ULTIMATE REVIEW! - Callaway RAZR Hawk

[Tony Covey MGS]

 

Callaway RAZR Hawk Review

We were just starting to put together the list of clubs we wanted to test in 2011 when Callaway kicked off a media frenzy of sorts by releasing their “Performance Over Paint” campaign on the same day TaylorMade released their R11 Driver (interesting coincidence, right?). Following on the heals of that, Callaway's marketing people released an ad showing a Hawk driver standing out above a see of R11 drivers with the caption “The Hawk's diet now includes sheep”. While we certainly appreciate the humor, especially from an industry in which it's largely lacking, what really caught our attention was Callaway's claim that their RAZR Hawk Driver is 6 yards longer than TaylorMade's R11.

 

Now when it comes to the marketing wars between two of the biggest names in the industry, I can assure you I've got no personal dog in the fight. I've at one time or another carried drivers, irons, and wedges from both companies. When my 2010 golf season ended, I had one club from each in my bag. Of course, when one company calls out the other and essentially takes what is effectively that competitor's biggest product launch in years, and responds with a simple claim that paint is not innovation – our driver is better, we immediately wanted to sort the truth from the marketing.

 

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[GolfSpy Dave]

Is that a VooDoo ot a RIP? Photos look like it says RIP...

 

Nice review. How much distance would you expect to lose if you took off 1"?

[Tony Covey MGS]

Is that a VooDoo ot a RIP? Photos look like it says RIP...

 

Nice review. How much distance would you expect to lose if you took off 1"?

 

My god I'm brain dead sometimes. Yes, it's a RIP...I love the RIP (it's what's in my Adams), and for some damn reason I wrote VooDoo...and I'm not a big fan of the VooDoo.

 

I'd love to answer your question, Sactown, but it's hard to say, as I've never actually tested. What I can say is that the Tour model is a half inch shorter, and with only a few swings under my belt, it appears to be every bit as long as the standard model.

[skihippy]

excellent review. I wish callaway would try to go adjustable though. I want to see what other club makers come up with to try to fit there customers better.

[Tony Covey MGS]

excellent review. I wish callaway would try to go adjustable though. I want to see what other club makers come up with to try to fit there customers better.

 

My guess is that it's only a matter of time we see a new and improved I-MIX 2.0. That said, I'm more or less over the whole adjustability thing. I might feel differently if shafts were easier to come by and adapters were readily available. I do like the Titleist design, but most people tell us that once they're dialed in they never make changes. I also believe (although it's tough to prove) that you lose a bit of feel.

[Xamilo]

So, at the end, its not much more than a new face in an FT-9 and the buzz really was, as expected, just buzz...

 

Every new review makes me want to try the 9064 even more!

[TWShoot67]

I'm with you when it comes to adjustability. It's good for the fitting process but once you are fit there sghould be no real need for playing with the adjustments. Maybe that's why I still play a glued hosel.Although I haven't tried any New drivers this year I look forward to the FT Tour or Now the Razr Hawk Tour. I want to see how different it feels with the composite forged head material vs. my FT9 TA that I game now.

 

PS: OH yeah thanks for the review.-

[Tony Covey MGS]

I'm with you when it comes to adjustability. It's good for the fitting process but once you are fit there sghould be no real need for playing with the adjustments. Maybe that's why I still play a glued hosel.Although I haven't tried any New drivers this year I look forward to the FT Tour or Now the Razr Hawk Tour. I want to see how different it feels with the composite forged head material vs. my FT9 TA that I game now.

 

PS: OH yeah thanks for the review.-

 

I've been trying to come up with a good way to describe the feel of the recent run of Callaway drivers. It's definitely not the same as you get with a Titanium driver, I think it's more inline with the feel one gets from a well struck iron shot; solid, but soft. I think the RAZR Hawk has slightly better feel than the FT-9, with the Tour model (which I've admittedly only hit about a dozen balls with) being slightly better still.

 

It's strange how much animosity is out there towards Callaway. Maybe they made some products that weren't he best, but every year is different with the OEMs, so it's probably time guys started to get over it. Nobody seems to be holding the R9 SuperTri against TaylorMade...

[Matt Saternus]

Is that a VooDoo ot a RIP? Photos look like it says RIP...

 

Nice review. How much distance would you expect to lose if you took off 1"?

 

I have it in my head that, all other things being equal, an extra 1" of shaft will add 2-3 MPH of club head speed. Not sure where I picked that up, or it's it right. If you assume that it is correct, and that the extra inch doesn't impact your swing/ability to hit the center of the face, you're talking about an extra 5-7 yards.

[Long Iron Pete]

Extra shaft length:

 

my problem with TaylorMade Burner Superfast (last yrs model) was that it was too inconsistent for me. This came down (I believe) to the length of the shaft. I've since changed/traded this for a fairly forgiving Mizuno JPX-800 driver that is about an inch shorter.

 

This (non-adjustable, dark head head with white shaft/grip) is easy to hit and is as long I've found as the Burner. Perhaps the distance comparison comes down to hitting the thing better and more consistently.

 

Nevertheless - in an amateur golfer's world - distance comes from hitting the club properly. It's not gained from the longest, latest, hottest-of-the-face model. It's gained from whichever club fits best for you.

 

And that's my gripe with the RAZR driver - shaft is too long. Maybe for a better player it's a different prospect, but not for me.

[Justin66]

Is that a VooDoo ot a RIP? Photos look like it says RIP...

 

Nice review. How much distance would you expect to lose if you took off 1"?

 

 

From what I've studied, Matt's right- you'd theoretically lose ~2-3mph swing speed. However, if you're making more consistent impacts with the face center at the shorter length, you may actually pick up yards. Or at the least, make it an even trade.

 

Another thing to consider when shortening the club is the swing weight issue that comes up. A 1/2" change in length will effect 3 swing weight points... so 1" will change 6 points! So, if you buy the RAZR w/ RIP, and for argument's sake it comes that way with a D2 swing weight, just cutting off the grip, knocking off the inch and putting the same weight grip back on will make it drop to a C6. Most of us, unless we're Tiger or Nick Faldo, can't feel a 3 sw point change... but 6 is pretty substantial. If this is a "problem", so to speak, depends on the individual, though... The balance point of the club would be closer to the hands. Some people like this, because they feel it gives them more control at the top. Others don't, but that's why they call it "personal preference".

 

If you take the inch off and don't like the way it feels, you could add weight to the head, get a lighter grip, or do a combination of the two to get it back to where you like it (switching to a heavier shaft would effect swing weight, but may not actually help). Not terribly difficult, thanks to the invention of the light grips.

[skihippy]

My guess is that it's only a matter of time we see a new and improved I-MIX 2.0. That said, I'm more or less over the whole adjustability thing. I might feel differently if shafts were easier to come by and adapters were readily available. I do like the Titleist design, but most people tell us that once they're dialed in they never make changes. I also believe (although it's tough to prove) that you lose a bit of feel.

 

I fully agree that you lose feel with an adjustable head/shaft. I am just tired of what Taylormade is doing. I do like what Titliest has done. I just want another take on it. The real beauty behind the adjustable driver is that you are able to personally fit yourself to your golf club. A lot of people can go and spend $50 to get fitted and then to find out they need a new shaft thats another 50-100 then they have to get the head and grip changed out could be another 20. So a good adjustable driver is well worth the hour it takes you to get adjusted to a new adjustable driver.

[Justin66]

I fully agree that you lose feel with an adjustable head/shaft. I am just tired of what Taylormade is doing. I do like what Titliest has done. I just want another take on it. The real beauty behind the adjustable driver is that you are able to personally fit yourself to your golf club. A lot of people can go and spend $50 to get fitted and then to find out they need a new shaft thats another 50-100 then they have to get the head and grip changed out could be another 20. So a good adjustable driver is well worth the hour it takes you to get adjusted to a new adjustable driver.

 

 

As much as I harp on Callaway, I really liked the I-Mix. It was simple. You either need a closed face (normal), open face (tour), and draw or neutral weight bias. The golfer should know this, but that's also assuming they're getting fitted and not just guessing. So all of the important variables (loft, face angle, etc.) were already figured out... the rest was just tweaking the shaft and grip to get that last little bit of optimization (which, as it pertains to launch conditions, is all the shaft does- tweak).

 

These other adjustable drivers, I feel, leave too much up to the individual... and too tempting for some to cheat the Rules. No, that's not an across the board thing, because most golfer actually have integrity... however, there is the temptation for some to make a fade setting for the fade holes, and a draw setting for the draw holes.

 

I don't like that Taylormade has a "TP" version... that's just stupid, in my opinion. Each head has so much adjustability, regardless of model. I feel like they're almost tricking you into buying a shaft upgrade you may not need, just so you can have the same driver the pro's use. At least with the Titleist version, it is what it is. Simple, but effective.