Is the Callaway Legacy Black Driver Still Good? Is it Forgiving for High Handicappers?

Is the Callaway Legacy Black Driver Still Good? Is it Forgiving for High Handicappers?

“Unless you’re a diehard Callaway fan, you may have never even heard of the Callaway Legacy Black driver.”

The Callaway Legacy Black series of golf clubs was made for the Asian markets and the Asian Pro Tours. Even though it was player tested in California, this line of clubs was originally meant only for the Asian markets.

But it’s 2023 and you can get your hands on the Callaway Legacy Black driver these days even if you’re stateside. We did, thanks to the magic of the internet. This being an older driver, we wanted to see if it had anything of value to offer the modern golfer. So we tested the Callaway Legacy Black driver and documented our findings in the following review.

Is the Callaway Legacy Black Driver Still Good? 

“One must keep in mind that Callaway designed the Legacy Black driver for professional-level players.”

Among other things, this design bias means that you can expect premium features in the Callaway Legacy Black driver. The Callaway Legacy Black sports an all titanium body and a fancy forged hyperbolic titanium cup face.

While we don’t fully understand the technology that goes into “hyperbolic forging” we do know that the face produces an immensely satisfying metallic click at impact. During our testing, we were also treated to very consistent flight.

Readers must also note that the Callaway Legacy Black has a 440cc head. The look at address is compact and pear-shaped. So right off the bat, better players will really like the look of this driver behind the ball.

The Callaway Legacy Black also has one of the most unique adjustable weighting devices we’ve ever seen in a driver. It’s a triangle-shaped weight that allows you to shift weight either to the front of the head or closer to the middle.

Again, this is a feature that is geared towards faster swingers and overall better players – forward and middle weighting will mute spin to varying degrees. This is an effect that stringer swingers can take advantage of.

So is the Callaway Legacy Black still a good driver? If you’re the right kind of player, then the Callaway Legacy Black is a phenomenal driver.

Is the Callaway Legacy Black Forgiving for High Handicappers?

“Not exactly.”

If forgiveness is your chief concern as you shop for a new driver, you may want to avoid the Callaway Legacy Black. While it’s not unplayable for high handicappers, it will require all of your focus and concentration. The 440cc was just a bit too much for our high handicappers to cope with. They often shanked the ball off the heel or hit the ball too thin.

The fact that the Callaway Legacy Black driver has an adjustable loft sleeve does help a bit. Our testers were able to jack the loft up in order to get the launch they needed for maximum carry. But the Callaway Legacy Black driver doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence at address. There is a very thin margin for error on the face of this driver. The sweet spot is not expansive and while slight mis-hits stay out of the trees, wide mis-hits are downright unpredictable.

Callaway Legacy Black Vs Callaway Mavrik

“The Mavrik driver has updated features that help lighten the load so to speak.”

For instance, a carbon fiber crown is used to lower the weight of the head. Overall, the Callaway Mavrik was more stable on mis-hits. Our slower swinging testers were also able to slightly improve their club head speed and smash factor with the Callaway Mavrik driver.

Callaway Legacy Black First Impressions

“The Callaway Legacy Black driver has a very clean and compact look behind the ball.”

Based on the head shape and the available adjustable weight, we were expecting low spin rates and mid/low launch – and that’s exactly what we got. Our more experienced testers really liked the look of this driver right away.

Callaway Legacy Black Driver Selling Points

• Compact design for better players
• All-titanium head
• Forged titanium face
• 24g internal weighting
• Adjustable sole weight
• Excellent sound and feel

Callaway Legacy Black Driver Key Features

“Most of the features help produce faster ball speeds.”

Forged Face: The forged face feels amazing at impact and sounds even better. The feedback is also clear as a bell.

Adjustable Sole Weight: The triangular weight allows players to move more mass forward to lower spin rates.

Titanium Body: While not as light as carbon fiber, titanium still has a great strength to weight ratio. It also helps enhance the acoustics of this driver.

What Handicap is it for?

“It’s no secret that the Callaway Legacy Black driver was made for skilled players.”

After testing the Callaway Legacy Black driver, we would say that it would work best for players in the 9 – 16 handicap range. This group of players will likely be able to take advantage of the low spin properties and optional low launch.

Callaway Legacy Black Driver Options

• Speed Metalix shaft
• Tour AD DJ shaft
• Tour AD I-65C shaft
• 5°, 9.5°, 10.5° lofts (adjustable within 4 degrees)

Who Should Buy the Callaway Legacy Black Driver?

“The Callaway Legacy Black driver will be best-suited for mid to low handicap players.”

Players who don’t need the extra mass of a large head to bomb it  down the fairway will appreciate the compact size of this driver. While there is internal weighting to help stabilize the head, it won’t do much if you are swinging your driver slower than 90 MPH on average.

While the Callaway Legacy Black isn’t the worst driver for high handicappers, there are other drivers much more suited to the needs of this class of players. If you are looking for a low-spinning driver to capitalize on your fast swing speed and aggressive tempo, the Callaway Legacy Black will likely meet your needs.

Distance: 96/100

Forgiveness: 93/100

Feel & Control: 97/100

Value: 96/100

Overall Score: 95/100

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