Callaway created a huge buzz with their FT3 driver last season, it was used in two Major Championship wins on two of the most demanding set-ups around (Mickelson at the PGA and Campbell at the US Open). The one negative about the club that kept popping up was the dreadful sound it made, even when you hit it perfectly. Callaway has corrected this as well as some other flaws in the FT5. This highly anticipated version of Fusion Technology was given the prestigious Editor's Choice by Golf Digest in their 2007 Hot List. I was able to play a round with it and could see why it was rated so highly.
One thing that has not been changed from the FT3 is the full composite body that Callaway holds the patent on. They are able to produce the largest composite section of a club which allows them to maneuver a great deal more discretionary weight than companies who simply use a composite crown. The benefit to this extra saved weight is the ability to insert weight pads within the club head to lower the center of gravity to increase forgiveness while building in a draw, neutral, or fade bias. The variable face thickness used in the titanium cup face allows for the highest possible COR throughout a larger section of the face for increased distance on miss hits. The importance of the discretionary weighting is further illustrated here, if you are going to simply hit the ball further to the left or right, it does no good, but the weighting within the club helps to increase stability to keep the ball closer to the fairways.
The major complaint about the previous Fusion drivers was the dull sound that they made. To fix this, Callaway has placed a steel plate on the back sole of the club, this weight was inside the head in the previous models, but placing it outside the club head made a louder more metallic sound that players like. Another complaint was that the face of the FT3 did not extend to the toe of the club, this has been eliminated in the FT5, the face is larger, producing a bigger sweet spot. As with the FT3, the FT5 is available in two versions, standard and tour. The standard version comes in full degree lofts, 9*, 10*, 11*, and HT with a slightly closed club face in all three bias options. The tour head is available in 8.5*, 9.5*, and 10.5* with a slightly open face and a draw, neutral, or fade bias. There are a ton of shaft options, far too many to list, but the stock shafts are now Fujikura Fit On (150 in the standard and 360 in the Tour) which have proven to be some of the most popular shafts in the industry. As with the FT3, the FT5 does not have the traditional Callaway Bore Through shaft.
I was eager to see how the FT5 performed, especially with my initial dislike of the FT3 (due almost entirely to the sound). Out on the range, I noticed that the club set up much better than the FT3, I attribute this to the face actually stretching to the toe of the club. I tested a 9.5* tour head with a fade bias (I tend to hit a draw) with a Diamana 73 gram shaft. After the first shot I hit, I had to check and make sure I had the right club, it sounded nothing like the FT3, a solid metallic sound that did not give away that the club had a composite body. The feel was very solid as well, you actually felt like you hit the ball well. I noticed that the ball did seem to jump off the face, even if you did not catch it dead center of the club. There was no real distance gain on well struck shots, but as with the FTi, the additional saved weight helped give slightly off center hits a distance gain over other clubs. It was easier to shape the ball with the FT5 versus the FTi, the shape of the club head simply makes it easier to change the angle of impact.
Out on the course, I was still pleased with the sound and feel of the FT5. I definitely noticed that it was a little shorter than the FTi, this is due to the traditional 45" shaft in the FT5 versus the 45.75" shaft in the FTi. I preferred the ability to shape the ball flight that I had with the FT5 versus the square drivers. I did notice that the FT5 was not as forgiving as the FTi, shots hit lower on the face did not travel as far and shots on the heel and toe had a good deal more curve to them. Trajectory was easy to control, I was able to hit lower shots off the tee when going into the wind and higher shots when going with it.
This is a great club for the player who does not need as high a level of forgiveness that the FTi provides. Players who like to shape their ball flight would benefit from playing the FT5 versus the FTi. The tour head is best for players who are very strong off the tee, the open face is not good for a player who has difficulty squaring the club face at impact. As with any Callaway driver, it is best to find a location that has the Opti-Fit System in order to find the best shaft/head combination that suits their game.
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