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EDITOR Review: 2012 Callaway RAZR FIT fairway woods


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Yes, Virginia, Callaway DID improve upon the classic Diablo Edge Tour
CALLAWAY 2012 Razr FIT Fairway Woods



Introduction:

Pros

FEEL, FORGIVENESS AND HOT! What more can you ask from a fairway wood. GLIDES through all types of conditions. Undeniably great sole and turf interaction. Adjustability in a fairway wood?? YES!!

Cons

Honestly…. And I’m a bit surprised to say this, as I always find some fault with a fairway wood… NONE comes to mind…. Although the stock shaft probably won’t fit most. But plenty of aftermarket options at no upcharge.

Bottom Line

This is as solid a fairway as you will find in the market. POINT and SHOOT. Swing away.. super solid feel at impact, but with great feedback telling me where I hit it. Uber forgiving and LONG too. It does everything well, off the tee, off the deck and out of the rough.

Editor/Tester Review:

This goes without saying… A HUGE THANK YOU to Callaway Golf and Golf WRX for allowing me the opportunity to test and write this review on the new 2012 Callaway Golf RAZR FIT FAIRWAY WOODS (3 & 5). I have always held Callaway Golf fairway woods in the utmost of high regards, starting from the original Callaway Steelhead fairways (that Freddie Couples gamed for years back in the day), to the Diablo Edge Tour to these. For me, Callaway fairways are synonymous with forgiveness, hot face and high trajectory.

From Callaway: “The most advanced Callaway Fairway Woods ever made allow golfers to adjust the face angle using OptiFit Technology, improving accuracy and trajectories from either the tee or the fairway. These Tour-inspired fairway woods promote an optimized ball flight and feature a traditional shape with a full length hosel that appeals to a wide range of players. OptiFit Hosel allows golfers to set the face angle in either Open, Square or Closed positions to optimize ball flight.”

Just a little about myself.

Age: 40 (yeah, that’s right)
Handicap: 6 handicap, play several times a week (9 holes during the week mostly).
Driver swing speed that’s in the 108-111 mph
7-iron swing speed of about 96 mph
I like to hit my fwy’s off the tee on short par 4, off the deck and out of the rough when I’m scrambling. Yes, SOME of us don’t always hit the fairways you know (just trying to be honest LOL).

Lots of even better and MORE IMPROVED pics (thanks Rob!), pics and a video to follow.

Look

The fairways replaced my Diablo Edge Tour (DET) fairways, which I didn’t think anything would. The look is very similar, which is a great thing. The DET fairway sets up beautifully at address. I LOVE the hosel, the clean transition from hosel to head, and the black laquer finish on the DET was just pure. Callaway was able to take ALL of the things I loved about the DET fairway, and carry them over to the RAZR FIT (RF) fairways. Kudos Callaway!! The Optifit Hosel is clean without being overbearing. Really sets up just like a fairway wood should. The face isn’t too deep, nor too shallow. For me, it’s JUST right. And, changing the optifit is a great tool to have to customizing the preferred look and ballflight. The “C” position really closes the clubface, the “N” position sits dead square, and the “O” position takes the LEFT side out of play. It really does.

In addition, the 3 & 5 woods are shafted with Mitsubishi Rayon’s Diamana Kail’li 80 stiff. For those that are on the fence or undecided about a fairway wood shaft, look no further. The Diamana Kai’li has an amazing finish to it, the top side being a dark chrome look, while the underside is a deep blue with the Kai’li (ala Blueboard). Everything about this shaft screams high quality and high performance.








Performance/playability

Okay…. I do not normally get “WOW’ED” by a fairway. I just don’t. That’s not my style. I mean really, who does?? Who hits a 3-wood off the deck and says, “DANG!”?? Who hits a 5-wood out of thick rough into a par 5 and say “WHOA NELLIE!”?? Well, I can say unabashedly, I DID!

Off the TEE: Both the 3-wood and 5-wood are MONEY off the tee. Just money. Tee the ball down and just enjoy the “whoosh” that the ball makes after coming into contact with these. I used both on short par 4’s are Harding with great success. HIGH trajectory that draws just a smidge yet remains flat. Even when I’m not swinging well, the club is just so forgiving that I still hit the fairway. And when I AM swinging well, it was nearly as long as my Razr Hawk Tour… and that’s saying something. I’ve hit it in all three position as well. The “C” gives me too high a ballflight though, and really closes the face. The “N” sits dead square and lets me hit a very consistent shot. And the “O” allows me to really go after it and not fear going left. AT all. Nada. Won’t go left.



Off the DECK: Once again, this is what I love about these fwy’s. The sole is purpose built. It’s designed to hit me glide through the turf, regardless of it’s a tightly mown fairway, first cut of rough or deep rough. It just works well. Off the deck, I’m able to get a nice high launch and can work the ball both ways if needed. My DET/NV75 stiff was the KING when it came to hitting a 3 wood off the deck, and it has now been replaced. These are that good. It has a smaller profile that other fairways on the market, which for me, inspires confidence. Not too small, like an old Sonartec GS tour or Titleist 906f2, but not too big like it’s brethren Razr X Black or PING G20 or Taylor Made RBZ. All of those are great fairway woods, don’t get me wrong. I just prefer a more compact look at address.

Case in point, I hit a terrible drive (with a driver that shall remain nameless to protect the innocent. LOL) on number 6 at TPC Harding Park. Snap hooked it into the trees. It’s a dogleg left part 4 that is 460 yards. The dog leg comes into play about 250 yards off the tee. Needless to say, I did NOT make it to the dogleg. My drive hit a tree lining the left side and kicked just onto the beginning of the fairway... the BEGINNING of the faiway, some 280 yards away. I was playing with a good friend of mine that is also a co-worker at Harding. I was telling him a story of another friend of ours that had the exact same situation, crushed a hybrid from a similar spot that landed just short of the green, chipped on and SANK the putt to save par. MOST impressive. So guess what…. (okay, this is where you hear the Muppet’s Animal drum roll please!)… I grabbed my 3-wood. Closed my stance to encourage a draw… and proceeded to hit a GORGEOUS HIGH DRAW of a shot that tracked the dogleg ALL the way down just short of the green. I chipped up and SANK the putt to…. Well, you can guess the rest. The 3-wood was SO pure. SO flush. I felt the shaft KICK through impact, with a nicely pitched “THWACK” through impact. Really solid. My buddy just watched and said “Oh SH!T!” as it landed and rolled just short.



Out of the ROUGH: This is where these have really shined for me. That 5-wood is amazing. Simply amazing. I had forgotten how easy a 5-wood is to hit, as I’ve been gaming a #2 hybrid for quite some time. I had 240 yards into the green on the par 5 9th at Harding. A very straight forward par 5. I pulled my drive (with the same dang driver that shall remain nameless to protect the innocent) into the light rough on the left. I grabbed my 5-wood to see what it could go. BAM! WHOOSH! POW!! Like a Batman comic book. Hit it on a mid-high, FLAT piercing trajectory that hugged the left of the fairway. I was overjoyed. Just a short chip too…. (won’t finish the rest of the story as after that it didn’t get pretty).



FEEL:

Feel is, of course, subjective. And I’ll try my best to try to capture it as best I can. In comparison, for those that have hit the new Taylor Made RBZ, it gave me a pleasing “THWINK” at impact…. Like I had just killed it too. With the Titliest 910f, it’s a more muted “THWACK” at impact. I like the RF fairways to be more in line with a “THWACK” or even a “THWICK” at impact. VERY pleasing to the ears. Being a 6-handicap, I know ALL about mis-hitting clubs. I can hit my fairways off the toe or heel, and this fairways provides you that feedback, but in a nice way. And you’ll know when you’ve hit the sweet spot, as the sound is just, in a way… pure.

Overall bottom line

Overall, I’m thrilled to put these into play. I didn’t think Callaway could top by Diablo Edge Tour/NV75 stiff fairway. I really didn’t. But indeed they have. The ability to customize this setup to address your swing needs left me with a smile from “ear to ear”. Callaway doesn’t need to taut “17 more yards”. It’s not necessary. These fairways ARE that good. The deliver on looks, feel AND performance. A tri-fecta (thanks Dicky V.!)!! I’m thoroughly impressed with the FIT technology that has gone into the RAZR FIT fairways. Adjusting the Optifit hosel MAKES a difference, a difference that easily translates into your desired ballflight. Should Callaway decide to offer more lofts, they’ll sell well too. KUDOS CALLAWAY!! They have produced a SOLID successor to my beloved Diablo Edge Tour.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQUqn6dnL0w

More gratuitous flower shots.... LOL.. Thx y'all!!



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Now if only the price point was better....

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TaylorMade GAPR Mid 4, KBS

Titleist T100S, KBS C-Taper S+ 5-PW

Titleist SM8, 50F, 54S, 60D, TT S400 Custom 

Scotty Cameron Phantom X12, 35", Stability Tour


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Golfware,

Nice review. I'm interested in this club but a couple of things that you mentioned do not seem right. You said "Although the stock shaft probably won’t fit most.....But plenty of aftermarket options at no upcharge." From what I have seen, any other shaft that you put into this club will be an additional cost. You also stated that "the 3 & 5 woods are shafted with Mitsubishi Rayon’s Diamana Kail’li 80 stiff.". I've tested this club at a few golf stores and the only shaft that is offered is a Callaway Razr Fit graphite shaft.

If your info is correct that would be great, but I think that aftermarket shafts would be an additional cost and I also believe that the shaft is a Callaway.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Okay. These woods continue to impress me as well. Wow. I changed the setting on the 3 wood to "closed" and it's point and shoot. Gives me a nice draw or a baby fade when I get lazy. Very dependable.

The 5 wood. Oh my. The 5 wood. Wow!! At the range yesterday, I went all "Bubba Watson" style and hit 20 yard slices and 40 yard draws with it. Played on the course and I can work it, hit it high or low. Really forgiving too. Wow. This club single handedly saved my round.

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  • 1 month later...

Okay. Just wanted to give an update on these Fwy's. The 5 wood continues to be absurd. Just so so money. Draws, fades and most importantly, the straight shot.

And more importantly, the 3 wood! This 3 wood has been phenomenal. I believe I've finally figured it out and can hit any shot I want. Any. High draw. High fade. Straight. It IS that good and THAT forgiving as well.

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Nice review! Got the TA driver coming in a couple of days and you may have just conviced my to try the Fairway Woods.

How open would you say the Open setting is? Also, can you adjust the lie angle like you can on the 910F (my current gamer)?

Now, about the $385 shotgun price tag at Harding the week of the Open.....

Titleist TSI3 8 degree w/Ventus Black 7x
Callaway X Hot Pro 3W 15 degrees
Mizuno CLK Hybrid 16 degrees
Titleist 712U 3 iron w/C-Taper X
Mizuno JPX 921 Tour 4-W w/Project X 6.0
Titleist Vokey Blue Slate SM7 52, 58, 60 w/ DG S400
Odyssey ProType Black #9

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[quote name='Left Rough' timestamp='1338957943' post='5039182']
Nice review! Got the TA driver coming in a couple of days and you may have just conviced my to try the Fairway Woods.

How open would you say the Open setting is? Also, can you adjust the lie angle like you can on the 910F (my current gamer)?

Now, about the $385 shotgun price tag at Harding the week of the Open.....
[/quote]

Yes on all accounts. The Open setting is very noticeable, as is the Closed setting too. The lie angle can't be adjusted, but frankly, the current setting definitely affect the ballflight. The key for this club is the shaft though, just like my old Diablo Edge Tour. With the NV 75 (free upcharge as well), this club is a rocket along with the Kai'li 80 (upcharge). Seriously forgiving with an awesome feel off the clubface.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

[quote name='Mercer85' timestamp='1339912294' post='5111932']
I am thinking of buying the RAZR Fit 5 wood with a ProForce V2 86 (have the 76g in my 910). However, the free upcharge of the NV sounds pretty sweet. Great review though!
[/quote]

Thx! I'm really tempted to just bag the 5 wood and take out my 3 wood. The 5 is SO easy to hit.

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  • 1 month later...

So I told myself I'd continue to update these reviews with long terms info, so here goes:

DAY-UM!! The fwy's rock!! The 5 wood is like cheating and the 3 wood is as awesome off the tee as it is on the fwy and rough. The 5 wood is money out of the rough as well, and has even kicked my beloved 2 hybrid out of the bag, which I thought would be impossible.

Mind you, as with the driver, I think it's critically important to get the correct shaft. I have the Kaili 80 stiff in them and this shaft continues to impress me. On LONG par 3's and par 5 second shots, I use the 5 and it just goes straight. Stupid straight. The 3 wood is incredibly workable as well.

These don't get nearly the attention of the RBZ, but for anyone put off my white golf clubs, these are really quite the treat!

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  • 1 year later...

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