Tech Talk: Callaway XR 16 driver

We speak to Dr. Alan Hocknell about the new technology in the Callaway XR 16 driver and how the collaboration with Boeing helped them push the boundaries of design

Callaway broke the shackles when it came to designing the new XR 16 driver. While the brand’s R&D team is as knowledgable as any other, they wanted to gain insight from experts in other fields in order to create the best product they could.

That’s why they sought the help of aerodynamics experts Boeing in designing the new XR 16 driver. Familiar with drag and wind tunnel testing, their input was invaluable in making the driver as efficient as it could be.

“On this project we had to think outside the box and come up with new techniques to break the common mould of driver design,” Dr. Alan Hocknell, Vice President of Callaway R&D, told GM.

“We needed some new aerodynamic science, moving on from XR. It represented the perfect opportunity to validate what we had been doing already and then take it to the next level.”

Another key man behind the design of the new Callaway XR 16 driver is Jeffrey Crouch, Senior Technical Fellow of Flight Sciences for Boeing. He set up the team that tested and developed the new driver into achieving the aerodynamic gains we see on the final product.

“Reducing drag and controlling the flow to achieve the most efficient aerodynamic performance is a critical part of airplane design,” Crouch told GM. “Those same principles applied to this project with Callaway. The speed and size of the golf club are more like a wind-tunnel model than a full-scale airplane, so wind-tunnel test techniques are also helpful.”

“One of the things I work on at Boeing is laminar flow control, which seeks to delay turbulence and increase the amount of laminar flow on aerodynamic surfaces. This reduces airplane drag and leads to reduced fuel consumption and lower emissions.”

“For driver design, because of its bluff shape we wanted to trigger turbulence in order to reduce drag. In this case, the goal was increased head speed, which translates to more distance on the golf course.”