Callaway RAZR X Hybrids Review – An Award-Winning Combination of Power, Precision and Playability

Like so many other clubs in the “RAZR X” series, Callaway RAZR X hybrids were awarded a coveted Gold Medal on Golf Digest’s 2012 “Hot List.” Callaway Golf pretty much cleaned up on the Hot List, earning more medals in 2012 than any other club manufacturer. Heaping on the accolades, Golf Digest called the RAZR X hybrids “Callaway’s best hybrid ever.”

I’ve always thought Callaway’s hybrids have been some of the best on the market, so I decided to find out more about these hybrids. What makes them (in Golf Digest’s opinion) the best Callaway hybrids ever?

Well, I think the best way to sum up the capabilities of these clubs is by saying they provide a good combination of power, precision and playability. Like many other hybrids, they also happen to be easy to hit from a variety of lies. The head slices through rough, but it’s also able to pick the ball cleanly from extremely tight lies. It’s a winning combination that can help you lower your scores, and that makes these clubs winners in my book.

So, it looks like Callaway Golf hit another home run when it released the Callaway RAZR X hybrids. How did the company pull it off? What about these hybrids makes them worthy of being awarded a Golf Digest Gold Medal?

It seems to me that Callaway RAZR X hybrids combine some new technology (a “Zero Roll Design”) with an aggressive implementation of older, time-tested technology (“Variable Face Thickness Technology,” or “VFT”). Their design was inspired by prototype clubs that were developed with input from Tour pros, including Phil Mickelson.

Callaway says the Zero Roll Design of the clubs helps players hit the ball higher, even when impact occurs lower on the face than it should. A higher trajectory usually flies farther and generally means softer landings on the greens. I’m looking forward to that, because for me there’s nothing more frustrating than landing a long shot on the green and then watching it roll right through into the rough in the back.

A special heat-treatment process strengthens the steel clubface, permitting the company to aggressively use its proven VFT Technology to very precisely make specific portions of the face thinner. Using Variable Face Thickness Technology in this way means a much larger portion of the face has the optimal thickness. As a result, the club’s sweet spot is larger and the clubface is hotter. Balls fly farther, even on miss-hits.

The weighting of these clubs is so well-balanced that in addition to being easy to swing, they can help you get the ball up even on thin shots. Every now and then I’ll top a ball for no apparent reason, so that characteristic is important to me.

There are two versions of Callaway RAZR X hybrids: the “standard” version and the “Tour” model. Because two versions are available, you’re able to choose the Callaway RAZR X hybrids that best suit your game. Most mid- to high-handicappers will probably choose the standard version; the Tour model is designed for highly skilled players who like working the ball, want a lower, more penetrating ball flight, and require less forgiveness.

Standard Callaway RAZR X hybrids have an offset hosel. The offset has a dual purpose: to increase player confidence at address; and to help mid- to high-handicap players square the head at impact. The offset is much less pronounced in the Tour version in order to promote workability in these clubs.

I might be wrong, but I think the standard RAZR X hybrids have slightly larger heads than the Tour-model clubs. The standard hybrids are also more forgiving than their Tour-version brothers, so even beginners are able to hit standard Callaway RAZR X hybrids pretty well.

Standard RAZR X hybrids are available in 3H (21-degree), 4H (24-degree), 5H (27-degree) and 6H (30-degree) versions. The stock shaft is the Callaway Golf RAZR X Hybrid graphite shaft in stiff, regular or senior flex. The Tour version is available in 2H (18-degree), 3H (21-degree) and 4H (24-degree) versions with a stock Callaway Golf RAZR X Tour Hybrid graphite shaft in extra-stiff, stiff or regular flex.

The Bottom Line: Who wouldn’t want a hybrid (or two) that will help you hit shots that are higher, longer and straighter than you’d hit with the clubs you’ve had for a while now? These versatile clubs incorporate technology into a solid design that makes it as easy as possible to hit the ball from almost any lie. They’ll also fill that nasty yardage gap between your shortest wood and your longest iron. You probably won’t go wrong if you give one or two Callaway RAZR X hybrids a try.

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