TaylorMade Qi Max & Qi Max HL Irons Review: The beginner irons to beat for 2026
With a more aspirational look and even more forgiveness, TaylorMade have set a seriously strong benchmark for high-handicap irons going into the new season.
- Super easy to hit
- Tons of forgiveness and distance in both models
The game-improvement iron category is one that exists in a near constant state of flux, pulled constantly in opposing directions by the demands of consumers.
On the one hand, there's a growing group of players who, after getting a little more into the game, want irons that pack more and more forgiveness into an iron that presents like a better players' club in the bag and at address. In short, they don't want their game-improvement irons to look like game-improvement irons.
On the other, an influx of new beginner golfers hitting the market each year is giving rise to a growing category super game-improvement irons, dedicated to producing forgiveness and launch for beginner golfers at the expense of basically everything else.
Many brands, including TaylorMade themselves, have found themselves caught in two minds in the past two years as to which of these directions go in. The Qi irons, released in 2024 in conjunction with the Qi10 driver, were easy hitting but simply too chunky for developing players who wanted a more aspirational club to grow into.
Now, TaylorMade is back after two years at the drawing board with the Qi Max and the Qi MAX HL: two very different irons that, despite sharing a name and similar looks, suit two very different types of higher-handicap golfer. As such, GolfMagic was invited along to TaylorMade's press launch at their HQ in Carlsbad, California, to get fully acquainted with the two new models and see how they perform.
Check out our video review below and scroll on to read our detailed thoughts. Let us know what you think of the new range in the comments below, and be sure to check out our review of the new TaylorMade Qi4D driver and Qi4D fairway woods.
Brand | TaylorMade |
Release date | January 29, 2026 |
RRP | £859 (5-PW) |
Key Features |
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Looks & features
A driving motivation for TaylorMade's engineers going into 2026 was the notion that they wanted each of their new models to feel as distinct from one another as possible. This applies to the new Qi4D drivers, which are far easier to differentiate from model to model, and likewise to the two new irons as well. While the former Qi and Qi HL irons were broadly the same except in loft, these two new irons are much more distinct.
The core Qi Max irons for this year have been envisaged not simply to fit a more traditional game-improvement mould, but more effectively bridge the gap between TaylorMade's high-handicapper output and premium mid-handicap models like the P790.
In fact, the two share many of the same traits, and the revised Qi Max presents and plays quite a lot like a larger P790. It has a thinner top line than the previous Qi Model, a shorter blade length, and less offset, providing a much more aspirational look for game-improvers who don't want loads of club staring back up at them when they lean over at address.
The new Qi Max also borrows the P790's FLTD CG technology, which helps the club maintain a lower centre of gravity for added launch without TaylorMade having to make the clubs overly chunky (this also has the dual benefit of aiding launch for shallower swingers, many of whom struggle to achieve a good ball flight with larger game-improvement clubs).
The Qi Max HL, meanwhile, fits more into the super game-improvement mould we've seen grow so rapidly over the years, sacrificing svelteness for added mass behind the ball by way of a thicker top line, more offset and an altogether chunkier, hybrid-like profile throughout the set.
It goes without saying that the HL launches higher as well, with each iron lofted 3 degrees weaker than the equivalent Qi Max, are equipped with a lighter suite of components to better suit the needs of slower swingers, seniors and ladies.
Both new irons have been engineered to address the broad concerns players had with both the Qi model of old and game-improvement irons throughout the industry, chief of which is flexion in the face. Through testing, TaylorMade found that most modern game-improvement models flex more on the toe at impact than anywhere else on the face, producing a rightward miss. As such, the brand's engineers redesigned the face to flex in unison and reduce spin on fades and slices.
TaylorMade engineers also heard lots of feedback about the clubs having a less than stellar feel and sound when struck towards the top of the face, adding a Sound stabilisation bar connects the back bar to the top line, producing more stable results on high strikes with a much better sound to boot. Both also carry over TaylorMade's much-loved Speed Pocket, which optimises ball speed on lower strikes.
In terms of looks, the Qi Max irons are pretty run-of-the-mill, and if we're being honest, a bit busy. Their profile in the bag is much more akin to a standard game-improvement iron, with a fairly busy back-end where TaylorMade have thankfully kept things simple in terms of colour with a black plastic insert.
They're not terrible looking irons by any stretch, but after seeing what brands have accomplished with game-improvement models like the Srixon ZXiR, we think there was room for TaylorMade to present a far cleaner product: particularly if they were targeting a more premium feel.
Performance
Thankfully, any concerns we had over the looks of the new Qi Max irons quickly dissolved after we started hitting them. Both the Qi Max and Qi Max HL irons are incredibly easy to hit, with the former producing impressive levels of forgiveness given how slimmed-down its overall profile is compared to the Qi irons of the previous generation.
TaylorMade's mantra with the Qi Max irons is that 'straight distance is the best distance', and this is exactly what both models deliver. The feel off the face is excellent, particularly on off-centre strikes, and this is easily the closest TaylorMade have come to replicating the feel and feedback of a forged iron in a cast game-improvement model.
The redesigned face works well in reducing sidespin on shots, particularly if like many beginners prone to catching your club off the toe. As such, if you struggle with a rightward miss or just naturally carry a little bit of a natural fade in your irons, these should really go a long way in bringing your ball flight a little closer to neutral, and the added rigidity to the top of the face will make a noticeable difference to consistency of feel for beginners with steeper angles of attack.
Moving a little further towards the super game-improvement iron end of the spectrum, the Qi HL irons are also exceptionally easy to hit in the hands of the right golfer, however they won't be for everyone. Faster swingers and those who want the look and feel of a conventional iron might find them a little bit unwieldy, and game improvers who possess better ball striking might find the larger profile of sole leads to more chunked shots.
In practice, the launch characteristics of the two irons are actually fairly similar. On well-struck shots, we found both produced fairly similar results in terms of launch angle and spin, the key difference being that the heavier Qi Max irons naturally generated more ball speed and, as such, a touch more distance.
As such, we'd really recommend the HL only for players who need the most help possible in getting the ball up into the air – although its worth saying that for slow swingers and seniors, these are truly exemplary clubs.
Should you buy the TaylorMade Qi Max Irons?
By going back to basics with the Qi Max irons and presenting two distinct models for different types of game improver, TaylorMade have delivered a winning package with the Qi Max iron range.
We'd wager that the base Qi Max irons will suit the widest array of golfers, and would recommend them to most given their slimmer profile, added tech derived from the P-series irons and all-around more player friendly profile.
The looks, sadly, just aren't quite as premium as equivalent models from the likes of Callaway or Titleist, but if you can live with the more generic cavity back insert look, the Qi Max irons will deliver forgiveness and straight distance in spades for a huge range of players.
At £143 per iron, or £859 for a set of 6, they're priced pretty much bang in the middle for the game-improvement category and represent a significant upgrade over the previous Qi model, which was priced exactly the same.
As such, we predict that the other big OEMs will have to have a tough time matching these for raw performance and appeal at address going into the 2026 season, and have no hesitation in naming these as an absolute must-try for game-improvers wanting to upgrade their irons this year.
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Georgina was appointed GolfMagic Equipment Editor in November 2025.