Callaway XR Driver Review – Forgiveness & Distance

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Callaway XR Driver - 4 Perspectives

Here I will be reviewing the Callaway XR driver.

The main selling point of the game-improvement XR is speed; the thin and light face is designed to give the XR an edge in ball speed over previous drivers like the X2 Hot.

Is the distance and forgiveness worth shouting about? Does Callaway deliver on their claims? Read on to find out all you need to know.

Note: Unless otherwise stated, stock shafts and stock grips are used when evaluating this club. In most cases, the golf clubs reviewed on Golfstead are acquired temporarily for testing purposes and are not purchased. The review that follows is based on the personal experience and research of the author. Because everyone’s swing and body are different, results with a particular club may differ from person to person.


What are the reviews like?

The XR driver has been received very well.

It has a 4.8/5 (94% recommended) on CGPO, a 4.8/5 on Global Golf, and a 4.6/5 customer rating on the DSG website.

What People Like

Reviewers have praised the driver for its power (many report increasing their distance off the tee by at least 10-20 yards), ease of use, adjustability, forgiveness (great for managing slices and hooks), impact feel and sound.

That’s pretty much… everything! Indeed, it seems like this driver doesn’t really have any prominent weaknesses.

Getting fit is ideal, but otherwise, just selecting the loft and shaft flex that suits your swing speed should be fine.  

What People Don’t Like

A few people have been dissatisfied with the hit feedback and the distance of the XR and feel there are drivers that are better in those respects.


Overview & Features

According to Callaway, the XR driver is built for “outrageous speed” through an R•MOTO clubface, an aerodynamic crown and the load of the Project X LZ stock shaft.

Let’s explore the features in more detail:

Speed Step Crown

A “Speed Step Crown” is combined with an aerodynamic head shape. Callaway states that the XR is aerodynamically efficient, and this contributes to less drag and more clubhead speed.

R•MOTO Face

A face technology called “R•MOTO” allows for a 10% reduction of face weight and a thinner face.

This results in a more efficient transfer of energy and an increase in ball speeds across the face, particularly in mishit areas. It also enables the center of gravity (CG) to be moved lower and increases moment of inertia (MOI), which leads to more forgiveness.

Based on Callaway’s own testing, the effects of the aerodynamic shaping and R•MOTO together can increase ball speeds by up to 5 mph over drivers like the RAZR X Black.

Stock Info

The Project X LZ stock shaft loads during the downswing, transferring more energy to the ball and leading to additional distance. It is relatively light and long.

The hosel has an adjustable dial that can be configured to 8 different loft settings (+2°/-1°); it allows you to dial in your optimal launch conditions and maximize distance.

The specs of the men’s driver and stock shaft are summarized in the tables below. As you can see, there are four standard lofts available. More info can be found on this page.

LoftHandLieVolume (Head Size)LengthSwing Weight
Right/LeftAdjustable460cc46"D3
10.5°Right/LeftAdjustable460cc46"D3
12°Right/Left Custom OnlyAdjustable460cc46"D3
13.5°Right/Left Custom OnlyAdjustable460cc46"D3
FlexShaft WeightTorqueKickpoint
Light53low-midmid
Regular54low-midmid
Stiff56low-midhigh

How does the driver perform?

Distance & Trajectory

The XR generally produces very respectable distance with plenty of carry, and it will likely be a gain over older drivers in the Callaway line for most individuals.

Loss in ball speed and distance is very minimal for strikes that are slightly off center.

Under the proper conditions, the XR consistently delivers a solid medium trajectory, and flight shapes can rather easily be modified by more experienced players if desired.

Forgiveness

The XR, with its large sweet spot and 460cc clubhead, is known to have great forgiveness, and it tends to reduce sidespin to alleviate any otherwise severe slices or hooks.

While it won’t cure your swing problems, and while substantial misses will probably still find the rough, minor misses have a great chance of staying in the fairway.

The XR driver certainly lives up to its game-improvement classification.


What about look, sound & feel?

The Look

The 460 cc XR has a footprint that is average-sized. The crown has an attractive matte black finish that, due to the greatly reduced glare, allows you to focus on the shot relatively undistracted.

The molded chevron alignment aid blends nicely into the crown, and although it appears slightly off-center along the face (towards the heel), it is actually pointing towards the sweet spot at the center of the clubface.

One concern I have is that the appearance of an off-center alignment aid and the protrusion at the top of the clubhead may cause some golfers to hit a little bit closer to the toe, but I personally didn’t have this problem when I was testing the XR.

The Sound & Feel

Center strikes on the XR feel clean, solid and stable, and they produce a medium-loud sound that is sharp without sounding hollow or metallic.

The contact sound becomes softer as you move away from the sweet spot, and this makes the sound a good indicator of where you make contact on the face.

The XR tends to absorb impacts to produce a feel that’s a little muted, so feel isn’t necessarily the best indicator of feedback in this case.

The Shaft

The stock Project X LZ 50 Blue shaft (an excellent shaft) is 46 inches long and weighs 53-56 grams depending on the flex. This combination of light weight and long length may make it difficult for some golfers to control and consistently make sweet-spot contact with the ball.

If you’re someone who is having a poor experience with the stock shaft, note that Callaway does have a large selection of custom shaft types (some at no extra cost) and shaft lengths to choose from on their website.


Where should you buy this driver online?

The XR driver is now many years old, and you can no longer order it custom-made directly from the official Callaway website. However, you can find it at very low prices.

The best you can do is look for models on CGPO, Global Golf, and eBay.

CGPO has a fairly large selection with a 12-month warranty, 90-day buy-back policy, and free headcover included. Make sure you’re getting the loft and shaft flex that you think is right for you.

You can find some really sweet deals on the 2015 XR driver on this eBay page.


Conclusion

Pros

  • good distance even on mishits
  • adjustable hosel is great for finding optimal launch
  • forgiveness is exceptional, particularly when it comes to reducing sidespin
  • nice look and impact feel
  • some will appreciate the light weight of the shaft

Cons

  • not as adjustable as other drivers in Callaway’s stable
  • can take some time to get used to the feel depending on your previous driver
  • some will find the stock shaft to be too long and a bit difficult to control
  • feedback isn’t terribly distinct

The Callaway XR driver is a great offering from Callaway, ideal for mid-to-high handicappers looking for more forgiveness without sacrificing distance.

It’s more affordable than the Big Bertha Alpha 815 driver and will likely be a better option for golfers who don’t need the extra adjustability that the 815 provides.


Are you interested in the XR driver? Have you tried it yet? What have your results been? Let us know in the comments below.

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2 Comments

  1. Jay December 22, 2015
    • Paul December 22, 2015

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