Callaway Elyte Driver Review (Our Feedback After Testing)

Callaway’s new Elyte driver arrives on the scene with a parade of fanfare. 

Touting a new Ai-designed face that boosts forgiveness over last year’s Paradym Ai Smoke series, the Elyte also delivers top-tier adjustable features that customizes shot shape with the best drivers on the market.

With a green-first color scheme that reminds golfers of the company’s Epic Speed series from a few years back, many experts are wondering if the Elyte represents a big step forward in terms of technology and performance.

In this review, we share our thoughts on the new Callaway driver and dig into the details and specs to give you our honest opinion on whether this is the company’s best driver to date.

Callaway Elyte Driver Features

New Head Design

Callaway has taken the Ai Smoke Driver head and streamlined it even further to get more speed for golfers of all skill levels.

A lower crown profile and heel reduce drag for powerful entry into the golf ball but also help boost speed along all sequences of the swing.

Thermoforged Carbon Crown

Along with a new streamlined design, Callaway is using a new Thermoforged Carbon crown that stabilizes the CG location for higher MOI, lower driver spin, and higher launch to maximize carry.

The aerospace-grade carbon fiber also lightens the club head’s weight without sacrificing stability or strength.

New Ai 10x Face

With last year’s Ai Smoke driver, Callaway introduced the Ai Smart Face, promising a more forgiving face.

With the new Elyte driver, the company takes that innovation a step further with the Ai 10x Face, offering 10 times the number of control points compared to last year’s model.

Golfers will find more ball speed, tighter dispersion, and more optimized launch after impact.

Our In-Depth Callaway Elyte Driver Review

Looks

Callaway has given the new Elyte series a green/black/silver color scheme accompanied by hard, sharp edges that scream “state of the art.”

It does channel some comparisons to the company’s old Epic Speed model.

And while those similarities might give golfers pause, they should know the green color scheme is really the only thing shared between the two clubs.

At address, the driver carries a clean top line with an eyepopping gloss carbon crown that dazzles.

If we have one chief complaint about the Elyte, it focuses on the rear of the club head. Instead of a sliding weight, Callaway has created three slots for fade, neutral, and draw bias. 

So, once you pick your slot for the weight, the other two unoccupied slots show the slot and hole for the screw. It creates an ugly appearance that feels far more mechanical than it should.

Sound

If you are a fan of the big thunderous sound that older drivers once gave you when hitting the sweet spot, you’ll be more than thrilled by the sound of the Elyte driver. 

Simply put, if you hit the ball on the screws, it sounds like a combination of shotgun blast with bullwhip screaming through the air.

It’s beyond addictive and delivers that head-turning sound off the tee box that we love torturing our friends with on the course.

While there are considerable arguments to be made about the look of the Elyte, it’s difficult to find someone who doesn’t love the driver ushering the return of that old thunderstruck sound from their #1 wood.

Feel

We have long loved the feel of Callaway’s top-tier drivers. The Paradym series brought a new standard with the firm and powerful ball-striking feel of those drivers.

With the Elyte, the tradition continues and, we believe moves forward. Strikes from the center of the face are pure and crackle off the sweet spot.

It’s addicting once you get that first spot of response from this driver. It’s a feeling you continue to chase throughout our hitting sessions.

On off-center strikes, the club doesn’t feel loose in your hands. It remains strong through impact and the resulting ball flight certainly rewards your confidence.

Performance

From the moment we first held the Elyte driver in our hands, we could see the subtle differences between this new model and the previous Paradym Ai Smoke.

While both enjoy advanced club technology, the Elyte offers a lightweight design that produces high launch with a neutral-to-fade bias.

If you carry a high swing speed, you’ll find the Ai advancements with the Elyte payoff.

Forgiveness remains high with a lower spin profile that delivers a gorgeous, penetrating ball flight that provides plenty of rollout.

From our indoor sessions, RPM stayed tight and predictable. We wanted a spin rate around 2700, and the Elyte didn’t disappoint.

Ball flight remained in the advertised mid-high range, with a launch angle of around 17° with our 10.5-degree version of the Elyte. 

Dispersion was also as good as we expected during our indoor and outdoor hitting sessions.

Side spin remained minimal, and although we occasionally hit a ball outside our typical landing area, the vast majority remained inside our intended circle.

There’s also plenty of customization with the Elyte driver.

You’ve got the OptiFit4 hosel system to adjust lie and loft, while the adjustable aluminum weights provide even more shot-shaping customization with its rounded profile.

Other Models Available

Our Verdict

Callaway’s new Elyte driver is an absolute marvel of technology and straightforward muscle, earning our enthusiastic recommendation as a driver upgrade for low and mid handicappers. 

Everything you want from a driver is here with the Elyte.

The ball flies high and straight when you find the sweet spot and, on those unfortunate instances when you hit the ball off the toe or heel, the ball speed stays up and maintains its flight toward your intended destination.

While we wish it didn’t remind us of the Epic Speed series from a few years ago, we did enjoy the color scheme, design, and performance of this first-rate driver.

A blast to hit, the Elyte easily earns its spot among the best golf drivers of 2025.