You’ve put off trying the Callaway FT-i driver because there’s no way you’re
going to play with a club that looks like the back end of a Buick. That would be
a mistake. It’s easy to get over the square shape when you find yourself in
fairway after fairway. In fact, it’s the shape—using a titanium face and
carbon-composite body—that makes the club highly stable on off-center hits. Our
launch monitor data revealed little sidespin, confirming the stellar on-course
performance.“I’ve never hit a straighter driver,” says a 12. “I’m usually
talking to the ball to stay out of the rough, but I didn’t once have to tell the
ball to ‘get lucky.’”
Impact sound is somehow both duller and louder than
with titanium, but after a while, our testers were hearing something sweeter.
Says a 15: “Sure, the shape and acoustics take getting used to, but the sound of
your buddies saying ‘nice drive’ never gets old.”
FT-i (10 degrees)
Clubhead speed: 85.8 MPH
Launch angle: 15.1 degrees
Spin rate: 2,220 RPM
Carry distance: 201.9 yards
Average of five testers, handicaps 10–17
Average 10-degree driver
Clubhead speed: 86
MPH
Launch angle: 10.4
degrees
Spin rate: 2,236
RPM
Carry distance: 195 yards
Data provided by Tom Wishon Golf Technology
