Equipment
Callaway launches XR16 and XR16 Pro fairway woods
For its XR16 drivers, Callaway focused mostly on improving the aerodynamics of its crown for more speed. For the XR16 fairway woods, however, Callaway wasn’t singularly focused on improving just one facet of the club.
That’s because fairway woods take on different roles for different golfers, so simply making them “faster,” which is almost always the goal in driver design, isn’t necessarily a winning formula for fairways. Fairway woods also need to be forgiving and versatile, and move through the turf easily when hitting shots from the fairway or rough.
Therefore, when designing the XR16 fairway woods, Callaway wanted to increase ball speeds and lower spin compared to the XR fairway woods, but also introduce greater forgiveness and versatility to satisfy golfers’ every need.
Let’s see how Callaway accomplished that with its most “comprehensive and complete” line of woods ever, according to Callaway’s Senior R&D Woods Manager, Evan Gibbs.
Callaway XR16 Pro (top) and XR16 fairway woods.
For Callaway, fairway wood design starts with its bread and butter — Face Cup technology. Gibbs says Face Cup is the core technology that separates its fairway woods from competitors in terms of ball speed, and it serves as the “engine of the club.” And in its fourth generation, Face Cup continues to improve compared to its predecessors.
In the XR16 fairways, the Face Cup insert is made from a 455 Carpenter Stainless Steel alloy, a material that allows Callaway to make its face extremely thin and flexible; and its even thinner and hotter than ever, according to Callaway. Variable thickness — thinner around the perimeter and thicker in the center — also allows the club to produce higher ball speeds on shots hit across the face.
To maintain low spin and high launch of the XR’s, the XR16 fairways also have the familiar “Internal Standing Wave,” which sits behind the bottom portion of the face and drives CG low and forward.
A graphic of Callaway’s Internal Standing Wave technology.
Callaway also looked to increase moment of inertia (MOI), a measure of forgiveness, in order to make the “bad shots look more like the good shots,” as Gibbs puts it, with its new clubs. To accomplish that, the XR16 fairway woods were made with a larger profile with reduced weight in the crown — actually, the company’s thinnest cast crown ever — helping move CG lower and deeper.
Callaway’s XR16 fairway woods have more camber and heel/toe relief than its predecessors.
Additionally, their soles feature more camber and more sole relief than their predecessors, which allows the leading edge of the club to sit closer to the ground at address and helps keep the club from getting stuck in the turf at it moves through the ground.
The result of the improvements? The XR16 fairway woods boast 28 percent more consistent carry distance and 8 percent more consistent ball speed compared to the XR fairway woods, according to Callaway testing. For golfers who want higher ball speeds on off-center hits (that’s just about everyone), that’s a positive.
Specs
With such a wide variety of offerings, how should you go about choosing the right fairway wood for you?
Callaway’s XR16 standard fairway wood.
Loft for loft, the XR16 standard fairway woods (15.5, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25 degrees) are larger than their XR16 Pro counterparts. They’ll produce a higher launch angle, more draw bias and more forgiveness.
Callaway’s XR16 Pro fairway wood, with 14 degrees of loft.
The XR16 Pro fairway woods (14, 16 and 18 degrees) have a smaller footprint, will be slightly more fade-biased and will produce a lower-spinning, more penetrating trajectory.
An interesting option for golfers who rely on their fairway wood as a second driver off the tee to consider is the XR16 3+. At 14 degrees and 162 cubic centimeters, it has a head size that’s halfway between the 14-degree XR16 Pro and the 15.5 degree XR16. As far as its ball flight goes, it produces the low trajectory and low spin of the XR16 Pro, but has the draw-bias and forgiveness of the XR16.
Callaway’s XR Pro (left) and XR16 fairway woods from address.
Each of the fairway woods will be available on January 29. The XR16 woods will sell for $229.99, and come stock with a Fujikura Speeder 565 Evolution shaft. The XR16 Pro woods will sell for $249.99 and come stock with a Fujikura Speeder 755 Evolution II TS fairway shaft.
See more photos of Callaway’s new XR16 and XR16 pro woods here.
Cameron Young’s WITB from his win at the 2025 Wyndham Championship. Cameron is a Titleist staff player but his bag is definitely filled with some unique clubs. Here are the clubs he used to secure his first PGA Tour win!
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus HB Black VeloCore+ 10 X
Irons: Titleist T200 (4), Titleist T100 (5), Titleist 631.CY Prototype (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F @57), WedgeWorks (60-K* @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom 9.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Prototype
- Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (10 degrees, C2 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Project X Denali Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 7 X
7-wood: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 8 X
Irons: Titleist T150 (4, 5), Titleist T100 (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper AMT Tour White X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F, 56-08M @57, 60-04T @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Fastback 1.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Yellow
We’re proud to once again partner with 2nd Swing Golf to bring you GolfWRX Members Choice 2025! 2nd Swing has more than 150,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.
What is the best driver in 2025? At GolfWRX, we take great pride in our online community and the cumulative knowledge and experience of our members. When it comes to the best driver of 2025, we want to know what our forum faithful think.
Since our founding in 2005, the bedrock of GolfWRX.com has been the community of passionate and knowledgeable golfers in our forums, and we put endless trust in the opinions of our GolfWRX members — the most knowledgeable community of golfers on the internet. No other group of golfers in the world tests golf clubs as frequently or as extensively, nor is armed with such in-depth information about the latest technology.
Below are the results of GolfWRX member voting for the 2025 best driver, along with the vote percentage for each club.
Best driver of 2025: The top 5
5. Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond: 6.02%
Callaway’s pitch: “For golfers looking for a fast, forgiving, yet workable driver, the Elyte Triple Diamond features a tour-inspired shape and is the preferred model by most Callaway tour players.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond here.
4. Ping G440 Max: 6.86%
Ping’s pitch: “The most forgiving G440 model, MAX has a hotter face to generate speed and distance, and a lighter overall system weight with a longer shaft (46″) for faster clubhead speed, higher launch and longer carries. The Free Hosel and Carbonfly Wrap crown save weight to create our lowest CG ever and increase forgiveness while contributing to a more muted, pleasing sound.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 Max here.
3. Ping G440 LST: 9.53%
Ping’s pitch: “LST is an especially good fit for faster swings, offering less spin and more control with a penetrating trajectory. A hotter face, lighter overall system weight and longer shaft (46″) deliver more speed and distance while maintaining tight dispersion.”
@phizzy30: “Not a fan of Ping drivers in general, but 440 LST takes the cake. It’s super forgiving across the face for a low spin head, looks and sounds good and the ability to make it play neutral or slightly fade biased through the hosel settings is very appealing.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 LST here.
2. Titleist GT3: 16.55%
Titleist’s pitch: “The GT3 Driver offers Titleist’s boldest combination of power and personalization through adjustable performance. Dial in the CG Track to your frequent contact location to make your biggest drives even bigger while taking total control over flight and shaping.”
@mrmikeac: “I’ve been Anti-Titleist for years and years and years (outside of Vokey, of course). With that being said, HOLY BEGEEZUS the GT3 driver is an absolute NUCLEAR MONSTER! This thing blew my G430 10K Max out of the water in every single category. Forgiveness is the biggest thing that stands out of me, the 3 model has always been one of the less forgiving models in the past but this GT3 can take bad shot after bad shot and still end up in the fairway, I think a ton of that has to do with the adjustability, it’s actually effective. Feel and sound is perfect, that solid crack is so addicting to hear and when you hit it out the screws this thing can absolutely bomb it. Titleist, I’m sorry for doubting you. You have converted me.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT3 here.
1. Titleist GT2: 22.91%
Titleist’s pitch: “Delivering impressive distance from any impact point, the Titleist GT2 Driver extracts maximum performance through a forgiving design. Get the stability and added confidence of a high-MOI driver without sacrificing speed.”
@DTorres: “The Titleist GT2 has proven to be the best driver of the year. Packaged in a classic profile, GT2 perfectly balances performance and forgiveness while consistently being a high performer across all categories.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT2 here.
Other drivers receiving >2% of the vote
| Driver | Vote percentage (%) |
|---|---|
| Cobra DS Adapt Max K | 4.85% |
| Ping G430 Max 10K | 3.85% |
| Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond | 3.68% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 | 3.51% |
| Callaway Elyte | 3.18% |
| Cobra DS Adapt X | 2.34% |
| Cobra DS Adapt LS | 2.17% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 LS | 2.17% |
View this post on Instagram
‘Why would anybody want to change that swing?’ – Brandel Chamblee says PGA Tour star was wrong to change his swing
‘The stupidest freaking thing I’ve ever heard’ – Billy Horschel slams Open idea suggested by Padraig Harrington
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Golfer proudly posts photo of ball mark on iron, receives immediate roasting
WITB Time Machine: Matthew Wolff’s winning WITB, 2019 3M Open
Oakmont Country Club bans Wyndham Clark over locker incident; Reveals specific conditions to earn reinstatement
Adam Scott puts Callaway blades in the bag at Wyndham Championship
Report: LIV star fires caddie and coach in shock shake up
Rickie Fowler makes equipment change to ‘something that’s a little easier on the body’
The championship formula: How 3 key stats separate winners from the field
Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
Bobby
Jan 7, 2016 at 3:24 pm
Huge fan of callaway woods, won’t touch anything else by them.
Clay
Jan 6, 2016 at 10:36 am
Is it too much to ask for a 15* XR16 Pro? Looks like my X2 Hot Pro may carry on another year. Depends on which of these specs is correct, is it 14* or 14.5*?
Max
Jan 5, 2016 at 6:15 pm
Bring back the 5 DEEP!!!!! Best all around fairway I have ever owned. If you have any XR16 5 Deep prototypes left over, send em my way. Thanks.
Dj
Jan 5, 2016 at 12:17 pm
They ran out of marketing material so now they say 28% more consistent carry distance? Lol not even sure what that means. So their old clubs went different distances on same struck shots? Normal
Billy
Jan 5, 2016 at 10:38 am
Just checking, so VFT in the XR16 face has a thinner centre and thicker perimeter? Not so sure if that’s how it works.
Andrew Tursky
Jan 5, 2016 at 11:46 am
To clarify, the center of the face is made thicker (.078 inches), and toward the perimeter it is thinner (.043 inches). Thanks, Billy!