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Callaway X Hot & X Hot Pro Irons Preview

SuperStroke
So, for those of you that have hit these and the standard X-Hots, do you feel common wisdom applies?

That is, high handicappers will want the standard X-Hots and the X-Hot Pros are reserved only for the better players? It just seems that everyone in here that's drooling is drooling over the X-Hot Pros. Of course most of you are good players, so perhaps that's not surprising.
 
I would not say that the Pro's are for better players. While probably not as forgiving as a Super Game improvement club, I would not rate them as a players club like I might with the X-forged or the AP-2 or the mizuno MP series. To me, the Pro's are in between; I think they possess some elements of playability without being to punishing off the heel or toe. Obviously, with new clubs time will tell, but I have them, and to me they are easy to hit as the Razr X and Razr X blacks. I really like the minimum offset, thinner soles, and thinner toplines, and they feel good when I strike the ball!
 
wadesworld said:
So, for those of you that have hit these and the standard X-Hots, do you feel common wisdom applies?

That is, high handicappers will want the standard X-Hots and the X-Hot Pros are reserved only for the better players? It just seems that everyone in here that's drooling is drooling over the X-Hot Pros. Of course most of you are good players, so perhaps that's not surprising.
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I'm a 18 handicapper myself and these felt wonderful to me. I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the performance of these irons.

GPNgolf said:
I would not say that the Pro's are for better players. While probably not as forgiving as a Super Game improvement club, I would not rate them as a players club like I might with the X-forged or the AP-2 or the mizuno MP series. To me, the Pro's are in between; I think they possess some elements of playability without being to punishing off the heel or toe. Obviously, with new clubs time will tell, but I have them, and to me they are easy to hit as the Razr X and Razr X blacks. I really like the minimum offset, thinner soles, and thinner toplines, and they feel good when I strike the ball!
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This ^^^^^^^^^^^ is excellent info for you to consider.
 
Wade as easy as it is to hit the pros it's even easier to swing the xhots. It's not about high or low hdcp with the pros, it's about square consistent contact. The pros are really a hybrid iron of sorts and though are forgiving can still be penal on miss hits but misses are supposed to penalizing.

The Xhot already took care of 80% of the game. The remaining 20% is all you. 10% imagination and 10% pulse, if you're alive you're hitting towering shots with the xhots.

Let you hands, eyes and ears be your gage and go with what feels best to you. I'll have at least one Xhot long iron in my bag.
 
I am going back and forth between the XHot and the XHot Pro's, but this is all based on what I am hearing in here. Until I have a chance to hit them both I will not know. Hopefully I will get that chance soon.
 
yorkem said:
I am going back and forth between the XHot and the XHot Pro's, but this is all based on what I am hearing in here. Until I have a chance to hit them both I will not know. Hopefully I will get that chance soon.
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A good problem to have, both very solid iron options
 
mikedean441 said:
A good problem to have, both very solid iron options
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This is true. As my swing has improved, I really want to move away from having as much offset as I have been playing, but without going to a blade. The Pro's could be the exact set I have been waiting on. If not I have no problem sticking with the regular XHots
 
yorkem said:
This is true. As my swing has improved, I really want to move away from having as much offset as I have been playing, but without going to a blade. The Pro's could be the exact set I have been waiting on. If not I have no problem sticking with the regular XHots
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I think transitioning from the Blacks to the XHPs will be a good move for you.
 
War Eagle said:
I think transitioning from the Blacks to the XHPs will be a good move for you.
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I am thinkng so too. I just want to hit them outside and not off of a mat.
 
War Eagle said:
I think transitioning from the Blacks to the XHPs will be a good move for you.
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This makes me think the XHP may be what I end up with too, as the Blacks were what I was really hitting well prior to this year.
 
Ole Gray said:
I was going with graphite but my fitter told me these shafts would work great for me. I was striking them very well at the PGA Super Store and they felt awesome for my game.

I went with the 85 gram: http://www.truetemper.com/golf_test/product_info.php?cPath=1&products_id=26
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That's awesome Bill. I am seriously wanting to keep graphite in my irons after playing the Blacks last year with the Miyazaki shafts. It was a real pain saver for me.

wadesworld said:
This makes me think the XHP may be what I end up with too, as the Blacks were what I was really hitting well prior to this year.
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I have yet to get a round in with War Eagle, but he has seen me play and through talking on here he really helped steer me in the right direction last year, so I have a deep respect for his opinions. If he thinks this is a good move, chances are he will be right. Doesn't mean the XHot's are out altogether, it's just another piece of information for me to take in until I get to hit them both, and the more information I get, the better.
 
Ole Gray said:
I was going with graphite but my fitter told me these shafts would work great for me. I was striking them very well at the PGA Super Store and they felt awesome for my game.

I went with the 85 gram: http://www.truetemper.com/golf_test/product_info.php?cPath=1&products_id=26
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Looks like a very nice steel shaft, and I noticed that it may also be offered in a 75 gram version. Did you get regular or stiff. Personally I think you made a wise move in selecting the steel over graphite. Last spring I bought a gently used set of Callaway fusion irons with 75 gram graphite shafts for $250. I thought that SINCE I am 67 sooner or later I could transition into them. They are fun to hit and have a great feel, but my reliable Ping Rapture 4-pw with the stiff steel still get 100% of the bag time.
 
uman said:
Looks like a very nice steel shaft, and I noticed that it may also be offered in a 75 gram version. Did you get regular or stiff. Personally I think you made a wise move in selecting the steel over graphite. Last spring I bought a gently used set of Callaway fusion irons with 75 gram graphite shafts for $250. I thought that SINCE I am 67 sooner or later I could transition into them. They are fun to hit and have a great feel, but my reliable Ping Rapture 4-pw with the stiff steel still get 100% of the bag time.
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Uman -- I got the regular 85 gram version and they felt great! These shafts are supposed to be as close to graphite as possible with the same feel, less shock to the old joints, etc. :D. I was getting excellent carry, total distance, ball speed, and dispersion with this shaft.
 
Ole Gray said:
Uman -- I got the regular 85 gram version and they felt great! These shafts are supposed to be as close to graphite as possible with the same feel, less shock to the old joints, etc. :D. I was getting excellent carry, total distance, ball speed, and dispersion with this shaft.
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makes perfect sense to me - winner winner. Might down the line consider these shafts for my Ping raptures if I feel I need to change shafts.
 
wadesworld said:
This makes me think the XHP may be what I end up with too, as the Blacks were what I was really hitting well prior to this year.
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I 'll second that. I was hitting the Blacks with a uniflex shaft before hooking up with my XHP's. I liked the blacks and they were "good to me", but wasn't in love with the Uniflex. I have the stock PX-95's in 6.0 flex and absolutely love the way they feel. I've only hit off mats and simulators so far, being in Wisconsin, but when I started hitting them, I felt like I had been hitting them all year. Easy transition for me. Enjoy the journey, and Good luck deciding!
 
Ole Gray said:
Uman -- I got the regular 85 gram version and they felt great! These shafts are supposed to be as close to graphite as possible with the same feel, less shock to the old joints, etc. :D. I was getting excellent carry, total distance, ball speed, and dispersion with this shaft.
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That would be the key for me. One of the biggest reasons to make the switch to graphite for me.
 
Tadashi70 said:
I've hit both OG and there is no comparison. The Xhot pros are longer and more forgiving.
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More forgiving than the i20? I haven't had the chance to hit the Pros but I find that nuts! Not saying I don't believe you, I just felt the i20 was a super easy club to hit. A real GI club. May have to try the Pros out now. Every time I find THE club for my next purchase I read these reviews and it screws me all up.
 
NJRob said:
More forgiving than the i20? I haven't had the chance to hit the Pros but I find that nuts! Not saying I don't believe you, I just felt the i20 was a super easy club to hit. A real GI club. May have to try the Pros out now. Every time I find THE club for my next purchase I read these reviews and it screws me all up.
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I can see where it might be possible. I sat the 6i down next to my i20 6i and the i20 seemed to be a tad more compact. A tad thicker topline for the i20 but more compact face area.
 
Pardon the skim, but did anybody notice the X Hot 4H is 22* & the X Hot 5i is 23*? I may have to hit both and see if there's a distance gap issue. I'm guessing the hybrid & graphite shaft combo give you the extra yards.
 
canes113 said:
Pardon the skim, but did anybody notice the X Hot 4H is 22* & the X Hot 5i is 23*? I may have to hit both and see if there's a distance gap issue. I'm guessing the hybrid & graphite shaft combo give you the extra yards.
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I would think so as well, that and possibly a shaft length difference. Obviously a lot of R&D goes into these sets, so I don't think they would release them only 1* apart if they went about the same yardage.
 
I finally found a a few minutes alone with the Xhot Pro 6i with PX 6.0 shaft and standard lie. I setup camp in the back left hand corner of the range and took aim at the 191 yd flag. It's the windy season in central Florida and it was blowing 10-15mph across the range from left to right. My target was on the right side of the range on angle from me. With this wind it would be easy to lose the ball right of my target.

the iron is too upright for me so most if not all were coming from the inside of the face moving toward the center. Nothing off the toe and nothing high on the face. Even though my contact on the face was less than favorable i still saw solid results. Mid ball flight with a slight fade or a mid/high ball with a slight fade. The most consistent aspect of the days session was the distance. Shot after shot ended up on the green with my normal swing. If I added some spine tilt to get some air under it with a normal swing, I squeezed a few extra yards. Toward the end I choked down an inch, gave myself that little extra spine tilt and went after it. The ball left the range, it carried the hill behind the flag and disappeared. The flight of the ball was high, penetrating and tight.

I had to add spine tilt to create more loft on my shots due to the shaft and lie combination I had. The PX 6.0 is a solid shaft and offers great feedback but does not suit my swing. The ball just seemed to nose dive on the descent. The wind may have aided in this but I was not maximizing the clubs potential with this combination. I will tell you that the feedback is there from this shaft. Club awareness is very important to me and I knew where it was throughout the entire swing. Some of my impact positions felt like the perfect snap of wet towel on your buddies leg. The club was lagging the entire down swing and snapped at the ball.

All of my divots were shallow and abrupt. No issues with turf interaction at all. The top line look is very pleasing to my eye, a very nice balance of thickness and lines. The Xhot pros have a subtle offset but unless you are looking for it, you will not notice it. The sole Is slightly wider than the J40s I carry, by fraction of a mm. But the way it's distributed makes it look to be the same size. I'm sold on the Xhot Pros, they are an excellent solid offering form Callaway.
 
Outstanding post Freddie. So the shaft, was it the PX 95 Flighted in 6.0 that comes stock in the XHP or was it one of the other PX offerings? That's a solid 6 iron bro, 191 out of a 6 iron is where I'd like to be as well, I think with my swing and these irons that should be possible. The turf interation you speak of definitely makes me smile as well, I love me an iron that cuts through the turf with ease leaving nice shallow divots. I can't wait until you get a set that fits you where you can go after it without having to adjust your swing to the lie angle. You are going to be MONEY with these in the bag!
 
PGA Super Store called me yesterday and told me that the only shaft in the GS model in stock was the GS95 which would still give me the high but long carry type trajectory that I am looking for. Here is a brief description of the shaft that will be in my irons. I hope they arrive soon with all this HOT talk :D!

http://www.truetemper.com/golf/product_info.php?cPath=1&products_id=41
 
Spent some time with both the XH and XHP again last night before making my final decision. Both still felt tremendous, buttery sweet when paired with the right shaft. Both were 6i.

Up first was the XH in stock TT SS85 shaft in stiff. While a huge upgrade over the Uniflex of the past few years, I wasn't a fan of this combination. Ball flight was high, a bit too high for my liking, with avg carry of around 175-178. Near identical distance to my Razr X I game currently. This provided the widest deviation l/r of any combination I tried. I just couldn't mesh with this shaft and felt I was having to adjust to make it work. If you're looking at this weight shaft, try the KBS Tour 90, as IMO it has a much better feel in a lightweight shaft.

Next up, XH in KBS Tour stiff shaft. It was night and day from the stock shaft when we dropped this in. Smooth, effortless, and buttery come to mind. Ball flight was a nice mid-high piercing flight with avg carry 185-188. Dispersion was nearly non-existent l/r other than a couple pulled shots. Most impressive were the mishits. I went through a string of 4 balls struck toe, heel, heavy, and low on the face. Distance loss was very minimal, averaging about 175 carry on the four, with what I considered pretty considerable misses. Laterally, they weren't affected much either, just a few yards l/r. I was VERY impressed with that, as I would certainly be happy with only 10 yds short on a poorly struck shot. A bit of workability in them, though like my Razr X, any attempt to hit a sweeper either way resulted in a pull of push for the most part. Compared to my current gamer, this doesn't appear as large of a head IMO. I noticed, at address, I don't see the very tail end of the cavity back as I do with the Razr X, which was something I never liked in them.

Onto the XHP with stock PX95 Flighted in stiff. Start off by saying, this club looked sexy at address. Feel was good, and I had a very similar feel as with the KBS Tour XH. Balls struck well just effortlessly left the club face, and this shaft was a great match with the head. Ball flight and spin rates were near indentical to the XH, but the lighter shaft (10g) produced longer distance despite 1* more in loft vs. the XH 6i. On avg I was 190-192 carry with the XHP, and even trickled a few into the 200+. Same as with the XH, lateral dispersion was minimal, but distance loss on mishits were a different story. I had a similar stretch of bad swings with this setup and while laterally they didn't get me in trouble, the avg distance on those mishits were more in the 160 range. I still can't say enough how sweet this club feels and looks, and I certainly like hitting them longer and landing them softer.

Unfortunately the head was stripped on the XHP so I couldn't compare with the KBS Tour shaft or vice versa with the PX95 in the XH. The numbers were so similar other than a little jump in swing speed with the lighter shaft, I expect they would have shown similar results respectively

So, after much consideration, and this one final session where I paid as much attention to feel as, I decided on the XH with the KBS Tour in stiff. If I had just a bit more consistency in my iron swing, I would have went with the XHP in a heartbeat. Two factors mostly for my decision, the aforementioned forgiveness on mishits, and slightly wider sole for better turf interaction. I do have a slightly steepish swing and that is a big deciding factor for me in an iron

BOTH very solid choices, I recommend you hit them both and decide which is best for your game. Callaway has their best line of irons in years IMO.
 
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