TEST: Callaway XR driver

Callaway Golf’s XR driver looks impressive but how did it play. Read what our test judges had to say.

MODEL AND SHAFT PLAYED: Callaway XR 10.5° driver, fitted with a stiff-flex graphite shaft. The OptiFit hosel was configured to add two degrees of loft with the lie angle kept neutral.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: You don’t see much of the clubface, which makes them look a little closed at address. I do like the matte look over the shinier finishes of other drivers.

VERDICT: The Callaway XR was a good driver to hit. I didn’t find it outstandingly better than any other new driver I’ve hit but it was comparable. For the purpose of the exercise, I dropped a wedge for the round and alternated between the XR and my driver to compare the pair. I tried to put the same swing on both of them but I didn’t feel confident shaping tee shots with the XR and I sensed it was marginally less forgiving. I’ve trialled Callaway’s Big Bertha previously with a similar outcome – they’re good drivers but perhaps fractionally less forgiving and less workable. Driving distance was comparable between the XR and mine, as was the accuracy but I hit the XR flatter, which is a plus.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: The clubhead shape tends to make it appear closed.

WHAT I LIKED: The club does sit nicely at address and with the high/deep clubface it feels like there’s a huge surface area to hit the ball with.

MODEL AND SHAFT PLAYED: Callaway XR 10.5° driver, fitted with a regular-flex graphite shaft. The OptiFit hosel was configured to keep both the loft and lie angle neutral.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: It feels lighter than the Callaway Big Bertha driver I currently use; the shaft feels lighter but the head is maybe a shade heavier. At address, the lie angle and the way it sits behind the ball looks ideal.

I’ve set this driver’s loft and lie identically to

my driver.

VERDICT: For some reason I found I was able to swing the XR driver smoother than mine, yet I created more clubhead speed. I’ve always been a cutter of the ball, which going to the Big Bertha driver helped prevent; well, the XR took it to a new level. I hit the XR far straighter and up to ten metres further, plus the flight through the air looked more powerful. I’m very, very impressed with the XR. If I hadn’t just bought a Big Bertha, I would be jumping straight onto this one! I’m giving it big raps – and I don’t give clubs big raps at all.

WHAT I LIKED: The way it allowed me to swing. I felt far more comfortable with the XR.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: It might not suit everybody’s swing plane or pattern, but it did suit mine.

FACTS & FIGURES

SUITABILITY: All golfers (the 440cc XR Pro model is aimed at better players).

SHAFT: The standard offering is the new Project X LZ shaft.

LOFTS: Available in 9°, 10.5°, 12° and

13.5° lofts.

LEFT-HANDED MODELS?: Yes, but only as custom models in the 12° and 13.5° lofts.

HOW MUCH?: $450.

CALLAWAY SAYS: “Speed is the driving force behind the new XR driver – from the aerodynamic crown to the R-MOTO face and maximum shaft load.

“Callaway’s R&D team travelled down a new path to make the company’s fastest titanium driver ever. To reduce drag and maximise speed through the swing, Callaway engineers designed a Speed Step Crown and combined it with an optimised aerodynamic head shape. The weight of the face was reduced by ten percent to make it thinner for faster ball speeds. And Callaway’s R-MOTO leads to more energy efficient energy transfer all over the face, allowing for the centre of gravity to be placed 17 percent lower, where most golfers want it.

“The XR driver comes stock with the new Project X LZ, which produces maximum shaft load during the downswing for greater energy transfer to the ball. OptiFit adjustability allows golfers to choose from eight different loft and lie configurations to find the perfect launch for your ball flight.”

Contact Callaway Golf on 1800 217 777 or visit www.callawaygolf.com