Fitting report · August 17, 2026
The Blackout Fitting
PlayerSam · 25 hcp
Budget$5,000, a guide
PrioritiesForgiveness · looks
Non-negotiableJailbird putter stays
Signature move7-wood and 9-wood player
Kept 10. Buying 4. ≈$1,100
The yardage line
Driver205y
5-wood new180y
7-wood168y
9-wood156y
6i to PW146 to 99y
Gap new87y
Gap new76y
Sand65y
Lob new53y
Carries are the head pro's estimates.
The Verdict
Buy four clubs, not fourteen.
Ten of your fourteen clubs are already right, Sam. The Qi10 Max is still one of the most forgiving drivers TaylorMade has made, the 7-wood and 9-wood are this year's Qi4Ds, and your SM10 56.12D is the grind the Titleist fitter prescribed blind. You play one wedge below a 43° pitching wedge. Of the $3,900 preserved, put $300 into two short game lessons.
≈$1,100all in, out the doorvs. $5,000 budgeted · ≈$3,900 preserved
- Add a 19° 5-wood Qi4D Max, matte black. Closes the 35 yard hole.
- Add 48, 52 and 60 Vokey SM11 Jet Black around your kept 56.
- Pull the 5-iron Your 9-wood already does its job better.
Buy in this order
- Gap Vokey SM11 · 48.10F Jet Black · 0.2 to 0.4 strokes for $199.99
- Gap Vokey SM11 · 52.12F Jet Black · 0.2 to 0.4 strokes for $199.99
- Lob Vokey SM11 · 60.12K Jet Black · 0.2 to 0.4 strokes for $199.99
- 5-wood TaylorMade Qi4D Max · 18° · 0.1 to 0.3 strokes for $379.99
Length
Standard
From a 35" wrist to floor
Lie
Standard
From 5'10" and a 35" wrist to floor
Shaft
Regular (R), 95 to 105g steel irons
From a 7 iron carry of 130 to 150 yards
Grip
Midsize
From a large glove
measured estimated measure on the dayA measured driver speed or 7 iron carry would firm up the flex call.
The Bag
The Surgical BuildTaylorMade Qi4D Max · 18°
REAX FW 55 Regular, sleeve to 19°, matte black
Vokey SM11 · 48.10F Jet Black
DG 105 R300, full swing wedge, 10° bounce
Vokey SM11 · 52.12F Jet Black
DG 105 R300, 12° bounce, chunk insurance
Vokey SM11 · 60.12K Jet Black
Widest sole Vokey makes, the bunker rescuer
TaylorMade Qi10 Max
Regrip; verify the loft sleeve on the monitor
TaylorMade Qi4D · 21°
Your club. Untouched beyond a regrip
Every Club, Every Price
14 clubs · 4 new| Slot | Club | Spec | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driver | TaylorMade Qi10 Max In the bag | Regrip; verify the loft sleeve on the monitor | $0 |
| 5-wood | TaylorMade Qi4D Max · 18° New20260.1 to 0.3 strokes | REAX FW 55 Regular, sleeve to 19°, matte blackNew at taylormadegolf.comUsed on 2nd Swing | $379.99 |
| 7-wood | TaylorMade Qi4D · 21° In the bag | Your club. Untouched beyond a regrip | $0 |
| 9-wood | TaylorMade Qi4D · 24° In the bag | Your club. Takes over the 5-iron's job | $0 |
| 6i to PW | TaylorMade Qi irons In the bag | MCC Plus4 Midsize regrip, $35 lie check, PW is 43° | $0 |
| Gap | Vokey SM11 · 48.10F Jet Black New20260.2 to 0.4 strokes | DG 105 R300, full swing wedge, 10° bounceNew at vokey.comUsed on 2nd Swing | $199.99 |
| Gap | Vokey SM11 · 52.12F Jet Black New20260.2 to 0.4 strokes | DG 105 R300, 12° bounce, chunk insuranceNew at vokey.comUsed on 2nd Swing | $199.99 |
| Sand | Vokey SM10 · 56.12D In the bag | Your wedge. Verify the grooves still catch a fingernail | $0 |
| Lob | Vokey SM11 · 60.12K Jet Black New20260.2 to 0.4 strokes | Widest sole Vokey makes, the bunker rescuerNew at vokey.comUsed on 2nd Swing | $199.99 |
| Putter | Odyssey S2S Jailbird · 34″ In the bag | Zero torque, center shafted. Nobody touches it | $0 |
| Services: regrip ×10, lie check, fitting session | MCC Plus4 Midsize throughout | ≈$375 | |
| Trade in: Qi10 3-wood and 4-hybrid | Estimate, run through a valuation | −$150 to 300 | |
| Net, out the door | ≈$1,055 to 1,205 | ||
Driver$0TaylorMade Qi10 Max In the bagRegrip; verify the loft sleeve on the monitor
5-wood$379.99TaylorMade Qi4D Max · 18° New20260.1 to 0.3 strokesREAX FW 55 Regular, sleeve to 19°, matte blackNew at taylormadegolf.comUsed on 2nd Swing
7-wood$0TaylorMade Qi4D · 21° In the bagYour club. Untouched beyond a regrip
9-wood$0TaylorMade Qi4D · 24° In the bagYour club. Takes over the 5-iron's job
6i to PW$0TaylorMade Qi irons In the bagMCC Plus4 Midsize regrip, $35 lie check, PW is 43°
Gap$199.99Vokey SM11 · 48.10F Jet Black New20260.2 to 0.4 strokesDG 105 R300, full swing wedge, 10° bounceNew at vokey.comUsed on 2nd Swing
Gap$199.99Vokey SM11 · 52.12F Jet Black New20260.2 to 0.4 strokesDG 105 R300, 12° bounce, chunk insuranceNew at vokey.comUsed on 2nd Swing
Sand$0Vokey SM10 · 56.12D In the bagYour wedge. Verify the grooves still catch a fingernail
Lob$199.99Vokey SM11 · 60.12K Jet Black New20260.2 to 0.4 strokesWidest sole Vokey makes, the bunker rescuerNew at vokey.comUsed on 2nd Swing
Putter$0Odyssey S2S Jailbird · 34″ In the bagZero torque, center shafted. Nobody touches it
Extra≈$375Services: regrip ×10, lie check, fitting sessionMCC Plus4 Midsize throughout
Extra−$150 to 300Trade in: Qi10 3-wood and 4-hybridEstimate, run through a valuation
Net, out the door≈$1,055 to 1,205
Build every new club to:Length StandardLie StandardShaft Regular (R), 95 to 105g steel ironsGrip Midsize
Out of the bag: 5-iron, 3-wood, 4-hybrid. Carries modeled for an 85 to 90 mph driver swing; replace with launch monitor numbers.
You play one wedge below a 43° pitching wedge.
Chapter 1 · The one club that changes everything“I'd rather buy fewer clubs and get them right.”
Then the whole fitting is four clubs, and three are wedges.
The gap is 43° to 56°: thirteen degrees, no club, and a full swing sand wedge from 90 yards. That shot costs you strokes, not the driver. So the money goes to 48, 52 and 60 in Jet Black, and the driver upgrade you were bracing for never happens.
48° SM11 10FCloses the 43 to 56 hole at 87 yards.
60° SM11 12KBunkers and tight lies, wide sole, no wizardry.
Inside 100 Yards
Chapter 2 · Inside 100 yards“My short game is where I bleed.”
Five clubs in twelve yard steps stops the bleeding.
PW43° · kept99 yds est.
48°SM11 · 10F87 · gap 12 est.
52°SM11 · 12F76 · gap 11 est.
56°SM10 · 12D · kept65 · gap 11 est.
60°SM11 · 12K53 · gap 12 est.
Carries are estimates from your driver distance. Replace them with launch monitor numbers.
The bunker ruleHard sand takes the 56. Soft sand takes the 60.
Bounce does the workSquare face, ball forward, hit behind it, accelerate.
The Jailbird is the reason the rest can be honest.
Chapter 3 · Why your putter stays“Do not touch my Jailbird.”
Nobody did. Not even the Ping fitter, and Ping sells putters.
Three fitters, three bags, and not one spent a dollar on the greens. That is the tell that your answers were read, not skimmed. The Jailbird's high MOI and alignment line are the same forgiveness philosophy this bag is built on. Keep it, regrip it with the set, and fit the new wedges around it.
Regrip with the setSame grip family top to bottom, one feel.
Loft checkJailbirds drift. Confirm 3° at the fitting bay.
What Your Three Answers Changed
Chapter 4 · What you told us, what we did“Qi10 Max, Qi4D 7 and 9, SM10 56.12D.”
Three model names, about $2,000 you will not spend.
"Qi10 Max"−$650Keep the driver. The 2026 Qi4D Max adds no forgiveness you would feel at your speed.
"SM10 56.12D"−$200Keep the sand wedge. The exact grind the Titleist fitter prescribed blind. Check the grooves.
"Qi4D 7 and 9, bought 2026"−$600+Your signature clubs are current. Every replace the woods line item got harder to justify.
Three Fitters, Three Bags
Two of these bags did not survive.1 · Recommended
The Surgical Build
The TaylorMade fitter's call: 4 clubs, not 14TaylorMade's structure plus Titleist's wedge platform. Keeps ten clubs.
- 4 new clubs, 10 kept
- Full blackout on every purchase
- Five clubs inside 100 yards
Keep the Qi10 Max Its successors add nothing you would feel. Saves $650.
Qi4D Max 5-wood The one metalwood purchase, sleeved to 19°.
MG5 Charcoal wedges Same price as Vokey. Held for the fitting day A/B.
≈$1,100net, all in
2 · Full re-fit
Ping Midnight
The Ping fitter's call: the full re-fit, $3,443.50The all new bag. G440 K driver, G740 Midnight irons, s259 wedges, every custom option free.
- 13 new clubs, built to spec
- Soft Regular flex, the honest flex
- Caught the August price cut
Soft Regular flex The honest 25 handicap flex. Test it in the 5-wood.
G440 K driver No forgiveness gain over the Qi10 Max you already own.
G740 Midnight irons Superb value, but replaces irons that are already right.
$3,443.50$1,556 under
3 · Premium
Titleist Blackout
The Titleist fitter's call: the premium blackout, $4,124.92The luxury build. GTS2 woods, T350 Black Vapor irons, SM11 Jet Black wedges.
- 13 new clubs, driver to lob black
- Best wedge thinking of the three
- Finish upcharge only $425
Buy bounce Every wedge 10° or more. The whole wedge ladder came from here.
SM11 Jet Black 48 / 52 / 60 Zero finish upcharge, matches your kept 56.
T350 Black Vapor irons Gorgeous, and $1,425 to replace irons that fit.
$4,124.92$875 under
Fitting Day
Bring the 56 and the 7-wood1Groove check the 56, then A/B the wedge trios
Fingernail across the face. Then SM11 Jet Black against MG5 Charcoal on the monitor.
2Lie board on the kept Qi irons
Two seasons of mats bends irons flat. Dynamic check with tape, about $5 a club.
3Confirm the 5-wood carries 178 to 184
Above the 7-wood, below the driver. Under 85 mph, try the A flex.
Models and prices confirmed current as of August 17, 2026. Carries modeled for an 85 to 90 mph driver swing; replace with launch monitor data.