Introduction
Fairway woods are often tricky to get right. But once you find one that works, it can become a key part of your game. The Callaway Elyte fairway wood series promises to make that search easier, offering two models— Standard Elyte and Elyte TI—each designed with features that cater to different golfers’ needs. To get a real sense of how these clubs perform, we asked golfers to put both versions through their paces. Here’s what they had to say.
The Step Sole: A new approach to turf interaction
The Step Sole is arguably the most talked-about feature of the Elyte Fairway Wood, for good reason. Turf interaction is most talked about in irons and wedges but not so much with fairway woods. It is by no means a foreign concept but the way Callaway’s Step Sole reduces the sole contact area by 57 percent is most definitely a new approach. The Step Sole is designed to help minimize drag and skidding, improve turf interaction and make it easier to strike the ball cleanly from a variety of lies and grass conditions.
Testers were quick to notice the difference, especially those who tend to struggle with hitting fairway woods from the turf. The Step Sole generally helped them achieve better launches and smoother turf interaction, even when the ball isn’t hit in the sweet spot.
Josh Parker shared, “Super simple to hit off the turf and in the rough. Helps with cleaner contact.” The feedback was consistent with testers mentioning how the club made their fairway wood shots feel smoother and, more importantly, just easier.
BreakfastBall15 added, “It glides through the turf even in soggy early-season conditions.” This was particularly appreciated during testing in tougher conditions where the Step Sole allowed for easier interaction with the turf, regardless of course conditions.
