Lighter is better for Callaway's RAZR line

CARLSBAD, Calif., January 26, 2011 - Callaway Golf Company presented its 2011 new product lineup at the annual PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Fla. The Company's latest offerings are headlined by the innovative RAZR Hawka and Diablo Octanea Drivers, each featuring a groundbreaking ultra lightweight material called Forged Composite.  In addition, the company builds on its longstanding position as The No. 1 Irons in Golf with the introduction of three iron models within the new RAZR X line--RAZR Xa, RAZR X Toura and RAZR X Forgeda. 

Adding to the excitement surrounding Callaway's 2011 lineup is the fact that each new product recently won a coveted Gold or Silver Medal in Golf Digest's annual "Hot List" equipment review. Callaway is the only golf equipment manufacturer to be honored with Gold Medals within every equipment category rated by Golf Digest's comprehensive review and earned more overall medals than any other manufacturer for the fifth straight year.  

The 2011 PGA Merchandise Show marks the introduction of Callaway's new RAZR platform of products, which features the Company's most premium technology offerings.  Also on display in Orlando is the next generation of the Company's popular Diablo line, led by the Diablo Octane Driver and Fairway Woods.  Callaway's Tour-proven X-Series JAWS CC Wedges will be on exhibit, and feature a new proprietary groove design and additional loft/bounce offerings.  Completing the most robust product lineup in golf are several new golf ball introductions, including the HX Diablo Tourä, and the debut of the Callaway upro mx, the new standard in golf GPS devices. 

"Once again, Callaway's Research and Development team has lived up to its reputation as the most technologically advanced and innovative in the game, delivering a product lineup that is best in class for golfers of all abilities," said George Fellows, President and CEO, Callaway Golf. "This year's new equipment offerings have already received a tremendous amount of attention within the industry, and we're excited to bring them to the golfing public."

Callaway's RAZR Hawk and Diablo Octane drivers feature a new material called Forged Composite, co-developed through an R&D partnership with famed Italian automaker Automobili Lamborghini. Forged Composite is the lightest, strongest, most precise material either company has ever employed within their high-performance designs. Featuring more than 500,000 turbostratic carbon fibers per square inch, Forged Composite is superior to the metal alloys that are most common within driver design, such as titanium. Its ability to be precisely forged allows Callaway engineers to design clubhead components to within tolerances of one thousandth of an inch, enhancing aerodynamic efficiency and strategically locating weight with a level of precision that was previously held unachievable. Forged Composite provides Callaway engineers the ability to design the most highly advanced clubheads in the game, with optimized mass properties for increased power at impact and more accurate trajectories.

DRIVERS

                   Callaway RAZR Hawk/RAZR Hawk Tour Drivers - Headlining the new RAZR Platform, which represents the Company's most premium technology products, RAZR Hawk Drivers feature sole and crown components constructed of Forged Composite, reinforcing 67 percent of the driver head.  The ability to precisely forge this advanced carbon material to within one-thousandth of an inch has allowed Callaway engineers to introduce a proprietary approach to aerodynamic shaping called Streamline Surface Technology.  This innovation addresses drag forces during a golfer's entire downswing, reducing energy loss due to drag by 43 percent (over its predecessor, the FT-9), and resulting in the highest driver head speeds ever recorded by a 460cc Callaway driver.  The new drivers are available in Neutral, Draw and Tour models.  New product introduction retail price: $399.

·                     Diablo Octane/Diablo Octane Tour Drivers - Employing the lighter, stronger, more precise Forged Composite material in the crown of Diablo Octane Drivers allowed Callaway engineers to precisely set the clubhead's Center of Gravity and Moment of Inertia in order to promote accurate trajectories.  This lighter, more efficient clubhead is paired with a longer shaft to increase head speed and power at impact for increased distances.  Diablo Octane Drivers also include Callaway's proprietary Hyperbolic Face Technologyä and powers drives beyond those of its all-titanium predecessor by an average distance of eight yards. New product introduction retail price: $299.

Alan Hocknell, Senior Vice President of Research & Development, Callaway Golf: "Forged Composite gives us the ability to engineer performance benefits like never before, including measurable advantages in clubhead speed, drag reduction and overall distance off the tee.  We are proving that materials matter with our 2011 drivers, and we've only just begun to tap the potential of this material."

FAIRWAY WOODS

·                     RAZR Hawk Fairway Woods - Adding to a long line of fairway wood designs that have set the bar in golf, the RAZR Hawk Fairway Woods have been rapidly adopted on Tour by some of the world's most elite players.  Forged Composite in the crown of the clubhead allows Callaway engineers to precisely redistribute weight for Center of Gravity placement that maximizes distance without compromising ball flight or feel.  The Company's club designers then apply aggressive Variable Face Thickness Technology to precisely shape the face thickness in each fairway wood, increasing the sweet spot to promote consistent trajectories. Tour-inspired styling features a traditional head shape with a full-length hosel that appeals to a wide range of golfers.  New product introduction retail price: $229.

·                     Diablo Octane/Diablo Octane Tour Fairway Woods - Building on Callaway's heritage in the category, the Diablo Octane and Diablo Octane Tour Fairway Woods are engineered to maximize power.  The standard models feature a larger footprint and are designed with a deep CG for better playability and higher trajectories. The Tour models are designed with a smaller profile and a traditional hosel, and deliver increased workability with low, penetrating trajectories that are preferred by more accomplished players. New product introduction retail price: $199.

Alan Hocknell, Senior Vice President of Research & Development, Callaway Golf:  "Engineered for maximum distance and consistency, our new fairway woods are the result of years of hard work and research insights into the needs of golfers of varying abilities.  From Tour Pros to everyone else seeking longer and straighter shots, there is a fairway wood in Callaway's 2011 line-up that will suit your game."

HYBRIDS

·                     RAZR X/RAZR X Tour Hybrids - Prototype models developed with and for Callaway Staff Professional Phil Mickelson inspired Callaway's new hybrids for 2011.  The standard model RAZR X Hybrid has a clubface with a Zero Roll Design, producing higher launch angles on shots hit low on the face for greater distance and soft landings on the green. The standard model also features an offset hosel to provide a confidence-inspiring look at address and assist in squaring the clubface at impact. The Tour model has less offset to enhance workability. New product introduction retail price: $159.

Alan Hocknell, Senior Vice President of Research & Development, Callaway Golf:  "The team here at Callaway aimed to create versatile hybrids that can be integrated in a player's bag and inspire confident shots from all areas of the course.  Among other advancements in both models of the RAZR X Hybrids, we thinned the face and shifted weight to the perimeter of the clubhead for a more inertia-driven design."



IRONS

·                     RAZR X Irons - The new RAZR X irons feature Callaway's proprietary RAZR Technology, which shifts the center of gravity lower and deeper in the clubhead, offering increased shot-making from more places on the course. Extensive player research has shown that golfers tend to strike the ball lower on the clubface and these irons are designed for optimal performance on such shots. RAZR technology allowed Callaway engineers to build the iron with distance and forgiveness in mind, but with the versatility and look of a traditional thin sole iron. New product introduction retail price: $699 with steel shafts and $899 with graphite shafts; $799 for an integrated set of RAZR X Irons with steel shafts and two RAZR X Hybrids; $899 for an integrated set of RAZR X Irons with graphite shafts and two RAZR X Hybrids.

·                     RAZR X Tour Irons - RAZR X Tour Irons offer a more compact head shape with less offset and a thinner topline for the workability and sleek look preferred by better players. In addition to the benefits of RAZR Technology, the irons also deliver the incredible feel at impact that Callaway irons have become known for. Like the RAZR X Irons, the RAZR X Tour Irons feature a Variable Face Thickness profile with a fully integrated clubface/undercut cavity system.  These technologies enable the Company's engineers to precisely position mass properties and design the face of each individual iron for maximum ball speeds on all shots. New product introduction retail price: $799 with steel shafts; $899 for a custom order integrated set that includes RAZR X Tour Irons and two RAZR X Tour Hybrids with graphite shafts.

·                     RAZR X Forged Irons - Made of forged 1020 Carbon Steel to produce a soft feel and responsive feedback, the RAZR X Forged Irons feature a Tour-inspired head shape with a higher, squared-off toe and a sharper leading edge. A thin top line, narrow sole and short blade length give the irons a look preferred by more accomplished players. Callaway's Tour CC Grooves provide elite golfers with increased spin for aggressive shot-making. Introduced on professional tours around the world late in the 2010 season, the RAZR X Forged Irons are already in the bags of some of the game's elite players. New product introduction retail price: $899 for steel shafts (graphite shafts available as a custom order); $999 for a custom order of an integrated set that includes RAZR X Forged Irons and two RAZR X Tour Hybrids with graphite shafts.


Alan Hocknell, Senior Vice President of Research & Development, Callaway Golf: "RAZR Technology is a breakthrough in iron design for Callaway Golf. Most irons today are designed for one specific performance benefit--distance, forgiveness or feel--but RAZR Technology allowed our engineers to combine distance, accuracy and workability all into a new, complete package. In the RAZR X Iron, we've created the ideal iron for golfers looking to make the jump from being a high handicap to a single digit player. In designing the RAZR X Tour and RAZR X Forged irons, we incorporated feedback from accomplished golfers and even Tour Professionals like Phil Mickelson, so that we could deliver playability, workability and feel." 


WEDGES

·                     X-Series JAWS CC Wedges - Created by Callaway's Chief of Golf Club Design, Roger Cleveland, X-Series JAWS CC Wedges debut the Company's proprietary Tour CC grooves.  With up to 21 tightly spaced grooves providing the maximum cross-sectional area, moisture and debris are swept away on shots hit from varying course conditions. The grooves can only be produced on a forged wedge, which enhances feel and feedback on shots hit around the green.  New bounce options have been added for 2011, featuring soles that have been individually designed for maximum versatility, especially in firm and tight playing conditions. X-Series JAWS CC Wedges are available in either Slate or Brushed Chrome finish.  New product introduction retail price: $119 (steel); $139 (graphite).

Roger Cleveland, Chief Designer, Callaway Golf:  "Callaway wedges were in the hands of a number of PGA TOUR winners in 2010, including two major champions and the year-ending Tour Championship winner.  They choose to play Callaway wedges because of the performance provided by the sole geometry, a softer feel because the wedges are forged, and groove technology that produces increased spin."