Callaway Diablo Octane Driver Review
The Callaway Diablo Octane Driver – Stunning isn’t it?
I don’t get too overly excited about any golf club, (particularly drivers) since the Callaway FTi Squared Driver, it’s personally an uphill battle for many clubs when compared to that for me. I almost feel sorry for any new drivers that come on the market, as they’ve got one hell of task to budge my ever present loyalty to the FTi. The Callaway Diablo Octane promised more distance, and it sure is a beauty; I couldn’t really ask for anything else to be honest.
The Diablo Octane is faster, lighter, and stronger than pretty much any other driver in its class. It’s the nerdy science kid and the school football star all rolled in to one. I must admit, it did take me a while to get used to swinging it, but once I did I was hooked! Callaway say it’s their strongest and most powerful driver to date, and on this evidence it’s hard to argue with them.
Specifications
Callaway have recently started using their new material “forged composite”, which was manufactured in partnership with Lamborghini. It’s 1/3 as dense as titanium, but it’s much stronger. Meaning you get a lighter, stronger, more powerful club. The forged composite consists of over 10 million turbostratic fibers. This may sound a bit alien to you and me, but the end result is unquestionable!
The driver is incredibly light, in fact it’s lighter than any other driver I’ve tested out. Which is why it took me a couple hours to get used to. Callaway also use a chemical reduction process which is quite unique. They remove any excess material from the clubs’ face, resulting in not only a lighter club but also a more stable forgiving club.
Performance
When I first saw the Callaway Diablo at a trade show I was like a kid in a candy shop, I had to have it, or at least test out it out. I was really excited about testing it (I know I need a life!), but as the time came I was increasingly anxious, I’d wanted it for so long, I just hoped it would live up to my high expectations. From my experience I’ve always found that each driver tends to sit differently on setup, and some adjustments have to be made. But to my surprise the driver face actually squared itself up and sat perfectly for me.
After a few swings I started to get the hang of it. But the lightness still had me second guessing my swing. After another hour or so practice with it I really started to get to grips with it. I was beginning to see an increase of 10-15 yards, and more consistency in my ball flight too. To say I was impressed is a bit of an understatement.
The Callaway Diablo driver has a longer shaft than most other drivers, and this is something which has been up for debate among many. Callaway’s stance on the matter is that it helps to increase clubhead speed which in turn will get more distance out of your shots. I have to agree with Callaway on that one. Sure, a lot of golfers will find it awkward with the increase in length at first, but once you get used to it you’ll find that the club does more of the work for you, so you don’t have to worry too much about keeping the clubhead in control. After using the longer shaft for a while I honestly don’t think you will want to go back to using the shorter shaft ever again!
Now, the exemption to this would be the very low handicap golfer, if you’re that guy/gal then you may find that you lose a bit of distance with this driver. The Tour model would perhaps be better suited. The Diablo Octane is catered toward the mid to high handicapper, which is honestly more than half the golfing population.
Final Thoughts
The Callaway Diablo Octane came with many expectations for me personally. It promised to be lighter, stronger, more consistent, and increase my driving distance. Well, I’m happy to say it met and exceeded all of them. The idea to team up with Lamborghini in the design of this club was a masterstroke (pun most definitely intended!).
The forged composite material is much better than titanium in my honest opinion. It simply improves your drive distance, and also increases the forgiveness. It’s lighter yet stronger than titanium, the results simply speak for themselves.
To add to the already growing list of benefits to this club, the design is pretty stunning as well. The colour (a deep red with a hint of silver shading) and contemporary design make it one of the best looking drivers I’ve ever laid eyes on. I think it’s fair to say that the Callaway Diablo Octane Driver deserves a spot in your bag!
