Callaway RAZR X Black Woods Review - Not Just a Pretty Face: They Can Give You Award-Winning Performance that Matches Their Looks

You’ve probably figured out how I feel about Callaway RAZR X Black woods just by reading the title of this page. And, if you’ve already seen our review of the Callaway RAZR X Black driver, you might have an inkling of my opinion of these woods, because they have a strong family resemblance. If you haven’t yet read our RAZR X Black driver review, I suggest you take a quick look after you finish this page, because a good bit of the information in that review also applies to these woods. They’re part of the same line of clubs, and the driver and fairway woods share a number of features.

The RAZR X Black driver and fairway woods also share the praise of the Golf Digest editors and equipment testers, as both types of clubs are Gold Medal winners on the 2012 Golf Digest “Hot List.” In addition to being awarded a Gold Medal, Callaway RAZR X Black woods received a five-star rating in the performance category for fairway woods. That’s a big feather in Callaway’s hat, but I think these woods should have been given an award for their looks in addition to the awards for their performance.

Like their big brother, the Callaway RAZR X Black driver, the fairway woods are dressed up in black. They’re dressed for bear, too, and you’ll know it when you’re looking down at them at address. The all-black, traditionally-shaped heads of Callaway RAZR X Black woods and their built-in “attitude” will give you the confidence you need to make a strong but controlled swing. That’s the type of confidence and swing that will give you the distance and accuracy you need to attack the course and shoot lower scores.

But, although confidence is essential, it’s not the only factor with an important role in golf. You need clubs that deliver strong performance in addition to looking great and creating confidence. And their strong performance means the confidence these clubs inspire is only one of the reasons Callaway Golf is calling its RAZR X Black line of clubs (which includes drivers, fairway woods and irons, all dressed in black) “the new dark side of distance.”

The head shape of all Callaway RAZR X Black woods is traditional. They have large footprints and deep faces. They’re not triangular, square or any other “geometric” shape that supposedly makes clubs more aerodynamic or have a higher Moment of Inertia (“MOI”). Nope, these woods have “attitude.” That means their heads have a simple, elegant, classic pear-shaped design. And unlike some other fairway woods, the RAZR X Blacks also have the traditional, full-length hosel that many players appreciate seeing at address.

The heads are made of heat-treated stainless steel. The special heat treatment strengthens the steel significantly and allows Callaway to aggressively put its core “VFT” technology (“Variable Face Thickness”) to work. Just about every Callaway club I can think of that’s been made over the last decade or so has used VFT technology. It enables the thickness of the club face to be varied in a way that enlarges its sweet spot and produces faster ball speeds. In other words, the hotter face that results from using VFT is optimized for distance. A satisfying sound at impact is one of the side benefits of this club construction technique.

Callaway RAZR X Black woods are available in several lofts: 3-wood (15 degrees); 4-wood (17 degrees); 5-wood (19 degrees); 7-wood (21 degrees); and 9-wood (24 degrees). The stock graphite shaft is a 60-gram Callaway RAZR X Black in stiff or regular flex. A 55-gram Callaway RAZR X Black graphite shaft in light (senior) flex is also available at no additional cost.

A ladies version of the Callaway RAZR X Black woods is also available. Like their brothers, these women’s fairway woods have an aggressive, confidence-inspiring appearance. They’re designed to deliver more distance by launching the ball higher and offering maximum forgiveness. The ladies version of Callaway RAZR X Black woods comes in the same lofts as the men’s version. The stock shaft is also the same, but ladies flex is the only choice available.

The Bottom Line: You might want to consider one or two of these clubs if you’re looking for new fairway woods. Their classic shape and all-black crowns make Callaway RAZR X Black woods appear poised to bomb the ball, whether you’re hitting off the tee or from the fairway. My choice would be the 3-wood for distance and the 7-wood for versatility. But, no matter which of these woods you choose, you’ll like the look and love the distance. They’re a lot more than just another pretty face.

From Callaway RAZR X Black Woods to other Callaway golf club reviews.