Brand History #2

The stainless steel metal wood Big Bertha was released.
A stainless steel metal driver with a small 150-cc head was suitable only for advanced players with fast swing speeds. Callaway successfully made one with a head size of over 190 cc.

Many golfers rushed to stores for this driver, which allows all players to easily and accurately hit the ball far. The huge success of Big Bertha accelerated the shift to larger metal drivers. Callaway Golf was recognized as a leading and promising golf club manufacturer.

Callaway launched its first titanium head driver.

It is made of titanium, which is now the most popular driver material. With a large 250-cc head size, which cannot be achieved with stainless steel, this model helps players to hit the ball more easily and accurately than they can with the stainless steel Big Bertha. It was named Great Big Bertha. Great Big Bertha became a worldwide success and led to a new era of titanium drivers.
* Ruger Titanium

The first titanium driver was made of Ruger Titanium, which is famous as a high-quality titanium casting material.

A hybrid golf club (made of composite materials) is ordinary now, but it was epoch-making at that time.

Ultra-low CG irons were developed based on the S2H2 theory. The sole replaces 40% of the head weight with a heavy material called tungsten. It also features a bore-through neck and a lighter titanium body. Leading, groundbreaking design and theory were employed during the transition of mainstream irons from the muscle back to the cavity back, which positioned Callaway ahead of other competitors.

This is Roger Cleveland's first design. Since the Tour Series wedges with the S2H2 concept show great performance, this set of irons was designed by reusing its shape. It was named X11, but never hit the market because Mr. Callaway decided not to make golf clubs for advanced players.

In 1997, Callaway acquired Odyssey (formally known as "Odyssey Sports"), which now has the largest share of putters.

Odyssey had already secured its position as the No. 1 putter brand due to the instant success of Rossie Putter. Odyssey has continued to lead the putter market as Callaway's putter brand with many hit products, such as the 2-Ball Putter.

This model reproduces the CG position of the Great Big Bertha with stainless steel casting. It became a smash hit, with 100,000 sets sold in just the first three weeks after its launch.

The latest model is X-24 as of 2020. This series has become one of the major Callaway cast iron products.

A different-material construction (titanium and tungsten) with a tungsten weight placed in the sole was state-of-the-art technology back then. The extremely low CG makes it easy to hit the ball high.

The Hawk Eye sole shape also allows users to slide the club smoothly even through a thick rough for a stable impact.

Callaway launched a stainless steel head in the same year as Hawk Eye.

After 9W and 11W, currently called short woods, were added to its lineup, the model became an explosive success and popular among many golfers.

A single material limits the CG position. However, Callaway's proprietary VFT technology allows the CG position to be set for each club number.

This model is one of the major products contributing to the success of stainless steel cast irons, which have not been much preferred in Japan.

With competitive advantages in development using advanced technologies, Callaway stepped into the taboo realm of drivers.

This model prompted the golf association to change the rules. Callaway developed a high-repulsion cup face, which caused a controversy over the rules. The thin face generates a strong repulsion, leading to an increased initial ball velocity.

It improves driving performance with an optimum spin rate and ball speed. This boom of high-repulsion faces continued until 2006, affecting the golf club manufacturers.

How many golfers have used this series?
How many titles have been won by this series?

The exact numbers are unknown, but this is surely a historic golf club.

Many golfers were attracted by its soft feel at impact completely different from a conventional metal face feel. The story of this timeless model will be handed down from generation to generation.

Leveraging aircraft manufacturing technology, Callaway made a new-category driver called C4, which uses carbon as a new wood material.

A light body that cannot be achieved by titanium was developed with a total weight of as much as 55g effectively distributed inside. With this free weight distribution, C4 allows side spin control to reduce curves, securing its presence as a future driver.

This model features a high-repulsion titanium cup face combined into an ultra-light carbon body with a free weight of as much as 44g distributed in a well-balanced way inside. It was said to be the first of the new generation of drivers.

With as many as 54 of the latest patented technologies engineered, the ERC Fusion driver is the state of the art. Since this model, the Fusion technology has been used to make drivers.

Maximization of the moment of inertia (MOI) is now a requirement for a player-friendly golf club. This model is aimed at maximizing the MOI of the head in both toe-to-heel direction and crown-to-sole direction. It is called a "complete inertia driver."

Callaway employed a square head design after pursuing the MOI by making the most of the Fusion technology. FT-i is the first atypical driver.

This model comes in three heads with different weight distributions, which also resulted from the Fusion technology.

— The advanced composite head brings about the possibilities of next-generation woods —

A new manufacturing method has been introduced to form short carbon fibers, compounded in the resin by applying pressure according to the required strength.

A carbon sheet is non-woven with its carbon fibers effectively distributed to necessary positions by applying a calculated pressure. Thus, this next-generation carbon composite is strong in any form and allows a much higher degree of freedom in designing the shape and thickness than the conventional carbon cloth. The method using Lamborghini's Forged Composite technology is applied to development.

The golf industry entered an era of competition for fairway woods. Have fairway woods ever drawn such attention before?

Many golfers must have been attracted by the slogan "300 Yard Spoon." It is difficult to hit fly balls with fairway woods, so they normally have a deep CG. However, X Hot features a shallow CG, delivering low spin. This spoon became famous for claiming that it ensures a greater carry and run distance of up to 300 yards.

* Promotions started becoming competitive around 2013.

The Gravity Core technology allows the CG position to be adjustable vertically. The spin rate can be adjusted to deliver a greater distance.

The Adjustable Perimeter Weighting reduces hooks and slices. This achieves as ideal a trajectory as possible.

With the new adjustable weight technology, users can change the spin rate and directional stability for their desired trajectory. It was the dawn of a new generation of golf clubs.

This is a successor to the X Hot fairway wood.

The new 300-yard spoon features a greater driving distance and a softer feel than its predecessor. It has a forged cup face made of high-strength Carpenter 455 Steel and a thinner periphery of the face. These features allow a higher repulsion of the face than the X Hot fairway wood for an increased initial ball velocity.

The new series XR was launched following the long-driving X Hot series.

The successor of the X series, which focuses on driving performance, achieves astonishing ball speeds. Callaway's unique Speed Step crown reduces air resistance while swinging, resulting in improved swing speeds. The R•MOTO face has a unique rib construction with the periphery of its face about 3g lighter for a wider high-repulsion area.

Two pillars are used to achieve an unprecedented level of driving performance. The Jailbreak technology is engineered to completely change the head move for a higher initial velocity and greater distance.

The crown, sole, and face of the driver usually bend at impact and bend back with repulsive force. However, it causes energy loss due to the vertical bending of the head, failing to maximize the repulsive force of the face.

The Jailbreak technology places two titanium pillars (about 3g) that connect the crown and the sole at the back of the face. These two pillars minimize the vertical bending of the crown and the sole. This reduces energy loss and maximizes face bending, leading to a drastic increase in the initial velocity.

The Jailbreak technology's two pillars, which have been employed since GBB Epic, achieve an unprecedented level of driving performance.

With a larger projected area and a shallow face, this model ensures not only driving performance but also stability and forgiveness.

The Aerodynamics Package was developed in collaboration with Boeing to reduce air resistance of the head while swinging. The head leading edge shape, as well as the conventional Speed Step shape, was redesigned to further improve aerodynamic performance. This delivers a faster swing speed and a larger distance.

One of the key features of the O-Works putter released in 2017 is the newly developed Microhinge insert.

It is an insert where thermoplastic urethane is integrally molded to a plate with a stainless steel claw hinge mounted. This putter lifts the ball off the green and applies incredible topspin to the ball immediately after the impact.

It reduces the grain effect of a green and significantly improves directional stability and distance control.

The new series Epic Flash was launched in 2019, following the GBB Epic series featuring the world's leading Jailbreak technology.

New innovative technology is engineered to design a face using artificial intelligence (AI). The following three missions on design analysis were assigned to AI: "Increasing the initial ball velocity," "Securing endurance," and "Complying with the rules."

The face of Epic Flash was designed and modified about 15,000 times through AI's repeated self-learning using a supercomputer. It would take as many as 34 years using the conventional method.

This is a future face, 34 years ahead of its time, that can only be achieved by AI technology that can outthink humans.

This composite shaft of carbon and steel made its debut in 2019.

It is lighter by up to about 75g (the steel shaft of a regular putter is 110 to 120g). The shaft containing carbon is firmer than a regular one, allowing users to feel the putt through their hands for a better touch.

It improves the consistency in various putting aspects, such as the back swing level, face angle, tempo, and speed. The upgrade version (the first version was painted in red) was launched in 2021, featuring a lighter and firmer shaft. This model prevents the shaft from further twisting to stabilize the tempo, face direction at impact, and swing arc.

After succeeding in achieving an astonishing initial ball velocity with the Flash Face developed by AI in 2019, Callaway made further investments in AI and supercomputers moving toward 2020.

Leveraging the upgraded processing performance, machine learning was repeatedly used to maximize and optimize the high initial velocity area as well as the ball speed and endurance.

The finished product was named "Mavrik."
It comes from "maverick," which means "unconventional." This series is truly unconventional, featuring explosive driving performance and forgiveness. This Flash Face SS20 has a construction to prevent impact mistakes. It is individually designed for not only each model but also each club number.

AI is used not only to design the latest Flash Face SS21 for the driver but also to analyze and design the Jailbreak technology to develop new Jailbreak AI Speed Frame technology.

This makes impact force more concentrated on the face than it was in the previous model, achieving a whole new level of an initial ball velocity.

The Triaxial Carbon Crown area is expanded and even used in the sole toe. The CG position is also further optimized. The model lineup includes the following: standard type Epic Speed, maximum forgiveness type Epic Max, and forgiveness and low-spin type Epic Max LS.

The 2021 APEX series combined a soft forged steel body with an AI-designed FLASH Face Cup.

It also features a tungsten inner weight, further enhancing distance, stability, and accuracy.

In addition to the standard model "APEX," the lineup includes the "APEX PRO," which features the first-ever hollow construction, the "APEX DCB" (Deep Cavity Back) known for its forgiving and high-flying performance with a soft forged body, and the "APEX TCB" (Tour Cavity Back) favored by many professionals for its high maneuverability.

The standout feature of WHITE HOT OG is the White Hot insert.

Introduced in 2000, its exceptional characteristic lies in the use of the same material as the ball's cover, establishing excellent compatibility at impact.
This design achieves a soft yet responsive performance, providing a comfortable feel upon impact, satisfying sound, and consistent ball launch and roll. Swiftly, it captured the hearts of numerous golfers, including professionals.

Since then, for 20 years, its reliability and popularity in tours have remained steadfast, continuing to accumulate numerous victories worldwide up to the present day.

"OG" stands for "Old Gangster," representing the essence of old-school goodness and nostalgia.
This series features a skin-milled head carved from stainless steel and incorporates the popular White Hot insert renowned in the tour.

In 2022, the ROGUE ST series was introduced as a replacement for the EPIC series.

Extensive development efforts were undertaken to fine-tune all technologies and accumulate numerous advancements.
The Callaway proprietary AI-designed FLASH Face SS22 and JAILBREAK AI Speed Frame undergo enhanced efficiency and optimization, while the body featuring the Triaxial Carbon Crown & Sole incorporates a newly integrated molded body structure for improved cohesion and efficiency.

The lineup includes the standard model "MAX," as well as the "MAX D" designed with a draw bias and upright setup, offering excellent control, and the "MAX LS" with a neutral bias for low spin and a stable high trajectory.
Additionally, there is the "MAX FAST," which features a lightweight adhesive hosel.

A series embodying the utmost performance and refinement, encompassing exterior aesthetics, performance, and pricing, was released in limited quantities.

Developed under the uncompromising concept of combining the latest and most advanced technology with the finest materials necessary to extract maximum performance.
It's a super-premium series like no other, with no comparable counterparts.

In the wood category, this model boasts AI-designed features such as the FLASH Face and JAILBREAK AI Speed Frame, specially incorporated without hesitation.
Furthermore, the iron, priced at 58,000 yen per club even for the standard shaft option, features a hollow construction. The body incorporates CP4 titanium, which is lightweight yet possesses a softness comparable to forged mild steel.

■Indeed, it can be said that a true paradigm shift, as the name suggests, was brought about by the industry-first※ 360° carbon chassis.
The central portion of the head is constructed with Triaxial Carbon on the crown side and Forged Carbon on the sole side, eliminating any metal components entirely.
This has enabled an unprecedented level of weight reduction and the generation of surplus weight, previously unimaginable. As a result, it becomes possible to maximize distance performance and forgiveness to the utmost without compromising.
The weight reduction in the central section amounts to a remarkable approximately 44% when compared to the scenario where everything is made of titanium.

■The JAILBREAK technology has been slimmed down and lightened by approximately 25%.
In the front portion of the head, AI has designed the optimal shape to enhance ball speed, in pursuit of maximizing distance performance.
The result of this endeavor is the Face Cup construction and the slimmed-down form of the JAILBREAK technology.
The Face Cup, aided by the effects of the new JAILBREAK technology, allows the face to flex all the way to the edges.
On the other hand, the JAILBREAK technology, while being approximately 25% lighter than its predecessor, the JAILBREAK AI SPEED FRAME, also firmly maintains the balance of body rigidity. It contributes to enhancing ball speed across the entire face.