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List of TaylorMade Drivers by Year
TaylorMade Driver Model History:
Did you know that TaylorMade was the very first company to make a metal driver?
That’s right, up until that historic day in 1979, all drivers had been constructed from laminated persimmon wood… hence the name ‘1 Wood’ (or the more common ‘fairway wood’ you still hear today).
It was only later, after the metal club heads began to catch on, that the term ‘Driver’ started to rise in popularity. After all, it didn’t make much sense to call it a ‘Wood’ anymore right?
Birth of the Metalwood
Gary Adams, the founder of TaylorMade, was a simple golf equipment salesman in the 1970s. But he had an idea to create a ‘wood’ made from metal.
He took out a $26,000 loan on his house, and with the help of 3 employees, created a single product:
A 12° driver cast from stainless steel.
Little did they know, these old TaylorMade drivers would change the golf industry forever!
The Original “M1” and the Pittsburgh Persimmon
When the first metal driver came out, it was simply the ‘1 Metal’, or the “M1” if you will.
But less than a year later, Adams put out a handwritten sign reading “Pittsburgh Persimmon” referring to the driver head’s steel construction.
The nickname stuck and TaylorMade began etching it into the rest of the drivers in the line.
And thus, the TaylorMade Pittsburgh Persimmon driver was born in 1980.
TaylorMade Burner Drivers by Year
The first Burner was introduced as a 7° driver in 1983.
TaylorMade also introduced different versions of the club to accommodate various golfer’s skill levels… the Burner and Tour Burner, which ultimately found its way into 147 tour pro’s bags that same year.
Later, the Burner was used to win the 1988 U.S. Open Championship by Curtis Strange, who beat out Nick Faldo in a playoff, giving TaylorMade its first major victory.
A few years later, the Bubble Shaft Burner would claim the 1994 Masters championship with just a prototype.
The official Bubble Shaft Burner was released in 1995, officially the first graphite shaft in golf.
The Burner would make a few reprises in the early to mid 2000’s, and eventually again in 2015 as the Aeroburner Driver.
The R series Drivers
In early 2002, the Inverted Cone Technology (ICT) made its debut in the R510, R540, and R580 TaylorMade Drivers.
The ICT was a major breakthrough in the industry, which significantly increased the size of the COR zone to give consistently longer tee shots. As a result, this earned TaylorMade the “Best of What’s New Award” from Popular Science Magazine.
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Moreover, the R series continued to innovate the industry with the first moveable weight system introduced in 2004 with the R7.
As a result, the R series would continue through the years up to the R11 and R1 in 2012 and 2013.
TaylorMade M Driver History
Next came the unveiling of the M1 (a throwback to the original M1 “1 Metal” that started it all) in 2016.
The M1 introduced the fully customizable driver setup we see throughout the industry today. Complete with 2 separate slidable weights to change between draw, neutral, and fade bias; as well as high, medium, and low launch and spin settings.
The M series continued up through the M6 in 2019.
SIM 2 Driver Series
Just a few years ago, the SIM and SIM 2 series of TaylorMade drivers were released…
It started with the original SIM in 2020, followed by the SIM 2 in 2021. The big “new” tech this time was TaylorMade’s Speed Injected Twist Face Technology, basically improving the ball speed thresholds right up to the maximum legal limit.
Stealth Driver Series
As one of the biggest developments in history, we can say: welcome to the new carbonwood era!
TaylorMade went out on a big limb when they secretly developed a carbon fiber face for their 2022 Stealth driver lineup.
The TaylorMade Stealth driver is going to be the model most golfers should get. It’s the most forgiving as a result of higher launch than the low spinning and low launch TaylorMade Stealth Plus driver model.
The TaylorMade Stealth HD driver is the model if you’re looking to either eliminate a slice, or simply just want to play mostly draws off the tee.
The next generation rolled out were the Stealth 2’s:
- The TaylorMade Stealth 2 Driver – Great mix of forgiveness and distance
- The TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus – Sliding weight, pretty low spin, longest distances
- The TaylorMade Stealth 2 HD – Draw bias with high launch
Qi10 Series
Qi10: Suitable for a wide range of player skill because the Qi10 is the best blend of distance, forgiveness, and workability. Additionally, the Qi10 features a lower CG and higher MOI than Stealth 2, enhancing both forgiveness and stability.
Qi10 LS: For the lower handicap player looking to lower spin and get the most out of their swing speed. Sliding weight behind the face allows for a draw or fade bias. Low launch and more forgiving than the Stealth 2. Some of the best players use this club including Tiger Woods, Scottie Scheffler, and Rory McIlroy.
Qi 10 Max: For the mid to high handicapper that is looking for a draw bias and some help in the launch department. Nice high launch and mid spin to keep the ball in the air longer. TaylorMade claims this to be their most forgiving and consistent across the face to date.
Qi35 Series
The Qi35 is TaylorMade’s 2025 driver lineup and a genuine step forward from the Qi10. The big story is CG projection — moving the center of gravity lower and deeper pushes the sweet spot higher on the face for better launch, lower spin, and more ball speed on real-world strikes, not just pure center hits. The full lineup — Qi35, Qi35 LS, Qi35 Max, and Qi35 Max Lite — features a fourth-generation Carbon Twist Face, Infinity Carbon Crown, Thru-Slot Speed Pocket, and an adjustable weight system for real trajectory control. The Qi35 Max retains 10K MOI while improving mishit distance. Aesthetically, the matte grey carbon crown and chrome sole are a serious upgrade over the glossy Qi10 finish. That said, for most golfers, the Qi10 or Qi4D will likely be the better overall value but 2025 was a big year for driver advancement.
Qi4D Series
The TaylorMade Qi4D series (released: January 2026) builds on the Qi10/Qi35 lineage with enhanced speed, advanced carbon face tech (fifth-generation), improved aerodynamics, better spin consistency, and highly adjustable Trajectory Adjustment System (TAS) weights for optimized ball flight. It’s positioned as TaylorMade’s fastest and most fittable driver family yet. Here is a quick breakdown of the different Qi4D models.
Qi4D: Suitable for a wide range of player skills. The Qi4D offers the best overall blend of explosive distance, high forgiveness, and adjustability. It features four movable TAS weights (two 9g and two 4g) for maximum customization of spin, launch, and bias—position heavy forward for lower spin/speed or back for added stability/MOI. The refined shaping and construction provide enhanced consistency across the face, with tighter spin control on high/low strikes and all-around performance.
Qi4D LS: LS = “Low Spin” For lower-handicap players or those with higher swing speeds seeking the lowest spin and maximum distance. This is also the fastest, lowest-spinning head in the lineup, with a reengineered profile to reduce drag and boost clubhead speed. It uses two TAS weights (e.g., heavier forward for low spin) and maintains solid forgiveness despite the low-launch focus. Some pros like McIlroy and Fleetwood adopted it immediately!
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Qi4D Max (& Max Lite): For mid- to high-handicappers prioritizing maximum forgiveness, stability, and ease of launch. This oversized head (with options like Qi4D Max Lite for lighter swing weights) is TaylorMade’s most forgiving model, featuring an ultra-lightweight aluminum collar (titanium-free in Max/Max Lite) for higher MOI and adjustable TAS weights (e.g., 13g and 4g) to dial in forgiveness vs. speed. It delivers high launch, controlled mid-spin, and exceptional consistency on mishits to keep shots straighter and in play longer—As a result, TaylorMade claims top-tier face performance here.
Other Brands Drivers By Year
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