Callaway Demo Day Review

[JB]

The 2011 THP Golf Outing & Demo Day has concluded and one of the many wonderful things that took place was the ability to hit just about every piece golf equipment you could imagine. We provided notebooks, pens, and gear and ask that people give their thoughts on the equipment that they tried.

This thread will be devoted for the Callaway equipment that was out there.

RAZR Hawk Driver
RAZR Hawk Tour Driver
Diablo Octane Driver
Diablo Octane Tour Driver
Diablo Octane FW Woods
RAZR Irons
RAZR Tour Irons
RAZR X Forged Irons
Jaws Wedges
RAZR Hawk Hybrid
RAZR Hawk Tour Hybrid

This is the list and we look forward to hearing everybody's thoughts that got to experience this incredible day of demoing equipment.

 

[JRod]

Really interested to hear the feedback here. Just went to a local demo day and even through enormous wrist/back pain I was loving every club I hit. Was extremely impressed with the lineup from top to bottom!

 

[KellyBo]

I was able to test the Razr Hawk Driver and it was my favorite of all drivers that I tested. I got a really good trajectory and loved the way it felt and sounded when I hit it. If I was in the market for a new driver, I would seriously consider this one.

 

[T0AD]

I was able to test the Razr Hawk Driver and it was my favorite of all drivers that I tested.

I have heard nothing except this club is full of awesomeness and must be experienced. I didn't think I was in the market, I do OK with my old(ish) Cobra, but from what I hear, this thing is amazing. I was full bore into going and trying one out, but we'll see.

 

[Chunkylover77]

I was able to test the Razr Hawk Driver and it was my favorite of all drivers that I tested. I got a really good trajectory and loved the way it felt and sounded when I hit it. If I was in the market for a new driver, I would seriously consider this one.

KB you NEED to OEM that club. You were killing it

 

[KellyBo]

KB you NEED to OEM that club. You were killing it

As were you Chunky! I wish I had your driver game!

 

[Chunkylover77]

As were you Chunky! I wish I had your driver game!

Aw shucks KB. Sometimes I connect. But yeah I agree. This driver with the regular flex was outstanding. I will do my writeup later today but one word fits all things Cally this year. Unbelievable.

 

[Hawk]

These thoughts are from previous experiences with the 2011 Cally line.

RAZR Hawk Driver - Truly one of the top 2011 drivers for me. Nice sound that makes you feel like you really creamed the ball when hit well. Surprisingly forgiving, while maintaining what appears to be a smaller profile (imo). Ball flight is missle-like for me, with a mid/high ball flight. I'd love to take it out for a round or three to get to know it better. Definitely a MUST try.

RAZR X irons - Looks wise, these are very nice. The cavity is pretty cool looking even if I don’t like the name. Also, they had pretty good grips, though I think that some might consider them a bit harsh. The graphite shafts are a matte black and fit in perfectly. They do have a lot of offset and it was a bit of an adjustment for about 30 seconds. I let it go and never thought about it again. These irons are awesome. The feel was very soft. A bit muted sounding maybe, but very nice. Ball flight and distance were also great. These were very straight for me, which did cause a couple problems (can't aim left when you hit it straight hehe). They were not the longest for me, but they were very close. I really felt confident with these after a few range swings.

Jaws Wedges - I really like this wedge and would definitely consider it as a contender to make it in my bag. It seemed nicely versatile and has a great look to it. The only issue I have with it is its tendency to eat balls up. It was tearing up e6's, which is pretty unheard of. I don't know if I really like that. Although I know some folks will equate that to more spin, I don't really know if I can say that. They didn't seem to spin any differently for me than other wedges.

 

[TC]

I'd like to thank Callaway Golf for having a left handed Razr Hawk Tour driver available for the lefties. This driver is legit. I've been fortunate to put it in play a round before the outing and it is a solid golf club. I think it looks great, and the forged composite that is found in the sole gives the driver an almost elegant look to it. The sound is a bit muted but anyone that's hit a Callaway driver in the past will know what I'm talking about. The golf ball explodes off the face and for me, the ball flight was just perfect. I could live with the stock RIP shaft no problem. It's not the smoothest feeling shaft, but it's badass looking and it's predictable, two qualities that truly matter.

I didn't swing the driver a ton at demo day due to sheer exhaustion but it's a winner. I'd love to try the non tour version and still need to try the Octanes as well.

 

[cmoors]

I played with Spanks on Saturday and he was gaming a set of Razr X Tours he checked out from the demo day.

That kid hit some ridiculous iron shots all day long, and kept saying, "I gotta get me these". Finally I asked him if I could hit one...hit a high baby draw to about 10 feet on a par 3.

I was so blown away I actually went to demo them myself...and I'm getting fitted against my current irons to see if they can outdo them.

Does anyone know what shaft was used on those Razr X Tour irons at the Outing?

Callaway...gorgeous club. I know it's not forged, but it had incredible feel and a great topline.

 

[TC]

S300's are the stock shafts Corey.

 

[the_paulo]

That's an impressive list of equipment put up by Callaway, props to them for that!

The Razr Hawk driver just seems to come back again and again with amazing feedback.

 

[GrantD]

I hit the RAZR Tour Irons and was really impressed down there. They felt good and had solid distances. I really enjoyed hitting these a lot.

 

[ddec]

Razr Hawk Driver - I really like this driver. I hit it side by side with the Diablo Octane and for me it outperformed it. Paired with that RIP shaft that ball seems to start off low for me which is a good thing. It seemed to be plenty of forgiving and had great distance to it. I really like how the forged composite is on the sole of the club instead of the crown. Sets up similar to the Ft5 & Ft9 IMO.

Diablo Octane - This driver seemed to have a little more forgiveness than the Razr Hawk. I think with what a appeared to be a longer face it was more forgiving out towards the toe. Unlike the Razr Hawk the forged composite graphics are on the crown which took some getting used to for me. It launched the ball higher than the Razr Hawk. I owned the original Diablo driver and I think they have gotten better each year.

Octane FW - I would game these in a heart beat. I'm hoping they will be available for The Morgan Cup. Love the set up, love the performance. I would say it was in my top 3 fairways that I hit at demo day.

Razr X Irons - These were paired with a graphite shaft, so I was a little hesitant about hitting them. The graphite shaft felt very good and these clubs just flat out performed on the range. There is more offset and more topline thickness to these than the tours, but neither bothered me. The forgiveness on these is just incredible. Look for these to be in my bag at The Morgan Cup, I liked them that much.

Razr X Tour Irons - Another great option. More of a traditional looking iron. They are not as "rounded" or shiny as the Razr X. Had a different feel to them. There is some forgiveness there, but I don't think that matches up to the regular RX irons. Still I don't think you need to be scared off from the word "Tour." I didn't think these were the most difficult irons in the world to hit. If you think the Razr X irons have too much offset or are too thick for your eye, give these a shot.

Razr X Forged - Wanted to love these, but didn't. I did like them with the project x shaft. They look great at set up. There is a cavity in the back to provide forgiveness, but I don't purchase these thinking you are going to get a ton.

Razr Hawk Hybrid & Tour Hybrid - The Razr Hawk hybrid had a "tinny" sound to it. It sounded like I was hitting the ball with a baseball bat. Still the ball flew high and long. The Tour hybrid had a smaller profile and less offset. The sound was duller and it felt more "solid." I'm still debating which one to throw in the bag for TMC.

Jaws Wedges - I didn't test a whole lot of wedges, but these were a must hit for me. I started with the 56 and we did a small little chipping contest. I had the chrome finish wedge. I think the slate looks better, but that is just personal taste. The first thing I noticed when placing the club down was all of the grooves. I believe Callaway has 21 grooves, which makes them look different from others. I thought there was plenty of stopping power with these wedges and when I wanted to shut the face down and make one roll out I was able to do so. With the 60 I tried to hit a few flop shots(if you saw me in the wedge contest I hit one about 40 yards long haha). I would love to have these wedges with the spinner shafts in them, that could be a lethal combination. These wedges are forged so they have great softness to them

Thank you to for sending so much equipment!

 

[cmoors]

S300's are the stock shafts Corey.

Thanks TC, I was dying to know.

The local golf shop in Seattle is offering them with KBS shafts...which I actually liked hitting so I'll compare the two.

 

[TC]

Thanks TC, I was dying to know.

The local golf shop in Seattle is offering them with KBS shafts...which I actually liked hitting so I'll compare the two.

I will look forward to your feed back buddy. Be sure to keep me posted.

 

[One-T]

Thanks TC, I was dying to know.

The local golf shop in Seattle is offering them with KBS shafts...which I actually liked hitting so I'll compare the two.

I ordered mine with SG 95 S300's. I can not wait to hit those puppies!

 

[TC]

I ordered mine with SG 95 S300's. I can not wait to hit those puppies!

You mean GS 95's?

I think those will be a great fit for you. I know mine will have the KBS' so I look forward to that as well.

Corey, so I take it that the Razr Tour irons stuck out the most to you from the weekend? What did you like about them?

 

[One-T]

You mean GS 95's?

I think those will be a great fit for you. I know mine will have the KBS' so I look forward to that as well.

Corey, so I take it that the Razr Tour irons stuck out the most to you from the weekend? What did you like about them?

yes, thanks for the fix.

 

[ddec]

I ordered the Razr X irons with DG S300's in them. I loved the ball flight I had with them. I could have gone either way with those irons, both are excellent IMO

 

[Hanks]

Diablo Octane Driver- Loved the muted yet powerful feel. Set up very nicely at address and you can really feel the club head through your swing. Such a powerful feeling when you catch it on the screws however I found the ball flight to be a little on the high side bordering on ballooning but that may have been a product of the shaft I was hitting (R)

Diablo Octane FW Woods- Some of my favorite FW's. Not the best for me in terms of hitting off the deck but tee these up and it's the perfect substitute driver. Slightly larger head than other FW's which offers a lot of forgiveness but may not be the most versatile from tight lies but it will definitely bully through the rough if you need it to. Really long and straight with a hot face.

RAZR Irons- Very long, straight, and hot face. Definitely moves through the turf with ease and the ball flight is long and penetrating. The ball seems to jump off the face yet the clubs seem to be very accurate as well. Really has that 'Callaway feeling' of muted power that still offers the right amount of forgiveness.

RAZR Hawk Hybrid- Didn't care for this at all. While the profile is nice and aggressive looking, the performance didn't match the look. Not overly long but somewhat forgiving. The sound was one of the worst I had heard all day....very harsh, almost 'tinny' sound to it that made you think you didn't hit a well struck shot even though it felt like it and that the result may have been there.

 

[Spank818]

I'm gonna put down my detailed thoughts on this later but just a quick blurb and as cmoors stated, to me, the Razr X Tour irons were the stars of the show for me.

 

[One-T]

RAZR Hawk Driver and RAZR Hawk Tour Driver- I think this is going to be my biggest decision for TMC, I hit both of them and I hit them well. They feel incredible off the face and dont make a sound that is obnoxious. These clubs are just plain LONG.

Diablo Octane Driver- After my launch monitor session JB told me he thought this would be the best driver for my swing, he may be right but something about how this club looks was throwwing me off, I really thing it was the graphics on top of the driver head. I did hit it pretty well, but it didnt feel as good to me as the Razr Hawk.

RAZR Irons- this was the first time I hit them on grass and I came away super surprised. They felt so good at impact and I had no problem getting the club through the turf. The ball flight was high and I swear I could hit these clubs with the graphite in them.

RAZR Tour Irons- I just love these irons, give me a club that looks like a players iron but has the forgiveness of a GI iron. Ummmm....thats what you call a winner! and I truly think thats what Callaway has in this set of clubs. Probably one of the purest irons on the weekend. Cant wait to get mine and start gaming them.

RAZR X Forged Irons- I hit these for quite a bit, I almost ordered them for TMC but strayed because I like added forgiveness. These are not harsh on mis hits but you sure as hell lose yardage.

RAZR Hawk Hybrid- A huge huge huge surprise to me. I came into the demo day really wanting to hit this and came away soooo impressed. I think this might be one of the most forgiving hybrids on the market. I was trying to do all sorts of shots with this and all I could produce was STRAIGHT! Are you kidding me? I tlets out a nice "ting" at impact and takes off. the ball flight is nice and I truly enjoyed this hybrid.

RAZR Hawk Tour Hybrid- Almost identical in results to the reg Hawk, just has a smaller head. TO me, I will take the bigger head.

 

[Tmex]

Big thank you to Callaway for all of the equipment that was provided. I unfortunately did not get around to the Callaway Drivers and FW's. I know I will prior to the MC and when I get fit so I wasn't really worried too much. I've hit both multiple times and came away impressed with each line for different reasons. On to what I did hit...

RAZR X Irons:
I didn't hit these at Demo day but really wanted too. I almost went graphite but it was one shaft we didn't really get into during my fitting. I love how light graphite is and so much less impact on my wrists. I'm confident though with the uniflex I'll be aok. I loved the feel/sound of these clubs at impact and I dig the look at address. The uniflex shafts are not talked about much but they should be. They will launch lower for scoring irons and high for long irons. I was swinging at an average of 86.7 and they rocked it no problem. Probably hands down my favorite GI iron right now.

RAZR Tour Irons:
Seem every bit as long as the Razr X and almost as forgiving. I think with a more consistant set up and what not I could probably game these. I hit these a lot at demo day and was really impressed with the ball flight and feel/sound. Made me think twice about my order to be honest. They launched higher for me even with the S300's (not the highest by any means) and provided a nice penetrating ball flight. I'm a digger for sure and these didn't feel like they got stuck at all.

RAZR X Forged Irons:
Dean and I hit almost all the forged irons there probably lol. I loved these irons. Mishits like everyone says are punishing and a good shot feels like nothing. Some of the cleanest looking irons as well. I don't know what it is but I really think these are easier to hit than some of the other player irons. They really feel great on the backswing and feel like nothing coming through the ball. If I had the game, these would be in my bag for an occasional round or two. I simply need forgiveness at this point.

Jaws Wedges
I have these in the bag already. One thing to note is I was not a fan of the stock shaft. Not sure what it was but the ball just launched so high! The spinner shafts bring it down alittle but to be honest, these just feel like they get the ball up. Which isn't really a bad thing as it's forced me to figure out how to hit a low launching shot.

RAZR Hawk Hybrid:
WOW! This club seemed long, straight and high in the simulator but seeing this outside was an experience! First of all, the way the hybrid cuts through the impact zone is awesome. The sound is a ting, and not very big. Which translates to the feel almost being nothing. Yet the ball just explodes from the ground. The club launches the ball really high and quick. That may be the only thing I would do a double take on. Wondering if wind would catch it. I like a more penetrating flight but to be honest, it's really hard to tell without seeing this perform on the course. I'm almost tempted to go all the way to a 6h for the Morgan Cup even though I put a 6i in the bag. How easy these are to hit, it's going be a tough decision.

RAZR Hawk Tour Hybrid
The biggest difference between this and the Razr Hawk Hybrid to me was the ballflight. Started lower and had a rise that I really liked. I'm not sure what the difference is distance wise but I have a feeling I would love this shaft with the reg Razr Hybrid head. Had more a duller sound/feel at impact but it was extremely easy to hit. The smaller head didn't bother me at all.

Callaway has just blown me away with their complete line up. They really had us non touring pro's in mind it seems when they put these lines out there. Thank you so much for everything they provided. My only regret was not hitting more of it!

 

[Puttin4Bird]

Of all of the demo items available this year I was most interested in trying any and all things Callaway. As a Callaway staffer for the Morgan Cup this was my best chance to hit these on an outdoor driving range to date.

RAZR Hawk Driver- Great feeling driver, I love the looks, clean and very solid looking. Lighter than I thought it would be and I love the sound. The ball flight was a little higher flight but it seemed to carry plenty far and stay on line quite well. Stock RIP shaft seems like a great fit in this driver. I wasn't overly crazy about the look of the hosel on this but it really didn't make a difference when hitting it.

RAZR Hawk Tour Driver- The more traditional hosel is nice, I like the slightly smaller head. Balls were lower and more of a boring flight for me with the Tour version. Typically with a Tour driver and the slight open face I'll tend to push/slice shots but I didn't do that once with the Tour. I hit this driver very straight and while I wasn't able to get a great look at the roll out I know it was there and would result in some pretty long drives. Stock RIP shaft seems to be a rock star in this driver for me.

Diablo Octane Driver- I really liked the graphic on the crown, looks are great and I already knew I loved the shaft before I even hit it. Results were what I expected. As with the non Tour RAZR I hit the Diablo Octane higher but still with a good line and a good amount of distance.

Diablo Octane Tour Driver- No cool graphic on the crown but that's ok, I got the expected ball flight and the feel and sound with the Octane Tour are cool. I like the looks of the Razr Hawk drivers better, but looks aside this driver is every bit as solid.

RAZR Irons- I was afraid I'd hate the graphite shafts on these but really ended up liking them just fine. I hit the ball solid and quite high and on line with each shot I hit. I didn't love the amount of offset and the thicker top line but this is a very solid and very forgiving iron that people are going to love.

RAZR Tour Irons- I am completely in love with the Razr Tour irons, they have a great look from address. Nothing bulky and just a solid look as you take your swing. Holding them in your hand you can see the difference in these and the forged but from address these look every bit as "player" like as the Razr Forged irons to. Great deal of forgiveness and the distances were very good, long irons were definitely not as easy to hit, but they certainly were not impossible to hit either. People practically had to pry these out of my hands. Great iron!

RAZR X Forged Irons- Looks wise these are the best looking iron in Callaway's lineup as far as I'm concerned. Short irons are money and easy to hit with a pretty good sense of forgiveness too. The spot I ran into trouble was with 6 iron on up an the forgiveness when I missed a shot. Still not nearly as punishing as a full on blade, but I needed a little more forgiveness.

Jaws Wedges- Great wedge, this was my first time every getting to demo a wedge that I've been wanting to for a long time. I had a lot of fun trying difference types of chip and lob shots. Even using range balls on the practice green I was still able to see the spin in action.

RAZR Hawk Hybrid- I'll be the first to admit that the look didn't blow me away at first, but the performance is as solid as could be. I hit many shots with quite a few people watching and this club is easy to hit and had the nice high flight I look for in a hybrid. I was worried about the hybrid offers from Callaway before this demo, but now I'm quite happy to say that I really liked this a lot. This would definitely be the hybrid I'd play for the Morgan Cup if available!

RAZR Hawk Tour Hybrid- I like the smaller profile than the non tour version but in the shots I hit I had just a couple that I didn't hit solid and I could tell the difference. The Tour sounded better than the non tour. Both Razr Hawk Hybrid offerings left me pleasantly surprised though.

Top to bottom there were few companies that had me as impressed as Callaway this year. Every time I saw someone else hitting a Callaway product I went out of my way to talk to them about their findings and each time the feedback was very positive.