Callaway XR16 Pro Fairway - THP Review

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First impressions of the XR Pro 16 fairway will revolve a lot around the design features as my indoor hitting session included a rather terrifying small hitting mat and a complete lack of confidence from myself to not destroy this piece of art. I'll expect to have actual thoughts on ball striking soon.

This is going to read a lot like a direct comparison to the X2hot pro and that's fine. It's been my gamer for nearly two years now and I adore it.

Head wise, I think the decision to move from the lighter grey colour in X2Hot to XR and beyond was a really positive change. It frames the ball well and frankly, looks angry in matte. Combine that with the subtle chevron on top, and it promotes that marginal addition of confidence that the head is placed properly behind the ball at address.

Shaft and swing weight in total seem to make a lot of sense. It's a manageable 43 inches long with about 75 grams committed to the shaft, making it balance exactly how I would expect a 'pro' or 'tour' head design throughout the swing.

Sound was a big one for me. There was something enjoyable about smashing an X2Hot pro right down the pipe that offered this subtle, low-end contact noise that really worked well for my senses, but that's changed in the last two releases to a more lively strike --- And I must say I enjoy it. Definitely a bit more sharp, and more robust when hit dead in the primary strike area. Will have to circle back on this, but I came away impressed today.

Again, I'll leave the performance for a later update. Just wanted to give my initial impressions and making some contact.
 
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The XR 16 pro fairway has been a solid experience thus far. I love the profile in total, but it's definitely a compact, player design - Making the ball appear a bit larger in front of the face. Speaking from personal experience, the addition of the alignment aid atop the face might actually make it appear smaller than the previous "X" lines from Callaway, but I don't think that's a bad thing at all. Still on that transition, I love the darker finish. It looks awesome.

For the flighting, I was pretty consistently in the 12-13 degree range off the tee, which means I'll see something a bit lower off the deck if i had to guess. Predictable spin rates for me, but nothing terrible, with a few in the lower 2k spin range, upwards of 3,750 or so on less than ideal swings.

I didn't see a to of wild turning of the ball offline, with my shots intended to be down the laying straying around 5 yards away from the center line. That said, I can easily launch that trap draw or fade off the line on command, which is something I fully expect at this point from the XR Pro line in general.

While I was on the monitor today, I got a chance to hit the 816 alpha fairway, and was a bit surprised to see my speed carry over from XR 16 Pro. I really expected the numbers to be 1-2mph faster, but really didn't get that experience at all which surprises me a lot. I also hit it against the 3+ non-pro version, which is a fairly neutral face design if memory serves me. Unfortunately I didn't jive with the shaft, but I must say it was a very nice transition between XR Pro and the 'Deep" models we know and love.

Sound is excellent. I touched on it earlier and stand by those thoughts indoors. We'll see how the sound carries over outside soon.
 
The XR 16 pro fairway has been a solid experience thus far. I love the profile in total, but it's definitely a compact, player design - Making the ball appear a bit larger in front of the face. Speaking from personal experience, the addition of the alignment aid atop the face might actually make it appear smaller than the previous "X" lines from Callaway, but I don't think that's a bad thing at all. Still on that transition, I love the darker finish. It looks awesome.

For the flighting, I was pretty consistently in the 12-13 degree range off the tee, which means I'll see something a bit lower off the deck if i had to guess. Predictable spin rates for me, but nothing terrible, with a few in the lower 2k spin range, upwards of 3,750 or so on less than ideal swings.

I didn't see a to of wild turning of the ball offline, with my shots intended to be down the laying straying around 5 yards away from the center line. That said, I can easily launch that trap draw or fade off the line on command, which is something I fully expect at this point from the XR Pro line in general.

While I was on the monitor today, I got a chance to hit the 816 alpha fairway, and was a bit surprised to see my speed carry over from XR 16 Pro. I really expected the numbers to be 1-2mph faster, but really didn't get that experience at all which surprises me a lot. I also hit it against the 3+ non-pro version, which is a fairly neutral face design if memory serves me. Unfortunately I didn't jive with the shaft, but I must say it was a very nice transition between XR Pro and the 'Deep" models we know and love.

Sound is excellent. I touched on it earlier and stand by those thoughts indoors. We'll see how the sound carries over outside soon.

I have this enroute and I'm very excited.
 
Having Stenson switch to this makes me EXTREMELY curious to try it.
 
Just got my 14 degree today and she is gorgeous from the top. I should have waited till tomorrow to regrip. Went to the range and the grip was still a tad wet. Just looking down at the club and it gave me confidence. Looks like it's easy to get the ball airborne but also looks like she'll be a winner off the tee as well. Will try and get out tomorrow.

7B2C5B1A-8C00-4A36-BA25-8FB8D2BF2C77_zpslhtpr851.jpg
 
Just got my 14 degree today and she is gorgeous from the top. I should have waited till tomorrow to regrip. Went to the range and the grip was still a tad wet. Just looking down at the club and it gave me confidence. Looks like it's easy to get the ball airborne but also looks like she'll be a winner off the tee as well. Will try and get out tomorrow.

7B2C5B1A-8C00-4A36-BA25-8FB8D2BF2C77_zpslhtpr851.jpg

I think a storm trooper headcover would be perfect for that club and its owner. Hit it well my friend.


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Canadan,
Can you speak to really how it compares to your X2 Hot and also how it compares to the 816 also. Thanks.


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Canadan,
Can you speak to really how it compares to your X2 Hot and also how it compares to the 816 also. Thanks.


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I'll have a ton of thoughts on this very thing by the end of the weekend. Not overly confident right now about it and want to confirm some thoughts on course.
 
I didn't get much of a workout with this thing but it definitely has a fade bias.
 
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This will be getting an on course workout this weekend with some depth of info coming on how it performs off the tee, and off the deck. The Skytrak seems to do a decent job of tracking non-teed numbers, and it generated some fairly consistent numbers on the XR 16 Pro fairway, despite my clearly incorrect unit placing.

XR%2016%20Pro%20off%20the%20deck%202-M.png


I'll take 245 in the air any day, especially with a stock shaft (I tend to get a bit shorter with my extra spin). Most shots hit very straight on the Skytrak, and I'll be monitoring all of that in greater depth when I can take it on course this weekend.

The sound is excellent. Profile on the ball frames well, and that deep dark matte looks fantastic behind the ball. I noticed the stock shaft really loading well on the downswing into the ball, which surprised me a little bit. By no means is this a bad thing, just worthy of conversation.

Will also need to wait on the mis-hit conversation. It seems to be quite grooved at this point.

XR%2016%20Pro%20face-M.png
 
Love the matte black crown.
 
Good write-ups as I am very interested in this thread.


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As I had predicted after my monitor testing, I got better results overall with this head off a low set tee than what the numbers were suggesting. I think I could optimize a bit with spin (which is very common) for me, but I could easily game this in a stock setup without feeling like I was missing a lot. For many who try the stock setup, you'll love the way the shaft torque plays into contact. It really promotes that loading sensation.

The flight is a nice mid for me (which might be deemed mid-high for others). I hit it twice today on course, once for contact, and once to hit a draw around the corner. Both were on a neutral wind (left to right, not in the face), and both did exactly as I had expected they would. Unfortunately I was only able to get a number on the first, which was 252 in the air (ball beside divot). That's maybe a touch shorter than what I would expect out of a strong 3 wood, but hard to compete with the X2Hot with a fit-for-me shaft in it.

The sound is so good and clean. A little livelier than i am used to in the "X" lineup but I think a change that can be considered improved.

I intend to hit it a fair bit more tomorrow and will update again in the evening. Not usually my game, but I plan to hit it off the deck as well to really test out the great looking sole elements. Let me know if you have any questions or thoughts I can consider.
 
How would you compare this club to TM RBZ 2?
 
I demo'd the XR Pro 16 fairway in 16 degree model yesterday. I love the look, the stock shaft, and the feel of this thing. I didn't get to hit the 14 degree, but the 16 traveled about what I thought and was very accurate. My next 3 will be this one for sure.
 
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How would you compare this club to TM RBZ 2?

The stage 2? It's been a couple years since I hit that head so that's really tough. I'd have a better time drawing a comparison to the tour model as this head is a lot more compact than the standard XR 16, probably similar to how the RBZ vs RBZ tour would be.
 
I hit this yesterday and liked it but not as much as my XR Pro 4 wood from last year. The club head seems as good as last years but I don't like the stock shaft as well as the Tour Green I'm playing. It's too bad the Tour Green is now a $110 upcharge after being no charge last year.
 
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I hit this yesterday and liked it but not as much as my XR Pro 4 wood from last year. The club head seems as good as last years but I don't like the stock shaft as well as the Tour Green I'm playing. It's too bad the Tour Green is now a $110 upcharge after being no charge last year.

...it's a no upcharge if you buy it, pull the one from last year, and use that!!!
 
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Well, it's really not my game, but I know a lot of golfers thrive on the 3 wood off the deck. With that in mind, I hit it a few times today, and you definitely won't be disappointed. Two straight holes I clean, flushed feedback contact on the face that absolutely rocketed the ball forward with mid-high to high flighting (I expect most golfers will see a mid launch off the deck). The second of the two was a tight little draw off the wind from 230 that I absolutely pounded.

The head seems to get low enough to make solid contact, but not so low that the head encourages driving through the turf. My experiences showed nice ground disturbance but nothing that would allow me to actually replace a divot (aside from using sand of course). I can't pinpoint it obviously, but I find it slightly easier than previous models, and it could very well be because of the new sole cambers build into the design.

I don't think there's a stock shape for the XR 16 Pro Fairway, because I've hit it both ways -- And I think that's a strong benefit for those golfers who enjoy working the ball. My best shots were actually quite straight in total, although like many of the Callaway "X pro" offerings of previous years, my ball most commonly turns left off center if it goes anywhere other than straight.

What shocked me in total, was how much I could retain my line while way out on the toe. It's something I battle with my gamer X2Hot, where toe shots drive the ball hard left in a sweeping draw motion off my line. Researching into XR 16 pro should take away any surprise, as they have managed to lower the CG while increasing the MOI both when changing lofts and face angle -- And this is something I saw clear as day today, after hitting a few way out on the toe.

Not bad for a head that is nearly 25cc smaller than the regular XR 16 fairway.
 
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As I had predicted after my monitor testing, I got better results overall with this head off a low set tee than what the numbers were suggesting. I think I could optimize a bit with spin (which is very common) for me, but I could easily game this in a stock setup without feeling like I was missing a lot. For many who try the stock setup, you'll love the way the shaft torque plays into contact. It really promotes that loading sensation.

The flight is a nice mid for me (which might be deemed mid-high for others). I hit it twice today on course, once for contact, and once to hit a draw around the corner. Both were on a neutral wind (left to right, not in the face), and both did exactly as I had expected they would. Unfortunately I was only able to get a number on the first, which was 252 in the air (ball beside divot). That's maybe a touch shorter than what I would expect out of a strong 3 wood, but hard to compete with the X2Hot with a fit-for-me shaft in it.

The sound is so good and clean. A little livelier than i am used to in the "X" lineup but I think a change that can be considered improved.

I intend to hit it a fair bit more tomorrow and will update again in the evening. Not usually my game, but I plan to hit it off the deck as well to really test out the great looking sole elements. Let me know if you have any questions or thoughts I can consider.
Well, it's really not my game, but I know a lot of golfers thrive on the 3 wood off the deck. With that in mind, I hit it a few times today, and you definitely won't be disappointed. Two straight holes I clean, flushed feedback contact on the face that absolutely rocketed the ball forward with mid-high to high flighting (I expect most golfers will see a mid launch off the deck). The second of the two was a tight little draw off the wind from 230 that I absolutely pounded.

The head seems to get low enough to make solid contact, but not so low that the head encourages driving through the turf. My experiences showed nice ground disturbance but nothing that would allow me to actually replace a divot (aside from using sand of course). I can't pinpoint it obviously, but I find it slightly easier than previous models, and it could very well be because of the new sole cambers build into the design.

I don't think there's a stock shape for the XR 16 Pro Fairway, because I've hit it both ways -- And I think that's a strong benefit for those golfers who enjoy working the ball. My best shots were actually quite straight in total, although like many of the Callaway "X pro" offerings of previous years, my ball most commonly turns left off center if it goes anywhere other than straight.

What shocked me in total, was how much I could retain my line while way out on the toe. It's something I battle with my gamer X2Hot, where toe shots drive the ball hard left in a sweeping draw motion off my line. Researching into XR 16 pro should take away any surprise, as they have managed to lower the CG while increasing the MOI both when changing lofts and face angle -- And this is something I saw clear as day today, after hitting a few way out on the toe.

Not bad for a head that is nearly 25cc smaller than the regular XR 16 fairway.

Going to bump these for the morning crowd and anyone interested in some thoughts on XR 16 pro.
 
Saw and hit this today for the first time. Best looking fairway wood I have seen in years, have been waiting for the chevron logo on top of a Pro head for a while, and the way they do it on this being raised looks so clean. Perfect head shape, loved it off the ground and off the tee. Will be heading into my bag!
 
Thanks for the great review so far, not much out there on these yet. I have a 16 degree pro coming in a few days with the stock Evo II x. I had it in my 816 DBD for a while and was surprised how much I enjoyed it. A little too much spin for me with the driver but I like a little more in my 3 wood.

I got along really well with the 2x hot pro fairway and hybrids. Two of my fav's. Looking forward to putting this one in play.
 
I had my first round today with my XR16 Pro 4 wood that's a warranty replacement for my XR Pro 4 wood. I honestly didn't think the performance was any different than last years XR Pro but I only hit it 3 times on the course, once off the tee and twice on par 5's. I was able to carry a 233 yard water hazard on an approach shot to a par 5 with a slightly thin miss so the forgiveness is certainly there. Some might prefer the shallower face of the regular XR16 head but I'm a high ball hitter and had no problems hitting this 4 wood off the deck.
 
I had my first round today with my XR16 Pro 4 wood that's a warranty replacement for my XR Pro 4 wood. I honestly didn't think the performance was any different than last years XR Pro but I only hit it 3 times on the course, once off the tee and twice on par 5's. I was able to carry a 233 yard water hazard on an approach shot to a par 5 with a slightly thin miss so the forgiveness is certainly there. Some might prefer the shallower face of the regular XR16 head but I'm a high ball hitter and had no problems hitting this 4 wood off the deck.
What happened to your old one?
 
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