“Put in weights everywhere” - Collin Morikawa raises eyebrows with new ‘Game-Improvement’ driver

Collin Morikawa has been a loyal user of the TaylorMade SIM driver with the Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited shaft, which has been in his bag for three years now. Ever since the 2020 St. Jude FedEx Championship, Morikawa's bag has consisted of the SIM.

However, the new year ushers in a new driver for the 26-year-old. In preparation for the The Sentry 2024, Morikawa was seen without the SIM or the shaft. Instead, in his bag was the all new TaylorMade Qi10 Max, fitted with the lighter-weight Mitsubishi GT 50TX shaft.

TaylorMade recently revealed its new Qi10 lineup, with the likes of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy opting for the Qi10 LS driver, especially during its pre-testing stage. However, Collin Morikawa has gone ahead and picked the Qi10 Max, which can be considered as a 'game improvement' driver.

Speaking about the change in his clubs, he said via the PGA Tour:

Yeah, I am [switching into the Qi10 Max driver this week]. I got a lot of crazy looks from the guys when I said I wanted the Max. Look, the TaylorMade guys have been amazing. They’ve obviously modified a bunch of heads, put in weights everywhere, try to match up the CGs (center of gravity)."

While his stint with the SIM was a long and reliable one, Morikawa now believes it is time to change up his game.

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Collin Morikawa talks about the difference between his old and new driver

Morikawa said that he enjoyed the new Qi10 Max, which he has been playing with for two weeks so far. The Sentry will be the debut for the driver, as it will be the first time the American plays with it in a tournament. Speaking about the difference between his old and new driver, Morikawa said:

"It’s a little spinnier than my SIM. My SIM was a little bit on the lower side. Look, for someone who doesn’t hit it that far, it’s obviously nice to optimize it as much as you can: high launch, low spin. But, with this one, I’ve been able to play my different heights. So if it’s downwind and I need to be able to carry it, it covers. If it’s straight into the wind, I’m able to keep it low, and keep it flat and not spinny."

In addition to the technical features, the sound and the feel of the driver has also been a deciding factor in Collin Morikawa's driver change.