Callaway's latest driver, the Diablo Octane, is made with a very specific player in mind. "It's really designed for the guy who is interested in distance, distance and more distance," says Dr. Alan Hocknell, Callaway's senior vice president of research and development.
While the new 460cc Diablo Octane shares some features with its predecessor, the Diablo Edge driver—like a chemically-milled hyperbolic cup face and titanium sole plate—the biggest difference between the clubs is the use of a new material Callaway calls Forged Composite.
Created in conjunction with Callaway's new development partner, Lamborghini (yes, the Italian carmaker), Forged Composite is actually bundles of microscopically-thin carbon fibers that are randomly held together in a resin. The carbon material is heated in a precisely-made tool that has two halves. The bottom half is shaped like the driver crown, the top half is its mirror image. When the material is heated, the two halves are pressed together so the material takes the shape of the crown. (Presto! A carbon-fiber forging.)
You can actually see the Forged Composite material in windows on the crown itself. (It's the lighter gray at right, which looks like an upside down checkmark.) The weight saved using Forged Composite instead of titanium allowed designers to move more weight lower and farther from the face, which helps to lower the club's center of gravity and make it easier to get ball up in the air.
Still, the clubhead is lighter overall than previous drivers, so Callaway fitted the Diablo Octane with a 46-inch shaft instead of the standard-length of 45 1/2. The longer shaft should help golfers create more clubhead speed and power.
According to Hocknell, the Diablo Octane is eight yards longer off the tee than last season's Diablo Edge.
You can watch a video featuring Hocknell talking about the Diablo Octane driver below.
Callaway has also made a Tour version of the Diablo Octane. Designed for better players, the head measures 450cc and is attached to the shaft using a hosel. However, the Forged Composite in the crown is not visible in this driver, because, as Hocknell says, better players want as few visual distractions as possible.
You can watch a video featuring Hocknell talking about the Diablo Octane Tour driver below.
Look for the Octane drivers to start arriving in pro shops in mid-November for $299.
See-Try-Buy: Learn more about Callaway clubs, and schedule your fitting with GolfTEC.
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