Equipment
Callaway’s XR 16 Drivers: Revealing photos from the Boeing Factory
Recently, I was lucky enough to partake in a tour of The Boeing Company’s Everett Factory near Seattle, and pick the brains of its Aerospace engineers and tour guides. But this is a golf website, why should you care, right?
Well, for its new XR 16 and XR 16 Pro drivers, Callaway Golf teamed up with engineers from Boeing to develop a more aerodynamically sound driver. Read more about the technology here.
Why Boeing? With a mutual interest in how things fly — whether it’s airplanes or golf balls — it “was a great opportunity for collaboration” between the companies, according to Evan Gibbs, head of metal woods at Callaway Golf.
Also, at Boeing, there exists a group of young engineers collectively named O.N.E. (Opportunities for New Engineers), who use their intelligence and passion for problem solving for projects outside their everyday work of making airplane wings more efficient. So when Callaway asked Boeing to help make its new drivers faster and more efficient for golfers, Boeing had just the group of engineers for the job.
So a group of about a half-dozen O.N.E. engineers were given 3-4 months — a significantly shorter period of time than aerospace engineers are typically provided — to design an “add-on” to the crown of Callaway’s new drivers.
As Boeing Aerodynamics Engineer Adam Clark explained, there are many differences and similarities between the aerodynamic puzzles of airplanes and drivers.
I paraphrase:
Both have to do with laminar and turbulent flow. An airplane wing needs to be streamlined to reduce friction, as does the relatively rotund body of a golf driver head. The solution is very similar.
Here’s what the Boeing engineers came up with:
-
- Callaway’s XR 16 Pro driver crown, with protrusions, or “speed steps,” designed for better aerodynamics.
-
- Callaway’s XR 16 also has “speed steps,” with a slightly different design than the XR 16 Pro.
Below, I relay some ridiculously interesting facts, photos and information I learned about Boeing, its Everett facility, its airplanes and its engineering processes. I hope the photos below do Boeing’s airplane assembly factory justice, because the visuals were nothing short of breath-taking.
So we begin, Revealing Photos: The Aero Edition.
Welcome to Boeing
It’s difficult to explain just how big the Boeing Factory really is. You can see how small the plane in the parking lot looks in comparison to the building, but maybe these facts will give it better perspective.
“Two hangar doors… approximately the size of an American football field.”
That means the Seattle Seahawks could play a football game on two of the hangar doors on the outside of the building (although it would probably be safer to put the doors flat on the ground first).
And in case you ever doubted the passion of Seahawks fans, it’s rare to be at Boeing’s Seattle factory without seeing a flag with the number 12 (12th man) somewhere in your line of site.
So welcome to Boeing’s Seattle Facility, home of Seahawks’ 12th men and women. Lets go inside, shall we?
An “aerial” look
Rows of Boeing’s 737s, 747s, 767s and 777s — some of which are made from over 1 million parts — are built by troops of men and women. Contrary to popular belief, the number of the plane refers to when it was designed, not its size. The bigger the number, the newer the design.
For example, the 777 took its first flight in 1994, while the 737 took its first flight in 1967. Boeing’s first active plane was the 707, which was airborne in 1957.
If you look closely at the photo above, you can see there are other rooms filled with multiple planes, as well.
And above is the process the planes undertake while inside the factory.
Here’s a look at a plane that’s nearing the end of the “assembly line.” Now, there’s a few interesting things of note in the photo above, so let’s zoom in and look.
A system of rails that come down from ceiling helps to transport plane parts across the factory, and they’re quite strong. Equipment No. M-3, for instance, has a capacity of 40 tons, or 80,000 pounds.
Hungry? There are 40,000+ employees at Boeing in its Seattle location, and they have the eat somewhere. One of the options is called the “Dreamliner Diner,” which is one of six different eateries inside the facility.
There’s also a dry-cleaner, movie rental shops, clothing stores, massage parlors and convenient stores littered throughout the factory. So employees never really need to leave.
The Dreamliner Diner is named after Boeing’s 787 “Dreamliner,” the most fuel-efficient airliner that Boeing produces, according to the company. Surely, it’s the most food-efficient diner at the Boeing Factory.
A final look before a plane flies out the door.
Going down
Now, let’s head to the first floor.
From the ground level
You don’t feel truly small at the Boeing Factory until you’re looking up at one of the 747s (Boeing’s biggest models), or really any of the planes during production.
The wheels were almost taller than me. Below is a short gallery of miscellaneous photos taken of planes while on the ground floor of the factory.
And yes, it’s really weird to see a plane inside of a building.
How do 40,000 people get around a 100-acre building?
Tractors, cars, vans, golf carts…
Or one of these weird 3-wheeled trolleys, which were commonly seen as a mode of transportation.
This guy was showing off how to casually stroll the factory with plane parts that stand nearly twice his height.
Off to the Dreamliner Gallery
This is where I learned how much goes into the design of the interior of airplanes. Unfortunately, I’ll never be able to take a flight again without noticing…
The type of carpeting in the cabin.
The material on the seats.
The seat styles.
Or the TV models. I will know, however…
What sitting in a cockpit feels like.
And where the flight attendees sleep on long flights.
No wonder the flight attendants are always in such good spirits; they get all this leg room while us normal folks are scrunched and miserable in coach. That made the flight back from Seattle even worse, since I knew what I was missing.
Unfortunately, that concludes my tour of Boeing’s Everett Factory.
In the end, how did the final product between Boeing and Callaway stack up against the best drivers currently on the market? Check out our 2016 Gear Trials: Best Drivers Club Test for a full analysis.
Spoiler alert.
Callaway’s XR 16 Pro (left) and XR 16 Pro drivers.
Callaway’s XR 16 and XR 16 Pro were awarded with 6 total medals (1 Gold Medal, 2 Silver Medals and 3 Bronze Medals), which stacked up nicely against its competitors.
- LIKE143
- LEGIT15
- WOW22
- LOL8
- IDHT4
- FLOP12
- OB6
- SHANK42
Equipment
Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (4/18/24): Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made.
From the seller: (@DLong72): “Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made. ?: $1150. ?? 100% milled collectors item from the limited releases commemorating when Ping putters won every major in 1988 (88 putters made). This was the model Seve Ballesteros used to win the 1988 Open Championship. Condition is brand new, never gamed, everything is in the original packaging as it came. Putter features the iconic sound slot.
Specs/ Additional Details
-100% Milled, Aluminum/Bronze Alloy (310g)
-Original Anser Design
-PING PP58 Grip
-Putter is built to standard specs.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made
This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules
- LIKE1
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
As you probably know by now, Collin Morikawa switched putters after the first round of The Masters, and he ultimately went on to finish T3.
The putter was far from the only change he made last week, however, and his bag is continuing to change this week at the 2024 RBC Heritage.
On the range of The Masters, Morikawa worked closely with Adrian Reitveld, TaylorMade’s Senior Manager of Tour at TaylorMade, to find the perfect driver and 3-wood setups.
Morikawa started off 2024 by switching into TaylorMade’s Qi10 Max driver, but since went back to his faithful TaylorMade SIM – yes, the original SIM from 2020. Somehow, some way, it seems Morikawa always ends up back in that driver, which he used to win the 2020 PGA Championship, and the 2021 Open Championship.
At The Masters, however, Rietveld said the duo found the driver head that allowed “zero compromise” on Morikawa’s preferred fade flight and spin. To match his preferences, they landed on a TaylorMade Qi10 LS 9-degree head, and the lie angle is a touch flatter than his former SIM.
“It’s faster than his gamer, and I think what we found is it fits his desired shot shape, with zero compromise” Rietveld told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the RBC Heritage.
Then, to replace his former SIM rocket 3-wood, Morikawa decided to switch into the TaylorMade Qi10 core model 13.5-degree rocket head, with an adjustable hosel.
“He likes the spin characteristics of that head,” Rietveld said. “Now he’s interesting because with Collin, you can turn up at a tournament, and you look at his 3-wood, and he’s changed the setting. One day there’s more loft on it, one day there’s less loft on it. He’s that type of guy. He’s not scared to use the adjustability of the club.
“And I think he felt our titanium head didn’t spin as low as his original SIM. So we did some work with the other head, just because he liked the feel of it. It was a little high launching, so we fit him into something with less loft. It’s a naughty little piece of equipment.”
In addition to the driver and fairway wood changes, Morikawa also debuted his new “MySymbol” jersey No. 5 TP5x golf ball at The Masters. Morikawa’s choice of symbols is likely tied to his love of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.
Not enough changes for you? There’s one more.
On Wednesday at the 2024 RBC Heritage, Morikawa was spotted with a new TaylorMade “Proto” 4-iron in the bag. If you recall, it’s the same model that Rory McIlroy debuted at the 2024 Valero Texas Open.
According to Morikawa, the new Proto 4-iron will replace his old P-770 hollow-bodied 4-iron.
“I used to hit my P-770 on a string, but sometimes the distance would be a little unpredictable,” Morikawa told GolfWRX.com. “This one launches a touch higher, and I feel I can predict the distance better. I know Rory replaced his P-760 with it. I’m liking it so far.”
See Morikawa’s full WITB from the 2024 RBC Heritage here.
- LIKE25
- LEGIT2
- WOW2
- LOL4
- IDHT2
- FLOP3
- OB3
- SHANK2
Equipment
Why Rory McIlroy will likely use the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper at the RBC Heritage
Although we spotted Rory McIlroy testing the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper last week during practice rounds at the Masters, he ultimately didn’t decide to use the club in competition.
It seems that will change this week at the 2024 RBC Heritage, played at the short-and-tight Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head.
When asked on Wednesday following his morning Pro-Am if he’d be using the new, nostalgic BRNR Copper this week, McIlroy said, “I think so.”
“I like it,” McIlroy told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday regarding the BRNR. “This would be a good week for it.”
View this post on Instagram
According to Adrian Rietveld, the Senior Manager of Tour at TaylorMade, the BRNR Mini Driver can help McIlroy position himself properly off the tee at the tight layout.
Here’s what Rietveld told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday:
“For someone like Rory, who’s that long at the top end of the bag, and then you put him on a course like Harbour Town, it’s tough off the tee. It’s tight into the greens, and you have to put yourself in position off the tee to have a shot into the green. It kind of reminds me of Valderrama in Spain, where you can be in the fairway and have no shot into the green.
“I’m caddying for Tommy [Fleetwood] this week, so I was walking the course last night and looking at a few things. There’s just such a small margin for error. You can be standing in the fairway at 300 yards and have a shot, but at 320 you don’t. So if you don’t hit a perfect shot, you could be stuck behind a tree. And then if you’re back at 280, it might be a really tough shot into the small greens.
“So for Rory [with the BRNR], it’s a nice course-specific golf club for him. He’s got both shots with it; he can move it right-to-left or left-to-right. And the main thing about this club has been the accuracy and the dispersion with it. I mean, it’s been amazing for Tommy.
“This was the first event Tommy used a BRNR last year, and I remember talking to him about it, and he said he couldn’t wait to play it at Augusta next year. And he just never took it out of the bag because he’s so comfortable with it, and hitting it off the deck.
“So you look at Rory, and you want to have the tools working to your advantage out here, and the driver could hand-cuff him a bit with all of the shots you’d have to manufacture.”
So, although McIlroy might not be making a permanent switch into the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper, he’s likely to switch into it this week.
His version is lofted at 13.5 degrees, and equipped with a Fujikura Ventus Black 7X shaft.
See more photos of Rory testing the BRNR Mini here
- LIKE25
- LEGIT1
- WOW0
- LOL2
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB1
- SHANK3
Dave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
John Daly stuns fans into silence with brutal opening tee shot on PGA Tour Champions
Things got heated at the Houston Open between Tony Finau and Alejandro Tosti. Here’s why
Tiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
Scottie Scheffler WITB 2024 (March)
Report: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
Two star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
Neal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
Paulina Gretzky opens up on receiving death threats following DJ’s move to LIV Golf
Collin Morikawa WITB 2024 (April)
Collin Morikawa what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. More photos from the event here. Driver: TaylorMade...
WITB Time Machine: Jordan Spieth’s winning WITB, 2022 RBC Heritage
At the 2022 RBC Heritage Jordan Spieth defeated Patrick Cantlay on the first playoff hole after nearly holing his greenside...
Jason Day WITB 2024 (April)
Jason Day what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. Driver: Ping G430 LST (9 degrees @10) Shaft: TPT...
Ludvig Åberg WITB 2024 (April)
Ludvig Åberg what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. Driver: Titleist TSR2 (9 degrees, D4 SureFit setting)...
-
19th Hole1 week agoDave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
-
19th Hole3 weeks agoThings got heated at the Houston Open between Tony Finau and Alejandro Tosti. Here’s why
-
19th Hole1 week agoTiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoReport: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
-
19th Hole4 days agoTwo star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
-
19th Hole4 days agoNeal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
-
19th Hole3 days agoReport: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoAddiction, spinal fusion, and scam artists – Everything Anthony Kim revealed in candid interview with David Feherty
Lob Wedge
Mar 10, 2016 at 12:38 am
Is the Callaway-Boeing link more of a marketing tool than technology implementation? Yes.
Are the guys hating on this article knuckle dragging trogs? Yes
Expand your horizons kids.. Or don’t read it.
Not like the Title and pictures at the start of the article didn’t give away the subject matter.
scooter
Mar 8, 2016 at 10:17 pm
Thanks for the article Andrew. I’m probably in the minority, but seeing the immenseness of the Boeing factory and all that is required to produce the technological marvel that a modern day jet represents is pretty spectacular. Of course, I’m biased since I’m and avid golfer who also works in the aerospace industry. The modern day driver head, by comparison, is pretty low tech . . . I hope Callaway didn’t pay too much for that fancy CFD streamline picture at the start of the article. As another poster said, the feel and forgiveness is what will sell the driver to the golfing masses.
Birdy
Mar 8, 2016 at 12:20 pm
so which company will get Caterpillar to market the earth moving technology of their wedges or maybe Firestone to market improved traction and roll when it comes to the ball, waterproofing company to lend their support to weatherproof clothes.
add me to the list who think this is just a clever marketing scheme
Peter
Mar 10, 2016 at 12:05 am
hey maybe Bridgestone tires could help Bridgestone golf company make some golf balls. i bet bridgestone tire company knows a thing or two about rubber.
Barry S.
Mar 8, 2016 at 11:22 am
Played TaylorMade and Adams drivers for years and switched to a Callaway Optiforce 440 about 2 years ago because the sound and feel works better for me without giving up any distance. Last year I purchased an Alpha 815 which I promptly sold because it didn’t perform to the level of the Optiforce 440 for me.
The other day a guy showed up at the range with an XR16 driver with a Speeder shaft and I hit 4 or 5 balls with it. Just my opinion but this driver is one of the shortest, worst feeling drivers I’ve hit in the last few years.
Tom
Mar 8, 2016 at 10:46 am
Bunch of negative Nancey’s on here.
Matto
Mar 8, 2016 at 2:10 am
This article should be titled, *A closer look at how PING didn’t need Boeing 2 years ago.
Yaz
Mar 7, 2016 at 8:55 pm
Having worked in that factory for years, Particularly at 747 Final Body Join, (the picture from the ground looking at the 747 with the gear next to it), the pictures BARELY do justice to just exactly how impressive that facility truly is. All the armchair “experts” posting here have ZERO clue about that place or the amazing things that are done there.
ooffa
Mar 8, 2016 at 7:02 am
Ummmm. They build airplanes right. Airplanes are big. They have a big building to build the big airplanes. We get it. I wonder if the airplane hobbyist website is hosting an article on golf club companies seeking publicity today. I doubt they are.
Leon
Mar 7, 2016 at 8:16 pm
Great story and pictures of Boeing. Totally marketing gimmick of Callaway.
John
Mar 7, 2016 at 5:25 pm
For all the article didn’t have too much to do with golf I thoroughly enjoyed it, great insight into the Boeing factory, very interesting.
Ver
Mar 7, 2016 at 4:29 pm
I just flew it on a long distance.
Not too impressed.
Lots of rattles and squeaks like before, with the plastic bits clashing with metals bits that are meant to do that, flex and turn with the body shift. But I would have hoped that they would have somehow minimized it with newer materials but it feels the same inside. No improvement on the armrests, the buttons and latches and locks. The seats weren’t much of an improvement either.
Don’t believe the hype. They put out all this hoopla, yet it’s only slightly improved on the inside for passengers, because they can’t really afford to re-tool everything and create something completely new. I mean Boeing nearly went bust with this plane with all the battery compartment design and window cracking problems anyway.
Yaz
Mar 7, 2016 at 8:53 pm
Seats and seating configuration is the choice of the airliner, not the builder. Boeing puts in the interiors that the airline chooses.
Scott
Mar 8, 2016 at 10:12 am
the XR16? Where did you put your luggage?
Theo Erben
Mar 7, 2016 at 3:39 pm
“Both have to do with laminar and turbulent flow. An airplane wing needs to be streamlined to reduce friction, as does the relatively rotund body of a golf driver head. The solution is very similar.”
Boeing makes great planes. I had the pleasure to fly most of their models.
During my job to help introduce the 737-300 and 747-400 for a renown European airline I learned to know Boeing to use facts and fundamental research to improve the products.
It seems in this “driver drag” case, Boeing just had the marketing guys have a look at the “problem”
I think it is a shame for Boeing that they claim they improved something without quantifying what the improvement really is.
ooffa
Mar 7, 2016 at 12:52 pm
Written like the reports we had to give after our lower school class trips.
There might be an airplane website whose visitors would find this interesting. As a golfer I sure didn’t.
orangeology
Mar 7, 2016 at 12:51 pm
sure you seem to have had a great trip to the B factory. yet i have no idea what it does with the 2 shots of the golf clubs at the end. better yet, why the heck did i need to see this on golfwrx?