William L. Coney Blog: FIRST LOOK: 2017 Callaway Steelhead XR Hybrid

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

FIRST LOOK: 2017 Callaway Steelhead XR Hybrid

You can look at hybrids one of two ways.

If you’re what OEM’s call a better player, you probably look at hybrids as practical long iron replacements – easier to hit and more versatile.

If you fall into the Game Improvement category, hybrids tend to be more of a smaller profile fairway wood – also easier to hit and more versatile.

If you're the former, there's probably nothing to see here. But if you're the latter, well...

Callaway is bringing back the Steelhead name with a vengeance today, with the Steelhead XR irons and their trusty sidekick, the Steelhead XR hybrid.

Bigger, Deeper, Longer

The two-year old XR line is due for an upgrade (the Super Game Improvement XR OS came out last year), and the new Steelhead XR’s definitely fall into the mini-fairway wood category. Compared to the old XR’s, the new Steelhead heads are longer from heel-to-toe and deeper from front-to-back. According to Callaway the Steelhead has a deep-back center of gravity, and all of it works together to…wait for it…

…make a hybrid that’s longer, more forgiving and easier to launch.

“The face is also quite a bit larger,” says Alan Hocknell, Callaway’s Senior VP of R&D. “That’s going to allow the face to flex more, you’re going to get a higher COR (Coefficient of Restitution) and better ball speed.”

The Steelhead Legacy

Callaway is now knee-deep into retro product names with the return of the Steelhead. But according to Cally, the new versatile sole design of the Steelhead XR hybrid is reminiscent of its 16-year-old namesake.

Callaway says extensive computer modeling and Tour pro testing helped designers dramatically reduce sole-to-turf friction. That means that in theory, the Steelhead XR should slip through grass, whether you’re in the fairway or in the rough, a little more easily, even if you hit it just a scosh (which is a wee bit less than a smidgeon) on the fat side.

Face Cups & Aerodynamics

It’s all about the ball speed, right? Callaway says it’s next generation Hyper Speed Face Cup technology for hybrids, combined with a larger face, does the higher ball speed thing, especially with those pesky off-center hits.

And let’s not forget aerodynamics. Callaway’s much ballyhooed collaboration with Boeing’s aerodynamics experts has found its way to hybrids. Speed Step Technology is supposed to help swing the club faster, which should, eventually, help you send the ball into orbit.

Even if it doesn’t, it really does look pretty cool.

Specs, Pricing, and Availability

Callaway’s Steelhead XR hybrids are available in 4 lofts, ranging from a 3 to a 6 hybrid. The stock shaft is a Matrix F15. As has become common practice for Callaway of late, several no-upcharge shafts, including a pair of UST Recoil models, will be also be available.