Callaway XR Driver Review Thread

Stenson must really like the XR because he usually will stick with what's working already.
 
I have this driver on the brain big time. Yesterday at the Live driver testing, it was the big winner form the Launch monitor, my numbers were really really good with it. The results on the course did nothing to temper my excitement. I was seeing good but speed with all drivers, but typically struggle with launching the ball low, between 8-10*, and lose distance because of this. My launch numbers were around 13 with this, which obviously brought my carry numbers up considerably. My spin numbers were really good as well, mostly below 3000. What I was most impressed with was the forgiveness low on the face. I had one that I would have expected to been a low ball flight between 220-230 yards, but instead it got up in the air nicely and still managed 245. This ball was close to being topped. For someone like me who tends to miss low that is huge.

I went to Dicks today and hit the G30, XR and Vapor Pro on the simulator, and saw nothing to change my mind about this driver. Launch was consistently higher than those 3, between 10-15 for the XR compared to 7-13 for all of the rest. Carry distance was about 5-10 yards better as well.

The only concern was dispersion, the Vapor Pro was the big winner there. The XR wasn't bad but it tended to get left on me every now and then. Not sure how much I trust the simulator in respect to that however.

Ponder is active.
 
I have this driver on the brain big time. Yesterday at the Live driver testing, it was the big winner form the Launch monitor, my numbers were really really good with it. The results on the course did nothing to temper my excitement. I was seeing good but speed with all drivers, but typically struggle with launching the ball low, between 8-10*, and lose distance because of this. My launch numbers were around 13 with this, which obviously brought my carry numbers up considerably. My spin numbers were really good as well, mostly below 3000. What I was most impressed with was the forgiveness low on the face. I had one that I would have expected to been a low ball flight between 220-230 yards, but instead it got up in the air nicely and still managed 245. This ball was close to being topped. For someone like me who tends to miss low that is huge.

I went to Dicks today and hit the G30, XR and Vapor Pro on the simulator, and saw nothing to change my mind about this driver. Launch was consistently higher than those 3, between 10-15 for the XR compared to 7-13 for all of the rest. Carry distance was about 5-10 yards better as well.

The only concern was dispersion, the Vapor Pro was the big winner there. The XR wasn't bad but it tended to get left on me every now and then. Not sure how much I trust the simulator in respect to that however.

Ponder is active.

Good problem to have indeed.

And to think this driver wasn't even on my radar until I tried it in GG the other day because it was one of the few demo drivers they had out.

Now it's at the top of my list.
 
In another news, if you demo one of these at Dicks right now you get a nifty coin.
e48b617fb6d6d7b0d29096e6b0ae9167.jpg
 
On the range right now hitting the XR for the first time. First few shots flew a little higher than I like. current setting is stock 10.5. after a little adjustment Im starting to see a better ball flight and man is this thing long. Shots are hitting the back fence on the fly which is about 240 out.

The sound is a bit louder that my SLDR S. I also really need a mid size grip.

Now that I'm at my computer and can type a little better I thought I would add some follow up to this.

I lowered the loft to 9.5 and I was still getting some really high shots which were defiantly losing distance. I found myself really trying to get the shaft forward at impact to get the ball down. When I was able to do this the ball was crushed. I just don't like having to do that.

Forgiveness was great. I sometimes will catch it off the toe with my driver and I wasn't really punished with these shots.

Sometime this week I'm going to try to get down to Roger Dunn and get some numbers. I really think I'm getting some huge spin off this which is causing the high ball flight.
 
Now that I'm at my computer and can type a little better I thought I would add some follow up to this.

I lowered the loft to 9.5 and I was still getting some really high shots which were defiantly losing distance. I found myself really trying to get the shaft forward at impact to get the ball down. When I was able to do this the ball was crushed. I just don't like having to do that.

Forgiveness was great. I sometimes will catch it off the toe with my driver and I wasn't really punished with these shots.

Sometime this week I'm going to try to get down to Roger Dunn and get some numbers. I really think I'm getting some huge spin off this which is causing the high ball flight.

I had a very high flight with the XR driver, especially on hard swings, the couple times I tested it outside with the Project X LZ shaft. I also had this problem with the LZ shaft in the XR Pro fairway 16* when I demoed it. For me the Aldila Tour Green X flex in the XR Pro fairway had the perfect flight and I ordered one last week with this shaft. I love the XR driver head but also want to try the XR Pro head before I decide if I'm going to get one of these.
 
For you guys that are claiming this thing needs to be delofted to be manageable, what numbers are you talking about or seeing. I know it spins a bit much for me, but I am only seeing 5-10 yards on pure strikes, but the minor loss in distance is made up for with a lot more fairways hit.
 
I took the XR to the course for the first time yesterday. Some of my initial impressions from the range were confirmed, but some also changed. Right now, I think it's safe to say that the honeymoon period is over and the adjustment period has begun. I don't mean that in a bad way though because there is a lot to like. But it is definitely going to be an adjustment for me. Here are some specifics:

Feel/Ball Flight/Consistency. Overall, I really think that the combo of the XR head and the Project X LZ shaft is a great feeling one. But coming from a 72g shaft to a 56g shaft, I struggled mightily with my tempo yesterday, which led to a lack of consistency. On some shots, I saw a nice boring ball flight with decent distance. On other shots, I definitely saw the high launch that others have experienced. In fact, I saw that more often than not. I'm not at all opposed to a nice high trajectory, but these were moon balls, a lot of which tended to balloon and lose significant distance. I suspect that a good bit of it was tempo related, but it did seem to happen several time on center strikes for me. I'm going to adjust the loft down to 8* next time out and see if that helps. I also saw better results on one shot where I consciously teed the ball slightly lower and choked down about an inch. I didn't manage to figure that out until near the end of the round, so I'll probably work with that a bit more too.

Consistency-wise, one thing that was pretty solid was dispersion. I hit one pull hook, but that was all me. Every other drive I hit was in the fairway or very close. This just seems like an easy club to hit straight.

Distance. This is where I saw the most inconsistency. I had two or three drives with what I'd consider very good distance. Neither was quite as good carry-wise or in total distance as what I've been seeing with my X2Hot Pro, but certainly nothing to complain about. I did have a number of drives that were significantly shorter than what I'm used to though. A few were balloon shots that were short enough to be quite punishing, which is something I simply haven't had to deal with the X2Hot Pro. As described above, I suspect very strongly that those shots were the result of me adjusting to a much lighter club, but whatever the cause, I had a number of them. I also had several drives that seemed pretty well-struck (maybe not center strikes, but not horrible either) that just didn't seem to carry like I would have expected. On the other hand, I had two drives that I hit slightly thin that ended up longer than I would have expected. Short story: distance was all over the map for me.

My dad also played with the XR yesterday though and hit some of the longest drives I've seen him hit in years with it. Which emphasizes to me that the problems I saw were probably based a lot more on how I get along with light drivers (traditionally, not well) than the club itself.

Forgiveness. This is an area where my thoughts haven't changed. It really does seem very forgiving across the face. I saw the forgiveness primarily on thin shots, but my dad hit one off the toe that went further than his normal drives. I have not done any specific testing, but my impression is that forgiveness off the toe may be somewhat better than off the heel.

Overall. Despite my struggles yesterday, I still think this is a great driver that a ton of people will really get along with. Right now, my thoughts are a lot like fupresti's. I think this is unlikely to be the longest driver for me, but it is very easy to hit straight. As a light driver, I'm not sure it will end up being an idea fit for my swing/tempo, but that also remains to be seen. If I can get adjusted and find some more consistency, this could be an absolutely terrific performer for me. Basically, if I can dial in some consistent distance and lose the balloon shots, I'll be all set because the consistent dispersion seems to already be there.

I'm going to get back out there and get the XR dialed in as soon as I can. Next time, I'll almost definitely be adjusting the loft to 8*, choking down some, and teeing the ball just slightly lower. If anyone has any specific questions or things they'd like me to try, throw them out there.
 
I have not had the chance to get an exact loss number yet but I'm guessing at least 20 yds. This is based on the distance from the fence at the driving range. The ball has a very high flight. Too high for my liking. I wish you could lower the loft more than 1 degree.
 
I have not had the chance to get an exact loss number yet but I'm guessing at least 20 yds. This is based on the distance from the fence at the driving range. The ball has a very high flight. Too high for my liking. I wish you could lower the loft more than 1 degree.

I would get some real numbers before you form an opinion that may effect your view of the performance. Fences and range balls arent a great barometer of performance.
 
I would get some real numbers before you form an opinion that may effect your view of the performance. Fences and range balls arent a great barometer of performance.
I'm quite aware of how the range differs from the course thanks. I was giving my opinion based on my range session compared to my SLDR S. If you don't find my information informative to you then don't read.it.
 
Im a bit surprised so many are saying they are losing distance with the standard shaft. One of the most talked about and raved about shafts on THP the last 12 months and a head that is super forgiving. It is what it is, and everybody is going to be different.
 
I'm quite aware of how the range differs from the course thanks. I was giving my opion based on my range session compared to my SLDR S. If you don't find my information informative to you then don't read.it.

Sorry for the feedback teammate. Just trying to keep the outlook positive going into the event where we will all be playing it.
 
Sorry for the feedback teammate. Just trying to keep the outlook positive going into the event where we will all be playing it.
My outlook is positive. I'm trying to give my honest feedback as we were asked to do. Each of us have different swings and will see different results.
 
Im a bit surprised so many are saying they are losing distance with the standard shaft. One of the most talked about and raved about shafts on THP the last 12 months and a head that is super forgiving. It is what it is, and everybody is going to be different.

I wouldn't mind seeing some shaft/shaft comparisons between their gamers and the LZ in the XR head.

It's hard to experience LZ with an open mind. There is a very obvious feeling of the shaft driving through the zone that may not be as noticeable in some of the shafts available today. People tend to fear change (sometimes for good reason) but I respect the idea that it's another element in trying to really understand XR as a whole.

Personally, I think the shaft loading through the zone is a breath of fresh air.
 
I wouldn't mind seeing some shaft/shaft comparisons between their gamers and the LZ in the XR head.

It's hard to experience LZ with an open mind. There is a very obvious feeling of the shaft driving through the zone that may not be as noticeable in some of the shafts available today. People tend to fear change (sometimes for good reason) but I respect the idea that it's another element in trying to really understand XR as a whole.

Personally, I think the shaft loading through the zone is a breath of fresh air.

If the shaft said Handcrafted on it the feedback and performance would subjectively improve, even though its the same shaft performance wise.
 
I have not had the chance to get an exact loss number yet but I'm guessing at least 20 yds. This is based on the distance from the fence at the driving range. The ball has a very high flight. Too high for my liking. I wish you could lower the loft more than 1 degree.

I'd love to hear more about the launch you're enjoying c-mac! See if you can get us some numbers soon.

It's always interesting to hear the different perceptions of what is ideal launch height and what we prefer.
 
If the shaft said Handcrafted on it the feedback and performance would subjectively improve, even though its the same shaft performance wise.

Unless I missed something in translation, I believe the profiles of the two really aren't all that different. One just happens to be rolled in CA.

Maybe it's a prestige thing... I know the handcrafted shafts are all kinds of sweet, but the tech is still very much there in LZ.
 
I wouldn't mind seeing some shaft/shaft comparisons between their gamers and the LZ in the XR head.

It's hard to experience LZ with an open mind. There is a very obvious feeling of the shaft driving through the zone that may not be as noticeable in some of the shafts available today. People tend to fear change (sometimes for good reason) but I respect the idea that it's another element in trying to really understand XR as a whole.

Personally, I think the shaft loading through the zone is a breath of fresh air.

Dan - as soon as I can, I'll try to swap shafts and stick my Whiteboard in the XR and the LZ in the X2Hot Pro give some feedback on that. Edit to add that I'll see if I can do it at lunch some day this week so I can head over to a simulator and get some numbers.

For me, it's certainly not a case of disliking the LZ at all. I think both the XR head and LZ look and feel great. I hope I didn't give any other impression. I truly think it's just an adjustment period as I get used to the club. During my first range session, it seemed to me that the XR was just as long or maybe even longer than the X2Hot Pro I've been playing. On the course, that didn't turn out to be the case but I really felt that it was largely a tempo thing. That said, for me, it did not appear that my best drives with the XR were quite as long as my best drives with the X2Hot Pro. But this is really just a first test for me, so I wouldn't expect the results to be conclusive by any means. We'll see what happens when I move the XR down to 8* and spend some more time with it.
 
I've tested this driver on more than one occasion and I understand where people are seeing the distance loss but I believe it has to do with playing a shaft that is too soft for them. Personally, I've been playing a Fuji Pro 63s and speeder 661s which were alot stiffer overall than the stock shaft in the XR. Once I dialed back having to swing harder/faster for a more controlled smooth swing, the XR really showed it's might. Most drives where I swung harder, the flight was high and right. Once I dialed it back and smoothed it out, the flight was mid/high with nice draw that ran out perfectly. Even when swinging for a fade/cut shot, with a controlled swing the flight never ballooned or got away from me. I do believe the stock shaft plays a bit "softer" but in my case it was good.
 
I've tested this driver on more than one occasion and I understand where people are seeing the distance loss but I believe it has to do with playing a shaft that is too soft for them. Personally, I've been playing a Fuji Pro 63s and speeder 661s which were alot stiffer overall than the stock shaft in the XR. Once I dialed back having to swing harder/faster for a more controlled smooth swing, the XR really showed it's might. Most drives where I swung harder, the flight was high and right. Once I dialed it back and smoothed it out, the flight was mid/high with nice draw that ran out perfectly. Even when swinging for a fade/cut shot, with a controlled swing the flight never ballooned or got away from me. I do believe the stock shaft plays a bit "softer" but in my case it was good.

I think that the idea behind LZ is making it feel softer to flex, but its not really the case. I frequencied mine and a 6.0 definitely is falling in the category of stiff.
 
I've tested this driver on more than one occasion and I understand where people are seeing the distance loss but I believe it has to do with playing a shaft that is too soft for them. Personally, I've been playing a Fuji Pro 63s and speeder 661s which were alot stiffer overall than the stock shaft in the XR. Once I dialed back having to swing harder/faster for a more controlled smooth swing, the XR really showed it's might. Most drives where I swung harder, the flight was high and right. Once I dialed it back and smoothed it out, the flight was mid/high with nice draw that ran out perfectly. Even when swinging for a fade/cut shot, with a controlled swing the flight never ballooned or got away from me. I do believe the stock shaft plays a bit "softer" but in my case it was good.

I agree with you on this. I got the stiff shaft and find it is softer feel than my Fujikura on my SLDR S.
 
I've tested this driver on more than one occasion and I understand where people are seeing the distance loss but I believe it has to do with playing a shaft that is too soft for them. Personally, I've been playing a Fuji Pro 63s and speeder 661s which were alot stiffer overall than the stock shaft in the XR. Once I dialed back having to swing harder/faster for a more controlled smooth swing, the XR really showed it's might. Most drives where I swung harder, the flight was high and right. Once I dialed it back and smoothed it out, the flight was mid/high with nice draw that ran out perfectly. Even when swinging for a fade/cut shot, with a controlled swing the flight never ballooned or got away from me. I do believe the stock shaft plays a bit "softer" but in my case it was good.

I didn't see that at all, I was swinging the stock 6.0 and ball speed was between in the high 150's to low 160s, and the stock shaft was holding up just fine. I am a low launch player, and the head definitely helped me get the launch up but the swing was not high, no matter how much of a cut I took at it. Clubs are funny that way though.
 
Dan - as soon as I can, I'll try to swap shafts and stick my Whiteboard in the XR and the LZ in the X2Hot Pro give some feedback on that. Edit to add that I'll see if I can do it at lunch some day this week so I can head over to a simulator and get some numbers.

For me, it's certainly not a case of disliking the LZ at all. I think both the XR head and LZ look and feel great. I hope I didn't give any other impression. I truly think it's just an adjustment period as I get used to the club. During my first range session, it seemed to me that the XR was just as long or maybe even longer than the X2Hot Pro I've been playing. On the course, that didn't turn out to be the case but I really felt that it was largely a tempo thing. That said, for me, it did not appear that my best drives with the XR were quite as long as my best drives with the X2Hot Pro. But this is really just a first test for me, so I wouldn't expect the results to be conclusive by any means. We'll see what happens when I move the XR down to 8* and spend some more time with it.

No impressions here, just a guy very curious for everyone demoing! I can see the transition between whiteboard to LZ being a notable one, but try to look past the way the shaft feels in the hands (in my opinion for the better than a majority of similar shaft profiles) and focus on the results. Can't wait to see yours dude!

I've tested this driver on more than one occasion and I understand where people are seeing the distance loss but I believe it has to do with playing a shaft that is too soft for them. Personally, I've been playing a Fuji Pro 63s and speeder 661s which were alot stiffer overall than the stock shaft in the XR. Once I dialed back having to swing harder/faster for a more controlled smooth swing, the XR really showed it's might. Most drives where I swung harder, the flight was high and right. Once I dialed it back and smoothed it out, the flight was mid/high with nice draw that ran out perfectly. Even when swinging for a fade/cut shot, with a controlled swing the flight never ballooned or got away from me. I do believe the stock shaft plays a bit "softer" but in my case it was good.

That's the LZ doing exactly as it was intended. I experienced much the same with a few other shafts over the years, where material or tech creates the loading feeling of a softer flex, yet staying true to frequency. I've seen and heard the opposite end of the spectrum as well, where people claim shafts are super stiff but in reality they are just harsh to load.
 
No impressions here, just a guy very curious for everyone demoing! I can see the transition between whiteboard to LZ being a notable one, but try to look past the way the shaft feels in the hands (in my opinion for the better than a majority of similar shaft profiles) and focus on the results. Can't wait to see yours dude!



That's the LZ doing exactly as it was intended. I experienced much the same with a few other shafts over the years, where material or tech creates the loading feeling of a softer flex, yet staying true to frequency. I've seen and heard the opposite end of the spectrum as well, where people claim shafts are super stiff but in reality they are just harsh to load.

this is exactly how I've been lately with driver shafts. I actually just tested a handcraft 6.0s in another driver and while the driver head did not fit me, the shaft was great. Compared to the stock LZ in the XR, the handcrafted wasn't as smooth but definitely didn't require too much effort to load and get the same feeling I experienced demoing the XR. And I definitely agree with the wording of "harsh" to describe some other shafts that don't feel my swing tempo.
 
Back
Top