Genuine innovation within golf club design these days is hard to come by. We see subtle variations in materials used, club face configurations and weighting systems - but broadly club head design has been consistent over the last decade or so.
The same can’t be said of the Q Gen 2 adjustable club, which you could justifiably describe as bizarre or ingenious depending on your perspective - having given it a thorough test over the last few weeks, I’m still on the fence and will let you make your own mind up!
The concept is a fully adjustable golf club that allows you to play a full round of golf without needing to use anything else (besides some balls and a tee) while also saving on the taxing process (both on the body and the bank balance) of transporting your clubs abroad.
The latest version of the Q Gen 2 club features a clubhead that can rotate into one of eight loft settings with a push and then a twist. These range from a four-degree putter all the way up to a 60-degree lob wedge.
The shaft comes in two parts, with each part fitting easily into a large ruck sack or hand luggage suitcase. You simple screw them together to lock them in place and I was surprised at how well connected the overall club felt. In fact, the shaft felt quite rigid and boardy, not soft or whippy like you might expect from a regular flex shaft that essentially has a weak point right in the middle of it, in theory anyway - something I’ve experienced with multi-material putter shafts in the past that have an obvious joining point.
My first experience with the Q Gen 2 club was on the 17th hole at Peterborough Milton golf club. It’s a medium length par four which meanders to the right and there’s a fairway bunker on the corner beyond the fairway at about 270 yards. So I adjusted it into its 12° ‘stinger’ setting and swung away, not knowing what to expect. The shaft at 38 inches (the same length as my 7-iron) felt very short for a club with this loft and the look at address is unusual to say the least.
But to say I absolutely buttoned this shot was an understatement - and the resulting feel off the face was very pleasant indeed - robust and powerful. The ball flew off like a rocket and never got more than four yards in the air. But it rolled out seemingly forever, eventually stopping in the semi rough just short of the aforementioned fairway bunker. I can't help but think those with less speed than me in the tank may struggle with height off the tee, but it was off the a decent start.
Upon reaching my ball for my next shot, this club had exceeded all my expectations. Unfortunately, things went slightly downhill from this point. I was left with 176 yards and so I adjusted the clubhead into its 28° loft 6-iron setting. It’s worth pointing out that the process is easy to execute, although you do need to look very closely at the markings when selecting the one you want as they are very close together.
As good as the stinger setting felt, the 6-iron came off a little dead. I’m not sure why - I thought I struck it ok but it could have something to do with the bounce on the sole, which was significant versus my usual Titleist T150 irons, and meant the turf interaction was a little clunky - especially if you don’t present a lot of shaft lean to the ball like me.
When you increase the loft setting, the leading edge essentially rotates up and forwards, sitting a long way in front of the hosel and increasing the effective bounce. For those that would benefit from a lot of bounce, this will work wonders, but for sweepers of the ball it may detrimentally affect your ball-striking experience.
It came up around 10 yards short of the green in the fairway, so I opted for a chip and run shot with the 8-iron setting and it came out well, finishing around seven feet short of the flag. In the putter setting, this is arguably as strange as the feeling over the ball becomes given the grip is obviously round in shape to accommodate full swing shots. That said, it is much longer than standard and has markings on it to help position your hands in the same place every time.
The par attempt missed left and raced about six foot past, which on reflection was no surprise given how fast the ball seemingly came off the face for my tee shot. Clearly, a degree of recalibration is required on the greens but once I fine tuned the required shorter stroke length, it was perfectly useable.
I really like the concept of the Q Gen 2 club. Being able to rock up to the 1st tee with one club in your hand and get the ball round the course is a thought-provoking one, especially for the casual, social golfer who isn’t too fussed about keeping score. Which is handy given this club is non-conforming to the Rules of Golf.
Also for those that play a lot of golf abroad and want to save on travel bag fees, which can be as much as £60 each way in my experience, or the cost of rental clubs that are barely more suitable. Then there are those golfers with physical limitations that struggle to get their clubs around the course - electric trolleys are expensive and potentially beyond budget, so this club provides a more affordable alternative.
I don’t think serious golfers will enjoy the experience, especially around the green where versatility is limited, but this club certainly serves a purpose and describing it as a gimmick would be unfair. Can I see myself using it? I doubt it, but I know a few people who would, and considering you’re basically getting eight clubs in one for the price of £249 or $299 - you’re getting a lot for your money.
