Though others have attempted to replicate it, when it comes to forum testing, no one has ever done it like THP. Even with the most thorough and detail oriented Staff Writers in the industry, we know that putting products into the hands of everyday golfers brings another level of depth and feedback into the equation. Fortunately, THP is also armed with the most passionate members of any golf community on the internet.
Recently members of our community have completed an eight week product testing opportunity where THP joined forces with Callaway Golf to put ELYTE Fairway Woods into the hands of seven of our forum members as well as one Staff Writer. Each tester was able to select from the ELYTE, X, or Triple Diamond 3-Wood with the standard shaft of their choosing.
Callaway Golf believes the ELYTE fairway lineup to be revolutionary in the segment, seeking to create complete options which bring playability and speed from all situations like never seen before. Showcasing technology like the Tungsten Speed Wave and integration of the Step Sole into a fairway design for the first time, the varying skill sets, and swing speeds of our testing group proved to be the perfect situation to put every model through its paces.
Don’t just take our word for it though, not only can you check out the long term feedback recorded during the testing period here but we also asked asked each reviewer to highlight their findings in a one-shot breakdown which you can read below:
Callaway ELYTE Fairway Wood Testers
Mmaynard11 – forum member from Florida
Club Tested: ELYTE X 3W
Confidence is a huge aspect with the game of golf. Not having it will leave you with circling thoughts in your mind and cause frustration. The Elyte X 3W changed everything about confidence in the top section of my bag and has taken a penalizing miss, low off the face and allowed me to stay in the hole looking at par or better. With the Tungsten Speed Wave, the results from these misses have been met with a chuckle or joyful four letter response. The technology is legit and 95% of the time leaves you in an area that should not be possible.
The Tungsten Speed Wave is not the only thing I find myself raving about. As a previous swinger of 3w’s that would leave the best excavator jealous is no more. The Step Sole has provided confidence that the club in hand will interact with the turf in a way which won’t leave the local grounds keeper looking for me.
If you struggle with misses low off the face or have poor interaction with the turf with 3w in hand I beg you to try these for yourself! You will be amazed and a become a true believer!
Jeff Spicoli – forum member from South Carolina
Club Tested: ELYTE Triple Diamond 3W
Knowing that I don’t need a perfect swing to get a great result with the Elyte TD has been a huge boost to my confidence with the 3w. Where the Elyte stands out most is when I miss it low on the face. The low miss is one of my tendencies and I have been bailed out many times during testing. I’ve seen positive result after positive result on swings where I don’t think I’ve necessarily deserved them based on how low the contact was on the face.
Finding a 3w that I can trust off tee, deck, and most importantly, when I need to find a fairway, is not an easy task. So, when I do find a 3w that checks all those boxes, I know it’s a special club!
As someone who was already comfortable hitting a fairway wood off the turf, I was surprised by how smooth and easy contact is off the deck with the Elyte. I have not experienced any of the twisting or skidding I would expect from less-than-ideal lies or strikes. I would strongly mention the Elyte fairway to be the first place someone looks if you have issues hitting a fairway wood off the deck or find yourself hitting that shot multiple times per round.
I would also recommend the Elyte fairway for someone who, like me, uses less than driver off the tee a handful of times per round. The Elyte TD does an incredible job of keeping the spin low, provides a flat trajectory, and has enough forgiveness where it is not intimidating to hit when the pressure is on.
Jtubb17 – forum member from California
Club Tested: ELYTE X 3W
The Elyte X 3w didn’t just earn a spot in my bag, it earned my trust. What stood out wasn’t the performance on perfect swings, but how consistently it showed up when the swing wasn’t perfect. Low on the face strikes which used to be punished were still launching with purpose and carrying with confidence thanks to the Tungsten Speed Wave.
The Step Sole gave me clean turf interaction from lies that used to make me second guess pulling fairway wood at all. Tight, downhill, even soggy. This club erased fear and replaced it with freedom. I came into this testing period unsure if I could ever truly rely on a 3w. I’m leaving it with one that feels like an old friend. Always ready, always dependable, and capable of shots I didn’t know I had.
MikeG – forum member from Texas
Club Tested: ELYTE 3W
Fairway woods are unique and not for everybody. When a new one hits the market those that love fairways sit up in their chair and pay attention. Those that have a love hate relationship, sit back and wait to see if the hype is real.
The Elyte 3W takes all the previous biases and throws them out the window. We often talk about “Evolution” versus “Revolution” with new equipment, well, I can say the Elyte fairways are a revolution to the space they occupy. With the Tungsten Speed Wave helping to retain ball speed away from center and low on the face, the Elyte 3W offers the playability and forgiveness I personally need and welcome. Combine that with the Step Sole and you have a tendem that will reward center strikes as expected while also allowing not so efficient swings to provide results better than we deserve.
The Elyte line of fairways offer something for a broad range of golfers. They will surprise even the most ardent fairway lover and convert a few of the more reticent players. Give them a try and you might be surprised.
DoubleB21 – forum member from Arizona
Club Tested: ELYTE 3W
The Step Sole might be the best addition to a Fairway wood line ever! There is no need for me to fear having a Fairway wood in the bag anymore. The reduced drag the step sole provides gives me cleaner contact from all lies as well as on a not so perfect swing the result is playable, and the distance exceeds what I would expect. Combine the Step Sole with the Tungsten speed wave and you have great speed retention and a super easy launch angle that provides forgiveness not usually seen in a 3W. The Elyte 3W is hands down the easiest to hit that I have owned. The Callaway Elyte line of woods is exceptional.
Jank – forum member from Texas
Club Tested: ELYTE 3W
Simply put, the tech in the Elyte fairway woods is as advertised. The Step Sole helps the club glide through just about any lie and the Tungsten Speed Wave helps the ball get out there when the strike is low on the face, as us amateurs are all too familiar with. This fairway wood is versatile, incredibly easy to hit and elevate, and inspires confidence in the top of the bag whether utilized off the deck or off of a tee.
The Elyte fairway wood has saved me when my driver gets wayward and definitely helps me keep the ball in play. It’s honestly as close to aim and shoot that I have in the bag, which helps me salvage some scores when the swing is not as intended on the day. The Elyte fairway wood is just plain fun to hit, and I know that I will put a good strike on the ball with even a halfway decent swing.
Bsbmike – forum member from Rhode Island
Club Tested: ELYTE Triple Diamond 3W
I have been testing the Elyte Triple Diamond 3 wood for a couple of months now. Upon receiving my 3 wood and reading through some of the tech, I was skeptical. There was big talk of the tungsten speed wave designed to promote fast ball speeds and specifically enhance misses low on the face. I, like a lot of players, tend to miss low on a fairway wood if I am going to have a typical miss. Before the Elyte Triple Diamond, these low hits would tend to lead to very low flights with not a lot of carry.
Although I had read people feeling like their fairway wood lives were changed by this tech, I was still hesitant that it could really be that good. That was until I had my first mis-hit on the course.
I have always shied away from pulling out 3-wood into a par 5 because of my miss. It has often gotten me into trouble or left me in less-than-ideal situations. But that miss with the Elyte was different. It wasn’t as high as a pure strike, but it was still what I would call a mid-flight. It carried close to what I thought would be a normal distance and ended up greenside in a great spot to get up and down for birdie. Amazingly, a pure shot from the same location ended up side by side with the miss. THIS is where this fairway shines. A triple diamond model having help built in for mis-hits? This plays as easy as a more forgiving model in previous generations.
I hate to sound inflated or theatrical, but after these weeks of testing the Triple Diamond has re-ignited confidence in fairway woods for me. The Elyte line of fairways is the best I’ve ever hit, hands down. It’s easy to launch high, the tungsten speed wave makes it playable on low off the face mis-hits, and the step sole makes this club easy to navigate the turf no matter the situation. Wet, dry, short grass, longer grass, it doesn’t matter. I feel confident every time I pull this club and the results are what fuels that confidence.
Jman – Staff Writer and forum member from Oklahoma
Club Tested: ELYTE Triple Diamond 3W
Honestly, it feels almost like voodoo at times, yielding performance which is hard to believe given the swing put onto the ball. When it comes to fairway woods, Elyte changes everything.
Over the years, the journey which companies have gone on when it comes to fairway woods has been an interesting one. More than anywhere else in the bag, fairways have been an all or nothing thing. Either designs are all-in on maximizing distance as the cost of versatility, or they maximize precision at the cost of power. Callaway has been working hard to crack that code and bring the two worlds together.
With the Triple Diamond, the proof was in the pudding, so to speak. As a golfer who predominantly uses 3-wood off the tee, the Elyte version maintains the power which the TD fairways are known for. The true surprise though came in using the club from the turf, the unique contour of the Step Sole allowed for a much more aggressive move into the ball without fear of drag or digging.
While that brought much easier launch, the Tungsten Speed Wave kept the power. In fact, the combination of launch, spin, and speed was unlike anything I’ve tested before. More shocking though was the reaction to any miss low on the face, where the expected spin jump met almost no drop in ball speed compared to a pure strike.
As you can see, our testers had nothing but good things to say about this fairway wood. If you need to see for yourself, head over to callawaygolf.com and pick one up today.
