How a new hosel and weight system help Callaway’s Elyte hybrids solve top-of-the-bag issues for all

Testing the Callaway Elyte hybrids.

A new OptiFit hosel and interchangeable weight system sees Callaway Elyte hybrids become the most adjustable and versatile in their history. Here’s everything you need to know about the three 2025 models, designed to make top-of-the-bag gapping easier than ever for golfers. 

When launch season kicks in, it’s easy to forget the hybrids as our eyes are drawn to the tech-laden new drivers or the shiny finishes and beautiful clean lines of the irons. Even Callaway admit it’s a space where “not a lot of people are innovating,” but the work they’ve done in creating the three 2025 Elyte models means they could prove more impactful for your game than any of the headline acts and they’re confident they’ll take the best hybrid golf club honors in this year’s testing. 

Granted, there hasn’t been $2m investment in tech, the 75+ rounds of 3D-printed prototypes, or the aerospace-grade Thermoforged Carbon that you find in the new Elyte drivers, but the attention to detail has still been huge as they look to leave those who aren’t innovating in their wake.  

If you want to find out about the rest of the Elyte line-up after you’ve read up on the hybrids, head over to our dedicated in-depth guides: 

• Everything you need to know about the Callaway Elyte drivers
  
• Everything you need to know about the Callaway Elyte fairway woods
  
• Everything you need to know about the Callaway Elyte irons

So, what have Callaway done to leave their rivals trailing? They say they’ve taken the Elyte hybrids to a new and vital level, even over the brilliant Ai Smoke Max, by introducing changeable weighting and an all-new hosel system for their most advanced hybrid adjustability ever.  

“Our theme with hybrids is always around top-of-the-bag versatility – we know that golfers from Tour players to weekend warriors have almost unlimited options in terms of how they construct that area, whether it’s a hybrid, a fairway wood, a utility wood – so we wanted to make sure we had something that was versatile and innovative in that space,” Zack Oakley, Callaway’s Senior Product Marketing Manager, tells us. 

Elyte has been designed to ensure every player can find the shape and forgiveness they need while creating perfect gapping and set-ups throughout the bag – something so many amateurs overlook. There’s also a new face Ai10x which offers incredible levels of forgiveness even on poor strikes. Of course, Callaway would say that, but I’ve tried the full range and the tech walks the walk as well as talking the talk. 

There are three models – Elyte, Elyte X, and Elyte Max Fast (only available in the US). Elyte is the core offering, with a mid-sized head and the most neutral set-up. X is the most forgiving with an oversized design, taller face, and semi-draw flight. And then Max Fast has a shallower face but deeper crown and targets those lower-speed players needing more help with launch. Depending on the model you choose, you can have anything from a 19º 3h, down to a 39º 8h, with all models available to at least a 6h. 

The options and specs available are another sign of the versatility, which I’ll dive into shortly, but the big story behind the Elyte hybrids is the adjustability and tech. Let’s dive in to all the details. 

Worth the weight 

Glance at the sole of any of the three Elyte models and you’ll see something never seen before in a Callaway hybrid – two removable weights. As standard, there’ll be a 13g tungsten weight in the toe, and a 3g aluminum weight in the heel. With a quick turn of a wrench (the same one you use to adjust the hosel settings), you can switch them around and create a completely different ball flight. 

“With the 13g on the toe it’s going to play more neutral or if you want more of a draw bias you can swap that 13g into the heel and you’ll see up to 12 yards of shot shape adjustability,” Oakley explains. Impressive. 

Optimized performance 

While the new interchangeable weights are designed to play a key role in dialing in your shot shape and overcoming those misses right, the new OptiFit 4 hosel will prove vital if your miss is left, providing seven unique loft and lie combinations for you or your fitter. 

“We know there are a lot of players out there who struggle with that (misses left),” Oakley says. “The OptiFit 4 hosel system means you can actually go flat and really straighten out and neutralize that ball flight, so you’ve really got a hybrid here where you’re not struggling to get the player into it, you can fit the product without the player needing to adjust their swing.” 

“This is really meaningful adjustment in a hybrid that can make a very material impact to the golfer in terms of how they hit their hybrids and the type of shot shapes and trajectories they’re looking for,” Brian Williams, Callaway’s Vice President R&D, adds.  

Facing facts 

Callaway’s tech wizards placed their trust in computers again when it came to creating their most advanced hybrid face to date – Ai10x. It has ten times the amount of control points found in Paradym Ai Smoke’s Ai Smart Face and “no dead spots”. What does that mean for you? Exceptionally fast ball speeds, tighter dispersion, and optimized launch wherever you hit it. 

“This is where we really feel we have a competitive advantage in the way we’re using Ai,” Oakley tells us. “Ai is thrown around like a buzzword, but it’s an integral part of all our processes and it is what’s allowing us to not pay as much attention to a number like MOI and focus on getting the real number, dispersion. That’s where we feel we’re making big strides ahead of the competition. 

“Ai is only as good as the data you put it and (for 2025) we had more swing data than last time which is really increasing the amount of forgiveness we can produce.” 

Color rewind 

Of course, looks form a huge part of everyone’s views on golf clubs, and with Elyte Callaway have gone for a less-is-more approach with simple clean finishes, colors, and graphics across all three models. The only real difference in the hybrids is the “footprint” (the head size to us normal folk), with Elyte the most compact, X oversized, and Max Fast shallower and more stretched. 

There is the return of a familiar color on the toe and heel. Callaway’s 2017 Epic range set a new bar for the brand’s performance and with Elyte aiming to do the same they’ve brought back the line’s famous green with subtle splashes, alongside black, white, and silver. It’s also been used on the headcover. 

What’s in a name? 

Ok, it’s taken this long, but let’s address the elephant in the room… why must Callaway keep replacing letters with a ‘Y’? We’ve had Paradym and Paradym Ai Smoke for the past two years and now Elyte. But this time it makes much more sense. Back in 1982, Ely Callaway Jr founded the business, and the new range is a nod to the brand creator’s Christian name. It’s a nice touch, even if I did read it as E-lyte, rather than Elyte, upon first sighting at the launch in Spain in October. 

Worth noting 

Interestingly Callaway will keep 2024’s Ai Smoke hybrids (along with the drivers, fairways, and irons) in their 2025 line-up. They’re dropping the RRP considerably and offering fewer custom options in those models, but if your budget doesn’t stretch to the $299.99/£299 price tag for an Elyte rescue then that’s still a great option because it was one of the leading performers in our 2024 tests. 

Callaway Elyte Hybrids 2025: How the models differ and their specs 

Callaway Elyte hybrid 

Price $299.99 / £299 

Launched January 2, 2025 | Pre-sale Jan 17, 2025 (US), Jan 15, 2025 (UK) | On sale Feb 7, 2025 (US), Feb 21, 2025 (UK) 

Lofts 3-19º, 4-22º, 5-26º, 6-30º 

Launch, spin, flight 

• Mid-high launch 

• Mid-low spin 

• Neutral flight 

Stock shafts 

• True Temper Project X Denali Charcoal 60g (R) and 70g (S) 

• Mitsubishi Chemical Vanquish PL 50g (R2) 

• Women’s Mitsubishi Chemical Eldio 40g (L) 

Stock grips 

• Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 

• Women’s Lamkin ST Soft 

Product specs 

Who’s it for and how does the tech differ? 

Elyte is a mid-sized hybrid and the most neutral of the three models in its standard setting. It has the new weighting system and OptiFit 4 hosel, so you or a fitter can tweak it substantially to dial in your perfect shape and flight. It’s been designed to complement the Elyte and the Elyte HL iron models and make creating perfect gapping between your woods and irons a breeze, although, with options right down to 6H, you might find you need fewer irons than ever. 

Callaway Elyte X hybrid 

Price $299.99 / £299 

Launched January 2, 2025 | Pre-sale Jan 17, 2025 (US), Jan 15, 2025 (UK) | On sale Feb 7, 2025 (US), Feb 21, 2025 (UK) 

Lofts 3-18º, 4-21º, 5-25º, 6-29º 

Launch, spin, flight 

• High launch 

• Low spin 

• Neutral/Draw flight 

Stock shafts 

• True Temper Project X Denali Charcoal 60g (R) and 70g (S) 

• Mitsubishi Chemical Vanquish PL 50g (R2) 

Stock grips 

• Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 

Product specs 

Who’s it for and how does the tech differ? 

The Elyte X model is best suited for golfers looking for a semi-draw flight (in the neutral setting) in an oversized design. It has a taller face which, with the Ai10x tech, provides even more forgiveness, and with the new interchangeable weight system and OptiFit 4 hosel, it’s easy for you to tweak your set up to overcome your miss and dial in your preferred shape and flight.  

The Elyte X hybrid has been designed to pair with the super-forgiving Elyte X irons and create perfect gapping between your Elyte woods and irons.  

Callaway Elyte Max Fast Hybrid 

Price $299.99 

Launched January 2, 2025 (US only) | Pre-sale Jan 17, 2025 | On sale Feb 7, 2025 

Lofts 4-23º, 5-27º, 6-31º, 7-35º, 8-39º 

Launch, spin, flight 

• High launch 

• Mid spin 

• Neutral/Draw flight 

Stock shafts 

• Mitsubishi Chemical Vanquish PL 40g (R2) 

• Women’s Mitsubishi Chemical Eldio 40g (L) 

Stock grips 

• Winn Dri-Tac 2.0 

Product specs 

Who’s it for and how does the tech differ? 

Only available to customers in the US, the Elyte Max Fast model is best suited for golfers looking for a lightweight and easy-to-swing hybrid.  

It has a shallow face and stretched back shape, so it will sit lower to the ground than the core and X models, and it has been designed to bring forgiveness and easy launch to moderate and slower swing players. 

As with Elyte and Elite X, Max Fast has the interchangeable 13g and 3g heel and toe weights and the OptiFit 4 hosel, making it really easy to overcome your miss and dial in the perfect shape and flight for your game. Expect a neutral to draw bias in the standard settings, and, if you’re looking to upgrade further down the bag as well, this has been designed to complement the Elyte Max Fast irons perfectly and create perfect gapping with a raft of loft options. 

• Check out our pick of the best hybrid golf clubs

About the Author

Rob Jerram – Digital Editor

Rob specializes in the DP World Tour, PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and the Ryder Cup, spending large chunks of his days reading about, writing about, and watching the tours each month.

He’s passionate about the equipment used by professional golfers and is also a font of knowledge about golf balls, trolleys, and bags, having tested thousands over the years.

Rob uses a Callaway Paradym driver, TaylorMade M5 5-wood, TaylorMade P790 driving iron, Callaway Paradym irons (4-AW), TaylorMade MG3 wedges (52º, 58º), Odyssey Tri-Hot 5k Double Wide putter, and Callaway Chrome Soft X golf ball.

You can email Rob or get in touch with him on X.