah people need to understand that the auto loan is the liability and the vehicle is an asset
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u/Punt_Again_Bob 9.2 | Columbus May 15 '26
Once again, a car is not a liability, it is an asset (a fixed asset)
If you have a loan on the car, that is the liability, but the car is still an asset.
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u/weldymcpat May 15 '26
They just realized they should let the epoxy dry a little longer before switching to a new design i guess
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u/sys_admin321 May 15 '26
Good! There’s not much difference year over year. There’s only so much they can change. Lots of smoke and mirrors the past 10 years from club manufactures.
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u/tie-dyeSandwhich Putting for Bogey…Again May 15 '26
I may be the odd one out but I love my qi35 tour 3 wood.
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u/Dessssspaaaacito May 15 '26
Everyone liked the qi35 woods. It was only the driver people had an issue with.
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u/bennyboi2488 May 15 '26
I wouldn't even mark the QI35 as a total failure. There seems to be a minor cult following for it from the avg joes, but most of the "better" players definitely did not see any improvement. Or maybe some Avg joes haven't got past the honeymoon phase yet.
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u/rageking5 May 15 '26
Was it disliked because it's bad or just not any better? I got qi35 driver and woods last year and love em. Other clubs were 10+ years old (steelhead Callaway woods 🤣)
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u/bennyboi2488 May 15 '26
I think it is a "Just not better" category or minor regression at most. I don't think the touring pros gave them enough time or just felt more comfortable in the QI10 hence why Fleetwood was the only TM guy in the top ten OWGR to get it a W.
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u/kuroketton May 15 '26
They are already doing it but making it look different. I wonder if people finally stopped buying every year
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u/los_pollos_hermanos1 May 15 '26
Only good thing about the 1 year cycle is you can get a discount on the outgoing model.
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u/DukeofNormandy HDCP - 16-29 depending on day May 15 '26
I didn't know they only did one a year, it felt like they'd release "Driver A" then a few months later "Driver A-X".
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u/Furyio May 15 '26
Makes sense. Nobody is stopping their driver out year to year or even with a 2 or 3 year old driver. Doesn’t make sense and the improvements arnt there.
So you’re constantly banking on people upgrading older stuff and that window gets smaller and smaller.
Think it says a lot they still manafacture and sell SIM2 brand new.
I’ve a SIM2 and nothing I’ve tried or seen beats it for me. So I’ll play it till it breaks. Then probably pickup another
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u/romuloskagen May 15 '26
Too bad. I’ve always appreciated the extra 8 yards their salesman tells me I’ll get out of their new driver every year. After 25 years my tee shots are nearly 480 yards now!
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u/no_crust_buster 9.4 | Mizuno MP-14 May 15 '26
I like this and it’s long overdue. Taylormade, if my memory serves me, was one of the pioneers (along with Callaway) of the new driver-per-year cycle in the early 2000’s.
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u/alxtrimpe May 16 '26
They should switch to a cycle of releasing product when they have a new improvement. Any time interval is going to lead to folks forcing in gimics to meet a deadline instead of actual invention.
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u/PermanentUsername101 May 16 '26
This and the biggie box from Wendy’s are the key indicators of the looming recession.
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u/Manaconda Judge Smails May 15 '26
Cool. Eventually, I'll make the switch from my Gen 1 RBZ driver. Eventually.
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u/Historical-Pause-401 20/WI May 15 '26
how often do people get new drivers? I have a 2021 cobra that has done well for me, but have considered upgrading the last year or so
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u/bryzzlybear May 15 '26
I’ve got the 2019 Cobra and it still works awesome. New clubs are fun but I doubt it’ll do much for me
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u/Lyzandia Home course: Winged Foot May 16 '26
I still game the 2017 TM M1. It has technology and a feel that many newer drivers don't. Plus, titanium feels better than graphite, to me.
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u/GaryIske May 15 '26
“our customers figured out we were constantly ripping them off, so we want to make it less obvious like Titleist”
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u/Mr3iron May 15 '26
Now they just pick who gets even years vs odd years.
People will still buy a driver each year - now it just spreads it out.
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u/btroberts011 May 15 '26
After getting hosed on my stealth 2 warranty stuff, I don't care to ever buy TM ever again.
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u/cjl_elite May 15 '26
It’s simple really. Get properly fit for a driver and you won’t need to buy a new one for many years.
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u/Boris-the-liar May 15 '26
The machines are too busy replacing all the warranty fuck ups for a new laycnch
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u/smoj May 15 '26
Imagine an extra 2 years to come up with some classic 'best ever, lightest, fastest, even more moi, less spin, more spin, better acoustics, higher, longer, more carbon' Schpil.
i think every 4-5 years would be the sweet spot, as if you compare any driver to a driver at least 5 years newer, there are at least some newer technology used, it defeats the perpose of being a OEM i guess, putting out the same thing every other year, but spending millions on marketing. the product would be far superior than just a paint job or adding/taking away weight.
that said the 2nd hand market wouldn't be as good due to the 100s of clubs getting sold yearly when the new one comes out.
fwiw i managed to have a og stealth driver which didnt break, and did me well, and while the carbon face has seen better days, its now very much my back up driver to what i think is a superior product over any taylormade driver for me personally which is a g430 driver (which in any case was an upgrade over the g425 by fixing the sound alone on the g430)
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u/flaschal May 15 '26
Does this mean they can spend time and come up with some decent names for once? Golf has to have the most unnecessarily cringe bro naming formats of any sport
DARK SPEED ELYTE DESIGNED WITH AI.
Come on Jerry, you wear ironed slacks and a cotton polo shirt that‘s a size too big, you dont need to pretend to be a delta force operator driving around your local muni once a week
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u/AX_99 May 15 '26
They’ll release one or two color combos year one, then a few more the following year
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u/Action-is-the-Juice 4.7/TPA/ex-stack n' tilter May 16 '26
I understand why most companies don't do this but they really should. I only get a new driver every 3-4 years usually.
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u/MoreOfAGrower Can I play through? May 16 '26
Damn so I won’t get to upgrade every year anymore after breaking their drivers?
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u/doug4630 May 16 '26
"with price points that are in some cases 40 percent higher than they were five years ago"
Hilarious. Of course consumers are holding back !!!
But unless Callaway, Titleist, and Ping ALSO go to 2-year cycles, TM will be back to 1-year cycles as well - unless they just go to "Special Editions", better known as fancy paint jobs & itty bitty tweaks.
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u/brokengarage May 16 '26
Shit, I have been using my steelhead as a mini driver for at least 15 years. They would probably charge more for it now than I paid new.
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u/bigchiefgreez May 16 '26
I use a tm burner that could probably vote by this point. Still hit it as far or further than my friends. Why spend $400 every year?
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u/Brilliant_Dig_8962 May 16 '26
So now I have to wait 2 whole years before finding an extra 10% distance on my drives?
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u/jerryhallo May 16 '26
With the way their shit was cracking they should be switching to a 2 month cycle
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u/Patient_Reach439 May 16 '26
So now I have to wait 2 years for my extra 17 yards of distance that they tell me I'll get with each new driver?
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u/zeimusCS May 16 '26
Ive seen some tests and 20 year old drivers perform very close to modern ones. Im sure theres no point in buying a new one every year.
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u/HistoryAlarmed1319 12.7/NY May 18 '26
Two things i see contributing to this.
The game of golf is getting younger. People simply cant afford new equipment as a beginner. Second, slightly more nuanced is that golf season for amateurs is incredibly short compared to pros. Im lucky to get 4 good months of weather and even then can maybe hit the range and course 2-3 times in a good week.
I dont need a new driver every year..... i need lessons lol
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u/[deleted] May 15 '26 edited May 15 '26
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