Callaway Announces New Elyte Drivers Woods Irons and Hybrids

The new Callaway Golf release of Elyte drivers, woods, irons and hybrids isn’t merely a new product release. For Callaway the new Elyte line is about breaking through to the next level of equipment performance with no weaknesses.

There’s a lot of exciting, disruptive technology and all-in purpose to this new Elyte lineup. So let’s break it all down category by category.

Elyte Drivers

In modern driver design and R&D there’s often a trade off between speed and forgiveness. Fast head shapes are unforgiving, and forgiving shapes lack speed. Over the years driver speed and forgiveness have improved throughout the industry.  But the improvements have always been independent of each other. It’s almost like there’s an inverse relationship between driver max speed and max forgiveness. A trade off, if you will.

That is until now, and Elyte. Callaway took an entirely different and comprehensive look at shape, materials, and Ai face to unlock driver performance that eliminate a good portion of this trade off.

Driver Shape

Traditionally to make drivers faster you design heads smaller or more compact but that impacts forgiveness. And with Elyte Callaway has designed a new shape that is faster but without any significant tradeoff of CG or penalty of lower MOI.

Callaway invested over $2 Million in 3D Printing capabilities to print prototypes faster and with more rapid biomechanics test center testing.  75 different prototypes were created with each unique iteration revealing years and years worth of new knowledge and information in one product cycle. And the deep dive on aerodynamic modeling alone created two significant changes.

First, the Elyte driver now has a lower profile heel section which reduces turbulence in that area and behind the head and shaft in the downswing. The result is more efficient airflow and faster overall head shape. And we’re not talking merely faster at impact but actually faster through the entire downswing

So how much speed are we talking about? Well typically one development cycle margins for improvement are slim. You can see something like 0.2 mph increase in head speed that translates to 0.5 mph increase in ball speed which results in a few more yards in greater distance. With Elyte however, Callaway achieved up to 1.3 mph more head speed which is absolutely massive.

Second, the crown ribbon is now higher and deeper. This in and of itself usually has a CG penalty that often increases spin but Callaway addressed this issue with new advanced materials development.

Materials

Callaway’s R&D team designed a new crown material called Thermoforged Carbon. This aerospace grade carbon fiber is a lighter, stronger material that allows for more precise molding capabilities. It allowed Callaway to wrap more of the carbon further down the perimeter of the head, replacing titanium. And this resulted in a lower CG and lower spin which is going to have be good for pretty much every aspect that player.

So what does this all mean in terms of Elyte performance? How about up to 2.1 mph more ball speed. And again, just absolutely massive improvement.

Ai 10x Face

Where the focus on shaping and materials was on increasing speed, the Ai Face focus was on maintaining and increasing forgiveness, particularly in improved dispersion.

You probably already know Ai Smoke used real players swings and introduced the data of these swings into the design process to deliver more sweet spots across the face. Callaway’s new Ai process for Elyte has 10 times more control points and swing data engineered into the face that has significantly increased the forgiveness produced.

The new Ai 10x Face is ultimately Callaway controlling every spot on and detail of the face. And this has translated to consistently tighter dispersion and optimum spin.

From a numbers standpoint what does this mean for you? Callaway testing showed up to 19-percent tighter downrange and left-to-right dispersion. Clearly, Callaway isn’t messing around with Elyte and this driver has the potential to be unlike any we’ve seen to date.

The 4 Different Elyte Driver Models

There are 4 different Elyte driver models. The Elyte, the Elyte X, the Elyte MAX Fast, and the Elyte Triple Diamond.

Elyte 

The Elyte will fit most players. It’s fast; it’s high MOI, it’s low spin. It has a new weight system with neutral, draw, and fade settings.

Elyte X

The Elyte X is the draw bias model. In the heel weighted setting Callaway saw 4-8 more yards of left dispersion than the Ai Smoke MAX D. And in the neutral setting you get 2-4 more yards more right. So overall you’re getting the ability to dial in shot shape better than ever before.

Elyte MAX Fast

The Elyte MAX Fast is for moderate swing speed players, but for the first time Callaway is offering this model with full adjustability.

Elyte Triple Diamond

The Triple Diamond model has been the Number 1 driver model across all global tours for 6 consecutive years. It’s picked up 11 majors, 98 Tour wins, Olympic Gold, and even the Grand Slam of golf. And Callaway has made it better with the Elyte version.

As I’ve already showed you with my reviews of previous Triple Diamond models, this isn’t necessarily just a driver for low handicaps and accomplished players. If you struggle with high spin it’s ideal. And the tour preferred shape can really benefit and suit a variety of eyes and skill levels.

You’re getting the most neutral flight with Elyte Triple Diamond, and also interchangeable weight screws with the heavy weight in the front for lower spin and in the back for more stability.

How has Elyte improved over Triple Diamond? Primarily by making it more accessible to a greater variety of skill levels by making it more forgiving. Testing has found Elyte Triple Diamond to be longer and straighter than the Ai Smoke Triple Diamond with even better right miss reduction.

Elyte Fairway Woods

Callaway has also been on quite a run with their fairway woods over the last few years. Both number 1 in market share and in use across global tours. So they focused on two key areas to make the Elyte fairway woods even better.

Misses Low in on the Face

This is where players tend to struggle the most with fairway woods. Callaway R&D developed a Tungsten Speed Wave, which is designed to improve the low center strikes.

The Elyte fairway woods use almost double the tungsten than Callaway used in Ai Smoke fairway woods and removed it from the sole. This is creating more deflection low on the face while still maintaining a very low and forward CG for improved ball speed and consistent spin. So you’ll be getting longer and straighter misses for those low on the face misses. Balls speeds low on the face are incredibly almost as fast as if you hit in the center.

Making Solid Contact

Callaway didn’t stop at making misses better. They also designed the Elyte fairway woods so you miss less frequently. How is that possible? I’m glad you’re wondering.

The Elyte new Step Sole Design is different than traditional sole curve designs in that less sole contact area allows players to get the leading edge down into the turf without any bouncing or skipping. And the Elyte has 57-percent less sole contact than previous Callaway fairway woods.

Callaway testing found impact locations were improved by a 25-percent reduction in low-center impacts. And no matter how you slice it this means the Elyte fairway woods will be easier to hit and easier to hit squarely. 

The 5 Different Elyte Fairway Wood Models

Similar to the drivers the fairway woods will be available in Elyte, Elyte X, Elyte MAX Fast, Elyte Triple Diamond, and Elyte Ti models.

Elyte 

The Elyte fairway wood will have the mass appeal of neutral ball flight and shallow face design among it easier to get the ball in the air.

Elyte X

The Elyte X (like driver) will have a draw bias, with a little larger footprint and a little more forgiveness than the standard.

Elyte MAX Fast

The Elyte MAX Fast is the ultra lightweight version for moderate swing speed players.

Elyte Triple Diamond

There Elyte Teiple Diamond will have the tour preferred shape with a slightly deeper face than the other models and ideal for players who also like to hit fairway wood off the tee.

Elyte Ti

The Elyte Ti fairway wood is completely new shape that blends the standard model with the Triple Diamond model. So it has the deeper face of the Triple Diamond but with the footprint of the standard Elyte. 

The face and body are all titanium with a lot of discretionary mass positioned in strategic areas and adjustable front-back weighting that makes it a low spin, absolute bomber.

Elyte Hybrids

When you’re hitting hybrids what you want most is versatility.  And Callaway has put even more innovation into their hybrids to make these as versatile as a hybrid can beC and to give us whatever shot shapes and trajectories our hearts desire.

The Elyte hybrids (like the drivers and fairway woods) have the Ai 10x face, but Callaway also introduced adjustability into their Elyte hybrids for the most personalized performance.

Adjustability 

For the first time Callaway has introduced interchangeable heel-toe weighting to significantly help with shot shapes. In fact, testing showed up to 12 yards of shot shape adjustability. And for players who struggle with hybrid left-misses a new hosel system has 7 unique loft and lie combinations where you can take the setting extremely flat and really straighten out and neutralize ball flight.

The 3 Different Elyte Hybrid Models

There are three different Elyte hybrid models. The Elyte; the Elyte X, and the Elyte MAX Fast.

Elyte

The Elyte will give you the most neutral flight of the three with a midsize profile and will compliment the Elyte and HL iron models I’ll talk about below.

Elyte X

The Elyte X is a little more draw biased and a little more oversized for the most forgiveness.

Elyte MAX Fast

The MAX Fast has a slightly larger profile but is also shallow. So it sits lower to the ground and is very easy to get up in the air for moderate swing speed players.

Elyte Irons 

Irons are always the most fascinating category of golf equipment to me. Maybe more than any clubs in our bags with irons we see the largest variety of swings, skills, and even buckets of needs. Whether you’re a player who needs longer distance and consistency. higher launch and maximum carry, easy to hit extreme forgiveness, or lightweight easy distance Callaway addresses this broad variety of player types and delivers performance for all with the new Elyte irons.

Speed Frame Construction

Callaway has improved speed frame construction by stiffening and reinforcing the topline, developing a stronger and more stable chassis, and using a greater quantity of urethane microspheres. And all combined this drives ball speeds higher throughout the face and provides a softer, more solid premium performance feel at impact.

Ai 10x Face

The Ai 10x face focuses on using different shapes with the Ai process to improve performance for different players. So while the goal with all Elyte irons is to deliver speed, forgiveness, and optimal launch conditions for all players, the Ai 10x face is what allows Callaway to give each of us what we uniquely need most.

So if you’re a player who needs higher launch and more spin, the Ai 10x face is tuned to help you get the ball in the air and keep it in the air with the Elyte HL. Or if you’re a player who hits all over the face, the Ai 10x face is tuned to deliver more forgiveness all across the face with the Elyte X irons.

Tri-Sole Design

In better player irons you see a lot of sharper leading and trailing edges but rarely see this in game-improvement irons. Callaway researched a variety of swings and found this same design helps golfers of all skill levels improve efficiency through the turf. In fact, Callaway testing even found added acceleration and speed through the turf with this sole design. And that’s going to help all players make better impact whether they’re making clean contact or hitting behind the ball on misses.

The 4 Different Elyte Iron Models

There are four different Elyte iron models. The Elyte; Elyte HL, Elyte X, and Elyte MAX Fast.

Elyte

The Elyte will be for players looking for both more distance and reeling in more consistent dispersion. These are recommended for average to fast swing speeds and players who already are near optimal launch conditions.

You can fine-tune launch more with shaft options or lie angle adjustments but players best suited for these irons are generally able to swing fast enough to activate the face and get the ball up and stop it in greens.

Elyte HL

The Elyte HL irons are the high launch model and ideal for players who need to maximize carry and stopping power or just don’t get ball up in the air high enough to stop on the greens.

Elyte X

The Elyte X is new to the lineup of Callaway irons in that it was built for and offers extreme forgiveness. So it is oversized but still a refined shape with power specs, more offset, a thicker topline, and longer blade length.

Elyte MAX Fast

The Elyte MAX Fast is easy to swing by for players who have lost swing speed or doesn’t generate enough swing speed to get the ball in the air. And these will probably be best for moderate to slower swing speed players. 

Conclusion

I’ll have in-hand reviews for you on many of these new clubs in the Elyte lineup. And in the meantime if you want to check out specs, or custom shafts, pricing, or any other tech details you can find this all on the Callaway site.