Callaway X460 Driver Review

The Callaway X460 driver is available in three different models - the standard X460, the X460 Tour, and a ladies' version with more loft and a higher launch angle. Because the three models share many common characteristics, I'll lump them all together for the purposes of this review except as specifically noted otherwise.

The Callaway X460 driver came out on the market in 2006, so it's certainly not the manufacturer's most recent model. In fact, Callaway has introduced several newer models of drivers since the X460. Even so, the X460 remains a solid performer and occupies a place of honor in many players' bags. Its 460cc clubhead size is right at the current maximum, so no one can claim it's an undersized driver. The clubhead is also all-titanium, so there are no worries about a lack of performance due to older materials. It is available in several lofts.

Since the days of the original Callaway Big Bertha driver back in the late 1980s, Callaway has been known for its high-quality, high-performance drivers. Popular with professional golfers as well as amateur players, Callaway clubs are associated with superior technology, materials and craftsmanship - but they're also associated with a "superior" price and are more expensive than many other brands. Are they worth the extra cost?

Probably, although your perspective on their cost will depend on how much you're able to spend. In general, though, Callaway clubs deliver consistently high performance if you can afford them. With just a few exceptions (the composite materials used in its C4, Fusion FT-3 and Diablo Octane drivers for example), Callaway has used high-tech, proven designs when it makes its clubs. The Callaway X460 driver follows this tried and true method of golf club design.

For example, the club includes Callaway's patented, world-renowned "S2H2" design. A breakthrough golf club technology developed by Callaway engineers, the S2H2 design allows weight to be moved lower and distributed to the clubhead's perimeter by shortening the length of the hosel. Callaway's highly recognizable Tru-Bore technology (part of the S2H2 design) is also included in the Callaway X460 driver. With Tru-Bore, the shaft extends all the way through the hosel and clubhead, with its tip visible on the sole of the club. The design is intended to improve both feel and clubhead control.

Like other recent Callaway drivers and many of the company's other clubs, the X460 also uses Callaway's "Variable Face Thickness Technology," usually shortened to VFT. This remarkable, innovative technology permits club designers to vary the thickness of the materials forming the faces of Callaway drivers, woods, hybrids and irons to permit better performance. The Callaway X460 driver's face is thicker in the center and thinner around the perimeter. This design permits more energy to be transferred to the ball upon impact, maximizing ball speed and increasing distance and forgiveness on off-center hits.

The Callaway X460 driver does depart from the company's traditional driver designs in one significant way, however. It uses a concave sole design called the "Consistent Alignment Sole." Intended to help players align their drivers to the target consistently by making the clubhead more stable and resistant to rocking at address, the concave sole of the X460 has received mixed reviews from players with various skill levels. Some say the design works quite well, but others report that proper clubhead alignment is actually more difficult than it is with a traditional sole.

Unlike some drivers, the Callaway X460 driver does not come in Draw, Neutral and Fade models. The standard X460 has a 2-degree closed clubface to discourage a slice. The Tour version has a square (neutral) clubface and internal weighting to promote a lower ball flight.

Players report that when struck properly, the Callaway X460 has a solid feel at impact, gives the ball a nice trajectory, and strikes the right balance between raw distance and accuracy. And, the club's design minimizes the distance and accuracy penalty to be paid for off-center hits. Some say that the Callaway X460 might be a bit shorter than the Callaway Fusion FT-3, its composite-clubhead contemporary.

The Bottom Line: the all-titanium Callaway X460 driver is a solid performer that provides good contact and a nice compromise between distance and accuracy. Most golfers would consider this a good purchase, especially now that the club is a few years old and the price will probably be substantially discounted from the original cost.

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