Callaway RAZR Tour Iron and Hybrid Review

[marrigo]

compared to current set of i-701 Tours

On course update (5/21/11) in Blue
Special thanks to GolfWRX and Callaway for sending me a set of custom RAZR Tour irons with hybrids for review. I'm tickled pink to have been selected and hope this review is useful toeveryone reading.

This is my first impression review. Since there is still snow on the ground here (it takes a while to melt 170 inches of that crap) I have only been able to hit them in a golf dome (which actually provides and very good way of seeing difference in trajectory). I will continually update this thread as the season progresses.

First off I'm going organize this review into several subtopics and also provide some background on me, my game, likes and dislikes.Hopefully that will give everyone the ability to put my comments into some kindof context. I'm also going to make direct comparisons to my Srixon i-701 Tour irons and Adams Pro Gold hybrids.

Background

I'm a 7'ish handicap (ranged from 4.5 to 9 index last season) who has been playing for 25 years. I tend to hit the ball on the high side with a moderate amount of spin due to a bit of an early release. Natural shot shape is a draw. I'm a decent ball striker, getting at least close to the center of the club on most shots. Biggest weakness is club path variability that causes me to spray the ball from time to time. I'm not too picky about cosmetics but do prefer a smaller head and thinish topline. Typical distance is about 150 with an 8 iron.

Although I am typical GOLFWRX club ho when it comes to drivers, putter, wedges, and especially shafts, I've not switched irons much.The last ten years has seen me play Ping i3+'s and the Srixon i701 Tours. One reason I've not played more kinds of irons is that I'm always annoyed by the lack of irons that I feel suit my game.Either they're more on the game improvement side or too unforgiving for me. I like my Srixons because they are a nice combo of a player iron with a bit of forgiveness. But frankly I could probably use a littlemore forgiveness than they provide.



Set Makeup

RAZR Tours: I received a set composed of 6-AW and 18* and 24* RAZR Tour hybrids. Irons have KBS Tour stiff shafts and the hybrids Fuji E380 shafts Fuji Rombax 8D07HB stiff (re-shafted).

Current Set: Srixon i-701 tours (5-PW) with stiff i80 Aerotech Steelfiber shafts,Cally Jaws 50* stiff Nippon 850GH shaft, and 18* and 24* Adams Pro Gold hybrids with Rombax 8D07HB stiff shafts.



Specifications

Current Set RAZR Tour

Club Loft Club Loft

2 Hyb 18* 2 Hyb 18*

4 Hyb 23* 4 Hyb 24*

5 27* 5 26*

6 30* 6 29*

7 34* 7 33*

8 38* 8 37*

9 42* 9 41*

PW 46* PW 45*

AW 50* AW 50*



Swingweight spec for all clubs in both sets is D2. Bounce on each iron of the RAZR Tours is 2* more than the Srixons (RAZR 8 iron bounce is 6*).

One thing I found a little odd is that the RAZR Tours take 0.370 parallel tip shafts. Most "tour" irons I'm familiar with take taper tip. I understand that OEMs like to use PT shaftsand although I doubt the playing characteristics are horribly different, or that it will make much difference for my game, I think TT shafts would have been nice to have in a set of player's irons.



Quality control

I requested, and according to the invoice received, RAZR Tour irons that were 2* upright, standard loft, standard length, and I assume swingweight.

I have a loft/lie machine and have previously checked and adjusted my current set of Srixon's which were close to spec but not right on. The RAZRTour 6, 7 and 8 were 2.5* upright according to my machine, and the 9, PW, and AW were 3* upright. Since loft/lie machines vary a bit when measuring (best to use a separate gauge) I'll assumethe 2.5* on the 6-8 are actually 2* based on Callaway's machine. Even so, that would make the 9-AW a half degree more upright than requested. Seems reasonableto expect some variability, and I doubt I'm good enough to notice an extra 0.5*. The lofts were 0.5* weak accordingto my machine, but again I'm sure this is due to differences in machines used and they were all 0.5* weak so my lofts between clubs is correct. Lengths were standard. Swingweight was within 0.5 sw points of D0,except for the PW that was a solid D1. I imagine the KBS shafts are the reason why the SW is 2 points less than the spec, which is for Dynamic Golds that come standard. Guess they don't add tip weights unless you specify a desired swingweight. As long as they're consistent I'm happy (can always pull the shafts and put in some tipweights). The D1 in the PW is a bit worrisome but, again, I doubt I'm good enough to notice, Given some of the horror stories I've readabout out of spec clubs from OEMs I'm overall veryhappy with the QC from Callaway. I'll give Cally an A for effort.



Looks

I'm not too picky about what a club looks like from the back, but do prefer a smaller head and thin topline.

Back

From the back the RAZR Tours look, well shall we say, "modern". Especially when compared to my i701's. That's not a criticism or complement just an observation. If you like that sort of thing then you'll love them if not you'llprobably be turned off. I'm mostly indifferent, although I think I would have preferred that the Tour version stand out a bit more from the game improvement version on the cosmetics front. Much likehow the RAZR X Forged stands out from the rest of the line. Maybe a completely satin finish, different color cavity insert etc... Call it ego or vanity, but I don't think many single digit golfers want their irons to be confused with hacker, errrr I mean, game improvement sets.

On a side note, me thinks these irons may be in need of a GolfWRX makeover. Come on OEM's, boring black ferrules and grips!! Perhaps some red and black ferrules to match both the cavity colors and KBS labels along with some red and black multicompound grips might be nice? Too bad there really isn't any place for custompaint fills. We'll have to wait see what I come up with.




Sole

One thing I am picky about is the sole of the club. Learned the hardway that many game improvement irons are designed to compensate for fat shots,at the expense or shotmaking. Wide and/or cambered soles are not for me. I was a bit concerned when looking at photos of the RAZR Tours that the sole looked kind of wide. It was a pleasant surprise to find that thisis a bit of an illusion. The playable sole is just about the same width as my i701's but there is what I would call afalse sole that extends back a little farther, which I assume is to deepen theCG. Kind of the best of both worlds I guess. You get the forgiveness of a little wider sole but the playability of a narrow sole (good job Callaway!!).







The hybrids have a sole reminiscent of the old warbird series ofwoods. They look like they will awesome out of the rough. Can't wait to get them on the course.







At Address

Wow, what a pleasant surprise! These babies really look like players clubs at address, much like my i701's. The top line is actually thicker than it appears at address as it slopes away giving the impression of a thinner topline. There is minimal offset, and the blade length is perfect. Overall avery good look at address.

I did notice that they appear to sit a little lower than my i701's.Something that is verified when viewing both from ground level. It's not distracting, just different.






The tour hybrids have a very streamlined appearance. The head looks smallish at address, but when compared to my Pro Golds look more like they falltowards the fairway wood design end of the hybrid scale with an elongated backedge. They are also quite a bit shallower than my Pro Golds, something that I'm personally not a fan of. In addition they also look like the face is slightly closed compared to the square Pro Golds; again not something I'm fond of.








Feel

The RAZR Tours are cast while my i701's are forged. There is a noticeable difference in feel (or maybe more like sound) at impact, but not as much as I would have expected. Perhaps the RAZR insert in the cavity has a dampening effect, who knows. Mis-hits are easily felt, but not punishing or painfull like a blade can be. TheRAZR's are a bit more clicky at impact as compared to the thump of the i701's,however the feel/sound is not distracting for me. A player who is very sensitive to feel/sound may prefer the feel/sound of the RAZR X forged though. But for most single digits The RAZR Tours should be fine in this department.

The hybrids feel very solid, with a bit more of a tinny sound at impactcompared to my Pro Golds. Much like the irons, it's easy to determine where you mis-hit a shot (little toward the toe etc…) but they're not harsh if you miss one. One thing for sure is that feel hot, even on pretty bad mis-hits.



Trajectory

These irons are billed as being designed to hit the ball higher than most players cavity irons while maintaining a more compact head. This actually worried me a bit since I already hit my irons on the high side. I can't give the final word on this topic yet since I've only hit them in a golf dome, but based on where they were hitting the end of the range I'd have to saythey are launching at about the same trajectory as my Srixons, which is a verygood thing. This may be due to the slightly stronger lofts in the RAZRs. It doesn't appear like the RAZR Tours launch ridiculously high like I feared, and in fact appear to have a nice mid-high piercing trajectory. Have to wait till I get on the course to seewhat the peak trajectory looks like.

On-Course Update: Yup, they launch a bit high, but definitely manageable. The low CG combined with the strong lofts results in a highish but boring trajectory. First time I played these into a stiff wind I flew the green a few times thinking the highish trajectory would result in a signification loss of distance; not so. I can get the trajectory down when needed with a knockdown type swing.

The hybrids were launching notably higher than my Pro Golds. Not unexpected given the lower profile and closed face angle. These could be great for low handicappers who hit the ball low, but those of us who hit it high may not overly thrilled with these. I'll have to see how they perform on the course before I make a final decision whether to game them or not.

On-Course Update: Wow, was I wrong on this one. They do not launch high at all. In fact the 24* launches lower than my Pro Gold and 18* about the same.
Spin

Don't really have a good feel for this yet. No obvious ballooning inthe dome with either the irons or hybrids. I'll update once I get on the course.

On-Course Update: Irons are mid-spin on full shots. Tendency is to hit, hop, and stop on greens that are somewhat firm (ex. full 8 iron would leave a shallow ball mark). No ballooning has been noticed, even into moderate wind. Gap wedge has a bit of roll out on less than full shots so have to be cognizant of that.

Hybrids are low spin as far as I can tell. Great off the tee when going for position. Maybe not the best of you're trying to hold firm greens from the fairway. But when I'm far enough away to hit a hybrid I'm just happy if stay on the green so it's not an issue for me.

Forgiveness

One of the major marketing points of these irons is that they provide increased forgiveness for a "player" iron. Can't be certain at this point but based on perceived ball speed and direction of mis-hits Callaway seems to have nailed it with these heads. Mis-hits did not appear to lose as much ballspeed as the Srixons nor did they veer offline as much. A better test will come once the snow melts.

The hybrids seemed hot over the entire face, with little loss in perceived ball speed on off center hits. Tough to be sure in a dome though as all but theworst shots hit the end of the range pretty quick.

On-Course Update: Can sum this up easily; irons are as forgiving as many game improvment sticks but with a much more desirable look and feel.

Hybids are as forgiving as other "tour" hybrids I've hit, no more, no less.

Distance

No idea whatsoever at this point. Will report back after a couple rounds.

On-Course Update: The highish launch angle, strong lofts, and mid spin result in some impressive carry distances. On average they seem to be about 1/2 to 1 full club longer than my other set. Distance into the wind is very good, with little to no ballooning.

Hybrids are absolute rockets; unfreaking believable. First on course shot with the 18* was off the tee on a right angle dogleg left, 300 yard par 4 (230 as the crow flies if you can either hit a big draw or go over some trees). My Pro Gold 18* would just get it to the front carrywise. The result with the Razr Tour? Over the green on the fly and onto the next teebox 20 yard away. They are equally long off the deck. Solid 10 to 15 yards longer than any other hybrid I've played.

Workability

The Golf magazine reviews I've read suggest these irons produce more of a straight ball flight than most players irons. That's not what I experienced. Again, tough to be certain of overall workability due to the restriction of hitting in a dome, but I could definitely see the ball beginning to draw and fade. Perhaps they are not quite as easy to move left or right as my i701 Tours but they are most certainly workable.

On-Course Update: These do tend to want to go mid-high and straight (not a bad thing IMO). But I can definitely get them to move left or right when needed, and also lower the launch with a knockdown swing. Probably not the most workable iron out there, but workable enough for most players that are scratch or worse I would think


Hybrids are very workable IMO. I can get a nice boring draw off the tee when needed for a little extra distance. Hit a nice high 200 yard fade today into a par 5 with the 24*. I would think most players who play hybrids would be very happy with the workability of these.


Overall Impression

First take on these are that the irons may very well be exactly what I'vebeen looking for all these years. A nice compact iron, with thin top line, and narrowish sole that produces a nice mid-high piercing trajectory, but are quite forgiving on mis-hits. The jury is stillout on the hybrids. Although they look nice at address, feel great, and seem super hot, I'm concerned the low profile and closed face angle will produce too high a trajectory for my liking.

On-Course Update: They are in my bag full time now. These are the irons I've been looking for. Look good at address, workable, and forgiving.

On a side note the hybrids are money when chipping from the fringe and rough. The warbird like sole is perfect for this.

[golfin2]

I love the razr x tour hybrid. I got the 3h. Such a sweet sound, shaft is solid and they are so easy to work the ball if needed. Hit 2/2 greens from the tee on par 3s, today, SO much easier to hit than my previous 2 hybrid MP hi fli. They just soar, I'm actually shocked at how easy it is to hit the ball this far with such height. It's a big game changer for me. Also hit a great slice around a tree corner with it today, and a great draw on another hole. Just a great club.

[TheMoneyShot]

Thanks for the great review!

[marrigo]

[quote name='golfin2' timestamp='1300066474' post='3052784']
I love the razr x tour hybrid. I got the 3h. Such a sweet sound, shaft is solid and they are so easy to work the ball if needed. Hit 2/2 greens from the tee on par 3s, today, SO much easier to hit than my previous 2 hybrid MP hi fli. They just soar, I'm actually shocked at how easy it is to hit the ball this far with such height. It's a big game changer for me. Also hit a great slice around a tree corner with it today, and a great draw on another hole. Just a great club.
[/quote]


Hmmmm, well I can't wait to see how they perform on the course. Usually for me high means shorter, but maybe this will be an exception. Have to wait and see.

Will have another session at the dome with them Thursday evening. Any new opinions/observations will be noted in the review.

[crazygolfnut]

I am interested to know if the RAZR Tour Hybrid is a "neutral" type club or does it go left. Since I hook the ball, I am looking for somthing that tends to go straight.

[PorkChopExpress]

Albeit the two clubs might look similar, they are two completely different clubs.
Comparing the Srixons to the RAZR XForged would be closer, but even then, I would say the callys will still be much more forgiving.

The Srixons are great clubs, played them for over a year. Very solid, simple looks and great square setup. Set reminds me of the Tourstage z101.
Just at times can be reminding how unforgiving they can be.

[marrigo]

[quote name='crazygolfnut' timestamp='1300626003' post='3071140']
I am interested to know if the RAZR Tour Hybrid is a "neutral" type club or does it go left. Since I hook the ball, I am looking for somthing that tends to go straight.
[/quote]

I also tend to hook the ball. So far I have not noticed a distinct tendency for a severe right to left curvature. Seems to be about the same as my Pro Golds. Essentially a slight draw most of the time. Still hitting the RAZR Tour hybrids higher, but gained some trajectory control during my last range session. And they sure are hot off the face. Still just in a golf dome so no total distance comparisons yet.

[Todd Bridges]

I played 9 holes with a new set of Razr Tour 5-PW irons with DGS300 shafts (standard length, lie). I was disappointed. My handicap fluctuates from a +2 to -2 throughout a full year. Had a nice day in Atlanta today. I really like the look of this iron at address - Callaway has done a great job of making this club look more like a player iron than game improvement (thinner top line, smaller head). Also love the weight/balance of this iron. BUT.... I was simply a half club short with it and felt like the iron felt dead unless I flushed it. Surprised because the lofts are jacked up. I also felt the irons lacked a lot of feel. On a positive note, after playing 9 holes, I went to the range where Taylormade demo day was and hit the new irons. I hit both the MB and MC and REALLY loved the new MC iron (liked the MB as well). Not hear to bash Callaway...I've owned 6-7 sets of various Callys over the years and still have a nice set of Callaway x-forged (version 2) with KBS Tours.

[joe2golf]

I have the hybrid and really like it. In the past I've played various TM models and most of the other major equip offerings. In my bag, I go from driver, 3w, hybrid or 5 wood, 4 iron, etc. I've gone back and forth for years trying to find the best answer for the 5wd vs. hybrid club. This new RAZR is the best compromise I've found. I can hit it as high and it's as forgiving as a 5wd. I can shape it to some degree like a hybrid (although not as much). It's easier to line up than a 5 wd. Low misses are a huge benefit to this club; the weighting really helps out if this is a common miss. Super easy to hit off the turf. I feel like it's the best solution I've found to date.

[Randcoll]

I know several people playing hacker irons that will beat a 7 hdcp all day long!!

[marrigo]

On course update added to original post in [color="#0000ff"]BLUE.[/color]
[color="#0000ff"]
[/color]
Took me a while to get the update done because the weather has been freaking awful. Record amounts of rain, and record number of consecutive days with rain.

[JB lefty]

How have you found the spin with these irons, do they stop as well as your previous set of irons? I have found the new model irons to be very lacking in the spin department.

[marrigo]

[quote name='JB lefty' timestamp='1306048741' post='3253341']
How have you found the spin with these irons, do they stop as well as your previous set of irons? I have found the new model irons to be very lacking in the spin department.
[/quote]

They seem to spin a little less, but not much less. Still more than enough spin to hit, hop and stop on firm (but not hard) greens.

[bkends35]

Nice through review!

[dwk615]

nice review. thanks a lot!

[Anakinn]

Now that's a review!