Callaway Legacy

[K2_2]

Apologies for the delayed review for those who don't lurk on the WRX, I tried to post this the other day and kept getting an error!

I didn’t deck out a whole bag like the last time I stopped through Japan, but I did try out some nice new gear, as always, and managed to find a driver that I couldn’t leave behind!

Drivers;

The new Tourstage X-Drive 445 is indeed a solid stick. It seems more forgiving than the 460; the face is not as deep, the launch is a bit higher, and it definitely seems more directionally forgiving. I came very close to grabbing this with an MD-7, but I had one or two more clubs to try.

2008 OnOFF Plus. This is the coolest looking driver I have picked up in sometime, and it is also a very solid club. I would say it is a bit more forgiving than the X-Drive 445 without sacrificing much control of your shot shape. Having had a GIII driver in the bag for awhile though, I was keen to try something a bit different.

Callaway Legacy. There is already a great review here, and I can’t add any numbers yet – sheet that I had of results comparing these three went walkabout when I flew out – but I would like to add my thoughts. Shaft it up properly this is one of the best drivers you will hit. Period.

From what I found and from a bit of strained conversation with the fitter and other guys I spoke to, here is the breakdown.

Forgiveness – one of the more forgiving non-MOI drivers you can pick up this year. Launch – mid launch, mid spin - obviously varies with shaft selection.

Ball speed – as high or higher than the above.

All of the above, assuming you pick the proper shaft, adds up to a very long driver.

What I really like so far though is the confidence, control, and feel.

Confidence; that probably comes from having a reasonable fit, but the fact that the face on the head I picked up measured out to roughly square, and the loft is within about half a degree of spec inspires some confidence. Also, as noted by others, the driver – at least the 9.5* with a square face – does not flip over and produce a hook even if you have a good move through the ball.

Control; the Legacy is very easy to hit – I have put some boneheaded swings on the ball, to be sure, but it is very forgiving imho. That means I can find the fairway when I’m not having a top day. Equally important for the better player though – and this might be due to me being in the final days of the honeymoon period – I have managed to control my trajectory a bit better with this driver. No, I can’t consistently command a shot that is 5.3 yards higher or lower than my norm – then I would be blogging about a tournament I finished up instead of writing reviews - but so far I have been able to keep the ball under a head wind a bit more than I could previously while also being able to hit the ball a bit higher if the wind is up behind me.

Feel; again, much of this comes down to having a good fit, being confident, and having good control, but this club feels exceptional. It does not have a loud, explosive feel or sound that you would get from a Cobra L4V or high MOI driver. Nor does it have the soft springy feel that you find on some JDM game improvement drivers. Please forgive the alliteration, but the words smooth, solid, and strong probably describe the feel better than anything I can come up with.

Edited October 23, 2008 by K2_2