Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond Driver vs. Quantum Triple Diamond Max Driver Review

If you played or hit the Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond or Elyte Triple Diamond Max the last few years you know what a difficult decision it was to choose one over the other as your favorite.  Each has its own specific skill set so to speak and if you follow me on X and Instagram you saw I played both drivers throughout the year.  So I was expecting some of the same similarities and differences with the new 2026 Quantum Triple Diamond and Quantum Triple Diamond Max drivers.

What I didn't expect however was for Quantum TD and TD Max to have even more specialized dynamics that make them not only better performing than the respective Elyte drivers in an absolute sense but also better performing (and more distinguishable) versions of themselves.  On the one hand that makes choosing a favorite between Quantum TD and TD Max easier.  On the other hand their more specific differences makes me want to play them both even more this yer than I did the Elyte models last year.

So in this review I'm taking the Quantum Triple Diamond head to head against the Quantum Triple Diamond Max.  And you'll see how they're still comparatively similar in their unique strengths but now these differences are also enhanced.  If I had one criticism of Elyte TD and TD Max it was they were too similar in overall performance.

I'll give you performance comparisons between the Quantum TD and TD Max as the main focus in this review but also point out how both compare to the Elyte TD and TD Max.  For this review I tested both TD and TD Max in the same neutral/standard settings with the same Fujikura vents TR Blue VeloCore+ shafts.

Intro

A quick note on Quantum Triple Diamond and Triple Diamond Max appearance and feel.  Quantum TD and TD Max look very similar.  Both appear to sit square to slightly open at address.  But I think Quantum TD has an even slightly taller face compared to TD Max (than Elyte TD had compared to Elyte TD Max).  Quantum TD also looks smaller front to back than TD Max to a larger degree than TD to TD Max did in the Elyte series.

Quantum TD and TD Max both have that glorious Callaway thwack sound and feel at impact but the TD thwack sound and feel is a tad deeper sounding and feeling than TD Max.

Ball Speed and Spin

Distance is usually one of the first things you read about in a driver review.  But I'm leaving distance for last to show you (hopefully like a roadmap) how both the Quantum Triple Diamond and Triple Diamond Max differences between themselves are what also drive the improved performance over the respective Elyte series.

 

So let's start with ball speeds.  Quantum Triple Diamond Max gave me almost 2 mph faster ball speed than the Quantum Triple Diamond.  You might be thinking, meh, no big deal.  But when combined with the other comparative statistical numbers it really does wind up being a big deal.  This 2 mph faster ball speed also starts to show the theme of each Quantum TD and TD Max model being better versions of the last gen Elyte TD and TD Max models.  My ball speeds with Elyte TD and TD Max were so indistinguishable you could pretty much call them identical.

 

Spin differences are also more significant between Quantum TD and TD Max compared to the Elyte TD and TD Max.  With Elyte TD I was getting spin numbers maybe 75-100 rpm lower than TD Max (as you'd expect by design but again like with ball speed - maybe too similar?).  With Quantum TD however my spin is 150-200 rpm lower than TD Max.  And Quantum TD actually spins about 350 rpm less for me than Elyte TD did.

Launch and Peak Height

In launch and peak height I again saw this pattern of differences between Quantum TD and TD Max that are more pronounced than they were in Elyte.  Quantum TD Max launches a good 1+ degrees higher than Quantum TD and TD Max peak height is almost 10 feet higher than TD.  Elyte TD Max?  Yes it launched higher than Elyte TD but it was mere decimal points higher.

And we could already just stop right here to see how these small differences between Quantum TD and TD Max are adding up to deliver targeted performance benefits better than the less distinct differences between Elyte TD and TD Max.  If you need a little extra help launching the ball (especially at slower swing speeds) and want your ball to stay in the air a little longer for more carry Quantum TD Max just does a better job distinguishing itself from Quantum TD than Elyte TD Max did distinguishing itself from Elyte TD.

Forgiveness, Stability, Dispersion, and Distance

I want to make a quick mention when I talk forgiveness in this review I'm addressing ball speed, spin, and launch retention on misses all over the face.  Whereas when I'm talking stability I'm addressing how square the head stays on these same impact area misses.  It's an important distinction.

 

Forgiveness is an easy one to take care of.  I found both Quantum Triple Diamond and Quantum Triple Diamond Max to be equally forgiving in retaining their particular ad unique speed, spin, and launch characteristics on misses all over the face (with especially great results on high misses).  This is what Callaway's new Tri-Force face and Ai-Design is all about.  And it's a triumphant victory.  Forgiveness consistency measured by downrange dispersion is neck-and-neck with both Quantum TD and TD Max drivers.  These will likely be a leader if not the leader in downrange dispersion of all drivers most of you hit or try this year.

I mentioned a few times on social last year how Elyte TD Max gave me just a bit more control than Elyte TD.  But now that I've hit Quantum TD Max I'd rename these driver generations Elyte TD (Kinda) Max and Quantum TD (All In) Max.  There's no way you can avoid experiencing this when you hit both drivers.

When I missed a ball from center towards the toe or heel with Quantum TD dispersion went some 20-25 yards out left or right of center.  Pretty similar to Elyte TD in that regard.  And I'll happily take that.  However these same impact miss locations with Quantum TD Max squeezed dispersion in to about 10-15 yards in either direction.  I kid you not.  I'm of course not including those shots that are so terrible it doesn't matter what driver I'm hitting.  But the point is Quantum TD Max isn't simply more stable than Quantum TD.  It's also significantly more stable than the Elyte TD Max.

Last year Elyte TD Max was just a few yards longer for me than Elyte TD.  And the Quantum TD Max is also just a few yards longer for me than Quantum TD.  But it's a very different kind of and greater total distance with Quantum.  Hmm?  I know, let me explain.

I get about 8 yards more carry with Quantum TD Max over Quantum TD but TD gives me about 6 yards more rollout than TD Max.  With the Elyte TD and TD Max my carry and rollout numbers were more similar and didn't really distinguish what different kinds of players need to achieve more distance.  Quantum TD Max also gave me about 7 yards longer carry than Elyte TD Max and 10 yards more total distance.  Quantum TD Max and TD are definitively longer for me than the respective Elyte drivers.

Which Model to Choose

I'm of the option when you pull out your driver your main goal should be to hit the ball as far as you possibly can.  And I can tell you I'm going to play the hell out of both of these drivers this season.

 

If I'm not swinging my absolute best Quantum TD Max is going to be driver A-1.  Incredibly long even when I'm only flirting with the sweet spot.  And the TD Max stability alone is worth the price of admission.  If I am swinging well enough Quantum TD is going to be driver A-1.  I still like to move the ball around and when the fairways firm up in summer the TD's lower spin and flatter trajectory will push my total distances out even longer than TD Max.

The bottom line is Callaway has categorically improved driver performance with Quantum TD and TD Max.  More distance the way you need it.  More control the way you want it.  The Quantum TD and TD Max drivers are built for bombs and tuned for touch.  And that bigger security blanket in ball speed, spin and launch consistency on misses is something we can all agree on wanting and needing.