Callaway X2 Hot Driver Preview
My first round with the 12.5 setting, and...I like it! 8/13 fairways hit, and even the misses weren't that bad. I lost no noticeable distance with the increased loft, so I'm going to keep this setting for now.
Very interesting indeed. Keep an eye on the distance and accuracy improvement as you go forward. Keep us updated!
Drogster
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Just read an ad in the local newspaper last night, where a small local golf store is now selling the X2 Hot drivers at €199,(half the price of the Big Bertha!) this weekend for father’s day. Might just have to finally pull the trigger, as I have been considering changing my driver lately.
Drogster
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I was down in the golf store this morning and pulled the trigger and bagged myself a 10.5° X2 Hot driver. The fitter swapped over by Prolaunch shaft into the X2 Hot and Project X shaft in the X Hot. Both shafts were fitted with a new plain Cobra grip, so if I want to rotate the nozzle the grip markings will not be offset and not off-putting.
Off to the range to brake it in!
Off to the range to brake it in!
Played a course today that I get out to about annually for the past 10-12 years. Using the X2H, and a slight swing change, I was just killing it - it's cliche, but I was long into places I have never been on that course. Forgiving too, 2 of those drives were drives that by rights and with my old equipment would have been left and maybe even out of play, today they were in the fairway on the left edge.
I haven't messed around with the stock 10.5* setting and feel I have absolutely no need to do so. I have great launch and length and solid directional control, not going to mess up a good thing.
I also game last yr's XHot 3W/3H/5H, the 3W is OK but the 2 hybrids are absolutely the best clubs in my bag and, again, extremely forgiving. I hit a 5H on a par 3 *really thin* that ended up about 7' past the flag and never moved off the flag all the way in. They are for me the very definition of point and shoot.
I haven't messed around with the stock 10.5* setting and feel I have absolutely no need to do so. I have great launch and length and solid directional control, not going to mess up a good thing.
I also game last yr's XHot 3W/3H/5H, the 3W is OK but the 2 hybrids are absolutely the best clubs in my bag and, again, extremely forgiving. I hit a 5H on a par 3 *really thin* that ended up about 7' past the flag and never moved off the flag all the way in. They are for me the very definition of point and shoot.
So I spent a day looking at my stats from my games since I bagged the X2 Hot and according to my notes and GPS, I'm hitting 68% of my fairways. When I first bagged it, I was closer to 50% but have improved a great deal since I slowed things down quite a bit. But still, for me, a 70% fairway rate was phenomenal. So phenomenal that I went to the range today to test it out. I set aside 20 balls and picked out a fairway range that I felt was reasonable. I had two slices, two fades just outside, and two snap hooks. All the rest were over 210 (some stretching to around 275) and what would be in the fairway.
SMH
Maybe it's not the club. Maybe I'm just better than I used to be but last season I kept my driver in the bag on anything that wasn't wide open.
SMH
Maybe it's not the club. Maybe I'm just better than I used to be but last season I kept my driver in the bag on anything that wasn't wide open.
kc720
Active member
I have had the x2hot pro diver with tour green shaft for a while now. I am seeing more fairways, more distance and more confidence off the tee. This driver fits me better than the Bertha apparently
Franklin51
On the Verge
Hit a pro version yesterday on a sim. Was impressed. It was late and I had hit a ton of balls by then so it was probably better than it should have been. Will definitely be hitting it agsin
kc720
Active member
For some reason I find this to be more forgiving than big Bertha (could be that it just fits me better) at 8.5 I am seeing a slightly higher launch but less spin than Bertha at 9° with the same tour green shaft
Franklin51
On the Verge
Didn't hit the BB. I went looking at hybrids and wound up hitting everything. If I can unload my Wishons with the black ties I am going to go hit drivers
I decided to make a change on Thursday night on turn my 10.5 into a 12.5 playing at 45". BOOM! Thursday was my best driving round in easily over a year. Hit 8 of 15 fwys and turned in a nice little 78. Well left the 12.5 as is and yesterday was even better: 11/14 fwys. Shot 70. Driving the ball is just so effortless now. Best decision I made was to turn up the loft.
Good.Shepherd
New member
This is a very interesting driver and I'm hitting it very well. There's a few drivers I've loved to hit over the years, but in terms of size, weight, feel, sound, and etc--this may be in my top 3. It's not the longest driver in the world for me, but long doesn't mean a lot outside of the context of accuracy and the accuracy of this one for me is up there.
As with all drivers, shaft matters so damn much. I was working with a Callaway fitter here in Denver, a great shop, and I was hitting the same head very different with different shafts. Even among the same stock shafts I would hit them differently (if that doesn't make you nervous to buy something without hitting it, I don't know what will).
The combo I settled on was the X2 Hot Driver, 10.5, with the fujikura Fuel shaft. They gave me a great price on it, and it's just an unbelievable pleasure to hit.
I strained a trapezius muscle in some wet rough the other day and probably shouldn't swing for a week or so. That's going to be very, very hard to do with this thing staring at me from the bag with it's doe eyes and pouty lip.
As with all drivers, shaft matters so damn much. I was working with a Callaway fitter here in Denver, a great shop, and I was hitting the same head very different with different shafts. Even among the same stock shafts I would hit them differently (if that doesn't make you nervous to buy something without hitting it, I don't know what will).
The combo I settled on was the X2 Hot Driver, 10.5, with the fujikura Fuel shaft. They gave me a great price on it, and it's just an unbelievable pleasure to hit.
I strained a trapezius muscle in some wet rough the other day and probably shouldn't swing for a week or so. That's going to be very, very hard to do with this thing staring at me from the bag with it's doe eyes and pouty lip.
TNTCigarguy
2014 #THPMC @TntCigarguy
KC totally agree with you. And this is my gamer for the MC. Really just a great club with that tour green shaft.
Same results for me. Each time I tested Bertha and X2H side by side the latter shined brightest. More forgiving and longer.
Good.Shepherd
New member
I noticed this, too, in my fitting. Granted a lot of it came down to the shaft, but there was something else.
With the Bertha it seems they used most of that 460cc space for "vertical" forgiveness in the face. For someone who stands up or dips their head more, I imagine this club would be more forgiving for them.
With this club more of that 460cc head is used left to right and I think is more forgiving for hits that miss center more left to right. I mean, it's a matter of inches but an inch on a mishit can make a big difference.
Maybe I'm off but that was my exact thinking when I was hitting and comparing them. For me, my misses are normally shifted toward the toe, and so I think that accounts for why I liked the X2 so much more.
I've got an X2 on the way and can't wait to game it. It felt every bit as forgiving and explosive as BB. Felt very easy to step up and make solid contact. I'm not sure the exact technical details that may make BB "more club", but it seems the X2 Hot is a lot of club for the money.
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Drogster
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I upgraded to the X2 Hot driver from the original X Hot earlier this year, and swapped over the prolaunch red speedcoat shaft, which I got fitted for last year. I was hitting it well until about 3 weeks ago, when some old gremlins crept into my swing. However, out on the range three times this week and glad to report my swing is coming back and as a result really getting great results hitting it arrow straight or a baby fade at times. I also hit the back hedge of the range a number of times with those horrible yellow one piece sponge range balls. So I can’t wait to get out on the course to really let it fly, and put into play the 2014 RX and or SR2.
Mountain Slicer
Member
Drogster,
I too made that switch recently , I like the way the x2 is so forgiving but wonder how my UST MP4 shaft would stack up against the stock blue tour shaft that came in the X2? It made a big difference when I put it in my Xhot head but it takes a different adaptor for the x2Hot
I too made that switch recently , I like the way the x2 is so forgiving but wonder how my UST MP4 shaft would stack up against the stock blue tour shaft that came in the X2? It made a big difference when I put it in my Xhot head but it takes a different adaptor for the x2Hot
jspangs
Well-known member
So did anyone gaming the original xhot driver see the xhot 2 kick it out of the bag? I'm killing the original xhot but was curious about the xhot 2. A lot of the early reviews seemed like they didn't see much improvement.
I think the original X-hot driver is actually better, at least for me. The X2-Hot seems lighter to me which is not a good thing for me, I'm sure one could get accustomed to it though. I think the project X shaft is good I do think the tour green shaft is a little better, but the project X is a very good shaft for me. The funny is the X-Hot I hit well from the first time I hit it and the X2-Hot took several swings before I hit a few good ones and then it was just hit or miss, I never got consistent with the X2-Hot. Just my take.
TNTCigarguy
2014 #THPMC @TntCigarguy
Yes I have in the driver and the FW as well. Also when on the launch monitor I had 8 more yards with the x2hot vs the xhots at the Annika Academy.
Mountain Slicer
Member
I still have held onto my original X-Hot driver because others have said , I too found the X2hot took a little getting use to before I could find the results that I had hope for. The lighter weight took a bit to adjust to and finding the best settings was a huge part of finding the true shape of my ball flight. The X2Hot is more forgiving without a doubt, when I catch it within the huge sweet spot it goes long. I found that I had to tee the ball much lower than with the Xhot and making the finally got consistent results.
I have the Tour Blue shaft in the X2
Drogster
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Check out the link below, to the Epoch tee, sweet spot system, which I searched when I received my delivery if THP tees recently.
http://evolvegolf.com/sweet-spot-system/
Big difference between the tee heights for the XHot & X2 Hot.
I was out on the range Sunday evening and teed it up as suggested by the system. I hit 6 of 10 drives bang in the middle of the sweet spot, with the other 4 only ever so slightly off it. Definitely some merit to it.