How a TaylorMade Qi10 Driver Changed My Game

After what seemed like an eternity, I have taken delivery of the TaylorMade Qi10 driver that was fitted for me by Golfshake’s very own teaching pro Ryan Rastall.

And here’s the good news - it works!

I went to see Ryan because, having been fitted for a full set of clubs on my return to golf after injury, I could not hit my driver to save my life. I was struggling to reach 150 yards and every single shot I struck with it went miles right. It reached the point where I took it out of my bag and started using my wife’s Mizuno driver.

Ryan put me through my paces and quickly concluded that my Titleist driver was fitted with a shaft that did not suit my game. He also reckoned that I would benefit from having a shorter shaft. I have to be honest and admit that I was sceptical.

Finding The Right Equipment

But during my fitting session it became clear that far from losing distance, Trackman indicated that I was actually going to hit the ball around 20 yards further. And the Mizuno driver I had been using with a modicum of success was also fitted with a shorter shaft. On top of that, I have discovered that many of the world’s top professionals have opted to reduce the length of their driver shafts. And if it is good enough for them then it is most certainly good enough for me!

I had also been struggling with a slice - an affliction that has never been part of my game before. 

My new club is fitted with an Evenflow Riptide CB 40 shaft which, at 44 inches, is 1.75 shorter than a standard Qi10 driver.

Of course, the proof of the pudding is in the hitting and having now struck plenty of shots with my new Big Beast I am here to tell you that I am now hitting the golf ball much further than at any point since my return to the game. But although the slice was not nearly as pronounced, it was still there.

I know that I now have physical limitations that did not exist when I had to stop playing just over five years ago, and I knew that my swing had changed. 

Apart from my struggles off the tee, I have also been struck down with a dose of the shanks - surely the most destructive shot in golf.

Getting Lessons to Improve Technique

So I opted to bite the bullet and book a lesson with Caroline Grady, a teaching professional based at Norwich Family Golf Centre. Caroline taught my wife to play the game and I attended every lesson and was hugely impressed with how simple she made everything sound, so she was a natural choice.

After watching me hit a few seven-iron shots she asked me where my weight was at address. It is something I had not thought about. In my prime, I used to put the club behind the ball, swing and hit. Without a single swing thought.

But I now realised I was sitting back on my heels. She also told me that my swing plane was too flat. Apart from that, there wasn’t a great deal wrong. 

So I focused on getting my weight more on my toes and on swinging on a more upright plane. I have always believed that swing changes would feel uncomfortable but right from the get-go everything felt right. And, lo and behold, all of a sudden I was striking beautiful shots with a gentle draw.

Caroline also identified that I was gripping the club far too tightly, something I was not aware of.

I had always hit my driver with a draw. Caroline told me that the key to being able to get this shot back into my game was simply to lighten my grip. And do you know what? She was absolutely correct. Easing my grip pressure has meant that I am able to release the club at impact. And do you know what that means? I have once again found my draw. Eureka!

I have just competed in a team Texas scramble at my golf club and, even though I say it myself, I was the star of the show and cannot wait to get back out there again. I nearly holed a six iron and, two holes later, piped a five iron to 10 feet on the most difficult par three at Dunston Hall. It goes without saying that I missed the putt! 

I love my new driver and thank both Ryan and TaylorMade. But it doesn’t matter how good your clubs are - if your technique is not right then you are never going to be able to get the best from them. I believe that I am now on the right path again. And for that I thank Caroline Grady.

If you want to get in touch with Ryan, you can call him on 01924 350100 or email [email protected].

You can reach Caroline by calling 07771 674937 or by emailing [email protected]. 

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