A NEW AERODYNAMIC SHAPE
Driver heads are, by nature, big and flat. In the Handbook of Aerodynamic Efficiency, big and flat equates to slow and inefficient, and thus should be avoided.
Making the driver head smaller would be a simple solution to lift speed through the air. However, the associated forgiveness penalty — namely lower MOI, higher centre of gravity and more spin — means the juice just isn’t worth the squeeze.
The goal for Callaway’s new Elyte driver was to create a faster head shape without sacrificing MOI and CG.
Callaway’s aerodynamic modelling suggested a lower heel profile would create an uptick in speed on the downswing, where you really need it.
However, the top ribbon on the Elyte crown has also been pulled higher and deeper, which would usually result in a CG penalty. But Callaway had a solution…
NEW THERMOFORGED CROWN
Making the top ribbon (the bit on top of the face before the crown starts) higher would typically raise the centre of gravity and increase spin. But Callaway’s new thermoforged crown is the answer.
The aerospace-grade carbon fibre is stronger and lighter. It’s also able to be moulded more precisely, which meant Callaway could wrap the crown further down the Elyte’s chassis. The result is that it displaces titanium, which lowers the centre of gravity and cuts spin, completely offsetting the raised ribbon.
Testing reveals the new head shape increases head speed by up to 1.3mph, with speed gains seen across every handicap bracket.
