In many ways Callaway has always been a pioneer in the golf industry with regards to new technology. They’ve come up with such “out of the box ideas” as the HEX dimple pattern which is suppose to be more aerodynamic and were among the first to offer the ability to easily change shafts in a driver with the i-Mix line of clubs. Back in 2009, we saw TaylorMade introduce the original R9 driver and the adjustability of that club (mainly the ability to alter the face angle) really took off. Since that time other manufacturers have jumped into this new market but until now Callaway had stayed back. That all changed with the introduction of the RAZR Fit driver.
One of Callaway’s slogans with the new driver is “Change your driver, not your swing,” and the RAZR Fit gives you a couple of ways to do this. The first way is with the OptiFit Hosel, which allows the face angle to be altered. The second way is with the OptiFit Weights that can be swapped out to promote the desired ball flight of the player.
Unlike the adjustable hosel offerings of Titleist and TaylorMade, the OptiFit Hosel on the RAZR Fit is actually quite simple and in ways a bit limited. It has three settings “O,” “S,” and “C” (open, square and closed). Setting the club to the “O” position will set the club face 2.5° open; on the “C” setting the club face will be 1.5° closed. Changing the setting the club to open will decrease the loft by one degree and conversely, closing the club face will add a degree of loft.
The OptiFit weight system basically helps the player control their shot shape by moving the center of gravity of the club. The RAZR fit comes two different weights; one weighing in at 2 grams and one at 12 grams. The neutral setup is with the 2-gram weight in the heel and the 12-gram weight in the toe. Players who are looking to draw the ball off the tee, or those trying to fight a slice, will want to swap the position of the two weights, moving the heavier weight to the heel and the lighter weight to the toe.
Even though the adjustability of the RAZR fit is somewhat limited when compared to others, this club has other things going for it which cannot be found on other drivers. One such thing is Callaway’s continued implementation of the Forged Composite Crown. According to the company the material being used for the crown is lighter and stronger than titanium and it “contains over seven million turbostratic carbon fibers, which allows our engineers to precisely control the thickness, resulting in an optimum center of gravity and high MOI.” In addition to the Forged Composite Crown, the RAZR Fit also boasts “Streamlined Surface Technology.” What is means is that Callaway has made the contours of the club more aerodynamic to reduce drag on the downswing. The reduction in drag will lead to higher impact speeds and thus more distance.
The RAZR Fit driver isn’t arriving in stores alone either. Along with the introduction of the driver are the matching fairway woods. The fairway woods, however, only maintain some of the adjustability found on the driver. Users will still be able to tweak the face angle via the OptiFit hosel, however, altering the center of gravity is not possible as there are none of the adjustable weights.
The RAZR Fit driver comes in lofts of 8.5°, 9.5°, 10.5°, and 11.5° for righties and 9.5° and 10.5° for lefties. The Aldila Rip’d NV is the stock shaft and is available in three different flexes (light, regular, and stiff). Of course you are not limited to just the stock Aldila Rip’d NV as Callaway offers numerous custom options for an up charge.
The fairway woods are available in a 15° 3 wood or an 18° 5 wood and comes stock with a Callaway RAZR Fit Fairway Graphite Shaft. As with the driver, custom shafts are available in the fairway woods.
Lady versions of both the driver and the fairway woods are also available. The driver is offered with a 11.5° head with the Fujikura Motore F8 shaft as the stock offering. The fairway wood is available in both 3 and 5 wood varieties with the stock Callaway shaft.
Both the RAZR Fit driver and fairway woods are available in stores now. The driver retails for $399 while the fairway wood will set you back $249.
I just received my RAZR Fit driver from Callaway, and I love it. I’ve only had it on the range once for an hour or so, and haven’t used all the possible variations yet, but so far, I really love it. I have it set up with the face square, and the 12 grams weight in the heel and the 2 grams in the toe, and it gives me a nice controlled draw. I look forward to trying the other combinations and using it on the course.
I recently won my Razr Fit 9.5 degree in a golf tournament. (Actually I won the Taylor Made R11s and traded it for the Razr Fit). I have played about 5 rounds with it and thus far I must say that I am impressed with this club. I have already reaped the benefits of the adjustability. I have set the clubface to the closed position on wet soggy fairways and have gained a few extra carry yards, as well as setting it to the open position playing into the wind to get the extra roll.
When I first won this thing, I immediately went to the local Edwin Watts to try it vs. my FT9 on the launch monitor. My FT-9 was an 8.5 degree Tou Model with a Fujikura Z-Com Tour 65 stiff shaft. I was a bit surprised to see that I am now gettin a higher launch angle with less back spin (more carry)using the Razr Fit. The shot dispersion was not as good (gotta be the cheap stock shaft), but the distance/ carry were between 12-15 yards longer. It showed on the course as well. Fading and drawing the ball were a bit more difficult. I was able to borry a Project X 6.0 shaft fome a buddy of mine’s Razr Fit. Working the ball was much easier, the ball flight was about the same trajectory, but much more penetrating and consistant. Distance was about the same. It broke my heart to give it back. I ordered the same shaft from Callaway, I can’t wait for it to come in so that I can try it on the launch monitor as well. Am waiting for the Callaway van to come through town again to get fitted for a 3 wood shaft as well. Why does Callway put these “whippy” shafts in their drivers? Is this why the Razr Fit costs $100.00 less than the R11s?