Callaway "Long Drive Team" -- specially made or Off-The-Rack?

[BenSeattle]

Like many here, I'm watching each installment of Golf Channel's weekly coverage of the countdown to the October 30th ReMax World Long Drive Finals. This is a MUCH IMPROVED showcase as opposed to the former "Compete in October and we'll show it Christmas Day" that was ESPN's style.

 

Some of the biggest news is the fact that Callaway went out and signed up around a dozen of the world's longest hitters, including two-time champ Jamie Sadlowski. Apparently, Callaway believes that a solid showing in Long Drive will help them market more effectively against TaylorMade, the company that has dominated the PGA Tour driver count for years.

 

Anyway, my question is this. Long drive competitors are renowned for breaking their equipment. Swinging at more than 135 can snap shafts and shatter heads. This, of course, is one of the reasons that Krank and Geek have done so well in Long Drive.... apparently their heads are constructed in such a way that they're just harder to destroy. So are the members of the Callaway team -- all, I believe, using the X-Hot model -- actually competing with low-loft, off-the-rack driver heads or has Callaway whipped up a bunch of reinforced, extra-strong heads strictly for use by the LD team?

 

Other sites have bestowed the X-Hot as the 'longest driver of the year' in tests using average golfers but a major league LD competition is a completely different animal.

 

Anyone with insider info or at least an educated opinion?

[Puppetmaster]

Can't speak to how they are made, but Callaway definitely has LD models of the XHP heads, from 5-7 degs of loft, AFAIK. If they went through the trouble of making low lofts, one would have to think they are reinforced as well. There were pictures floating around here and on Twitter and they look similar except for an LD stamp on the sole and a different logo on the face.

[Donnierparker]

they are special made. the longest driver of the year is the Krank Formula 5. It is also one of the most accurate. Ball speeds are unreal. The Xhot model is the only ld head callaway has until January. I have heard several people say they like the callaway head, and others that switched rumor is they do not feel like they can win with it. I guess they are under contract with it now and cannot get out. Not sure.

[BenSeattle]

I wrote LDA owner Art Sellinger about the X Hot Pro "LDA" heads. He sells them online at his website. The response:

[i]"[b]As for the XHOT Driver, the construction and materials for the LD version are the same for the long drive head as the retail head. The only difference is the loft of the clubs. We have both 5 & 7 degree Heads.[/b]

[b]I expect a new head by the end of February. I hope this answers your questions.[/b]"[/i]

And Donnie, I don't know anything about the scuttlebutt at the site of the competition but we [u]do[/u] know that Callaway team member James Sadlowski qualified into the final eight using an X Hot Pro. As for winning, we'll see in a few weeks, huh? (What are the other seven finals qualifiers hitting.... anyone know?

[ProjectX]

Aaron Mansfield - Callaway
Tim Burke - Krank
Patrick Hopper - MOI
Jamie Sadlowski - Callaway
Matt Hanger - Krank
Joe Miller - Callaway
Will Hogue - Krank
Tyler Kellett - Krank

4 Krank, 3 Callaway, and 1 MOI. Not sure on lofts and shafts.

[BenSeattle]

[quote name='ProjectX' timestamp='1382062083' post='8019177']
Aaron Mansfield - Callaway
Tim Burke - Krank
Patrick Hopper - MOI
Jamie Sadlowski - Callaway
Matt Hanger - Krank
Joe Miller - Callaway
Will Hogue - Krank
Tyler Kellett - Krank

4 Krank, 3 Callaway, and 1 MOI. Not sure on lofts and shafts.
[/quote]


Great info, thanks. I also don't care which hitter wins... I'm [u]really[/u] interested in which COMPANY take the title!

[ProjectX]

[url="http://www.longdrivers.com/sites/default/files/documents/meet_the_october_8.pdf"]http://www.longdrivers.com/sites/default/files/documents/meet_the_october_8.pdf[/url]

Shaft Brand included in the link above.

Smart Money is on Callaway with half the field on their brand. I was unaware Matt Hanger moved to Callaway as well. So the count is 4 Callaway, 3 Krank and 1 MOI. Shafts 5 HOF, 2 Fuji, 1 Anmkara.

[Jacoby]

Thanks for the link.