Callaway Golf (NYSE: ELY) continues its aggressive approach to gain a larger share of the club business by introducing two new drivers plus complementary fairway woods just days after bringing the Mack Daddy 2 wedge line to market.
The FT Optiforce driver and fairways will hit retailers July 12 with the drivers in two different clubhead sizes and with a first for the company, offering loft and lie adjustability aimed at optimizing launch conditions for each user.
The Callaway FT Optiforce driver is designed for speed and follows the fairly simple tenet that if you make a clubhead lighter, more aerodynamic and add a longer shaft to it you will increase the clubhead speed to give greater ball speed at impact resulting in more distance. Where the original X Hot just offered the ability to adjust the face angle, the X2 Hot goes further, offering the same adjustability as the Callaway FT Optiforce driver. Three heads of 9.5, 10.5 and 13.5 degrees are available and golfers can use the Advanced Adjustable Hosel to increase the loft by 1 or 2 degrees or decrease the loft by 1 degree. Callaway FT Optiforce Drivers: Editor Review – GolfWRX. I had been looking for a new driver this season to replace a 3-year old G15, and I had found the Cally x-hot was performing best of the bunch earlier this year until the Optiforce which I have demoed twice in the last month. “The FT Optiforce Fairways Woods are a powerful mix of the ball speeds of our X Hot Fairway woods and the trajectory of our RAZR Fit Xtreme Fairway Wood,” said Hocknell. The FT Optiforce Driver, either the 440cc or 460cc model, will be available at a suggested retail of $339 and the fairways for $229. Photos courtesy of Callaway Golf. Callaway says the FT Optiforce (suggested retail price $399) has been measured with 23 percent less drag than a conventionally shaped driver, which sounds like marketing hype until you hit it. I’ve played with other lightweight drivers (the FT Optiforce is less than 300 grams) that promote increased club head speed, but none have felt as good.
“Callaway has always placed the golfer’s performance first when developing clubs, and we feel strongly that one club head does not fit all golfers,” said Dr. Alan Hocknell, SVP, Research & Development, Callaway Golf. “Players using an 8.5-degree driver are fundamentally different than players using 12.5-degrees of loft, so with the FT Optiforce Driver we have optimized each of the two available heads — the 440cc and the 460cc – and adjusted critical elements like size, weight, center of gravity position, moment of inertia and others so that golfers have the best chance to optimize their launch conditions for better total performance.”
Some of the standout features include the most aerodynamic clubhead Callaway has made to date with 23 percent less drag according to their measurements than the X Hot Pro 9.5-degree driver. Less drag helps produce more club speed and the FT Optiforce drivers also use a lightweight crown with the stock shaft being the 43-gram Project X Velocity shaft which drops the total club weight to less than 300 grams–certainly well within the very light category. The Advanced OptiFit Hosel allows adjustment of the loft 1-degree down or 1- or 2-degrees up with additional hosel settings for neutral or draw lies. Callaway also uses the same Speed Frame Face of their other current drivers to help create the best ball flight.
Also available the FT Optiforce Fairway Woods share similar construction to the Callaway’s X Hot Fairway Woods but with a tendency to produce a slightly higher trajectory.
“The FT Optiforce Fairways Woods are a powerful mix of the ball speeds of our X Hot Fairway woods and the trajectory of our RAZR Fit Xtreme Fairway Wood,” said Hocknell.
The FT Optiforce Driver, either the 440cc or 460cc model, will be available at a suggested retail of $339 and the fairways for $229.
Photos courtesy of Callaway Golf
How to adjust Callaway XR Driver
Newer Callaway drivers are introduced in the market regularly with new features and flexibility. If you have upgraded your driver that is older to the latest drivers, you might be wondering how you can adjust your driver or how adjusting will affect the performance.
Callaway Optiforce Driver Adjustments
New drivers can seem a little overwhelming at first if you are upgrading from older clubs to new tech drivers with more customizable features. You can change the loft, lie and face angle, move weights to improve the centre of gravity etc. We will help you find out how to adjust your driver and how it can affect your swing.
Callaway XR driver
Callaway drivers are specially designed for lightweight, and it is built with a primary focus on speed; the aerodynamic shape helps to reduce drag and maximize swing force. It uses OptiFit adjustability hosel with 8 different configurations. The XR driver comes with a stock project X LZ shaft, and the shaft contributes the downswing load for higher energy transfer. It also comes with R.MOTO face technology, designed for efficient energy transfer.
Loft Setting:
The ‘S’ in the hosel, indicates that it is a stated loft set on its natural setting. ‘-1’ subtracts the degree by one to the stated loft. Likewise ‘+2’ and ‘+3’ adds the following value to the stated loft.
The Lie setting:
Draw setting is designated as ‘D’ in the cog of the hosel. It allows you to minimize slicing and enhance the draw. If you have the tendency to miss the right draw, you’ll probably want to set it to ‘D’.
The Neutral setting is designated as ‘N’. When it is kept on the neutral setting, you can control the draw and fade, respectively. It allows the ball to work in both directions.
Wrench tool
Screw the bolt with the wrench until you hear a click once or twice; make sure the hosel is tightened correctly. The wrench is designed to deliver optimal tightness of the bolt and preserve the durability. Since the clubs will be frequently adjusted.
Adjusting the loft
Although, the loft setting depends on the player’s preference and swing consistency, here are some few things you might want to consider when changing your loft.
Setting it too high
Hitting the ball too high can reduce the ball travel distance. While most swings come naturally, adjusting the loft keep the trajectory of the ball at medium height. If your swings are consistent, the loft angle can show a big difference to the results.
You can fix your trajectory angle by reducing the degree from 12.5 to 10.5 or 9.5 if most swings result in a higher trajectory.
Too low
If most you are experiencing having most of your trajectory going low, consider adding 1 or 2 degrees to your loft. Launching the ball low will result in more rolls when landing; however, it is no ideal on high grass or water.
Lie adjustments
Many of the modern drivers offer an adjustable setting to enhance the fade or draw. The ‘N’ indicates that it is in a neutral setting; it is ideal for both fade and draw control. However, controlling fade and draw fully depends on which side you hit. If the strike lands on the heel side, you’re more likely to deliver a fade. The adjustments are only effective if the impact is on the middle of the face. The ‘D’ is the draw setting, which is optimized to promote a better draw.
Consistent hits are recommended for both the draw and fade. Ultimately, if you are able to make good swings, the results will make a difference.
Finding your sweet spot
When practicing your swing, it is important to evaluate the distance of the ball. Make an estimate of which setting is the most comfortable to you, and also make a record. Since every golfer has different physique, the adjustments to your loft can make a drastic difference by 15 to 20 yards.
Although some trajectory may feel too high or too low, only your performance matters in the end. Make sure to maintain consistency on your swing and let the loft decide which setting is best suited for you.
The Callaway XR drivers offer a lot of forgiveness since most swings can reduce the sidespin. Take time to adjust until you feel the strike is perfect and keep records of the performance results.
The Callaway XR driver doesn’t come with adjustable centre of gravity
In case, you looking for the weight adjuster, the Callaway XR do not have adjustable weight. It is entirely focused on maximum speed and loading. However, it has an impressive performance on forgiveness. The Callaway XR driver is very reliant on strength.
Fact about adjustable drivers
There is a general misconception about adjustable drivers. Some people think adjustable drivers are being used to change the set-up of the club, depending on circumstances. However, the real benefit of adjustable drivers is to optimize for best performance suited for you.
The loft adjustment alters the closing or either opens the face slightly. It affects the height of the trajectory and impacts on the travelling distance of the ball. In case when fail to hit the ball exactly gon the middle of the clubface, the forgiveness is profoundly affected by your loft adjustments.
Callaway Optiforce Driver Settings Chart
The shaft of the club contributes to the speed of the swing, different types of shafts impacts on the kind of driver you use.
Conclusion
The basic instructions of adjustable drivers and its settings introduce about how it impacts the trajectory. However, the consistency, accuracy and strength on your swing play a significant role in the overall performance. Many of the tests were evaluated and experimented by professional golfers and proven effective. Most professionals in world championships use modern adjustable clubs.
It is essential to keep in mind that adjustable drivers are designed to bring your potential to the fullest. Only if you perform consistently, you will see how it affects the results, and the adjustments depend on the player’s preferences.