Callaway's Mavrik line was a real success story for the Carlsbad-based equipment giant back in the day, so I was intrigued to see how that legacy had translated as it has now morphed into a complete set. The Callaway Mavrik Package Set aims to provide a full bag solution with that Mavrik performance, and I was keen to put it to the test to see if it could rival some of the best package sets in the game.
In terms of the overall look, I must say, the sophisticated grey and black colorway of the bag and headcovers immediately caught my eye. It is classy and understated, which I really enjoyed - very often in the package set market, I find manufacturers can be a little patronising with the color and design choices, but not so here. A very good start.
The set is comprehensive, offering everything any beginner - or even a more accomplished player, for that matter - could need, including: Driver, 3-wood, 4 & 5 hybrid, 6 - SW, putter, and a stand bag. The stand bag is a really nice standalone (forgive the pun) product with double straps and additional padding for your back, making for a very comfortable carry.
The Mavrik driver is designed unapologetically for forgiveness, and it absolutely delivers. The incredibly large sweet spot gobbles up those mishits as proficiently as some of the best drivers in the game, retaining a lot of ball speed even on some very poor strikes. The driver feels (and sounds) powerful off the face and offers real ease of launch, which will suit those with a moderate swing speed. I would say, however, that the quality of the clubhead feels as though it would certainly stand up to more vigorous swing speeds. I am around 118 mph with a driver, for example, and it took all I had to offer.
The inclusion of a 3-wood along with the 4 and 5 hybrids provides a lot of versatility and choice before you get to the irons, which can only be a good thing. I thoroughly enjoyed the performance of the 3-wood, which I found particularly strong from the tee as an alternative to driver, offering a slight draw bias in ball flight. The hybrids are excellent, too, with the springy feel off the face and super high launch characteristics being the highlights.
The irons might well be the best irons I have tried in any package set I have reviewed over the past couple of years, with excellent shaping and just the right blend of confidence-inspiring visuals without looking clumsy. A relatively soft feel and reasonable turf interaction round off a really nice section of this bag. The only mild disappointment would be the sand wedge, which performs no more than adequately for standard bunker shots and pitches. I do feel that even in what is pitched as a ‘beginner’ product, Callaway could have included a more ‘specialized’ sand wedge with a little more thought. A higher bounce and more versatile sole grind would significantly enhance its performance around the greens, allowing for a wider range of shots, and would just make users of this set feel a little more accomplished, in my opinion.
The putter is a real highlight for me, as it features the Odyssey White Hot insert, which is a personal favorite of mine and has been for years, offering a brilliantly soft feel. While the design is a very traditional modern blade style, the back bumpers offer plenty of stability on those inevitably mishit putts. The White Hot Pro 1 was considered one of the best putters of its era, so it is great to see it make an appearance here.
Overall, I was thoroughly impressed with the Callaway Mavrik Package Set. It is a comprehensive package that offers a good blend of looks, forgiveness, and one that I think represents genuine value.
The Callaway Mavrik Package Set is available at an RRP of $1199.99/£899 and can be ordered in either regular flex or stiff flex.
