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Overview

The Callaway Hyper X Driver and the TaylorMade r7 Limited are the latest additions, from their respective club lines, from two of the leading names in golf today. Since 2001 Callaway has been developing their popular “X” series with its latest, the Hyper X, offering new Hyperbolic Face Technology. The r7 Limited, part of the r7 line that first came out in 2004, is billed to be a shot-making club, with a range of 35 yards either left or right.

History

Callaway Golf began in 1983 as Callaway Hickory Stick USA, in Cathedral City, Calif. In 1985 founder Ely Callaway hired tech guru Richard Helmstetter to be the chief club designer and moved the company to its current home in Carlsbad, Calif. In 1988 Callaway Hickory Stick USA officially changed its name to Callaway Golf, beginning a 20-year run as an industry leader.

In 1979 Gary Adams founded TaylorMade Golf in McHenry, Ill. It was then Adams was inspired to create the golf world’s first wood made out of metal. By 1985, 44 percent of the field at PGA Tour events played a TaylorMade metalwood.

The Facts

A selection to the Golf Digest 2009 Hotlist, the TaylorMade r7 Limited is the next driver in the Movable Weight Technology (MWT) lineage. Beginning with the r7 Quad, in 2004, MWT gave golfers the ability to add, move and remove weights in the head of the driver to influence shot trajectory to gain greater distance and accuracy. The newest version of the r7, the Limited, also incorporates a lower center of gravity to promote better launch conditions for increased yardage.

In 2008 Callaway introduced its selection to the Golf Digest Hotlist, the Hyper X Driver. Promoted as a breakthrough in ball speed enhancements, the Hyper X set a new standard in the all-titanium driver market. This year’s version on the club debuts the innovative Hyperbolic Face Technology. Billed as a new benchmark in performance, HFT was developed to redefine the look, feel and speed at which golf balls leave the clubface.

Features

The 2008 version of the Hyper X Driver features a 460cc head shape that has been optimized for a high moment of inertia while maintaining a traditional look. A Modified X-Sole design aids alignment at address so drives start on the intended target line, offering increased forgiveness and stability on mishits.

The TaylorMade r7 Limited comes equipped with the Matrix XCon 5.5 MOI, a new high-performance 60-gram graphite shaft allowing for greater swing speed and control. This shaft is designed to work along with the driver head to reduce twisting at contact to ensure better shot control.

Expert Insight

According to the 2008 Golf Digest Hotlist the Hyper X delivers “plenty of pop,” and if Callaway says “it has spent eight years perfecting off-center-hit ball speed, it’s worth investigating.” One downside, as mentioned in the Hotlist, is there aren’t higher lofts available for slower swing speeds. But that isn’t much of a problem because of the consistency of shots as one PGA Tour player points out: “Almost the same ball flight off the toe as in the center … I could even hit it off the deck.”

The r7 Limited was given the gold standard in the 2009 Golf Digest Hotlist. Golf Digest admits that even though consumers may be “…over the weights…the powerful feel of a TaylorMade driver never gets old.”

Benefits

As the game of golf grows in popularity amateur players are looking for the same advantages the pros receive by playing the best clubs possible. Because of advancements in technology in both the Callaway Hyper X and the TaylorMade r7 Limited, beginners can enjoy the power, feel, and control that the players on the PGA Tour receive. Whether it’s the manipulation of shot-making allowed with MWT or the forgiveness of the clubface enjoyed by HFT, a golfer of any skill level can find game improvement.