The Aeronautical design team at Boeing Aerospace have thrown their eye over the two latest driver heads from Callaway and once you have fastened your seatbelt they are ready for take-off.
The normal XR head is definitely crisper off the face than its predecessors and has a far better, solid “click” from a centre hit that actually doesn’t soften when missed off centre. I guess the internal part of the face cup has been re-engineered to stay active right across the face, as it is now lighter overall, so it can be spread wider.
The shape of the new head is a little longer front to back, which in head design leads to a higher MOI – so it’s more stable on the “not so good” hits.
This effectively lends itself to less misses!
The new lightweight head has been streamlined for more speed, so the shaft choice is fairly critical to have the whole club “knit” together. So be smart and get properly tested for the shaft that best suits you, the head and the required ball flight.
Ideally a lightweight shaft will work well as the head is very light, but only if your transition style and swing suit it.
The adjustable double ring hosel is the same as last year’s model and it’s hard to see how Callaway could improve on an already great connection design. It allows for a higher launch setting, a lower launch position and also a more draw bias head shape.
The XR PRO Head has a slightly smaller overall footprint and therefore commands a deeper sound and feel to the hit.
The lower phonetic aligns well with the design that still gives back as crisp a feel to the hit, as the bigger XR head but with more of a solid thud to the strike.
The PRO Head does deliver a lower ball flight and definitely spins lower than the normal XR.
So if you generate a high launch and/or swing it quite fast then opt for this head. It manages speed and spin very well.
As a contrast to the shaft in the XR head, the shaft in the PRO generally will need to be heavier. The combination of a heavier shaft weight and the lower spinning head design will work well to keep the ball flight (for the stronger hitter) under control and maximise launch, while keeping that spin in check.
You should look at more loft on the XR PRO head, as the spin is very low once you opt for this head design. So if you currently use 9.5° maybe look at getting fitted for 10.5°
Don’t get fitted into a net for it as you will need to see the ball flight and have it measured by a reputable launch monitor. You will also need to compare it against your current club just to be sure that a change will yield the results you’re expecting.
To Experience the Callaway XR16 Driver
1 Hour Custom Fit €100 (Full Bag)
30 Minute Custom Fit €50 (One Club/Driver Only)
Your Callaway XR16 Driver will be custom built
at ForeGolf after your custom fit results
Why do ForeGolf custom built clubs perform so well ?
It’s simple, because we build your clubs in our WorkShop. The process is from custom fit to custom build, no misinterpretation of the specifications. We have a ClubRoom where we put together heads and shafts from all the major brands to figure out what suits. Then we build the best performing club in our WorkShop, measured and built just for you this is what happens at ForeGolf
