Callaway MAVRIK FW Woods and Hybrids

[Snickerdog]

Was listening to a podcast, guess if a glued hosel is good enough for Francesco Molinari it is good enough for me.
He said it feels more stable than the adjustable hosel.

 

[mikeg_74]

Bummer on the Fairway wood shaft lengths. Given I prefer a 5w to be around 41-41.5” a 42.75 (43” to end of the grip) 5w is a non starter for me. ☹. Assuming they used really light heads ??

Otherwise I really like the sound of the Max FW having a larger head and sharper leader edge. Sounds very Ping SFT-ish which is my favorite fw of all time.

why not order it to the preferred length and desired swing weight? Seems like an easy fix for a minor detail.

 

[NoGoal]

Bummer on the Fairway wood shaft lengths. Given I prefer a 5w to be around 41-41.5” a 42.75 (43” to end of the grip) 5w is a non starter for me. ☹. Assuming they used really light heads ??

Otherwise I really like the sound of the Max FW having a larger head and sharper leader edge. Sounds very Ping SFT-ish which is my favorite fw of all time.

A 1-1.25” in additional shaft length is where the Mavrik FW’s get there additional distance.

 

[radiman]

A 1-1.25” in additional shaft length is where the Mavrik FW’s get there additional distance.

Not sure if this is a joke or not.

 

[TRyan]

Not sure if this is a joke or not.

Shaft length will definitely assist in distance, at least in theory. Longer = faster

 

[JMB3]

A 1-1.25” in additional shaft length is where the Mavrik FW’s get there additional distance.

Not sure where you get 1-1.25". Looks to be just a .25" to me.

 

[Jman]

Not sure where you get 1-1.25". Looks to be just a .25" to me.

1.25 from the year 1999

 

[McLovin]

My fellow Grandaddy teammates are doing a bang up job talking about these fairway woods and hybrids. And the homepage article is chock full of tremendous information. There isn't much for me to add, so I will just focus on my experience so far.

Hybrids
In my fitting at the Ely Callaway Performance Center, my fitter Gerritt (who by the way is the same fitter that Phil Mickelcalves requests when he comes to ECPC!!!), I tested the Mavrik hybrid and Mavrik Pro hybrid. Gerritt first had me hit my 5-iron for a gapping baseline, then we started on hybrids. I loved the look and feel of the standard hybrid, but we couldn't get it to launch and spin high enough to make sense in that slot.

We then tried the Mavrik Pro hybrid. While not my typical preferred shape, behind the ball it looked tremendous. Swinging the stock KBS shaft was a bit of a slog for me (that thing is stout), but off the face this hybrid felt superb. Solid but still somehow soft/muted. I absolutely loved it. Unfortunately, we couldn't get enough distance out of it and Gerritt was concerned that the gapping would be too close to the 5i.

Ultimately we landed on the 23* Super Hybrid. Since that release is not a part of this thread, I'll kindly direct you to the dedicated thread here.

Fairway Woods
If you've read enough of my reviews to start putting the puzzle together, you'll see recurring trend that I struggle with launch and spin, both almost always being too low. I tend to lean the shaft forward at impact and hit up on the ball, so it delofts the club while also taking off spin. It can make for lots of good smash factor, but also robs me of distance since I don't have the speed in my swing to make the most out of it.

Naturally, fairway woods are always a challenge for me if I deloft at impact and don't have enough speed to get the ball very high in the air. I hate 3-woods. Like, hate them. 4-wood loft is the most I can get comfortable with at address, but I prefer a 5-wood as the lowest lofted deck club. For that reason, we focused on 5-wood in my fitting.

After watching my swing for the better part of 30 or so minutes, Gerritt immediately reached for the Mavrik Max fairways. You might say it's because I hit the ball everywhere but center face, but I like to think it's because he wanted to give me a little extra launch. Truth be told, it's probably both. The first swing I made with the 5-wood was absolutely bonkers. The ball launched a mile in the air, dead straight, and felt like the face was a trampoline. I turned to Gerritt and told him that thing went high. He resisted rolling his eyes, then had me hit a couple more. He told me he loved the numbers for me, but I told him it was just so high. So then he handed me an Epic Flash 5w. I hit it really well, posing like the pro that I am. He asked if that was the window I was used to seeing and I confirmed. Then he said the Max went high because it actually launched like a 5-wood, I've just never been able to launch a fairway wood properly until now. Mind. Blown.

The decision was made then and there: Mavrik Max 5-wood with stock Project X Riptide 70 stiff. We discussed my disdain for 3-woods, but he assured me that the characteristics of the wood would be good and I would be able to launch it.

In the wild
All my positive vibes about the fairways center on the 5w. So let's get the not so positive stuff out of the way: The 3-wood. I just can't hit it consistently. I have hit it ok a few times, and it is forgiving, but with my delivery right now nothing with that loft will launch enough for what I need.

But the 5-wood. My GOD the 5-wood!!! Let me paint this picture for you. The 18th hole at the Clive Course is a long par 4, about 440 if I remember correctly. I'm terrible at remembering this stuff, but I seem to recall that the tee box is slightly elevated. I hit what felt like a good drive, but tugged it a bit to a sidehill lie on the left side of the fairway. It had been raining, and while there was no thunder and the lightning in the skies, that's because it was all in my head thanks to party boy @Luke WilliamsCG and his pre-nest influence from the night before. I get to my ball, and I'm still like 230 out. The hole doglegs gently to the left, but the green is elevated, and fronted on the left with a large bunker and short right with another nasty bunker. The green is big back to front, but if you're not going to hit it up the gut, it's a long carry to the right side of the green.

I'm standing over my ball and @LaQuintaLooper gives me the number. 230?! I look at @EthanatorCG like WTF dude who picked these tees?! I'm wet. I'm hungover. My hands are wet. But I didn't get in the motherf-----g Grandaddy to lay up! On a par 4!!! So I decide f- it, I'll take the 5w. Ball below my feet, wet grass, elevated green with absolutely nowhere to miss. Our member host Lars is standing up on the green thinking "What is this idiot doing?" Then I make the swing, and the ball rockets off the face with this mid, penetrating gentle fade. It carries on the front 3rd of the green, takes the left to right slope, and finished about 15' short of the hole. Absolutely, without a doubt, one of the best fairway wood shots of my entire life.

Since that day, I've had other similar shots with this 5-wood. Hit a less than stellar drive, then knock it on the green from 225. It's like rinse and repeat with this thing.

Conclusion (for now!)
The hybrids are excellent. They are fast, but definitely get fit. If I could find a little more speed in my swing I would game the Pro because of its better launch and spin conditions for me.

The fairways are absolute rockstars. I loved my Rogue 5-wood, but I never hit shots with it like I have with this Mavrik Max 5-wood. I'm not giving up on the 3-wood, I just need to find some confidence. But the 5-wood is a weapon that won't leave me bag for a long time.

 

[Tenputt]

I got to hit the Mavrik, Sub Zero 3 wood today. It is an absolute rocket launcher. I was seeing the same ball spin and launch with the 15 degree that I normally see with the 13.5 head. Feels great, too.

 

[Snickerdog]

I got to hit the Mavrik, Sub Zero 3 wood today. It is an absolute rocket launcher. I was seeing the same ball spin and launch with the 15 degree that I normally see with the 13.5 head. Feels great, too.

Said it earlier and will say it again, these are just beasts and so easy to launch.

 

[NoGoal]

Not sure where you get 1-1.25". Looks to be just a .25" to me.

Just going by what someone posted.

 

[radiman]

Shaft length will definitely assist in distance, at least in theory. Longer = faster

Lol, I get that. Was just confused on the extra inch + being referenced.

 

[TRyan]

Lol, I get that. Was just confused on the extra inch + being referenced.

Ya I think it was in reference to erock preferring short fairway woods

Which as we said can easily be accomplished through heavier weights and such in the head

 

[zooropa]

I've been through the thread but I don't think I saw it, is the face length of the max and the normal mavrik the same. I like the bigger footprint of the max but like the option of a 4 wood in the normal one.

 

[KEV]

Ugghh, I can't decide whether to go 3 or 4 wood! One of them will be in the bag though, especially after hearing people comparing then to the Rogue fairway performance.

 

[Bunker Snot]

Ugghh, I can't decide whether to go 3 or 4 wood! One of them will be in the bag though, especially after hearing people comparing then to the Rogue fairway performance.

I like the idea of the 4 wood 16.5* but @McLovin did a great sales job on the Mav Max 5 18* with it's easy launch characteristics and turf interaction.

 

[ttucliffhanger]

More coming in soon on these but Mavrik 5 wood. ?

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These fairways have me intrigued big time! Keep the reviews coming fellas! Loving them and your feedback about the clubs.

 

[erock9174]

why not order it to the preferred length and desired swing weight? Seems like an easy fix for a minor detail.

Last I checked Cally won’t accommodate for swing weight. Things may have changed though.

Oh and sorry guys for the length confusion. Lol
I should have been clearer on My original post. All fairway woods are too long for me these days. When I saw the new Mav specs pushing it even longer it bummed me out.

Good news is there are other options these days like the Super Hybrid and Wilson Fy for people wanting a FW type club in a shorter length.

 

[ttucliffhanger]

Ugghh, I can't decide whether to go 3 or 4 wood! One of them will be in the bag though, especially after hearing people comparing then to the Rogue fairway performance.

I never hit the rogue line but I know many people that stated they were a great line of fairway woods. This has me pondering hard!

 

[SirPercival]

I am thinking of going 3h and replace my 5 w. The mavrik max seems to be perfect. But I must admit I liked the look of the pro version better.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mikeg_74]

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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In the fairway woods department, this was an area that I was very excited to dig into both in Cali and once I got home. Having only previously played a 3w, the thought of getting a 5w and a 7w that could open up more options throughout the course, made me happy.

As I mentioned in my initial hybrid review, I didn’t have time to hit fairways at ECPC, but quickly hit them once on the course. As you’ve likely read and heard the past month, the 5w is the champion here, in my opinion. Having not played a 5w before, I don’t have direct comparisons, but it has been such an easy club to hit, and hit consistently.

I spent some time on the monitor last week with it, and here’s some averages:
Max 5w: carry 175 / total 187 / back spin 3700 / club speed 89 / ball speed 120

The beauty of this club (besides the color scheme) is that thanks to the low leading edge, there’s rarely an issue of getting under the ball cleanly. Super easy one to hit.

The Max 3w is another great club in this family. Most of the time I’m either hitting driver (par 4 or 5) or an iron on shorter holes, my 3w hasn’t been utilized as much as it would have in the past. I aim to continue to look for opportunities to use this one, but so far, it has been good. My previous 3w was the Cobra F7 and I’ve found the Max to be as stable, if not more, on off center hits. Which is the goal with the AI optimized face.

Due to inventory shortages, I was fit for a Max 7w, but have an Epic Flash 7w in hand. The Max will be shipped out as soon as possible, so I can compare numbers. I’ve included the EF 7w in the pics.

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(L to R: Max 5w, Max 3w, Max driver)
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Day 2 bump! A ton of great information here.

 

[mikeg_74]

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.

Day 2 Bump!!

 

[ttucliffhanger]

Really happy seeing so many options for FWs and hybrids. The MAX version is a great addition that I think many people will be surprised to see working the best for them.

Can't get away from staring at that orange, it's so nice to look at!!

Reading these reviews I'm very interested in the max as a fade is what I struggle with. Be interested to see how they would do for me.

 

[mikeg_74]

Last I checked Cally won’t accommodate for swing weight. Things may have changed though.

Oh and sorry guys for the length confusion. Lol
I should have been clearer on My original post. All fairway woods are too long for me these days. When I saw the new Mav specs pushing it even longer it bummed me out.

Good news is there are other options these days like the Super Hybrid and Wilson Fy for people wanting a FW type club in a shorter length.

I've had them adjust swing weight on my orders when needed, so I would try again if this line ends up working for you.

 

[mikeg_74]

Reading these reviews I'm very interested in the max as a fade is what I struggle with. Be interested to see how they would do for me.

I'll stand by my comment in my wrap up video with @JDax , these will be the stars of the release IMO. As much as the drivers will be game changers for many, the fairways will be better imo. I ordered a Max HW because that club is my get out of any situation solution, and this line makes it even that much easier.