Gear: Callaway Mavrik, Mavrik Sub Zero, Mavrik Max fairway woods
Price: $299 with Project X Even Flow Riptide, Aldila Rogue White or UST Mamiya Helium shaft and Golf Pride Tour Velvet Align grip
Specs: Forged C300 maraging steel face cup with carbon-fiber crown and moveable weights.
Available: Jan. 23
Callaway’s newest fairway woods, the Mavrik, Mavrik Sub Zero and Mavrik Max, were designed to help golfers get more distance by utilizing face designs created using artificial intelligence.
Put simply, Callaway made a major investment in access to supercomputing and set about tasking the machines to study thousands of fairway wood faces. Parameters were set so the computer would try to identify the face patterns that produced the most ball speed on well-struck shots as well as patterns that protected ball speed on common misses.
The most interesting thing about the faces the computer designed is they not only differ between the standard, Sub Zero and Max models, they also differ by loft within each model because the analysis showed, for example, that golfers tend to mis-hit 3-woods differently than 5-woods.
While none of the Mavrik fairway woods has an adjustable hosel, each has a carbon-fiber crown that saves a significant amount of weight. Each also has Jailbreak bars in the front of the club that connect the sole to the crown. The bars stiffen the front of the head at impact so energy can be transferred into the shot more efficiently instead of being lost in the deformation of the head.
Callaway said the face in each Mavrik fairway wood has a characteristic time (a measure of springiness) that is akin to a driver, so it should be able to transfer energy created at impact into the ball like a driver.
The standard Mavrik fairway wood is the most aerodynamic and likely will fit the broadest number of players. It is offered as a 3+, 3-wood, 4-wood, 5-wood and 7-wood.
The Mavrik Sub Zero fairway woods are slightly smaller than the standard Mavrik and come standard with a pair of moveable weights (14-grams and 2-grams). Positioning the heavier weight in the front reduces spin and encourages a lower launch, while adding it to the back adds spin and should produce a higher shot. The Sub Zero is offered as a 3+, 3-wood, 4-wood and 5-wood.
Finally, for golfers who battle a slice or who want even more stability, Callaway will offer the Mavrik Max fairway woods. The largest of the three offerings, it has two weight ports like the Sub Zero, but one port is in the heel. Adding the 14-gram weight to that spot should encourage a draw. The face of the Max was designed with a wider radius, so it is especially forgiving on mis-hits in the low-heel and low-toe areas. The Mavrik Max is offered as a 3+, 3-wood, 5-wood, Heavenwood, 7-wood, 9-wood and 11-wood.