The Callaway XR and XR Pro drivers are built for outrageous speed! The aerodynamic crown, R-Moto Face and shaft load are all contributing factors. Recently, the XR driver was put into play this year at the Waste Management Phoenix Open by Pat Perez , Kevin Kisner, Derek Fathauer and Jason Kokrak. Later Henrik Stenson put the driver in play at the Dubai Classic. These players were seeing something different in this driver that made them change. What is it? How do they actually perform? Let’s find out together.
First off, in a world where blues, pinks and all manner of bright colors are becoming the norm, the flat black finish looks really nice. The graphics on the bottom give it a high performance look.
For testing, the length is 45″, shaft flexes and gram weights are: lite – 53 grams, reg – 54 grams and stiff – 56 grams. Using the Swing Weight System, which measures a club based on “resistance to being swung in a circle,” the XR comes in as a D4 with grip. The shaft Callaway chose is the Project X LZ. This shaft produces max shaft load during the downswing for greater energy transfer to the ball.
With a 9 degree set up and the LZ shaft in stiff and using the tour-preferred X ball, five shots were recorded and the average club head speed clocked in at 108 mph, ball speed 157 mph, backspin 2491, carry distance 267 yds. All slightly above what the average golfer might see, but still good numbers. Compared to two competitor drivers used in the testing, the XR driver did see a 2 mph increase in ball speed.
In testing the XR Pro driver, it has a 440cc head with a 5 gram weight added on the bottom near the leading edge. The shaft is the Project X LZ – length 45.5” – a 1/2” longer than the XR. Flexes and gram weights are: reg – 63 grams, stiff – 64 grams and X flex – 66 grams. The swing weight is a D7 with grip.
Again, with a 9 degree set up and the same LZ shaft as the XR model, five shots were recorded and the average club head speed clocked in at 108 mph, ball speed 158.7 mph, backspin 1851, average carry 260 yds. Because of less spin, this driver produced 14 more yards of roll out! Changing out the shaft for a Rogue 60 gram stiff, spin dropped to 1750 rpm. Carry distance 275 yds, and had 23 yds more roll.
Findings: The R.Moto Face Technology allowed Callaway to produce a thinner face and a larger surface sweet spot resulting in more ball speed along with lower spin rates. If you are a golfer looking for a tour look and feel, along with a larger sweet spot, you’ll find these drivers to be all of that and more. Lower spin and increased ball speed combined with the correct launch angle means you have a driver that will help you reach out to those places where there are no divots. Remember, Tour players are looking to up their percentage in fairways hit. This is part of the reason these staffers mentioned in the first paragraph above, changed to the XR. If you’re a weekend golfer, I would seriously look at the XR, and if you’re a past or future club champion or a low handicap, I would check into the XR Pro driver.
Lastly, we always recommend a TECfit custom club fitting from your nearest GolfTEC Center to maximize every shot you make. GolfTEC Coaches ask our clients to bring their drivers and compare how much of a difference there is in accuracy and distance.
And right now, you can get great pricing on Callaway XR and XR Pro Drivers. Talk to your GolfTEC Coach for the best available price in your area.