FIRST LOOK: New Callaway Mavrik irons are packed with Flash Face cup technology, speed

As Callaway continues to make massive leaps forward in club design with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI), one could argue the most significant improvement for 2020 can actually be found in the iron department.

Following the introduction of Flash Face last year with the Epic Flash drivers and fairway woods, Callaway started down the road of trying to figure out a way to extend its supercomputing capabilities beyond metalwoods.

With a more advanced computing system leading the way, Callaway used AI and machine learning to take a stab at the face design behind its Mavrik irons, which consists of three versions (standard, Max and Pro). The end result was a highly technical face architecture for every loft in the lineup.

“It’s one thing to have the computing and design capability to imagine those faces and say one is better than another,” said Dr. Alan Hocknell, Callaway’s senior vice president of research and development. “It’s a totally different thing to take that from the computer into the physical world and represent those designs in a high-strength face cup.”

Callaway’s 360 face cup has been around the block a few times. First introduced with the company’s fairway woods in 2013, the structure wraps around the perimeter, increasing the flexibility of the club face. Along with boosting speed, the AI-designed face enhances performance characteristics — from a higher launch and more speed in the long irons to control, precision and spin consistency in the mid-irons and scoring clubs.

Behind the intricate face design is a tungsten energy core featuring over one million strategically placed urethane microspheres to soak up unwanted vibrations. The tungsten, which is housed inside a “urethane jacket” in the cavity, is positioned in specific places to optimize launch and trajectory.

The standard Mavrik (4-SW) has a moderate topline and sole width for the mid-handicapper, while the Mavrik Max (4-AW) delivers a higher launch and more forgiveness with a deeper center of gravity location and larger overall footprint. The more compact head shape and reduced offset of the Mavrik Pro (3-AW, SW) should speak to better ball-strikers who don’t want to give up ball speed.

Callaway’s Mavrik irons retail for $249 (per club) and launch Feb. 6.

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