William L. Coney Blog: First Look – 2017 Callaway Steelhead XR Fairway Wood

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

First Look – 2017 Callaway Steelhead XR Fairway Wood

With all the chatter around Epic irons and Epic drivers before that, some of you might be thinking that Callaway might rest on the success of the Epic franchise. Take the summer off, maybe go to the beach…that sorta thing. Fuhgeddaboudit it. This Callaway moves fast.

It’s been nearly a month since Epic irons were announced, and so keen observers of the Callaway machine won’t be surprised to learn that Callaway has yet another something new in the works.

Just announced is the 2017 Steelhead XR Fairway Wood. Callaway is billing its new fairway wood as offering Iconic Versatility with Modern Power. Before we dig into what Callaway means by that, I’d like to take a moment to point out the unusual nature of this release.

A Standalone Fairway Wood

While it’s not unusual for smaller companies to launch one-off fairways in isolation, it’s not standard practice among the bigger OEMs. Where there’s a fairway, there’s almost always a driver and usually a hybrid, but that’s not the case here.

Callaway is launching the Steelhead XR Fairway Wood and nothing else. No driver. No hybrid, just a new, or shall we say updated, line of fairway woods.

For what’s worth knowing about the Steelhead Fairway, let’s dissect what Callaway calls the Product One-Liner for the Steelhead Fairway: Iconic versatility with Modern Power. Heads-up, the crown is also blue. It's subtle, like when Bertha came back, but blue nonetheless.

Iconic

I think more than one of you reading this will agree that iconic is one of the most over-used words in the marketing lexicon. If we take companies at their words, nearly every damn thing ever made is iconic…at least to someone. So why is Callaway calling Steelhead iconic?

Firstly, I suspect the name is stirring up some feelings of nostalgia for some of you. Did you own the original Steelhead? Did you love it? Do you sometimes wonder why you ever took it out of the bag?

Does hearing the word Steelhead make you smile?

Secondly, emotion aside and strictly by the numbers, the Steelhead (if you count the Steelhead, Steelhead + and Steelhead 3 together) is the best-selling Callaway fairway wood ever. We’re talking about 2.3 million units, so it’s reasonable to assume Callaway is feeling nostalgic too, or at a minimum, optimistic that this modern incarnation can come close to matching the retail success of the original.

Versatility

Callaway Steelhead XR Fairway-3

The iconic original Steelhead was known for its versatility, and that meant the 2017 Steelhead XR Fairway had to be iconically versatile as well.

To create versatility, which I suppose we should define as that which gives golfers the ability to hit good shots from any spot on the golf course, Callaway started with a compact, deep faced, offering. They added cambered to the leading edge, and modernized the Hawkeye sole; recontouring it to provide smoother turf interaction from any lie.

Modern Power

As you might guess, the modern power part of our story comes from the technology Callaway has engineered into its reimagined classic. The Steelhead XR Fairway features next gen face cup technology, and while, if I'm being honest, I struggle to keep up with where one generation ends and the next begins, the point is that it’s got Callaway’s latest and greatest face technology built-in.

The crown is made from J-36 carbon fiber. That’s your textbook weight-saving story, and this particular one is good for a savings of about 20 grams (compared to XR). Callaway used that discretionary mass to create a forgiving shape, while still pushing the CG low for high launch with comparatively low spin.

Finally, Callaway integrated its aerodynamic-enhancing Speed Step crown which, for some golfers, can increase club head speed, and ultimately help create more distance.

Who is the Steelhead XR Fairway For?

Between Epic and Fusion (almost literally), you may be asking what type of golfer Steelhead XR is for. Callaway says that it’s for all players, all skill levels, and for all areas of the course.

The reality of the Steelhead proposition has a strong price component, so it’s not unreasonable to say it’s for golfers with a $229.99 ceiling on a fairway wood.

That said, if you’re willing to roll with the nuance, there’s some reasonable truth in Callaway’s assertion.

For women and seniors, Callaway is offering the Steelhead XR with a 45-gram shaft. It should also be noted that higher loft options, including 7 (21°), 9 (24°), and Heaven Wood (20.5°) speak loudly to that demographic.

For average golfers, Callaway is offering the industry standard 3 (15°) and 5 (18°) wood models along with a 55-gram shaft (also available on the 7,9, and HW).

Finally, for better players, Callaway is offering 3+ (13.5°) and 4+(16°) models with 65-gram shafts.

Compared with the rest of the lineup, the plus (+/strong) models are heavier, have flatter lie angles, and offer a neutral shot profile with lower spin and a more penetrating trajectory.

The 3+ and 4+ were staples of the original Steelhead Fairway lineup, and Callaway believes the 4+, in particular, helped pave the way for the modern higher launching, lower spinning driver.

Marketing hyperbole aside, when you break down the individual offerings and options, there’s something to the idea that Steelhead XR offers a little something for nearly everyone.