I tried many clubs in my quest for a new driver and I stumbled across this one. After several rounds and trips to the range I could not see any improvements over my previous driver, I really wanted to like this club and was really impressed by the looks but for the $500 price tag I found it was just not worth it for what I can get out a normal driver at half the price. I saw no real differance in accuracy and even a loss of distance. One problem could have been the shaft, I think they should have more options. I ended buying the Titleist 907 D2 Proforce V2 stiff which set up square and is long.

Customer Service

NA

Similar Products Used:

Titleist 907 D2, 905 R, Cleveland Launcher, Hi-bore XL, Taylor Made Burner.

I currently have a Taylor Made R580 driver. I like the Big light club head but I have a natural slice in my shot. Everything goes right, be it a flaw in my downswing or not.

Anyway, my dad purchased the new Callaway FT-i and I took it out with me while he wasnt playing.

It feels like a normal driver, and the head is a nice size.

I hit the ball and it seemed like it was going to start to slice but just straightened out.

If i hit my TM R580 drive right on the button i can get it to go around 300 yards give or take a little, but never straight, always finding the rough.

The ft-i I was able to hit it straight around 280 yds....but the 20 yards is nothing if it's lying dead center

Great feeling driver I love it!

Currently have Cobra 469 sz and all I can say is I now need this club. I tried the demo for a round on my home course and the buddy I bet with stated he has never seen me hit it straighter. For that matter I was on avg. 10-20 yds longer too. I'm just trying to figure out how to buy one of these clubs cheaper than $300 to make it up from my buddies golf bets. I liked the 10 R-flex Fuji 586 w/ draw. I still have a 10.5 Cobra s. flex.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Mainly Cobra products.

If you want to straighten your drives, you'll love this club. If you want a longer driver, something you can work, or a sexier looking/sounding driver, look elsewhere.

I've owned this club (draw bias) for a week and played a couple of rounds with it and can count on one hand the number of bad drives I hit. I've had to adjust though; with my previous Nike driver I always aimed left of the fairway because I invariably hit a fade. Now the ball goes where I aim it, so during my first round with the club I spent a lot of time in the left rough which was foreign territory for me. Now I aim down the middle and more often than not find the fairway.

So what's not to like about a club that keeps you in the fairway? Not much except for the sound, which is loud and clangy. Also, it's no longer than my old Nike when I hit it flush (maybe even a tad shorter). The headcover is bright orange and the magnetic closure seems more gimmicky than useful. And it is expensive.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the club because finding the fairway more often was the main thing I was looking for. It's amazing what a club like this can do for your confidence on the tee--the square head is so easy to align. However, for less money you can get the Taylormade R7 Draw which has a more conventional look/sound and hits the ball practically as straight. The reason I chose the Calloway was it had a slightly higher ball flight and it matched my irons--and it's new and different!

Similar Products Used:

Taylormade R7 Draw

I demo'd this club at the Waialae Country Club and hit it four times, splitting the fairway every time. My partners kept teasing me that this would be my next purchase. I said "no, this is cheating" and "I can't use a square driver." Well, a month later, I picked up a used ft-i driver on e-bay for $339 and couldn't be happier. I usually have to really be "on" to hit great drives, because I rarely hit the sweet spot on my driver. But now I hit the ball straighter than ever. Hit the ball anywhere on the face of this driver and it will go straight, with little distance lost. Just be sure to tee the ball lower than you would normally do for a big headed driver and you will see straight, booming drives. I also find it easier to hit fades and draws because I have the confidence that they will not result in slices and hooks. Best driver ever!

Similar Products Used:

Tour Edge Exotics, R7

Okay, so now I have played with it on the course as well as practiced with it more on the range. I think the last review was right on the mark:

Accuracy: Unbelievably straight. What used to be slices become slight pushes, snap hooks are minor pulls. This thing is straight, straight, straight.

Trajectory: Very nice, but needs to be teed lower than most modern drivers as the sweet spot seems to be right in the middle, rather than high middle like my TM r5.

Length: Deceptively long. It doesn't feel like it springs off the clubface like the Taylor Mades, but it is at least as long, if not longer.

Feel: Totally absent, which is exactly what I want for a driver. I honestly can't tell where on the clubface I have hit the ball until I see how far it went. Off the sole plate, off the toe or heel...all sound and feel the same and all go straight...just 30 yards shorter than when hit solidly. Like most average golfers, I rarely hit the ball with the same part of the clubface twice, so feel is the LAST thing I want from a driver. This is definitely a club aimed at 15+ handicappers.

Sound: Em...unique! I love it, but it took a while.

Summary: Expensive, but great value. It delivers everything it promises. I really feel that Callaway design their products more for the amateur player than any other manufacturer. Never thought I'd ever have anything other than a TM driver in my bag. Bloody brilliant club.

Customer Service

Never used.

Similar Products Used:

Tried them all before buying this.

Me:
Age 41, play 9 holes the same course once a week and maybe 9 holes on other courses once a month throughout Connecticut golf season. Regular driver is an Adams 363, 9.5 deg, stiff shaft, average drive 220-230 yards.


On the range:
I took out both the Nike Sumo and Callaway FTi squares (both = 9.5 deg, stiff shaft, neutral bias, no draw etc) and I can very easily say the Callaway is vastly superior. Even though it is a “square” driver it doesn’t look much out of the ordinary when addressing the ball. The size visually is great and the sound, though different, is good too. Once you get used to it I think it might be better than traditional clubs sound. When you hit the ball it has a terrific solid feel as well, not hollow or tinny. Now the real difference, it just plain hits straight and far. With my normal swing I was 20-30 yards longer and straight every shot and if you miss hit on the toe or heal it was barely noticeable in the end result, still very straight and almost no distance lost. It felt so good I started just cranking it up as hard as I could, this would normally result in sharper and sharper ridiculous slices, not with this club. I might have had one or two that leaked a little to the right, but that was the worst of it and I was hitting about 50+ yards longer than normal (280’ish consistently) toe, center or heal didn’t seem to matter very much.

The Nike is just the opposite of the Callaway in many respects. It is so loud it is unreal and it sounds like an aluminum baseball bat, just awful and everyone one on the driving range or within three holes on the course will know it too. It is too big (huge) visually, but that did not really bother me too much. It felt way too light and definitely felt like it when the ball was struck, very thin, hollow feel. Where it wasn’t quite so different was that it did hit pretty straight, toe and heal hits still went straight, but unlike the Callaway an off center hit greatly reduced the drive distance. I hit a few bombs with the Nike (300’ish) when I nailed the center of the club, but the off center hits went about as far as my regular driver (230 or so). When I tried to really dial it up I was able to start seeing that little slice come into play, not ridiculous like it would have been with my normal driver, but most would not have been playable on the course.


On the course:
I play once a week on the same course all the time; it is a tough, tight course with out of bounds everywhere. I usually shoot ~48 for nine pretty consistently, with at least one or two out of bounds drives. With the Callaway I was hitting lob or sand wedge into every green and I shot a 42, could have been better, but putting was not good that day. No out of bounds, not even close really. I was so confident I was swinging out off my shoes and still nice and straight. I actually noticed for the first time if you hit further than 250 yards you are past all the trouble spots even if you were to hit a bit off center, whereas at 220-250 you would be in water or bunkers etc.

When I played with the Nike on the course, the first two drives were good, nice and straight, a bit longer than my regular club. The third drive was a bomb (dead center hit) about 310 yards on a long par 5, I actually hit up into the group in front of us because I never thought I would reach them. But it was all downhill from there, just average length, but straight drives. I did hit one more 300+ drive (after the first went out of bounds) and I had had two out of bounds on drives in total, I shot a 52.


End result:
Until I can figure out how to part with that kind of money to get my own FTi I will have to just keep those 2nd shot lob wedges into the green as a fond memory. By the way the $100 difference in the price between the Callaway $499.99 and the Nike $399.99 is mostly from the shaft, the Callaway’s is so much better.

Customer Service

Not used

Similar Products Used:

Nike Sumo, see in review summary.

I made the mistake of trying this club out at the PGA superstore. I loved the sound and the feel immediately. These stores have a 100% credit guarantee if the club is returned in any condition within 30 days, so I laid out my $500 + tax (groan) and walked out with it. I've now taken it to the range and it does everything Callaway says it does. The sound is not the same crack I had indoors, more of a deep bell like clang, but it still sounds good. My previous driver was a TM r5 with Proforce V2 shaft which I really like, but has a habit of flaring the ball off to the right when I try to hit it hard (go figure). I tried everything to slice with the FT-i and literally couldn't. This, of course, would be a detriment to single handicap players who like to shape the ball, but not to the rest of us mere mortals. I haven't played a single round with it yet (I'll post another review when I have), so I can't comment on the length, but it seems at least as long as my r5 and considerable straighter. I'm not sure why some previous reviewers have found that the flight is too high because mine is perfect.

The only detrimental observation I have is the head cover, which is without doubt the worst I have ever seen.

The price is high, but I think it is excellent value. Believe the hype. This thing is STRAIGHT!

Customer Service

Never used.

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Tried them all. Loved the feel and sound of the Ping Rapture too.

Used this driver at the range along withthe Sumo squared, more about that later, I normally hit a slice or straight, so used a reg shaft, with draw bias, hit about 40 drivers, 2 i think were hooked (bad swing) and 1 slice (went to hit it into orbit), basically this driver produces none stop straight drives. Buying one on sunday. As for the Sumo squared, as they all say the sound really is aweful, wont buy it mearly because of that, and no distance advantage over the Ft-i. As for hitting straight I didnt find it as good as the Ft-i.

Similar Products Used:

Calaway Big betha 2, G2

After a Callaway demonstration day I chose the FT1 driver with a draw bias since my worst shot was a generous fade if not a slice. As an elder statesman I have never felt so confident hitting a driver off the tee since all my faults seemed to be rectified. I could certainly hit a slice but only after altering my swing to achieve it. There were certain adjustments I needed to make like tee height and positioning in the stance and now I can confidently hit the ball straight down the fairway. As far as distance is concerned 230-250yds with carry is good enough for me since keeping on the short stuff is the important consideration. The Fujikura shaft suits my swing speed (80-90mph)which helps the club to deliver exactly what it says on the packet.

Similar Products Used:

Ping G2