About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the club, which I purchased with my own money in April of 2020.

My take

The 2020 Callaway Mavrik Pro 3 Hybrid (20 degree) is the perfect club to bridge the gap between the 3 wood and the 4 iron. For long shots from 230+ yards, this club is perfect from the fairway or the rough, and it actually gives me a chance of getting it to the green and sticking it. On windy days, I’m able to use this club to keep the ball flight low, which maximizes distance and keeps my shot in line with the target. This club is geared towards good ball strikers and players with a single-digit handicap.

About the club I own

• Model: 2020 Callaway Mavrik Pro 3 Hybrid
• Loft setting: 20 degrees
• Shaft type: Aldila Rogue Black 95 MSI, 85H-2.8-S
• Shaft flex: Stiff

About me

• Average score: 78–85
• Handicap: 7.0 index
• Experience: 25 years of golf
• Right/Left-Handed: Right-Handed
• Typical ball flight: High fade
• Golf ball used: Chrome Soft
• Club swing speed: 108 mph

Test conditions

• When I bought the club: April 2020
• Days tested: 2+ years
• Where I’ve used it: On the course—lately at Black Creek Club, Chattanooga, TN
• Weather and wind conditions: Hot and dry conditions, calm winds

How it performs

What I was looking for

I had been playing the Nike Slingshot 3 Hybrid for about 10 years. While the club worked pretty well for me, it was time to upgrade to a hybrid with a smaller face that would give me more ability to hit low shots when needed. Note, my typical ball flight is a high fade, so it’s challenging for me to achieve a lower shot trajectory.

Why I chose this club

I chose the Mavrik Pro 3 Hybrid because I read great reviews about the Mavrik woods and hybrids. I considered some comparable options from TaylorMade and Mizuno, but the Callaway clubs were less expensive and had equally good reviews about excellent distance and control with this club. In my experience, this hybrid lives up to the reviews.

What I love about it

• Distance: The Callaway Mavrik woods and hybrids use patented Flash Face SS20 technology. The result is the club face produces faster ball speeds across a larger area of the face. Faster ball speeds mean more distance, and I picked up about 5-10 yards compared to my previous hybrid.
• Forgiveness: The Flash Face technology is what makes this club forgiving. The Mavrik Pro hybrid is designed to generate a fast ball speed even if I don’t hit the ball right in the sweet spot every time. My miss is usually towards the toe of the club, and when that happens, I can feel that I missed the sweet spot, but no one else in the group knows because the ball goes nearly as far as a perfect strike.
• Feel: The feel is fantastic. I can immediately tell where on the clubface I struck the ball. And I can usually know where my ball is going without looking.
• Workability: This hybrid isn’t just long—it’s also precise. The Mavrik Pro 3 gives me the ability to hit a draw or a fade, which is great when I’m stuck in the rough and have to navigate around some trees. The club has a neutral center of gravity and a flat lie angle. This means that I can easily change my swing path and I don’t have to fight the club—it just responds to my swing to produce a fade or draw.
• Shaft Feel: The Aldila Rogue Black 95 MSI 85H-2.8-S shaft feels perfect. I feel a nice transfer of energy into the ball on contact. It has a thick and heavy feel to it, which I like because I never feel like my club is lagging too far behind my hands.
• Shaft Performance: The Aldila Rogue Black 95 MSI 85H-2.8-S shaft is designed to have a mid/high launch and a mid spin. This is a great choice for the hybrid because it’s not just about hitting it long, it’s about being precise and sticking it on the green. This shaft promotes a little extra height—which helps make this club more accurate.
• Aesthetic Appeal: I like the aesthetic of the club mainly because it’s simple and undecorated. Mavrik clubs use a signature orange color, but the Mavrik Pro hybrid only has a minimal amount of orange trim. That’s the way it should be for a club designed for good players.
• Grip Feel: I love the Golf Pride Align MID grip with a +2 wrap. I am only 5’7”, and I don’t have especially big hands, but I play much better with a thick grip. It helps me loosen my hands and not grab the club so tight. A gentle grip means relaxed muscles, which also means a smooth, repeatable swing.
• Launch Angle: The ball launches high with this club. This is good for getting out of the rough quickly and it increases accuracy from long distances. That being said, it’s very easy to manipulate this club to change the launch angle and produce a lower-trajectory ball on days when it’s windy or if I need the ball to run.
• Spin: The ball comes off the club with a good amount of spin, making it possible to land on the green from 230 yards and not go flying off the back.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Adjustability: Not an issue, but this club is not adjustable and it is designed to be versatile. It allows me to hit shots with the exact height and shape that I want. Something needs to stay constant in that formula, and, frankly, I like that the club is unchangeable.
• Sound: The sound at impact is actually very quiet. It’s a quick metallic sound, but not loud. The feedback of the contact is felt in the hands. Sometimes it’s nice to hear a nice pop when you crush the ball, but you’re not going to get that experience with this hybrid.

Best shot with this club

On a reachable par 5 at the Black Creek Club, my drive left me 240 yards away from the hole. I crushed my Mavrik Pro 3 Hybrid with a high baby fade that landed right on line with the pin and sat softly on the green. I went on to make an easy two putt from about 30 feet for a smooth birdie!

Value for the money vs. other options

Since this club is a few years old, the Callaway Mavrik Pro 3 Hybrid only costs $179.99. A similar club from TaylorMade, the Stealth Plus 3 Rescue, costs $299.99. Sure the Stealth is newer, but I believe it’s the same-quality club. So I’d recommend the Mavrik Pro for a golfer who’s in the market for the best value.

Final verdict

The 2020 Callaway Mavrik Pro 3 Hybrid gives me the ability to change the elevation of my ball: like hitting it low if it’s windy, or coming in high if I want the ball to land softly on the green. This club also makes it easy to shape my shots, which is especially useful if I need to avoid a tree when I’m hitting from the rough. This is the perfect hybrid to strengthen my game from the 230–250 yard range.