The Club:
Today I tested out a Callaway RAZR Hawk Tour Driver 9.5 degrees with a stiff RIP Alpha shaft (60 grams). I should mention, I currently play a Callaway FT-3, that I can’t seem to get rid of (and for good reason). Yes, I know it has an odd sound – but it’s one of the most consistent and reliable clubs I have in my bag. If you didn’t know already, the Callaway RAZR Hawk features a forged composite technology that Callaway custom-built with Lamborghini. This new material allowed Callaway to move around weight to produce what they say is a club that’s uncompromising in every way… (until next year’s model I suppose). A little about me, I’m 5 foot 10, swing around 105MPH with a very smooth transition and tempo. I play a consistent 5-10 yard draw, my miss, is getting quick and snapping it.
Looks:
The head – being 450 CC, seems a lot smaller than it actually is – and looks great at address. Again I may be biased, due to my love for the FT-3 and the fact that from address these two drivers look very similar… but nonetheless – I’m a fan. The club sets up well – slightly open at address, and to me, a naturally drawer of the ball, this is exactly what I’m looking for. The shaft, the Aldila RIP needs no introduction, it looks great, and I must commend Callaway’s choice in adopting this shaft for this driver. The crown features an arc across the front (which I’ve gotten used to) and the usual Callaway “V” for alignment.
Performance:
I hit likely 40-50 balls with this driver (I had a problem putting it down). It had a similar feel to the FT-3 (at least in my books), but if anything a little solider feeling and sounding – if you’ve ever hit the FT-3, you’d likely know what I’m talking about here. I’ll admit I haven’t hit many composite drivers (Cleveland Composite being an exception) but I do enjoy the feel with this material. There is a considerable difference in feel for off-center hits… but it remains a solid one. My swing speed was solid around the 105-108MPH range and distance was also up there at the 290 yard range. The trajectory was slightly lower than expected for a 10.5 degree driver at around 10-11 degrees. I usually hit a lower ball, but I have a feeling the high kick of the Aldila RIP had an effect here. This shaft’s ability to maintain a low ball flight may be a point of contention for players who enjoy a higher trajectory, but on the other hand you’d be hard pressed to balloon this driver.
The Callaway RAZR Hawk also had a surprise in store for me. Spin levels for solid hits we’re pretty normal, if on the lower end around 3300 RPM, but off-center hits showed a significant decrease in spin, which equated to more ground roll. This feature helps contribute to the consistency this club has to offer – most hits were within a 25-yard dispersion pattern, and off-center hits only lost about 10 yards in distance, despite maintaining a solid feel.
The workability of this driver was also great. I’ll bet the Aldila RIP had something to do with this – it’s a really solid shaft. I felt in control at address, and knew how the club would perform when trying to work the ball to the right or left. The club also performed well when jumped on – Callaway made a good choice partnering with Aldila on this club.
Final Thoughts
Callaway has a winner with the Callaway RAZR Hawk driver – however, despite their investment in technology, the clubs overall performance has not significantly improved from previous models (at least in my books). I will admit that this driver did great things for ball spin – especially for off-center hits. The addition of the Aldila RIP shaft is what really makes this club special. The price point of only $449 is a little much for this driver in my opinion, and the good news is you can already find this model for much cheaper (~$200) online.