Rory McIlroy makes significant equipment change as he gears up for major season
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Rory McIlroy’s TaylorMade setup has had a number of tweaks as he gets ready for the busiest part of the schedule
Rory McIlroy has made another huge change to his equipment setup as he plans his assault on winning a long overdue fifth major championship title.
The Northern Irishman, who has already swapped his TaylorMade TP5x golf ball for the TP5, will tee up at this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational with the brand’s new Qi35 driver and fairway woods in his bag.
McIlroy used the 2025 models when he played in the Seminole Pro-Member on Monday, as well as Boston Common’s TGL match later that evening, and they will stay in play as he starts to make his final preparations for the Masters.
The driver – which is the tour-only ‘Dot’ version – will feature the new Ventus Black VeloCore+ 6x shaft, while his 3- and 5-wood will remain with the 2024 version.
Rory McIlroy uses a TaylorMade Qi35 driver (9° at 8.25°) with a Fujikura Ventus VeloCore+ Black 6X shaft
The fact is, these clubs are so well-suited to professionals by their fitting teams that it can be hard to stop playing something you trust so much. It seems McIlroy has finally made the switch in his game, though, showing he's built a trusting relationship with his new Qi35 driver.
Rory is playing the Qi35 'Dot' head - while there is still speculation on the exact specifications on what this variation is, if his Qi10 'Dot' driver last year is anything to go by, this Qi35 head will sit in-between the retail Qi35 driver and the Qi35 LS, for a balance of forgiveness and launch conditions that McIlroy wants to see.
Rory is also in the updated version of the Fujikura Ventus Black, the VeloCore+ edition, in his driver. It features a slightly softer handle than the previous version so, like his switch to Ventus TR Blue in the Stealth 2 driver a few years ago, he may be looking for a slightly easier time releasing the driver head in his timing.
Read our full TaylorMade Qi35 driver review.
McIlroy, who is currently second in driving distance on the PGA Tour so far this season, with an average of 326.7 yards, will be hoping for an impact as immediate as when he changed his ball in January.
The four-time major champion opened his season at Pebble Beach for the Pro-Am, and the campaign could not have got off to a better start when he aced the par-3 15th at Spyglass Hill during the first round.
That all came about when he was “messing around at The Grove”. (That’s NBA legend Michael Jordan’s golf course in Florida, by the way, not the fancy resort near London.)
“I just started to hit some chips with the TP5 instead of the TP5x and I really loved how I felt,” McIlroy said at the time.
“I hadn’t really tested the 2024 TP5, and I loved how it was reacting around the greens. And then I started hitting some 60, 70-yard shots with it, and it was coming off [with] much lower launch, but spinnier.”
A self-confessed equipment geek, this sent McIlroy into a testing spiral.
“I just did some testing with [the 2024 TP5] and compared it to the TP5x,” he explained. “I used a 2019 TP5, and the difference between a 2019 TP5 and a 2019 TP5x was a lot in terms of the spin rates and the launch angles.
“[The 2024 TP5] seems to launch probably a degree lower for me, but the spin rate’s very, very similar, which I really like.”
As for why he change his gear in such a high-profile event, he explained: “I thought, I’ve got four rounds this week, no cut, may as well give it a go and see how it goes.
“I played 18 at Pebble on Tuesday, played 18 at Cypress [Point on Wednesday] with it and obviously played [at Spyglass Hill on Thursday].
“It’s been really, really good.”
TaylorMade's premium golf balls that exhibit outstanding short-game spin and control
While you might not get as much distance as the TP5x, (Bryson might disagree with me here) distance isn't everything. If you prioritize greenside spin and control there aren't many better than the TP5. Moving slightly further away from the green, we only found two balls to spin higher with a pitching wedge in our very in-depth robot test. Also, with a 7-iron it was one of the highest spinning golf balls.
Who are they for?
All golfers who are willing to buy tour-level golf balls, but who also put a premium on a softer feel rather than maximum distance. The TP5 which is TaylorMade’s softest tour ball is usually a better fit for golfers who like to see more shape to their shots, whereas the TP5x is great for those who see shots in straight lines with the ball falling one side or the other of their target line.
TaylorMade believes the TP5 and TP5x are very long golf balls with mid and long irons, so much so rumor has it, Rory McIlroy saw ball speed gains of 2mph while testing the new 2024 models.
In typical TaylorMade fashion they’re so confident in their design they are running challenges throughout the season to show their models will gain golfers 5 yards of carry distance in just five shots against their preferred ball of choice.
Staff golf ball player Rickie Fowler commented after going through the brand's fitting process, “I’m fine hitting 5-iron 220 yards, but now I can get to 227 yards that’s a half club less which is a serious gain in one generation”.
Pros
- Excellent short-game spin and control
- Extremely soft feel and incredibly responsive
- Lower and more penetrating ball flight than the previous model
- Tour approval being in the bags of some of the biggest stars in golf
Cons
- Not the most durable urethane cover
| Construction | 5-piece |
| Cover | Urethane |
| Dimples | 322 |
| Feel | Soft |
| Flight | High |
| Long game spin | Low |
| Short game spin | High |
| Colour options<div class | "bauer-product-card"><div class |
| Alternative models | TP5 Pix; TP5 Stripe; TP5 MySymbol |
- New seamless tour flight dimple pattern
- Speed-layer system
- High-flex material
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Rory McIlroy has changed his driver to the TaylorMade Qi35.
