About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the golf club, which I purchased with my own money in April of 2021.

My take

The Callaway Mavrik Max Driver is great for players looking to gain some distance off the tee but prioritize maximum forgiveness. This driver is also ideal for players who don’t want to spend a lot of money on the newest clubs.

About the club I own

• Model: 2020 Callaway Mavrik Max
• Loft setting: 10 degrees
• Shaft type: Hzrdus Black 6.5
• Shaft flex: X-stiff

About me

• Average score: 70
• Handicap: +2
• Experience: 5 years playing golf
• Right/Left-Handed: Right-Handed
• Typical ball flight: Mid-High
• Golf ball used: TaylorMade TP5x
• Club swing speed: ~180mph

Test conditions

• When I bought the club: April 2021
• Days tested: 100+
• Where I’ve used it: TrackMan and GC4 simulators, as well as various golf courses in the U.S.
• Weather and wind conditions: High wind, calm, rain, cold, warm

How it performs

What I was looking for

I was looking to test some distance forgiveness drivers on the market, and a friend gave me the Mavrik Max driver to test over a few months. I wanted to compare the max forgiveness driver to my low spin driver.

Why I chose this club

I chose this driver because a friend of mine ultimately sold it to me for a very cheap price. I was also looking at the TaylorMade Sim Max as an alternative option.

What I love about it

• Distance: This driver creates a lot of clubhead speed, allowing it to keep up with my low-spinning driver and offers me plenty of distance.
• Forgiveness: The Max version of the Mavrik provides lots of forgiveness and is one of the most forgiving drivers I have ever tested. I feel as if I can hit the ball from anywhere on the face, and it will be very long and stay relatively straight.
• Adjustability: The Mavrik Max has an adjustable loft sleeve allowing me to increase the loft by up to two degrees and decrease the loft by a degree.
• Shaft Feel: The Hzrdus line of golf shafts feel amazing, and there is no exception with my Hzrdus black shaft. The shaft feels great and not too heavy while still having a very firm tip section.
• Shaft Performance: The Hzrdus black is amazing because it helps lower my overall spin to maximize distance and is consistent on well-struck and poor golf shots.
• Grip Feel: The Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord is my favorite grip because of how firm and tacky the grip feels. I feel like I can swing as hard as I would like.
• Launch Angle: The Mavrik Max has a great launch angle and will definitely help players who struggle to get the ball in the air to help have an optimal ball flight and maximize distance.
• Spin: The Max version provides a little more spin than the standard model to help increase forgiveness and help me hit more fairways.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Feel: I do not like the feel of this driver. No matter where I hit it across the face, there is a dead-firm feeling that I really do not like.
• Sound: This driver sounds very loud and clunky similar to how it feels “dead.” It sounds dead and is my least favorite part about this driver.
• Workability: It is much harder to work the ball on big cuts and draws due to the larger head size and increased spin. I can hit a soft cut or draw but cannot really shape some creative golf shots.
• Aesthetic Appeal: I do not hate the look of this driver, but other models look much better, like the Sim and TS lines from TaylorMade and Titleist.

Best shot with this club

The best shot I hit with this club was on a short par 4 that was 315 yards. I chose to hit a baby cut off the left side of the green to try and run it up the middle and ended up actually driving the green, leaving myself with a 25-footer for eagle. Unfortunately, I missed the eagle putt on a lip out but made the tap in birdie.

Value for the money vs. other options

The Callaway Mavrik Max is roughly $299 from Curated. Meanwhile, similar max forgiveness drivers from 2020, like the Taylormade Sim Max and Titleist TS2 are roughly $399 and $340, respectively. Therefore, as long as the sound and feel of the Mavrik are not a problem, then the Callaway Mavrik Max is the best value forgiveness driver from 2020.

Final verdict

The Callaway Mavrik Max will provide players with lots of forgiveness and added distance to their game. The Mavrik Max will certainly help players looking to hit more fairways and have shorter distances on their approach shots.