Newly Teased TaylorMade and PING Drivers Hit USGA Conforming List

It’s time to toss your pumpkins cause Halloween is over. But before you break out the Thanksgiving cutlery and decorations, it’s time to celebrate the start of golf’s “Equipment Season,” that ~60-day window before the calendar rolls over to the next year and the OEMs’ new offerings finally hit the light of day.

During this time, everyone will be closely watching sponsored athletes to see what new equipment they’re in the process of testing and dialing in before the California swing, WMPO, and, most importantly, the Masters.

Earlier this morning, TaylorMade added 3 new drivers to the USGA Conforming List (5 if you include and distinguish the left-handed variants): the Qi4D, Qi4D LS, and Qi4D Max.

Like the name alludes to, the Qi4D appears to be the third evolution in the “Qi” lineup, following the Qi35 and Qi10, rather than a completely new model. Continuing with the (educated) guesses, it appears that the sole of the TaylorMade will potentially have some considerable changes. Since the SIM in 2020, the Inertia Generator has been the most prominent design feature on the sole; everything else (weight tracks and ports) more or less navigated around the raised portion of the sole that influenced aerodynamics, forgiveness, and CG location.

For the Qi4D, the Inertia Generator still appears to be a highlight feature, but appears to be complemented by similar, raised sections on the toe and heel (with, instead, channels located on both sides of the Inertia Generator).

Also noteworthy is the number and orientation of the weight ports. The Qi4D appears to feature a tri-weight arrangement: two located behind the face at a central position with toe and heel bias, and one at the rear of the inertia generator. The Qi4D LS and Qi4D Max, however, appear to feature only two: one behind the face at a central point and one at the rear of the inertia generator (the Qi4D Max, however, appears to have a larger, potentially interchangeable rear weight, likely to help maximize MOI numbers for more forgiveness, consistent with the “Max” name).

The following head lofts are listed for each model:

• Qi4D — 8°, 9°, 10.5°, 12°
• Qi4D LS — 8°, 9°, 10.5°
• Qi4D Max — 9°, 10.5°, 12°

PING, however, wasn’t going to let TaylorMade be the only name on everyone’s tongue. They, however, only added one model: the G440 K. If PING is adhering to how it treated its 430 lineup, the new 440 K is poised to be the most forgiving model in the 440 lineup. Unlike the G430 MAX 10K, however, the 440 K appears to feature a movable rear weight, in addition to being offered in a low-lofted (7.5°) option that’s more frequently limited to low-spin models.

Again, presuming that this will remain largely consistent with the 440 lineup’s features, the 440 K will also feature a forged titanium face and Carbonfly Wrap crown.

Cover Image via PGA TOUR