"I got a lot of crazy looks" Morikawa on his new 'game improvement' driver

Collin Morikawa explains why he's using the new TaylorMade Qi10 Max Driver on the PGA Tour in 2024.

04 Jan 2024

The official launch of the TaylorMade Qi10 Drivers might still be a week away, but the brand new product must be more than decent given Collin Morikawa is prepared to ditch his trusty SIM for one in 2024.

Only Morikawa's choice of new TaylorMade driver will more than likely shock you.

At least that was the initial reaction of TaylorMade reps when Morikawa joined them for some early off-season testing of the Qi10 Driver range, which comprises standard, LS and Max models.

Keep it locked to the GolfMagic YouTube Channel as we will have a first look review of the new TaylorMade Qi10 Drivers very soon!

Morikawa had been using the TaylorMade SIM Driver in standard ever since 2020.

Despite testing for new drivers in 2021, 2022 and 2023, Morikawa was not prepared to part with his SIM.

He did dabble with some different TaylorMade models during that spell, but nothing lasted a great deal of time.

Morikawa was more than happy with his SIM in a Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited shaft - and why wouldn't he be given it was a driver he went on to win two major titles with at the 2020 US PGA and 2021 Open Championship.

But fast forward to January 2024, and Morikawa has finally made a permanent switch, or at least that is what he anticipates heading into the new PGA Tour season at The Sentry in Hawaii this week.

Sneak Peek: 5 things we know about the brand new TaylorMade Qi10 Drivers

But Morikawa has not reached for the standard or LS, the latter of which is used by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.

He has opted for the Max.

This particular driver is considered the 'game improvement' head in TaylorMade's new lineup, which is set to launch into the industry next week.

Take an exclusive look inside @collin_morikawa's bag as he preps for the first tournament of the New Year. #TeamTaylorMade pic.twitter.com/kiqR4mnLz1
— TaylorMade Golf (@TaylorMadeGolf) January 3, 2024

Morikawa will also be using a lighter-weight Mitsubishi GT 50TX shaft, again something he has not done in a while.

"Yeah, I am [switching into the Qi10 Max driver]," Morikawa told GolfWRX.

"I got a lot of crazy looks from the guys when I said I wanted the Max.

"The TaylorMade guys have been amazing. They've obviously modified a bunch of heads, put in weights everywhere, try to match up the CGs."

Morikawa then explained to GolfWRX why he has made the switch after close to four years.

"The SIM has been amazing for me. It's a shallower head, not a deep head or a long head from front to back. It's pretty shallow compared to the new ones. That's always something I've liked. Even though this face is the same as all the other ones - the Qi10 LS version and the regular core version - visually it looks shallower because of how long the head is. I tried this one [Max] with a different shaft. I actually haven't switched shafts in a long time since Harding Park [2020 US PGA win] - a week before Harding Park was FedEx St Jude, I switched to the 60g Diamana D-Plus, which I played for a while. I switched to another profile of a Diamana, a little lighter version, and I've just been finding the centre."

Morikawa added:

"Sound and feel is huge. I've got a lot of hot melt in this head. The Max is made for someone who needs to get the ball up in the air and needs the spin, I have to explain to everyone that I have the amateur version.

"But no, I truly it, and the feel with the hot melt and everything in it and back and forth is softened up a little bit, and the mis-hits have been great. I'm excited to put it in play."

You can read Morikawa's full interview on his decision to put the new TaylorMade Qi10 Max Driver in the bag over on GolfWRX.

Morikawa will be looking for redemption at Kapalua this week having last year thrown away a huge lead in the final round to Jon Rahm, who of course is not teeing it up following his shock move to LIV Golf last month.

Are you somewhat surprised to see Morikawa using the game improvement Max driver in TaylorMade's new driver lineup this season? Are you currently using a TaylorMade driver? Come and share your thoughts and comments over on the GolfMagic social media channels, and stay tuned for our first-look review of the new TaylorMade Qi10 Drivers on the GolfMagic YouTube Channel next week.

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