Equipment

Boeing helps Callaway design aerodynamically-sound XR16 drivers

Published

8 years ago

Jan 5, 2016

In the current driver market, golf equipment companies have a tall task — make drivers that are even longer and more forgiving than the ones currently available. Making things more challenging is that two very important factors in driver design, aerodynamics and forgiveness, have a somewhat inverse relationship; a longer crown improves forgiveness, but it is also generally less aerodynamically sound.

The major issue is that as a driver head moves through space, air wants to leave the crown as it passes over the face. That increases drag and decreases club head speed, a bad thing for distance. For Callaway, solving this problem meant working with aerodynamics experts at Boeing — the world’s largest aerospace company, which designs and engineers jets, spacecrafts and planes for NASA and the U.S. Air Force.

So the people who typically design wings to help airplanes fly through the sky were assigned the task of helping design golf clubs that make golf balls fly farther. The result was Callaway’s new XR16 and XR16 Pro drivers.

Turbulence from the raised crown makes airflow “stick” to the surface.

The new crown design on Callaway’s XR16 drivers features raised portions of titanium just behind the top line that help keep airflow tight to the surface, thus reducing drag and allowing golfers to swing the club head faster on the downswing into impact.

A close look at the crown of the XR16 driver head.

The aerodynamic improvements also allowed Callaway to stretch out the crown of the XR16 drivers, raising moment of inertia (MOI), a measure of a club’s forgiveness. The combination makes the XR16 drivers faster and more forgiving.

XRFace

Changes inside the head include improvement to Callaway’s R-Moto technology, which debuted in Callaway’s Big Bertha Alpha 815 drivers. R-Moto is a supportive rib structure that allowed engineers to make the XR16 driver faces 9 grams lighter and 19 percent thinner than their predecessors. The result is more ball speed, regardless of where shots are contacted on the face, along with better launch conditions.

A look at the crown of the XR16 Pro driver, with a slightly different design than the XR16.

Another weight-saving tactic from Callaway was implementing a lighter, 8-1-1 Titanium body. It offered 2 more grams of discretionary weight compared to the original XR drivers, and while that doesn’t sound like a lot it can make the difference between flying a fairway bunker and being plugged in its lip.

Callaway XR16 Driver

Compared to the XR16 Pro driver, the XR16 has a bigger, deeper footprint for more forgiveness. The 460cc driver comes stock with a Fujikura Speeder Evolution 565 shaft, and several other premium shafts are available at no upcharge.

In stores: January 29
Lofts: 9, 10.5 and 13.5 HT options
Price: $349.99

Callaway XR16 Pro Driver

The XR16 Pro is designed for better golfers. It’s lower spinning than the XR16, creating a more penetrating trajectory because of its lower CG and deeper-faced, 450cc club head. It comes stock with a Fujikura Evolution II TS 665 shaft, but several other premium shafts are available at no upcharge.

Comes to retail: January 29
Lofts: 9 and 10.5 degrees
Price: $399.99

See more photos of the XR16 and XR16 Pro drivers, as well as comparison pics.

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Andrew Tursky

He played on the Hawaii Pacific University Men's Golf team and earned a Masters degree in Communications. He also played college golf at Rutgers University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

36 Comments

ButchT

Mar 8, 2017 at 11:15 am

Dont try to confuse me with facts – it is fun to buy new clubs. Its like a second marriage, a triump of hope over experience!

Reply Report comment
lewis

Jan 8, 2016 at 4:06 am

Had a 10.5 tour issue pro driver in hand last night. It look and sat amazing. Didnt get a chance to hit it however the Pro who had it was loving it.

Reply Report comment
Dumbo

Jan 7, 2016 at 4:45 pm

Total farse. How many yards can you gain if you don’t hit center due to aerodynamic improvements? ZERO. Even if you do hit dead center at 115mph ss, can callaway empirically prove an increase in yardage vs. this same driver with these turbulators? What would that number be? 1 yard? 5?

Reply Report comment
- EKR
  
  Jan 7, 2016 at 10:35 pm
  
  The Farce is strong with that one
  
  Reply Report comment
dan360

Jan 7, 2016 at 1:28 pm

Ah Callaway…another attempt to recycle technology with a fancy big name to operate as best supporting actor.

Remember the Ruger Titanium?

Remember the Lamborghini carbon fiber?

Now the Boeing ‘turbulators’?

What’s next?

Reply Report comment
cb

Jan 6, 2016 at 5:06 pm

so callaway went to an aerospace company and found out turbulators help with club head speed, but ping found this out completely in house and a couple years ago. wonder which company is more revolutionary…

Reply Report comment
- Steve
  
  Jan 7, 2016 at 8:42 am
  
  But can say it was developed by experts at Boeing? These guys make planes, PLANES! How dare compare it to a Ping.
  
  Reply Report comment
Gareth

Jan 6, 2016 at 3:52 pm

To be fair, I own an x2 hot pro after the xhot. Can’t hit anything better than that, tried the XR, big Bertha etc, I actually bought one as a spare!!
Everyone finds THE driver that suits then eventually. don’t agree that these drivers outplay predecessors by 10 yards, only people find a head and a shaft that suit the swing more, due to readily available custom fitting?!!

Reply Report comment
fp

Jan 6, 2016 at 12:15 pm

Looks like a Ping, hits like a Ping, sounds like a Ping

Reply Report comment
Barry S.

Jan 6, 2016 at 12:07 pm

I have a prototype driver head designed by an iconic long driver who has passed. The head is F-17 aerodynamic and makes the new XR look like a Model T in comparison. Would love to show it to Taylormade or Callaway but from what I’ve heard they would probably steal the design and leave me high and dry.

Reply Report comment
Busty McGoo

Jan 6, 2016 at 10:05 am

So does this mean we’re officially done with the whole sliding weights bs they’ve been pushing for the last couple of years?

Reply Report comment
- Numb-E
  
  Jan 7, 2016 at 3:51 am
  
  Different model entirely.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Busty McGoo
    
    Jan 7, 2016 at 12:27 pm
    
    I can see that it’s an entirely different model. Thus my question. If the sliding weights thing is so damn good, why didn’t the designers integrate sliding weights into into this model too? Or does that come later after they’ve convinced a lot of people to buy this model?
    
    All these tech ‘advancements’ just make it more clear than ever, companies have hit a wall with current technology. Maybe PXG found something new recently, but has anyone actually seen their scores improve because they switched to the newest and latest driver? Also, have you actually tracked the distance of every drive to know you’re getting something more than you were before?
    
    Reply Report comment
    - EKR
      
      Jan 7, 2016 at 10:39 pm
      
      Different model entirely. One line for adjustable weights, the other with a simpler set up.
      For me, when I all of a sudden hit over a bunker I used to go into on a regular basis with the same swing same tee box same ball within the last 3 to 4 years in the same condition at the course, then yes I’m definitely getting something more.
      
      Reply Report comment
Steve

Jan 6, 2016 at 8:36 am

This is it the final piece to my perfect golf swing. I was always telling everyone that my drivers werent aerodynamically enough and I was right. This driver is the break through I have been looking for. It has raised pieces that reduce drag, this is awesome. Should I buy this one or wait for the one with wings to be released? These guys keep raising the bar everytime.

Reply Report comment
- ron
  
  Jan 6, 2016 at 10:25 am
  
  haha. nicely done.
  
  Reply Report comment
Chuck

Jan 6, 2016 at 12:11 am

Tell that boy to ease up

Reply Report comment
christian

Jan 5, 2016 at 9:59 pm

I had a Vega DAF (Dual Air Flow) driver yeears before the other major OEMs thought about aerodynamics..Vega bought the airflow patents from Makser, the real pioneers of modern aerodynamic driver design. Remember many of my buddies teased me about the Vega claims, now they talk themselves blue about turbulators etc etc

Reply Report comment
Frank McChrystal

Jan 5, 2016 at 6:32 pm

True that.

Reply Report comment
Max

Jan 5, 2016 at 6:10 pm

Callaway making some great stuff in the past 3-4 years.

Love the looks and styling of all of their clubs lately.

Reply Report comment
moses

Jan 5, 2016 at 3:14 pm

What’s that good for? Maybe .25 mph at 100mph clubhead speed for about half a yard?
Anywho keep em coming!!! More drivers to buy for $150 at the end of the product cycle. 🙂

Reply Report comment
MP

Jan 5, 2016 at 2:26 pm

I played 4 drivers last year (M1, ALPHA, G30, D13) and they all had different characteristics, shafts and science behind them. Every time i switched i would hit the new driver long and straight. After a few weeks i was hitting it just like the old driver. Not sure i buy into all this science but i love tinkering even though i see very little benefit in the long term. My golfing buddy plays a 2009 Cleveland with very little science incorporated to its design and he hits it longer and straighter than any driver i have played. We both play to a 13 handicap with swing speeds around 106 mph.

Reply Report comment
- Numb-E
  
  Jan 7, 2016 at 3:53 am
  
  Totally useless non-technical post, but do go on
  
  Reply Report comment
Rob

Jan 5, 2016 at 1:53 pm

“It offered 2 more grams of discretionary weight compared to the original XR drivers, and while that doesn’t sound like a lot it can make the difference between flying a fairway bunker and being plugged in its lip.”

Sorry but no, 2 grams won’t make that kind of difference. Sorry but 2 paper clips worth of weight just can’t cause that much change.

Reply Report comment
- Numb-E
  
  Jan 7, 2016 at 3:53 am
  
  Actually, it does.
  
  Reply Report comment
Chuck D

Jan 5, 2016 at 1:45 pm

Callawaybulators!! Welcome to da party pal! I can’t imagine how much pressure the modern day club designer must be under.

Reply Report comment
- Desmond
  
  Jan 5, 2016 at 5:59 pm
  
  Isn’t that “Callabulators”?
  
  Reply Report comment
joe

Jan 5, 2016 at 1:09 pm

Callaway, the new TaylorMade.

Reply Report comment
- Desmond
  
  Jan 5, 2016 at 5:58 pm
  
  It’s once per year. Last year, same time, the XR Series made its debut replacing the X2Hot.
  
  Reply Report comment
Mat

Jan 5, 2016 at 12:18 pm

I spy Turbulators…

Reply Report comment
Chuck Hahn

Jan 5, 2016 at 11:29 am

A new driver from Callaway, I’m shock I tell you!!!

Reply Report comment
Leon

Jan 5, 2016 at 11:18 am

Great. Three months later, they will release another driver with design aided from Aliens on Mars

Reply Report comment
- Desmond
  
  Jan 5, 2016 at 7:13 pm
  
  Next drivers are due in late August if the trend remains…
  
  Reply Report comment
- t-ball
  
  Jan 6, 2016 at 11:09 am
  
  I agree ! Seems Callaway, and Taylormade. are both on a ” New driver every 6 months ” cycle.
  
  Reply Report comment
Mat

Jan 5, 2016 at 10:57 am

Will the increased lift help top the ball better?

Reply Report comment
Desmond

Jan 5, 2016 at 9:59 am

And I thought the XR Drivers of 2015 were too light! Wow. At least they got rid of the Project X shaft. Not a fan. The Fuji is a better shaft.

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Equipment

A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic

Published

3 hours ago

Apr 25, 2024

Andrew Tursky

Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.

Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.

We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.

Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).

See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here

Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge

Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.

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A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.

See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here

Turning Back the clock

Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.

But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.

For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.

Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.

The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.

The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.

Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter

Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.

Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.

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It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.

If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.

Brilliant.

See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here

Stricker’s unrecognizable putter

Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.

Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.

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Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates

Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.

Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.

It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.

Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines

Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.

Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.

FitzMagic teams back up

Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.

See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here

And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.

We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!

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