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SAN JOSE, Calif. - Shopping for a new driver is a bit like dating.
It can sometimes take a long time before you find the one you are most compatible with.
I've been looking for a new driver for nearly two years, ever since my driver shaft snapped at the airport following a golf trip in 2024. I hadn't been able to replace its feel and results ... until a package arrived at my door two weeks ago.
Now, I'm ready to commit to the new love of my golf life: Callaway's new Quantum Max Driver.
Its groundbreaking new Tri-Force face technology was designed to create a 'Quantum' leap in distance, which is just what the doctor ordered for this aging golfer.
The Tri-Force layers three materials - titanium, poly mesh and carbon fiber - into a fully-integrated system built to enhance ball speed off the clubface. Ultra-thin, high-strength titanium promotes the ball to springboard off its surface. The poly mesh, a military-grade polymer, binds it to the carbon fiber, reinforcing the face structure and allowing for greater flex and faster recovery. This combination has never been used before in a driver face.
Callaway tour Xander Schauffele, Sam Burns and Rose Zhang have already been spotted using their new Quantum drivers.
Why am I so bullish after just a few rounds? Because this is the first driver that felt comfortable right out of the box. Let me explain.
My journey to find a new driver
My road to the Quantum is a long, twisted tale of failures and disappointments off the tee. Hopefully, I'm not the only one who's felt lost on this road to nowhere and other golfers can relate.
I had a great driver fitting at Pebble Beach when TaylorMade launched the Stealth line (before my driver broke in 2022), but I couldn't justify the spend at the time. Call it commitment issues.
As an 11 handicap, I had high hopes about the return of the Adams Golf line of clubs I started testing in 2023. I quickly broke up with the new Adams IDEA driver, though, and went back to my old girlfriend. (It's worth noting the IDEA hybrid remains one of my favorite clubs of all time).
I was sure I had met my future partner in 2024 when I was custom fit into PXG's new driver, the Black Ops 0311. We had a rocky, on-again, off-again relationship that ended for good after a Club Champion fitting last year that was very enlightening. The fitter told me that my needs for extra loft (12 degrees and up) could likely only be met by a couple of brands - Cobra and Callaway - without serious club manipulation adjusting the face or shaft. The tweaks I made to gain loft in other brands only caused more issues. In the case of the PXG, that meant a face angle that promoted a hook. We all know what Lee Trevino says about that: "You can talk to a fade but a hook won't listen."
My first round with the 12-degree Quantum, I played with a 1.5 index high-school golfer and a friend who outdrives me 80 percent of the time. I was able to best my buddy a couple times and still stay close enough to the long, limber kid that I wasn't ashamed.
I can still adjust the club, either with the 10-gram weight system for a neutral or draw setup or the eight configurations of the Op4Fit Hosel Adjustability, to fine-tune my launch angle and shot shape. I'm not sure I'll need it. The True Temper Denali Frost Silver 50 shaft (regular flex) and standard grip already feel comfortable. That's the thing with finding a new driver - it has to feel and look good in your hands.
It's about time I found a replacement for a TaylorMade R11 that I've been swinging for 15 years since its 2011 release. I'll miss its head featuring 14 degrees of loft - perhaps the last of its kind. Hopefully, the Quantum's modern technology and lively face help me quickly move on without regret.
The Quantum drivers are available in Max, Max Fast, Max D, Triple Diamond, and Triple Diamond Max, ranging in price from $649.99-$699.99.
Other clubs in Callaway's new Quantum line
The Quantum Fairway Woods and Hybrids feature three technologies worth noting, including an Ai-Optimized Face Design. The Speed Wave 2.0 positions weight low and forward for faster speeds and launches. More face flex boosts energy transfer. The new Step Sole Design reduces turf contact for the most consistent strikes and center-face contact.
The Quantum irons lineup - the Max, Max OS and Max Fast - is led by a Modern 360 Undercut cavity that’s designed to create faster ball speeds and higher launch with game-improvement shaping. This two-piece design offers extreme perimeter weighting and added flex where golfers need it most.
