For the golfers looking for total control, the TaylorMade Qi35 LS Fairway Wood reviews best

The TaylorMade Qi35 Tour fairway wood takes what was already a signature for the company and refines it into a purpose-built product created for complete ball flight control.

While I’m considering how to frame my review for the TaylorMade Qi35 Tour fairway wood, I keep thinking of a scene from the James Bond film, Skyfall. When 007 first meets Q, he’s provided with his signature Walther PPK, only this time it’s been upgraded with a palm-print reader so that only he can fire it. Q explains this before finishing up with the line “Less of a random killing machine, more of a personal statement.”

The Qi35 Tour could be summed up with the same comment, I think. It’s not built to work for everyone; it’s built for a very specific kind of golfer who’s looking to replicate the shot in his mind’s eye perfectly on the golf course.

It’s not to say that other models, like the Qi35 core fairway wood, or the Qi35 Max, can’t do this – but the features on offer in the Tour just put it to the front of the queue when it comes to dialing in the connoisseur’s needs.

Proof of that is in looking at the bag of Tiger Woods himself. Since he joined the company, Tiger has always gamed the adjustable fairway in TaylorMade’s wheelhouse, from the M3 (which you can still see in his 5-wood) through to last year’s Qi10 Tour.

As far as a player who’s looking for a club to match his exacting demands, you won’t find anyone more precise, so his choice of the Tour model speaks volumes of TaylorMade’s creation.

Looks/Feel – 4/5

From a looks standpoint, I’m in love with the Qi35 Tour. It’s an old-school style at only 170cc in the 3-wood, with a more bulbous, rounded crown, that draws your attention back to the ball.

Even though TaylorMade has applied the Qi35 family’s chromium carbon finish, a slick silver-grey satin look, to the crown, it almost seems less noticeable than in their other fairway woods this year. I think it’s a testament to the awareness that TaylorMade has on who this product is for.

They’ve used the edges and linework of the club to force your eyes to almost ignore the crown and focus on the face, exactly what the player who’ll be considering this model will want.

The leading edge also uses its curvature well to create a more seamless blend between crown and face, with a white line disguising the connection points.

It’s a deep-face fairway wood, further enhancing that old-school feel. Deep faces have fallen out of fashion of late, as we understand more and more of how the golfer delivers the club to the ball. Shallow swings tend to strike lower on the face and therefore can struggle to get the most out of the face depth, but if you’re bruising the grass with your delivery there’s plenty to love here.

I’m a big fan of this whole look, and it works well for how I want to hit the ball, but it’s not perfect for a lot of golfers and may intimidate some who are looking to have their confidence improved. So, while very pretty, I don’t think it can get full marks as it’s a niche appeal.

Technology – 4/5

There’s not loads to say about the technology in the TaylorMade Qi35 Tour fairway wood, as improvements are largely just to tighten up the performance aspects of the components.

Like the Qi35 drivers, you’ll find a multi-material construction that utilizes the chromium carbon, as well as tungsten, titanium, and steel. The only element that doesn’t carry over is aluminum but there isn’t a real need for the weight saving it can provide when our fairway woods are shorter than the driver, so use the extra weight for balancing the club’s swing weight.

The big talking point is the rear sliding weight that returns from the Qi10 Tour, although a return that comes with an interesting change.

The 2025 Tour model has an asymmetrical design, with one end coming to a taper and the other with a boxier, square look. Not only can the weight be slid between positions in the head, but you can now flip the weight 180º for further forward or back CG (center of gravity).

This, combined with the 2º loft sleeve, gives the option for complete fine-tuning of the club’s performance from loft to spin to face angle and even balance due to the customizable weight port directly behind the face and speed pocket.

The tech here is still good, but it shares too much with the previous generation to really get five stars.

Performance – 4/5

I think the best way of explaining performance is to think about it the same way as we did with the ‘looks’ aspect of the review.

When fitted properly, this is an incredible fairway wood. My settings are loft lowered by 0.75º to give me a more open look to the face (I’m a lefty that hates seeing the ball overdraw right) and upright as I’m 6’3” but built like a T-Rex so it helps the sole sit flusher with the ground.

I’ve also got the tapered end of the sliding 40g weight forwards in the head, as I like to feel like I’m ‘covering’ the ball with the face and the weight being deeper gives me that feeling.

I could push the weight even further forward, but it reduces forgiveness and I still could see the ball flight I wanted without compromising too much on off-center strikes.

I think just this description of my setup tells a story of what’s on offer for the golfer who wants a precision build but from an actual flight perspective, it’s this – a flat, piercing trajectory with minimal movement off-line, provided you hit the ball correctly.

When you don’t find the middle, it can be punishing, especially if you don’t have the club head speed to create spin and launch to begin with.

This is not a fairway wood for bad days, honestly, but if you already have the confidence that you can get the best out of it, you’re not thinking about your mishits anyway.

For the right golfer and the one it’s aimed at, the Qi35 Tour is outstanding. For the wrong golfer, you might find yourself regretting adding it to your bag.

Overall – 4/5

I really, really, really want to give the TaylorMade Qi35 Tour the full five stars. If I was basing this purely off how I feel then it would already have that score but I’m being held back by what I know this will be like for the average mid-teen handicap, or higher, players.

You can argue it’s not built for them so that could be ignored, but the core Qi35 fairway wood is going to be used by everyone from tour pros to high handicaps so it wouldn’t be fair to not discuss the lesser versatility of the Tour model in comparison.

That being said, I couldn’t be happier with it in my hands and I’m looking forward to seeing how easy it makes my long-game shots.

Despite only having a small amount of time with the Qi35 Tour so far, it’s been hilariously good fun to mess around with the variety of shots I can hit. I’ve even pressed the ball into the ground with my foot to see if I get the ball out of a plugged lie. The groundsman won’t be happy with the divot when they find it but the flight in the air did exactly what I wanted it to.

If you’re looking to get the absolute pinnacle of fine-tuned, peak performance then I heartily recommend the TaylorMade Qi35 Tour fairway wood. For anyone who knows that they’re going to have mishits, stick with the standard or Max heads.

About the author

Lewis Daff

Lewis joined the Today’s Golfer digital team in 2024, having spent more than a decade in both big-box golf retail and independent stores working as a club fitter and builder.

Experienced with every level of golfer, from beginner to professional, he has achieved Master Fitter and Builder status with most major manufacturers, including Mizuno, Taylormade, and Callaway, helping him to cement both a wide and deep knowledge base, ideal for helping guide golfers towards the correct equipment for them. Lewis specializes in Clubs, Shafts, Training Aids, Launch Monitors and Grips.

In Lewis’ bag is Titleist GT3 Driver (9º) with Fujikura Ventus Black, TaylorMade SIM Max Fairway Woods (15º and 18º), Wilson Staff D9 Forged 3-iron, Srixon ZX7 MKii Irons (4-PW), Titleist SM9 Wedges (52º, 60º), Toulon San Diego Putter, and the Titleist ProV1X Left Dash.

Talk to Lewis about why steel shafts are now dead and graphite is the only way forward, or any other equipment you’d like to debate, via his email, Instagram, or Bluesky.

RRP: £379.00 / $449.99

Lofts: 3-15º / 5-18° (RH/LH), 7-21° (RH Only)

Head Size: 170cc / 150cc / 150cc

Lie: 57-61º / 57.5-61.5º / 58-62º

Standard Shaft Length: 43.25" / 42.25" /41.75"

Stock Shaft Options: Mitsubishi Kai'Li Blue DarkWave 75g / 65g

Stock Grip: Golf Pride Z-Grip Black/Silver