Gear: Callaway Mavrik, Mavrik Max, Mavrik Pro hybrids
Price: $249 each with Project X Catalyst or KBS Tour Hybrid shafts and Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Specs: Carpenter steel cup face with internal stiffening bars. Available in 18, 20, 23 and 26 degrees (Standard); 19, 21, 24, 27, 30 and 33 degrees (Max); 18, 20, 23 and 26 degrees (Pro)
Available: Feb. 6
Many golfers opt for hybrid clubs instead of long irons because hybrids are more forgiving, produce more distance and typically hit the ball higher. For golfers who want more of each of those traits, Callaway is offering the first hybrid club designed with a hitting area created with the help of supercomputers and artificial intelligence: the Mavrik, Mavrik Max and Mavrik Pro.
Every Mavrik hybrid has a Carpenter steel cup face that helps broaden the sweet spot, but the hitting area is also thicker in some places and thinner in others to more efficiently turn clubhead speed into ball speed.
Historically, the thicker areas are in the center and the thinnest portions are around the edges, but in the Mavrik hybrids that is not always the case. The computer created and theoretically tested thousands of faces, then revealed to Callaway’s engineers which performed best. As a result, the faces are unique not only to each type of Mavrik hybrid but also to each loft. For example, the hitting area in the 3H Mavrik is different than the 5H Mavrik.
All three Mavrik hybrids have Jailbreak bars that connect the sole of the club to the crown. They stiffen the front of the head at impact so more energy is transferred into the shot instead of being wasted in the deformation of the head.
The standard Mavrik hybrid is a mid-sized club with a square-toe shape and an iron-style design that appeals to a large number of players.
The Mavrik Max hybrids are slightly larger with a center of gravity that is lower and farther back, so golfers can expect them to create a higher launch and be more forgiving.
The Mavrik Pro is not necessarily designed with more accomplished golfers in mind. Callaway said it will appeal to a lot of golfers, but its shape is inspired by some hybrids and fairway wood that members of the company’s tour staff liked over the years. It has a smaller head size, lower profile and a more-rounded look, along with a flatter lie angle to encourage an anti-left ball flight that better players tend to favor.