This review was supposed to be a 'finalized' review of the fishy wedges but due to Murphy's Law, in the end, no golf game today.
At the same time, I took up DGman's birthday offer to me to test the new Callaway drivers. Was soooooo looking forward it but alas!
So you can imagine it was quite a downer when I did not get to do either today.
Nonetheless, proceeded to the range to try out the two drivers; Extreme Fit and XHot.
Constants are as follow;
Swing : Moi truly; a flat indoor golf swing
SS : Ranges from 85 to 92
Shaft used in testing : Tour AD BB 6S
Before that, here are some pics of the drivers used in the testing today (including my own Razr Fit).
Notice the Extreme Fit's sweet spot seems more towards the heel.
The Razr Fit and the XHot are 460cc drivers whereas the Extreme Fit is a 440cc one.
Looks wise, all 3 drivers look pleasing at address.
At address, the XHot and the Razr Fit looks square, at least to me whereas the Extreme Fit seems a tad closed. But the Extreme Fit is touted as a fade biased driver though.
For those who prefers a more compact, sleek look, then the Extreme Fit may interest you.
Seriously, one cannot go wrong with either of these drivers in terms of looks as Callaway goes 'retro' to golfing roots in producing drivers with traditional head shape. Real pleasing to the eyes!
That, to me, is a huge plus one!
Now for the hit test.......
1st up.....my trusty Razr Fit.
No need to say much. Pic tells it all. No problem hitting the sweet spot whatsoever. Ball flight was decent and piercing with a slight draw. No complaints. It is a stayer in my bag.
Next up is the XHot......
Really easy to launch this head even though this is the first time I am hitting it. Feels almost like the Razr Fit in terms of feel, impact and sound.
Muted sounding and absorbed kinda feel upon impact.
Almost like a twin brother lost in translation somehow.....anyhow, the ball flight was distinctly higher than the Razr Fit.
From a fellow ranger's Bushnell, the carry was longer than the Razr Fit though it does not have as much roll as the Razr Fit.
Hit a few more times.....and came away convinced that this is one helluva easy to hit driver.
The forgiveness is there, even on mishits. Dispersion decent. The average golfers will like this a lot. As told by a golfing kaki, this head is a high spin head.
And from the design of it, it seems that the Callaway engineers have pushed the weighting all the way back from the face. So maybe those factors accounts for the higher ball flight than my Razr Fit.
And finally....the star of the show (IMO).....the Extreme Fit.
For the 1st pic, had it on 1g weight at toe and 9 gram at heel with square setting.
Ball flight was distinctly lower and seems more piercing. From a rough look, the ball seems/feels like spinning a lot lesser.
At this setting, I found that I gotta really focus and pay 100% to hitting it. Else, the outcome can be quite offish.
Having said that, upon getting the sweet spot, the feel and ball flight is just lovely.
The feel upon impact for this devil is a nice metallic, springy feel off the face. Some would use the word, 'hot' to describe it.
It is a different feel compared to the XHot and Razr Fit which are more muted and 'absorbed'.
The Extreme Fit just feels like it wants to launch the ball out as soon as possible with the least impact. Very nice metallic twang to it.
Still, there was something about the impact that I was not happy with so I changed the setting to 'Closed' with the same toe & heel weightings.
And here it is......
What can I say? Instant better contact feel and impact. Hits were even sweeter and more towards the sweet spot.
That's it! This is the setting for me! Ball flight went slightly higher as compared to 'Square' setting. Flight still as penetrating.
Simply fantastic!
So at the end of it, if you are looking for a fuss free driver that gives you the forgiveness and ease of mind to just setup and tee off while giving you the distance, the XHot is the one driver to get.
It is so unbelievable that a driver can be so idiot proof.
But as this is a high spinning head, so perhaps when doing the driver fitting, you may want to get a low spinning shaft to match it since it launches pretty decent already.
In essence, it is a driver for those who need higher spin to maximize launch conditions to get the carry distance.
Personally, if I do not already have the Razr Fit, I would get this.
As for the Extreme Fit, it is a true diablo to handle. If handled well (correct weighting and setting), it can give you devilish distance and instant orgasm upon hitting the sweet spot.
It's low spin conditions makes it suitable for golfers who are already capable of launching the ball up. Fitting wise, a mid or high spin shaft would be most ideal for maximum distance.
So this is it.....an amateurish write up of the two new Callaway offerings coming this year.
And boy, both drivers deliver on all accounts.Definitely something to get for your birthday or get your partners to get it for you for next month's Valentine's Day.
Thank you DGman for your graciousness in letting me try out these 'virgin' heads today.
p.s. Psst.....I think an on-course review is needed for these beauties. Do I get to keep one of them as a birthday present? 'hint...hint'
Subject: Callaway 2013 Drivers Review - An Amateur's Review 
Sun Jan 13, 2013 9:53 pm
