Callaway Elyte X Driver Review

Callaway Elyte X Driver Key Features:

• Neutral and draw settings with an adjustable 13g weight
• Thermoforged Carbon crown enables fast head speeds while optimising launch and spin
• Ai10x Face delivers 10x more control points than the Ai Smart Face

The Callaway Elyte X is the most forgiving member of the Elyte driver family, and it's designed for players seeking maximum forgiveness and launch. 

Featuring a 460 cc head and a newly engineered Thermoforged carbon crown, this driver is designed to retain ball speed across the face while still delivering optimised launch and spin.

Adjustability is offered in the form of a moveable weight that can be altered to neutral or draw bias setting, and thanks to the new Ai10x smart face, Callaway claim that there are 10x more control points across the hitting surface. 

To find out if the Elyte X could truly deliver elite performance, I took it out on the course before digging deep into the numbers at Custom Golf Works.

Let's get into it.

Player Level

The Elyte X is aimed at golfers looking to really maximise forgiveness off the tee. With that in mind, I would suggest this driver is best suited to beginner golfers or those who struggle with hitting a slice off the tee, but having said that, this is a very well rounded driver that could be used by any golfer, who wants to add launch and spin to their tee shots.

Callaway Elyte X Driver Looks and Feel

We've covered this quite extensively over the full Elyte range, but in terms of pure aesthetics, it's been a great year for Callaway. 

From the matte black crown down to the black, silver and green sole design, everything has fallen into place nicely for the American brand in 2025.

In terms of profile, the X certainly has a more bulbous head, but it's incredibly confidence inspiring, and considering this is a driver built for forgiveness, it's what we expected. 

The head frames the ball really well, and despite the slightly larger footprint, still looks suitably aerodynamic. 

In terms of feel, the X, much like the core model and triple diamond, feels hot off the face. The new Ai10x face is one of the best feeling on the market, and it generates that same crack from the sweet spot that has been one of the real highlights of this range, 

Despite being a club built for forgiveness you still receive a very powerful feeling at impact, which is reflected in the data we gathered during testing. 

Callaway Elyte X Driver Performance and Forgiveness

My two big takeaways from using the Elyte X were how impressive both speed and forgiveness were. 

From out of the middle, this driver is still capable of generating serious distance, as you can gather from the numbers above. 

While slower than the triple diamond and core models, the X is one of the fastest forgiving drivers we have tested in 2025. 

One of the reasons for this is the Ai face, which much like the Ai Smoke has been designed to be faster from across the face, taking vast quantities of data into consideration in order to provide speed from across various striking areas. 

Did I find the middle of the face every-time? Absolutely not, but despite that my speed and carry distance stayed remarkably consistent. 

That consistency brings us nicely onto forgiveness. There are a lot of very forgiving drivers on the market in 2025, with a number of brands diving in with 10k MOI models. Callaway hasn't yet decided to push the 10k storyline, but despite that, the X is still one of the best forgiving drivers of 2025. 

If you're someone who especially struggles with a high and right ball flight, the X will really suit you. Thanks to the moveable weight on the sole, you can switch this club to a draw bias, which will really help you straighten out a slice 

Draw bias clubs aren't new, but when combined with the speed, ease of launch and playability this driver offers, it makes for a compelling end product.

Should you buy the Callaway Elyte X Driver?

If you're a golfer who prioritises forgiveness then the Elyte X should certainly be high on your shopping list in 2025.

With improved adjustability, enhanced feel and fantastic aesthetics, the Elyte X is one of the best forgiveness focused drivers of 2025, and will deliver plenty of bang for its quite punchy price tag.