Okay so today I was messing around in my garage and found my old Callaway Diablo Edge 3 wood. Dusty as heck. Got me thinking, who even needs this thing anymore? Decided to take it out this weekend and see for myself, start to finish.
The Dustoff and Re-Grip
First thing, grabbed the club. Wiped off like ten years of grime – felt kinda nostalgic. The grip was slick as ice. Rummaged through my old bag, found a cheap rubber grip. Didn’t wanna waste cash just for a test. Spent a frustrating hour trying to re-grip the darn thing myself. Sticky tape everywhere, swear I glued my fingers together twice. Finally got it sorta straight. Looked ugly but felt solid enough.
Hitting the Range First
Took it straight to the driving range. Dug out some older balls I didn’t mind losing. Kept my usual warm-up short – just wanted to see this thing fly.
- Swing one: Smacked it pure off the mat. Boom. Ball took off low and kinda bullet-like. Way flatter than my current 3 wood. Rolled forever on the fake turf. Okay… interesting.
- Swing two: Tried to launch it higher. Didn’t really happen. Club feels super shallow, just wants to sweep.
- Swing five: Bad swing. Hit it thin. Ball just died. Loud crack sound. Ouch. This club ain’t forgiving thin shots. My hands felt it.
- Swing ten: Decent contact, but pulled left. Held the face? This thing sits kinda closed at address. Makes sense why it fought my slice back in the day.
Noticed the sound immediately. Loud. Not obnoxious, but definitely lets everyone know you hit the ball.
Taking it to the Actual Course
Alright, range was okay. Time for the real test – my usual Saturday round.
First par 5, second shot. Had about 220 to the front. Grabbed the Diablo. Nervous. Got a clean lie. Focused hard on sweeping it. Contact felt… okay? Not perfect. Ball flight was crazy low again, but it ran up onto the front of the green. Honestly, kinda effective for dry conditions. Point earned.
Next hole, tight fairway. Needed off the tee. Easy swing feeling. Ball started left (hello closed face!) but flattened out quick. Stayed short of the trouble. Nice and straight. Felt more confident just swinging smooth.
Couple holes later, bad tee shot. Semi-plugged lie. Risk/Reward time. Tried to muscle the Diablo… big mistake. Dug deep, chunked it maybe 50 yards. Bad vibes. Forgiving? Not down there.
Also tried it off pine straw once. Risky. Somehow got underneath it cleanly. Ball popped out surprisingly okay. That shallow face helped scavenge that shot. Pure luck, mostly.
So Who Should Actually Bag This Thing?
After sweating through 18 holes with this fossil, here’s the real deal:
- Got a Slice? Seriously. That closed face angle is like anti-slice spray. Saw it fight the right turn all day. Best part about it.
- Playing Rock-Hard Summer Fairways? That flat trajectory means the ball just RUNS. If you can keep it low, you get crazy distance from the roll.
- Hate High Ball Flight? This thing is low. I mean seriously hard to get it up. Good for wind, bad if you need carry over stuff.
- Need Cheap? Found mine rotting in the garage. Check online, they’re practically giving these away used now.
- Got Decent Contact? Yeah, mishits hurt. Thin shots sting your hands, fat shots barely move. It’s an old design, feel ain’t premium.
Who Should Run Away?
- Beginners: Forget it. Mishits are brutal, and you need consistency this club won’t give you.
- Diggers (like me sometimes): If your swing tends fat, this club won’t save you. It digs trenches.
- Needing Lots of Carry: That low flight isn’t helping you carry bunkers or water. Takes carry distance off the table.
- Wanting Forged Feel: It’s loud and clicky. Sounds hollow. Doesn’t feel smooth like newer woods.
Honestly, rediscovering it was fun, like finding an old pair of boots. But would I swap it back into my bag? Nah. There are way easier clubs to hit now. But for the guy fighting a slice on a budget playing fast, dry courses? Maybe. It’s got its uses. Not pretty, not fancy, but damn it works for that one thing. Loudly.