Equipment
Review: Callaway XR 16 Sub Zero driver
Pros: Like other ultra low-spin drivers, Callaway’s XR 16 Sub Zero has huge distance potential for high-spin, high-speed golfers. Adjustable weights allow golfers to fine tune CG location. No upcharge for premium shafts.
Cons: Compared to Callaway’s other XR 16 drivers, the Sub Zero lacks forgiveness. Bad mishits can produce head-scratching trajectories. Available in only one loft (9.5 degrees), and for righties only.
Who it’s for: This a niche product for better golfers. If you miss the center of the club face with any consistency, give one of the other XR 16 drivers, or Callaway’s Great Big Bertha a try.
The Review
Callaway extended its line of XR 16 drivers with the new XR 16 Sub Zero, which was designed for high-spin players, from Phil Mickelson to gifted amateurs. It measures 440 cubic centimeters, and uses a new Carbon Triax Crown to lower center of gravity (CG), ultimately placing it below the neutral axis line, or “Sub Zero,” according to the company. Here’s what that looks like as a graphic:
Related: Learn more about the technology in the Sub Zero.
As you probably know by now — whether it’s from our stories or the TV commercials — Callaway and Boeing teamed up to create a line of aerodynamic drivers, coming to fruition in the XR 16 and XR 16 Pro drivers. On those drivers, there are “Speed Steps” on the crown, which allow air to flow tighter against the club head to help golfers swing faster.
Although Callaway’s new XR 16 Sub Zero driver was given the “XR 16” name, it wasn’t given the Speed Steps, which weren’t able to be added because of the Sub Zero’s lightweight Carbon Triax crown, according to a Callaway representative. The XR 16 platform still makes branding sense for the Sub Zero, though. While it has two adjustable weights, it’s much more similar to Callaway’s XR 16 and XR 16 Pro than it is the company’s Great Big Bertha and Big Bertha Alpha 816 drivers, which use complex adjustability systems.
Think of the three different XR drivers this way:
- XR 16 (460 cc): Maximum forgiveness, highest ball flight.
- XR 16 Pro (450 cc): Medium forgiveness, medium ball flight
- XR 16 Sub Zero (440 cc): Least forgiveness, lowest ball flight.
In terms of looks and feel, the Sub Zero is also noticeably different than its XR 16 brethren. Its crown is glossy rather than matte, and it has no graphics or sight lines on its crown. At impact, the sound is also much more dense; it makes a crunch, rather than a higher-pitched ting like the XR 16 and XR 16 Pro. The Sub Zero does have a similar head shape to the XR 16 Pro, albeit 10cc smaller. To my eye, the Sub Zero looks clean and compact at address, more so than the XR 16 Pro and much more so than the XR 16.
Related: GolfWRX 2016 Gear Trials, The Best Drivers in Golf
The Sub Zero ($449.99) will create a disproportionate interest in the golf equipment world because of its use by tour players. In reality, though, it’s a highly limited release that targets the top echelon of better golfers. It’s only offered in one loft (9.5 degrees) and available for right-handed golfers only.
The Sub Zero does have an adjustable hosel that allows golfers to switch the loft to 8.5, 10.5 or 11.5 degrees, however, and each loft can be paired with a neutral or upright lie angle setting, which expands the target audience. It should also be noted that the Sub Zero has a slightly flatter lie angle at address than the other XR 16 drivers, which many better players prefer, as it creates more fade bias.
For those who fit the “high-speed, high-spin, right-handed” mold, the Sub Zero lowers spin as well as any club on the market, and has a nice fade bias that may greatly benefit those whose miss is a hook. If you hit the center of the club face consistently and you’re fighting a hook, this may be the driver for you. An added perk is that Callaway is offering golfers their choice of 20 different premium shafts with purchase, which you can view here.
The Test
I tested the Sub Zero against the only other club on the market hovering at the neutral axis line, Cobra’s King LTD, which is said to boast a “Zero CG.” And I hit it against the XR 16 and XR 16 Pro drivers, too. Each of the drivers were set to 9.5 degrees with the same shaft; a Graphite Design Tour AD-DI 7X.
The test was performed at The Launch Pad at Carl’s Golfland in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., with Trackman. After deleting outliers, I averaged the results of three drives with each club. The data was normalized, and premium golf balls were used. For those of you curious, I am a 1-handicap, former college golfer coming off a winter of not hitting many range balls.
Observations
- Callaway XR 16’s draw-bias was noticeable and effective. As someone who fights a hook, however, this was not ideal.
- XR 16 and XR 16 Pro felt very light compared to the other drivers, which may explain the boost in club head speed. Or maybe the Speed Steps did have a positive effect on club speed?
- Callaway’s XR 16 Sub Zero, with the weight in the forward position, was the second-lowest spinning driver in the test just behind Cobra’s King LTD.
- XR 16 Pro was nearly as low-spinning as the Sub Zero, but provided more forgiveness and more launch and height.
- The forward setting in the Sub Zero was noticeably fade-biased, and produced the most fade spin of any driver in the test.
- The highest balls speeds were produced by the XR 16 (168.7 mph) and the Sub Zero in the forward setting (164.7 mph).
It must be noted that these numbers do not tell the entire story. For example, with the XR 16 Pro, I had zero outliers. The club was extremely easy to hit, despite it having nearly the same profile as the Sub Zero.
Want another opinion? Here’s what Rick Shiels has to say
With the Sub Zero, on the other hand, I had numerous outliers, and my mishits were squirrelly at best: low hooks, low slices, high pushes, etc. It was ugly at times, but when I hit it on the screws, the Sub Zero was possibly the best performing driver of the bunch. Cobra’s King LTD didn’t seem to offer any more forgiveness than the Sub Zero, and had just as many outliers. Zero, or below zero CG is not for the weak-hearted, apparently.
I’ll admit, I’m probably not consistent enough to play the Callaway XR 16 Sub Zero. I certainly can see why there’s a need and demand for it, as it does a phenomenal job knocking down spin, but it’s definitely demanding from a ball-striking standpoint. Maybe it would be a better fit after a summer of hitting tour-sized buckets of balls. If I were playing in a tournament tomorrow, I would take the XR 16 Pro driver to the first tee.
The Takeaway
If you tried the XR 16, XR 16 Pro or Great Big Bertha drivers from Callaway, and just can’t seem to lower your spin rates, the XR 16 Sub Zero could be an answer. When you catch one on the screws, it’s one of the lowest spinning drivers you’ll ever hit. Its lack of forgiveness makes me cautious to suggest this club to anyone that plays to higher than a scratch handicap, however. That being said, the Sub Zero plays the role it’s meant to play quite nicely. And it looks fantastic, and feels like most better golfers want their driver to feel: muted and solid.
Tour players, accomplished amateurs and big hitters will fall in love with this club. Weekend golfers, this one just probably isn’t for us.
[wrx_retail_links productid=”84″]
- LIKE70
- LEGIT13
- WOW5
- LOL3
- IDHT2
- FLOP2
- OB1
- SHANK21
Whats in the Bag
Alex Fitzpatrick WITB 2024 (April)
- Alex Fitzpatrick what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 7 X
Hybrid: Ping G430 (19 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 10 TX
Irons: Ping iCrossover (2), Titleist T100 (4-PW)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 9 TX (2), Nippon N.S. Pro Modus 3 Tour 120 X (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (50-12F, 56-12D, 60-08M)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus 3 Tour 120 X
Putter: Bettinardi SS16 Dass
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
Check out more in-hand photos of Alex Fitzpatrick’s clubs here.
- LIKE0
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
Equipment
What’s the perfect mini-driver/shaft combo? – GolfWRXers discuss
In our forums, our members have been discussing Mini-Drivers and accompanying shafts. WRXer ‘JamesFisher1990’ is about to purchase a BRNR Mini and is torn on what shaft weight to use, and our members have been sharing their thoughts and set ups in our forum.
Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- PARETO: “New BRNR at 13.5. Took it over to TXG (Club Champ but TXG will always rule) in Calgary for a fit. Took the head down to 12, stuck in a Graphite Design AD at 3 wood length and 60g. Presto- numbers that rivaled my G430Max but with waaaaay tighter dispersion. Win.”
- driveandputtmachine: “Still playing a MIni 300. The head was only 208, so I ordered a heavier weight and play it at 3 wood length. I am playing a Ventus Red 70. I play 70 grams in my fairways. I use it mainly to hit draws off the tee. When I combine me, a driver, and trying to hit a draw it does not work out well most of the time. So the MIni is for that. As an aside, I have not hit the newest BRNR, but the previous model wasn’t great off the deck. The 300 Mini is very good off the deck.”
- JAM01: “Ok, just put the BRNR in the bag along side a QI10 max and a QI10 3 wood. A load of top end redundancy. But, I have several holes at my two home courses where the flight and accuracy of the mini driver helps immensely. Mine is stock Proforce 65 at 13.5, I could see a heavier shaft, but to normal flex, as a nice alternative.”
Entire Thread: “What’s the perfect Mini-Driver/Shaft combo? – GolfWRXers discuss”
- LIKE2
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
Equipment
Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (4/26/24): Artisan 0521 custom putter
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 an Artisan 0521 custom putter
From the seller: (@Nobody2): “$775 -Artisan 0521 custom putter PVD (black finish) with sweep neck hosel. There are no personal stampings other than my player # in very small print on the side of the hosel (all Artisan products have this along with the date it was made). This putter looks absolutely amazing and has only been used for 3 rounds. It has a black steel shaft and has a very Cam Smith look to it. The putter looks new and has no wear marks anywhere on the putter. It comes with extra weights (one set of of 5 gram weights and one set of 15 gram weights). The head cover is a a navy blue ‘quilted blade putter cover.’ If you are wondering why I am selling…I flat out have the yips and the only thing saving me is a broomstick. New, this putter is $1085, so if the specs work for you (grip, length and lie can certainly be tweaked) it will save you some good money and 2 month wait time.
Specs:
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: Artisan 0521 custom putter
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
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Dave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
-
19th Hole4 days ago
Justin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Tiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
-
19th Hole4 days ago
‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Two star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
-
19th Hole1 week ago
Report: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Neal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
-
19th Hole1 week ago
Brandel Chamblee has ‘no doubt’ who started the McIlroy/LIV rumor and why
p atrick,connell
Nov 28, 2016 at 4:31 pm
why are thare no prices mentioned,,also no shipping costs mentioned,,in English currency,might help .thank you.ps, I only use G clubs and driver,aged 72,approx 20 handicapper is the xr 16 any good for me
Corey
May 11, 2016 at 4:56 pm
You need to try this driver with a qualified fitter. I run a Callaway Performance Center and I am selling quite a few of these to players who are not tour caliber. It is not as hard to hit as this article states. It’s all about the numbers and this is one of the best heads I have ever seen.
Corey, PGA
Master Club Fitter
JJVas
May 6, 2016 at 11:59 am
Thanks for this!!! I was ogling the Sub Zero for awhile and finally hit it indoors on a FS. My specs are very similar to yours, and the gamer is still a 9.0* XR Pro (played at 8.0*). I really liked the SZ, and i actually played the Cobra LTD Pro for a month, but neither was the combination of fast, somewhat forgiving, and consistent as the XR Pro for me. Question for you guys… does any XR Pro fan see a really worthwhile difference between the XR Pro and the XR Pro 16? Just wondering. The look of the new head is a little… um… yeah…
joro
May 6, 2016 at 11:58 am
I would say it is just another Money maker for Callaway and nothing special. Not the Driver for anyone and especially not Phil who can’t hit many fairways to begin with. Who says it is not good to hit the short grass. With my RX16 I average 12 a round. Very easy to hit.
Rob
May 6, 2016 at 10:56 am
“I’ll admit, I’m probably not consistent enough to play the Callaway XR 16 Sub Zero.” Very surprised a 1 handicap golfer that played in college can say something like this.
Brad
May 5, 2016 at 12:54 pm
“I am a 1-handicap, former college golfer coming off a winter of not hitting many range balls.”
^Us Midwestern WRXers know this pain all too well
CTGolfer
May 5, 2016 at 12:26 pm
High speed players…………what does that mean? 100mph? 105? 110+………….what is the industry standard definition on high speed player?
TR1PTIK
May 5, 2016 at 2:04 pm
I’m thinking you’re looking at players with a swing speed of 110+. My swing speed averages around 105 and I still need a bit more spin than sub zero provides to get maximum distance.
Sq
May 6, 2016 at 11:50 am
Quiet, you little girl
Wow.....
Nov 13, 2016 at 10:04 pm
Hahahahahaha