Callaway driver releases always peak interest within the industry. A brand known for its innovative approach to golf club design and with the best Callaway drivers having genuine iconic status within the driver space, I was eager to see what the 2025 offering looked like. So when the new Elyte driver landed on my doorstep, I was itching to get to the golf course and see if it could take its place among the best golf drivers of 2025.
Starting with the technology story, the message is that this driver family is all about creating the perfect blend of desirable attributes, but what do I mean by that? Well, as Callaway put it, in general terms; “Fast head shapes are unforgiving, and forgiving head shapes aren’t fast”. So Callaway was looking to merge these two worlds of speed and forgiveness together in the creation of the Elyte family.
It set about this task firstly with significant investment in in-house 3d printing which has allowed Callaway to reduce the production time of prototypes from three months to five days, thus allowing for more trial and error and achieving better results more quickly. To give that some context, typical prototyping usually offers around four rounds or iterations, the Elyte cycle had 75.
So to cut through a bit of the technical detail and give you the top line - what Callaway has done is created a higher MOI driver but with improved aerodynamics. In theory, this should mean we can move the clubhead quicker to gain distance, but when we mishit it, we’ll also get some additional help. Sounds good to me.
Other claims suggest that we could be looking at a 19 percent tighter dispersion pattern, and up to 7.1 yards of additional distance over the Paradym Ai Smoke range, but I'll be the judge of that.
As is often the way, there were some leaked images of the Eltye driver online prior to the official release day, and it would be fair to say that opinions were divided in terms of the aesthetic. Personally, I don’t have a problem with it at all. Is it the best-looking driver Callaway has ever made? No, I don’t think so, and something like the Paradym Ai Smoke range was always going to be a tough act to follow visually. However, most of the people in the comments sections may well have only seen the driver from the sole on these photos, and in my opinion, at least, that is the least relevant viewpoint of a driver possible. Realistically, you are going to see it from that position for about two seconds maximum once you take the headcover off prior to your shot.
For me, the important stuff is how it looks in behind the ball and I like the playing position profile of the Elyte driver. The shaping and proportions are right out of the top drawer and it inspires a lot of confidence. I will say however that I do prefer the cleaner gloss black finish of the Triple Diamond model, and I’m not entirely sure what has prompted Callaway to go with two such contrasting visuals across the range. To me, it just interrupts the cohesion of the family a little, but it’s hardly a huge issue and has precisely no bearing on the performance of the product. Speaking of which…
It can be difficult to remain objective when testing drivers at times. From a selfish point of view, you tend to get a little more excited by the models that you think you might be able to put into play yourself, and when I first put the Elyte down, I didn’t really think it would be in my ballpark - until I started hitting it!
I’ve tested this driver thoroughly now both indoors and outdoors at a variety of venues, always using TaylorMade TP5 golf balls and my FullSwing KIT launch monitor. This is a fantastic all-round driver and will be one that appeals to a huge range of golfers. I found it to be exceptionally user-friendly on my questionable strikes, and erring on the lower side of spin for a mid-range driver which I really enjoyed. I probably enjoyed the spin profile more because it was coupled with a fairly high launch number leading to some very impressive distance output.
The feel off the face is a solid one, not as soft as something like the Cobra DS-ADAPT X driver, but with a real robustness that lets you know the ball you’ve just struck knows it’s been hit. I have to say also that I genuinely and quantifiably did move the Elyte marginally quicker in terms of clubhead speed than I moved the Paradym Ai Smoke Max - around 1.5mph on average which isn’t insignificant.
The three weight ports at the back are useful, and allow you to tune in the CG location to your specific requirements, although the other two ‘spare’ ports do look a little unfinished, or like they are waiting for something when they are not in use.
I think this is a driver you will see in all sorts of bags this year, from tour players to weekend warriors. The high launch, and somewhat lower spin profile, combined with aerodynamic improvements will genuinely find a little extra yardage for many players, and the high levels of forgiveness make this an extremely stable and user-friendly offering. I would say Callaway has very much achieved its brief here.
The Elyte will be available in 9° and 10.5° lofts for right and left-handed players with a further 12° head available for the right-handers. The Elyte will be retailing at an RRP of $599.99 with numerous custom options for shaft and grip.
Stock shafts include True Temper Project X Denali Charcoal, Mitsubishi Chemical Vanquish PL.
