Callaway XR16 Driver: Bigger, Badder, Faster
Year over year, we see the leaders in golf equipment and technology pushing the envelope in terms of design in order to produce clubs that will be a marketed improvement over what may currently be in your bag or its predecessor in the product line. That’s no different from what Callaway has done this year to expand on the immense popularity of the XR series from a year ago. Enter the Callaway XR16 driver.
When the Callaway XR driver debuted in 2015, it came with some radical new design features like the raised crown that had never been seen before in Callaway equipment. This year, in looking to improve on the success of the XR line, Callaway embarked on a joint venture with Boeing, the world’s largest aerospace designer, and their leading aerodynamics technicians to take the new spawn of XR to the next level. This was no small task, of course, as is almost always the case when developing new technologies that will warrant the jump from one model to the next.
The first piece of the redesign of XR16 was the re-engineering of the Speed Step crown found in last year’s XR. The leading design engineers at Boeing essentially repositioned and adjusted the size of those small pieces of titanium so that air flow passing over the crown will stay tighter to the club’s surface, thereby reducing drag and increasing speed as the club head approaches the ball.
Secondly, to improve aerodynamics even further, the crown has been elongated from front to back, giving the driver a larger footprint the XR, which takes forgiveness, club head speed, and distance to a whole new level. Not to be outdone, the schematics of the R-Moto Face technology were changed as well. The new face is now 19% thinner and also 9 grams lighter, which allows for a redistribution of weight away from the face, adding to the forgiveness level and resulting in a more consistent launch and higher ball speed all across the face.
The Callaway XR16 driver is available in 9, 10.5, and a 13.5 HT head and measures at 45.75” in standard length. It will still come with Callaway’s customary Opti-Fit hosel technology that allows for loft adjustability of -1, +1, and +2 degrees of change from standard as well as a draw bias setting. It features a stock Fujikura Speeder Evolution 565 shaft, weighing 57-60 grams depending on flex, with a mid-kick point in senior, regular, and stiff flexes and mid-high kick in extra stiff. There are several custom shafts available at NO UPCHARGE, including the Fujikura Evolution II TS 665 (60g), Fujikura Evolution 565 (50g), Mitsubishi Kuro Kage Black (50g), and Mitsubishi Bassara (40g).
Take a look at these other Callaway golf articles:
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- Callaway Driver Comparison: X Hot vs X2 Hot
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- Callaway Driver Comparison: Big Bertha vs X2 Hot
- Callaway Driver Comparison: Big Bertha Alpha vs Big Bertha Alpha 815
- Callaway Iron Comparison: Apex vs X2 Hot
- Callaway Iron Comparison: Apex Pro vs X Forged
- Callaway Iron Comparison: XR Pro vs Apex Pro
- Callaway X Hot N14: Forgiveness and Playability
- The Callaway X2 Hot: Enhanced Performance You’ll Want To See
- Seeking Low Spin and Forgiveness from a Driver? The Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 815 is the Answer!
- Callaway XR and XR Pro Irons: The New Face of Distance and Forgiveness, Literally
Chris Wadwick
Chris Wadwick has been a Class “A” member of the PGA of America since 2011. He is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill with a degree in Business Administration. He brings a deep understanding of the inner workings of the golf business, especially club fittings, product knowledge, and visual merchandising, working for Dick’s Sporting Goods for over 7 years and Occoneechee Golf Club for more than three years, prior to that. When he is not in the office, you can always find him at a nearby golf course, attending games at his alma mater, or spending time with his wife and four dogs.