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Callaway MAVRIK FW Woods and Hybrids

SuperStroke
tomcat said:
Four years ago I got hooked on this game and, as we all do as we’re learning, wanted to find a club that would offer forgiveness as well as be easy to hit. I was gifted a set of 2015 Big Bertha clubs by a fellow THPer that included two hybrids. As my game improved ever so slightly, I would pull them on occasion when I needed a little more yardage. At the time, I really didn’t care much for my older Steelhead 3+, so I had large gaps between driver and my hybrids. Despite multiple attempts to use them, a combo of my inconsistent swing and lack of confidence, I usually just went with a 5i or 6i and just dealt with the lack of distance I was getting. Over the past two years I added a 3w that was better for me, and so my hybrids stayed in the proverbial back seat.

Leading up to the Grandaddy, when I began looking and thinking about possible bag set-ups, I knew that hybrids were something that I wanted to try again. Not only because the technology had made leaps since 2015 and that if I really wanted to have a complete game, I wanted to have hybrids in the bag that gave me options.

Enter Mavrik. As you’ve heard multiple times by now, Callaway’s use of AI on this line has created an extremely fine tuned product that can potentially help every golfer. Each club (Pro, Standard, and Max) has a fully optimized flash face, that’s unique to that line alone. They’ve also continued the trend of using Jailbreak to increase ball speed off the face.

While at ECPC, I was fit into the Max line of drivers and irons. We didn’t have time for FW and hybrid fitting for me, so we naturally stayed with the Max line for those clubs.
As my game hasn’t utilized the hybrid much prior to the event, I looked for opportunities to use it while in California, as well as since I’ve returned home. Over the few rounds and sim sessions that I’ve been able to use my hybrids, I’ve found them to be very easy to hit, and thanks to my slowly improving swing, I’m finding the center of the club face more often.

The feel off the club face is nice and crisp. I don’t notice a twisting in my hands when hitting off center, nor does it seem harsh, which is a nice thing.
I went with the 4h, 5h, and 6h, in the Max line. The stock shaft is the Project X Even Flow Riptide. My fitter recommended the 65g 5.5 shaft, and so far, it has been a perfect addition to the bag.

I’m looking forward to updating this over the next few months as I continue to test these out.

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Ice review @tomcat

Would you say these are designed for distance? (Answer probably varies by model within the line). How are they at holding greens?
 
JMB3 said:
I'm going to let some of my teammates run with the initial reviews of the fairway woods, updating my thoughts throughout the year, but as @radiman said, these very well may be the stars of the show. I witnessed some absolutely filthy fairway wood shots by @Snickerdoodle, Radi, @j_sizzle9, @badolds, among others, including the Zoo Crew.

But I will share this one story from our Q&A session. I can't remember who asked, but basically the question to the Callaway guys was, over the years, what was the one club that was hardest to move on from into the newer lines. As the Callaway team went around the room, we quickly learned that the Rogue fairway wood lines were VERY popular internally. And, I'm not surprised: those fairway woods were fantastic. But when the Mavrik line was ready, none of those Callaway guys hesitated. The Mavrik fairway woods are just that good.
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I think the pros would agree......based on my hobby of looking at pros WITB photos......it seems they enjoyed the Rogue fws too. Of course this is just me keeping mental tabs on pros WITB and not any valid counts etc..

I really enjoy watching Adam Hadwin play and the Rogues are (perhaps now were?) in his bag still....
 
TexasHacker34 said:
Its funny... I figured my purchase (if any) would be the Driver, but the more I read about the tech in this, and the initial feedback from the Grandaddy guys, the more I am wondering if it is my 3W that should be nervous :p
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I’m thinking the same. Since I just got my EF it would be easy to return.
 
Great write ups and tons of fantastic info posted in this thread - thanks to all that have contributed.

Love the looks and the change from the green color of the epic series. Lots of great tech and love how many loft options the hybrids offer. The Max looks most interesting to me.
 
JMB3 said:
I am not a big hybrid guy. I just don't seem to get along with them very well--lots of low, left hooks. But I did get along really well with the Rogue hybrids, and as some of the 2017 team has attested (for example, @CobraX51), the Rogue hybrids were LONG. Well, the Mavrik hybrids--with addition of unique, Flash Face SS20 faces for each head--are like the Rogue hybrids on steroids.

I was fit into the standard Mavrik head, which to me looks a lot like the standard Rogue at address. But, consistent with the rest of my fitting, my fitter wanted to give me a little extra loft, so he put me into a 5H head with a 4H shaft to keep up the club head speed. At this point, I've probably put around half a dozen swings on that club, but the few times I hit it in play, I was impressed. While I was not launching it like @zbeekner4, due to my technique, everything I hit was nearly dead straight. I'll keep updating this thread with my performance throughout the year.

But I will leave you with with some side-by-side photos with the Epic Flash 4H, which I was playing before The Grandaddy:

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In the last photo, the Epic Flash 4H is on the left, and the Mavrik is on the right.
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The Mavrik appears to be a little more square around the toe area. Good looking hyrbrid! I’m going to have to give that a try.
 
I’ve been playing the Callaway XR driver, 4W & 7W. I’m definitely getting fit for these new Mavrik clubs. From the looks of these clubs and the reviews, I expect I’m getting an upgrade soon!
 
CenturyHack said:
The Mavrik appears to be a little more square around the toe area. Good looking hyrbrid! I’m going to have to give that a try.
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The standard model definitely has a square toe. Much different shape with the pro. I wasn’t able to test the latter, but I plan to test it eventually.
 
I absolutely LOVE that they released a hybrid without the high toe. The RazrX hybrids had the traditional shape and they were my favorite ever. I don’t have a complaint at all about my current gamers - in fact I hit two of my best hybrid shots ever with them last weekend - but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted by the Pros.
 
Snickerdoodle said:
For the clubs that I love, the fairways!!!!!
In my bag I received standard 3+ and the 5 in Sub Zero. I do have a 3+ Sub Zero inbound as they didn't have it at the time we received our clubs.
I love fairway woods, always have. I find them easy to hit and never have any issues getting these to launch and these are no different.
Comparing to what I played previously (Srixon fairways) I find these more appealing in every way.
The big take away is again fitting, having the correct shaft for my swing has made a huge difference in every way. I showed my fitter Gerritt pictures of my fairway shafts so he had a starting point.
I have the stock Riptide shaft in 5.5 regular flex in all of my fairways in 60g. My swing speed in the fairways was consistently in the 88-92 range. So I am right on the edge of regular to stiff flex range. He put me in the regular as it was just a better fit for my swing.
The good stuff, my prior 5W distance was maxing out at 205, with the Mavrik that has increased to 212 yards. A nice increase with just a correct shaft and a head that is fast and consistent.
The 3+ is just a machine, again I have had an increase in yardage of right at 7-9 yards.
I have never had an issue launching a fairway off the deck. I sweep the ball off the deck and these fairways launch so easily.
The one shot that stands out from day 1 matches, was a shot from 217 yards on hole 9 on Clive. It is a uphill shot and to an elevated green. I told @JMB3 that I was going for the green, I managed one of my best swings of the day and the ball landed right on the fringe on the front of the green and rolled out to about 15 feet past the pin. I lost track of the ball in flight but heard James say you are on.

Two big take aways for me on the fairways:
1. Make sure you have the correct shaft-
2. Make sue you get fit into the correct head.
I have the SZ model in the 5 wood because the fitter wanted some of the spin reduced. The same is true of the 3+.
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Loved reading this. Pretty much everything you stated is me exactly. Love for FW's, swing speed, distances, etc. After reading the @Jman impeccable home page review, I immediately thought a standard 3 wood and SZ 5 wood would be right up my alley. I too struggle with getting too much spin out of my 5 wood which is why I am still gaming an old XHot Pro over 2 much newer 5 woods (that I have tried multiple shafts in to no avail) that are collecting dust.
 
I love that the regular hybrid model has the square toe. Now I just need to know if it's more fade biased like the last Apex model.
 
Those hybrids look so good and all these reviews are mind blowing. I can see my Big Bertha 3H losing its spot real soon!
 
KEV said:
I love that the regular hybrid model has the square toe. Now I just need to know if it's more fade biased like the last Apex model.
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That square toe looks so good to my eye. That was the first thing I noticed. Hopefully it fits my swing.
 
Sox_Fan said:
Loved reading this. Pretty much everything you stated is me exactly. Love for FW's, swing speed, distances, etc. After reading the @Jman impeccable home page review, I immediately thought a standard 3 wood and SZ 5 wood would be right up my alley. I too struggle with getting too much spin out of my 5 wood which is why I am still gaming an old XHot Pro over 2 much newer 5 woods (that I have tried multiple shafts in to no avail) that are collecting dust.
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I apologize for not having #'s to show on the 5W but it was a significant drop that the fitter was very happy with. Not sure how he could tell, but also has my 5W at 1/2" short for length.
I am really looking forward to getting the other 3W in and comparing the two.
 
Being a big FW guy, I love reading all of the well written reviews and seeing the very appealing pictures and videos. Thanks for your efforts guys.

Not as big on hybrids, but do carry one and am equally appreciative regarding the efforts around those. The Pro version in 23* is something I could certainly see myself gaming.
 
tequila4kapp said:
I absolutely LOVE that they released a hybrid without the high toe. The RazrX hybrids had the traditional shape and they were my favorite ever. I don’t have a complaint at all about my current gamers - in fact I hit two of my best hybrid shots ever with them last weekend - but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted by the Pros.
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I love the shape of the pro. It was one of the things from the presentation that immediately caught my eye. I’ve been kicking myself that I forgot to hit it at my fitting, but by the time I got to FW/H, I was low on time.
 
Snickerdoodle said:
I apologize for not having #'s to show on the 5W but it was a significant drop that the fitter was very happy with. Not sure how he could tell, but also has my 5W at 1/2" short for length.
I am really looking forward to getting the other 3W in and comparing the two.
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No apologies needed. I am more of a visual than a numbers guy anyway. Primarily because I have no access to measuring technology and thus rely on what I see in terms of ball flight on the course.
 
I thought Callaway knocked it out of hte park with the EF fairway woods. My 5w EF is by far one of my favorite FW I have ever hit. I can't wait to hit the Mavrik woods and do some comparisons to see how much of change/difference between the two sister products there is. Looking at the results in this thread, this seems right in line with what I am seeing with my existing. Just another reason to head back to the SIM. :)
 
jdtox said:
First, solid review as always @Jman

Fairways look good and if they are a rogue replacement I'm sure they are fantastic since many loved those. I'll reserve judgement on the looks(by that I mean color) and sound until I can see/hit them. Did anyone get the pro version hybrid? That shape has me intrigued
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I got the Pro 2H and that is a great place to start my reviews because it surprised me as much as any club in the bag. I'm stuck at work and don't seem to have any in-hand pictures with me, but I can grab some tonight for anyone that wants any.

Coming into the Grandaddy, I have to admit that I figured that hybrid would be the one club that would be tough to knock out of my bag long term. For almost a decade, I've played a Nike VR 2 hybrid that just seems to work for me. I doubt there's anything special about it tech-wise, but I love the combination of profile and performance I've always seen from it. I tend to use my hybrid much more as a driving iron/5 wood type of replacement than as an iron, which is probably somewhat evident by the fact that a 2 hybrid is the only one in my bag. The Nike has given me that, with the combination of a very slim profile, at least as far as hybrids go. As hybrids have become bigger and more fairway wood-looking, I've been less and less interested in changing.

That is until I took about 3 swings with the Mavrik Pro. My swing on fitting day was mostly garbage and I was fairly tired by the time we got to hybrid. But from the very first swing, they were just lasers. I bet that the first five shots I hit with it didn't move more than 5 yards in the air combined. That's not to say that you can't work it though--you can. But don't really have to worry about it leaking one way or the other. It wants to go straight.

Looks-wise, I'd say that it's still slightly larger than my old Nike, but that the profile is still really solid. Even though the toe in the Pro version is more rounded and less squared, I think it looks a lot less like a FW than most other hybrids out there. It's relatively slender. The picture of the crown on Callaway's website will give you a good idea until I can get some in-hand pictures up.

Performance-wise, I've been very, very impressed. I think this will slot perfectly into the spot I want it to fill. Between Jailbreak and the Flash Face, distance is not going to be an issue. It was -3 here this morning when I left for work, so I'm not going to get it out on the course in the near future, but I hit it multiple times on the course in CA. And it was extremely versatile. Probably the best shot I've hit with it so far was on a Par 3 playing about 210 in pouring rain, into the wind. The pin was way back left and the whole left side of the green was guarded by a huge bunker that was probably 15 feet below the surface of the green. I aimed at the middle and hit a little draw that landed about 15 feet past the pin on the back edge and probably moved an inch from its ball mark. The next day, in much warmer weather, I used it to go for a par 5 in two from about 235.

The bottom line is that if you like hybrids, this one is absolutely worth a look. For me, the club I was least excited about replacing is now one of the spots in my bag that I'm the most excited about playing. Any and all questions are most welcome -- fire away.
 
jdtox said:
First, solid review as always @Jman

Fairways look good and if they are a rogue replacement I'm sure they are fantastic since many loved those. I'll reserve judgement on the looks(by that I mean color) and sound until I can see/hit them. Did anyone get the pro version hybrid? That shape has me intrigued
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Don’t tell anyone, but I hit 152 ball speed.

With a 5w.
 
tequila4kapp said:
I absolutely LOVE that they released a hybrid without the high toe. The RazrX hybrids had the traditional shape and they were my favorite ever. I don’t have a complaint at all about my current gamers - in fact I hit two of my best hybrid shots ever with them last weekend - but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted by the Pros.
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Same here. I just love the look of the Pro hybrid. I'm also a wee bit thankful that I can't hit balls for another 10 weeks so that I'm not making that impulsive buy of it or other Mavrik offerings.
 
tomcat said:
Four years ago I got hooked on this game and, as we all do as we’re learning, wanted to find a club that would offer forgiveness as well as be easy to hit. I was gifted a set of 2015 Big Bertha clubs by a fellow THPer that included two hybrids. As my game improved ever so slightly, I would pull them on occasion when I needed a little more yardage. At the time, I really didn’t care much for my older Steelhead 3+, so I had large gaps between driver and my hybrids. Despite multiple attempts to use them, a combo of my inconsistent swing and lack of confidence, I usually just went with a 5i or 6i and just dealt with the lack of distance I was getting. Over the past two years I added a 3w that was better for me, and so my hybrids stayed in the proverbial back seat.

Leading up to the Grandaddy, when I began looking and thinking about possible bag set-ups, I knew that hybrids were something that I wanted to try again. Not only because the technology had made leaps since 2015 and that if I really wanted to have a complete game, I wanted to have hybrids in the bag that gave me options.

Enter Mavrik. As you’ve heard multiple times by now, Callaway’s use of AI on this line has created an extremely fine tuned product that can potentially help every golfer. Each club (Pro, Standard, and Max) has a fully optimized flash face, that’s unique to that line alone. They’ve also continued the trend of using Jailbreak to increase ball speed off the face.

While at ECPC, I was fit into the Max line of drivers and irons. We didn’t have time for FW and hybrid fitting for me, so we naturally stayed with the Max line for those clubs.
As my game hasn’t utilized the hybrid much prior to the event, I looked for opportunities to use it while in California, as well as since I’ve returned home. Over the few rounds and sim sessions that I’ve been able to use my hybrids, I’ve found them to be very easy to hit, and thanks to my slowly improving swing, I’m finding the center of the club face more often.

The feel off the club face is nice and crisp. I don’t notice a twisting in my hands when hitting off center, nor does it seem harsh, which is a nice thing.
I went with the 4h, 5h, and 6h, in the Max line. The stock shaft is the Project X Even Flow Riptide. My fitter recommended the 65g 5.5 shaft, and so far, it has been a perfect addition to the bag.

I’m looking forward to updating this over the next few months as I continue to test these out.

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Great write up @tomcat ?

I have been in same boat with my hybrid, reading your review makes me want to give it another chance. I too have the same gap in distance from driver down to anything else and have also just gotten used to not being able to close it just yet. Still a work in progress, but I am definitely going to give the hybrid another chance. The Max hybrids may be a perfect fit for me as well, will get out to give these a swing at a store soon. (y)
 
bigskyirish said:
I got the Pro 2H and that is a great place to start my reviews because it surprised me as much as any club in the bag. I'm stuck at work and don't seem to have any in-hand pictures with me, but I can grab some tonight for anyone that wants any.

Coming into the Grandaddy, I have to admit that I figured that hybrid would be the one club that would be tough to knock out of my bag long term. For almost a decade, I've played a Nike VR 2 hybrid that just seems to work for me. I doubt there's anything special about it tech-wise, but I love the combination of profile and performance I've always seen from it. I tend to use my hybrid much more as a driving iron/5 wood type of replacement than as an iron, which is probably somewhat evident by the fact that a 2 hybrid is the only one in my bag. The Nike has given me that, with the combination of a very slim profile, at least as far as hybrids go. As hybrids have become bigger and more fairway wood-looking, I've been less and less interested in changing.

That is until I took about 3 swings with the Mavrik Pro. My swing on fitting day was mostly garbage and I was fairly tired by the time we got to hybrid. But from the very first swing, they were just lasers. I bet that the first five shots I hit with it didn't move more than 5 yards in the air combined. That's not to say that you can't work it though--you can. But don't really have to worry about it leaking one way or the other. It wants to go straight.

Looks-wise, I'd say that it's still slightly larger than my old Nike, but that the profile is still really solid. Even though the toe in the Pro version is more rounded and less squared, I think it looks a lot less like a FW than most other hybrids out there. It's relatively slender. The picture of the crown on Callaway's website will give you a good idea until I can get some in-hand pictures up.

Performance-wise, I've been very, very impressed. I think this will slot perfectly into the spot I want it to fill. Between Jailbreak and the Flash Face, distance is not going to be an issue. It was -3 here this morning when I left for work, so I'm not going to get it out on the course in the near future, but I hit it multiple times on the course in CA. And it was extremely versatile. Probably the best shot I've hit with it so far was on a Par 3 playing about 210 in pouring rain, into the wind. The pin was way back left and the whole left side of the green was guarded by a huge bunker that was probably 15 feet below the surface of the green. I aimed at the middle and hit a little draw that landed about 15 feet past the pin on the back edge and probably moved an inch from its ball mark. The next day, in much warmer weather, I used it to go for a par 5 in two from about 235.

The bottom line is that if you like hybrids, this one is absolutely worth a look. For me, the club I was least excited about replacing is now one of the spots in my bag that I'm the most excited about playing. Any and all questions are most welcome -- fire away.
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Great review! What shaft did you get?
 
radiman said:
Alright, I am going to just lead this review off with this...

View attachment 8922454

Just look at that smash factor. We're talking driver speed from a steel headed fairway wood!

I am finding myself having to pivot a bit on what I was initially planning on doing for the fairway wood write up. I didn’t get a chance to hit it during the fitting. I basically just picked the same version I had played in the past. During the event, I hit it once off the deck in crappy weather and a few times at the range. I knew it looked great just like every SZ 3 wood I have hit in the past. But, wasn’t really blown away at the time. When we got home from the trip and I could nothing more than just sit and stare at my new gear, I decided to pull the weights out. Never thought of checking before, but the heavy weight was forward. A position I rarely used in my SZ 3 woods in the past. So, I set the heavy weight in the back and just didn’t think of it much after that.

Fast forward a few weeks and I had some sim time booked to get my fix. Scratch the new club itch. Going through the bag hitting shots, loving what I was seeing from each club. Get to the 3 wood just out of the natural progression of things. Thinking nothing of it, I just take a swing. Crack. Wait a minute, what the hell was that? Take another swing. Crack. Holy crap, look at that thing go. Rinse and repeat over and over again. Watch the ball carry forever. Hmm. Maybe I underestimated this club at the time.

I know that they were able to further optimize the face of the fairway woods just like the rest of the Mavrik line. I know they said that they were able to raise the CT and achieve driver like speed off the face. But, I mean, it’s just a 3 wood and they have been maxed out for a while now right?

I hit the club on a few more occasions and saw the same results each time. This warranted a little further investigation on what numbers I am actually achieving with this club.

This past weekend, I was able to spend some time on Trackman with the new bag. By the time I got to the 3 wood I was absolutely wiped out. I had hit an insane amount of shots in a very short amount of time. Not expecting much out of myself, I set the ball down, take a mighty lash at it, and Crack! The ball is off. Same amazing performance.

Just looking at what I have been feeling validated on a legit device like Trackman tells me that this club is special. Looking at the data, vs. my old Epic Flash SZ 3 wood. A 3 wood that I felt was better than any 3 wood I had owned prior. I was seeing 3 mph more ball speed and 12 yards more carry. Not only that. But, the Mavrik is easier to hit for me. Don’t get me wrong, the EFSZ is no slouch. But, the numbers weren’t lying. The Mavrik SZ 3 wood is king of the hill for now. And, I don’t know when I will see another fairway outperform what I already had by such a margin.

Mavrik SZ 3 Wood
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Epic Flash SZ 3 Wood
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Fairway woods can be finicky business. It seems some players, myself included, often times have a hard time finding one that works well. And, when they do, they hang on to it for dear life. I can’t promise you that the Mavrik will be your unicorn 3 wood. Heck, I don’t know for 100% certainty that it’s mine yet. But, the signs are strong. I can’t wait to get this outside and hit it off of some real grass, try to bend it through some tight spots, try to play for position off the tee.

This could quite possibly be the super star of the Mavrik line. Once I got home with my new clubs, the fairway wood was honestly probably the last thing on my mind. Now, it’s almost all I can think about.

I will leave you with these. Such a good looking fairway wood.

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Good Lord you can hit the ball a country mile! Great write-ups so far!
 
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