When you first hear the specifications of the Eleven Golf FW1 fairway wood, your immediate reaction is likely one of disbelief.
In an era where manufacturers are constantly trying to help golfers get the ball higher into the air, Eleven Golf has gone in the complete opposite direction. It has produced a fairway wood with loft options as low as 7° and 9°!
On paper, the idea seems frankly absurd.
However, once you dig into the origin story, the logic begins to surface. The owner of Eleven Golf has a son who is an exceptionally high-speed player. Like many golfers with elite ball speeds, he struggled to control the vertical spin on traditional fairway woods, which often ballooned into the wind.
He initially built the FW1 as just an experimental prototype for himself, but after seeing the results, he was so impressed that the decision was made to roll it out to retail to see who else might benefit.
In terms of looks, the FW1 is very much a tale of two halves. If you start by looking at the sole, the aesthetic to me is a little basic and, dare I say it, looks a touch cheap compared to the premium carbon-laden offerings from the 'Big Five.'
There is also a turtle logo on the sole; I may have missed the story or the internal joke there, but without knowing the backstory, it feels slightly out of place.
However, once you place the club behind the ball, the narrative shifts entirely. The profile is stunning.
The shaping of the head is gorgeously rounded and symmetrical, and the 195cc head size just looks "right." It is difficult to quantify why that specific volume works, but there is a certain nostalgia to it - a callback to an era when drivers were this size.
The crown is completely clutter-free, which is right up my street. There isn't a single logo or alignment aid to be seen, providing a clean, matte-black look that allows you to focus entirely on the face.
If I were being incredibly fussy, I would say my test model sat a fraction closed at address, but I am splitting hairs on what is otherwise a lovely-looking clubhead.
Performance-wise, I didn't have a clue what to expect - other than the probability of a low-ball flight. I took my first few tentative swings off the deck and was genuinely impressed.
Predictably, the ball came off low - very low - but there was just enough spin to create an absolute missile of a ball flight.
The consistency was also truly surprising. Whether hitting off the turf or a tiny tee, the numbers remained excellent. When pegged up, the launch stayed low, but the spin dropped further due to the higher impact location, resulting in a flight that can only be described as a "knuckle-ball" driver.
For context, my normal driver averages around 110 feet of peak height, whereas with the FW1 off a tee, it was regularly sub 70 feet.
When coupled with a pretty reasonable ball speed output of over 161mph, the resulting ball flight was one of the most aggressive and penetrating I have ever produced. Fast, head height (ish) rockets!
As someone who plays a lot of golf by the seaside in high winds, this was an exciting flight to witness. The thought of this ball flight tearing through a 30mph headwind on a links course genuinely captured my imagination.
Feel-wise, the FW1 isn't quite in the "exceptional" category. It feels a touch tinny and hollow compared to the dampened, solid "thwack" of a Titleist GT or a TaylorMade Qi4D. However, it is far from unpleasant, and the sensation is more than palatable when offset against the unique and functional ball flight it offers.
The truth of the matter is that the Eleven Golf FW1 is a very niche offering. In fact, it may be the most niche offering I have ever tested.
I am a high-speed player, usually pushing 120mph with the driver, and I found some brilliant results that I will most certainly be exploring further. However, this is not a club for the masses. I would suggest that unless you are swinging your driver at a minimum of 105 to 110mph, you have almost no chance of making this club useful for your game; you simply won't generate the lift required to keep it in the air.
But if you are quick, and you are craving low-launching bullets to combat the wind or firm fairways, look no further.
It has been genuinely fun reviewing the FW1. I love it when a manufacturer is willing to push the boundaries and ignore conventional wisdom to provide a specialized solution for a specific type of player.
The FW1 is available from the Eleven Golf website in a variety of custom options, with prices starting from £195.
