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Callaway XHot Hybrid - Forum Testing Review

SuperStroke
canes113 said:
Its probably just me, but does anyone hook this hybrid when swinging 100% and trying to get a few more yards? It happened to me twice today with the 3h (lost one OB). It does look a bit closed at setup.

An easy swing later in my round had a slight draw. No way this club goes right!
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Something is up with that bro. Trust me, I could hook a club in my sleep but this club DOES NOT want to go left...

I can make it go left slightly and right slightly (approx 5-10 yards with no wind assist) but that's about it. Anything else is a mishit on my part and that's usually low-left or low-right. This is not a club to work around, it's a club for point & shoot, A-to-B shots like long par 3s and second shots into short par 5s and long par 4s. I can't hook or slice this club 30 yards around a tree for that "one time a round" shot. I also can't flight the ball low. Mid-high to High is where this club wants to live, so I let it live there and I don't try to force it.

This club really doesn't want you to steer it around so don't try to. Set-up, take your waggle and hit it. Kind of like Tin Cup on the driving range before the U S Open...:D
 
Wheres California? Wondering if he ever got this thing figured out!!
 
Been out of commission for a few weeks because of an injury. Gonna give it a go tomorrow. Should have a full write up tomorrow.
 
DevRickus said:
Been out of commission for a few weeks because of an injury. Gonna give it a go tomorrow. Should have a full write up tomorrow.
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Looking forward to it brotha! Dont hurt yourself any worse.
 
TexasHacker34 said:
Looking forward to it brotha! Dont hurt yourself any worse.
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I know man. I just feel bad for not having any write-ups recently. I feel like I am letting you guys down so I am going to give it a shot. Thanks.
 
DevRickus said:
I know man. I just feel bad for not having any write-ups recently. I feel like I am letting you guys down so I am going to give it a shot. Thanks.
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Injuries happen. Positive vibes going your way and I hope you hit em straight
 
DevRickus said:
Thanks buddy. How is it working for you so far?
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Well havent been able to use it since that writeup I had. Been in the 30s-40s here. Snowed on Thursday. Hoping for some warm weather soon, and graduating next weekend will mean more 9 hole afternoon golf so more chances to use it
 
TexasHacker34 said:
Well havent been able to use it since that writeup I had. Been in the 30s-40s here. Snowed on Thursday. Hoping for some warm weather soon, and graduating next weekend will mean more 9 hole afternoon golf so more chances to use it
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That blows. Looking forward to reading more of your thoughts.
 
Great write ups guys. I may have to try these.
 
I think everyone should try them out, they really are a good piece of equipment.
 
Looking back on my round yesterday, I realized that I did not hit 3w or my 5W once during my round. Rather than those I grabbed the XHot 3h. Thinking back on it, I realized the reason I did this was because I was playing quite well and needed to go to a shot that I knew would give me the results that I wanted. Reliable and Consistent, hello XHot hybrid!

Hole #18, Par 5. Hit a good tee shot and I am 227 out to a front pin, slightly elevated green. I want to try and go for out, but with water to the right and OB to the left, I dont want to risk a miss. Out comes the Xhot 3h, even though I know I cant get it there, I feel that I can get it close. I put a full out swing on it, really step on it, and hit a beauty. High ball flight, didnt move an inch left or right, landed and hopped forward, leaving me about 10 yards to the green for a good chance at getting up and down for birdie!

I really like the fact that I can go with a smooth, almost 3/4 swing with the Xhot when needing just a safe shot, as well as go with a full on - hammer it home type of swing, and get great results out of both. Using this club on shorter Par 4's is practically cheating. I know exactly what I am going to get out of it, and I know it's going to be in the fairway. Using it as a club to layup with on long Par 5s is just as easy, and as shown above, if I need to try and get home with this club, it's more than doable. Long Par 3s? Perfect club for those annoying long Par 3s.

I am quite impressed with this hybrid. Really surprised at how well this hybrid has worked for my game, especially considering the fact that I opted to go hybrid-less all last year due to my struggles with them. The XHot hybrid is no doubt the sleeping giant of the Xhot line. Like Hawk said in his review, it hasn't gotten the hype the rest of the line has, but it sure needs to!
 
when i got to AC Country club today we were told callaway was having a demo day and i really wanted to hit some hybos since its the only club i havn't hit yet in the cally line. i believe the pro is much better for me i love the smaller head and the less offset as well as the 6.0 shaft. i was crushing the 18* today with the 6.0 shaft in it i was able to fade and draw the hybo which i love to be able to do with my hybrids especially off the tee on a tight hole. i really think i could go with stock shafts in my hybrids this year and be really happy with them. can't wait to place my hybrid order for the morgan cup now. these things are really solid. very impressed with my range time with them today!
 
The XHot 3H really bailed me out of some trouble a few times this weekend. Yesterday it seemed like it was the only club in my bag that I could count on to go straight. All weekend it felt like I could really count on the club for a dependable 200 yards. I would say that I currently have more confidence in this club than any other in my bag.

Today, my most memorable shot was on 18. My drive had some pretty serious left-to-right action going (part slice, part wind), and found the water. I took my drop in the rough and was left with just about 205 yards, with the wind still coming in from the left. I lined up well left of the green, put a pretty smooth swing on it, and actually got to pose and watch it like I knew what I was doing. The ball kept climbing, dead straight, and then the wind got hold and pushed it right toward the pin. I was left with about a 12 to 15 foot chance at par, from below the hole. Sadly I missed.
 
Reference links:
Initial Thoughts
First Range Session
First On Course Testing

Second on course testing:

Course and conditions: Minerals Golf Course (http://www.crystalgolfresort.com/content/article.aspx?SID=2&CID=183&AID=446). 65 degrees and sunny. Coming off the ankle injury I didnt want to play a tough course so I chose this course. Its a par 62, 9 hole course. Played 18 holes. No par 5's but alot of long par 3's which was something I was looking forward to with the XHot Hybrid. No range, so there was no warmup.
Minerals_1.jpg

Minerals_6.jpg

Minerals.jpg


Hole by Hole thoughts:

Hole 1 - Par 4: Pretty easy, straight forward hole. 350 yards. I decided today to use this club as many times possible to make up for lost time. I hit 4 iron off the tee both times through and left myself around 160-170 each time. First time through I made nice solid contact and got that nice high penetrating ball flight that I remember. Ended up about 20 yards short. Think I was subconsciously worrying about my ankle so I took it easy. No pain at all so that pretty much set me up for the day. The 2nd time through I took the same strategy. This time I went after it and ended up hitting the green from 170+. Was probably the best shot I hit all day.

Hole 2 - Par 3: Long Par 3. Today it was playing around 175. Big sand trap short right. Pin was in the back left so that was perfect for my ball flight. First time through, I swung pretty hard and hit a stone cold shank into the bunker. Still having trouble figuring this club off the tee. 2nd time around I decided to not use a tee and just hit it off the deck. Hit a beauty pin high about 15 feet away. Every time I pulled the club out of my bag after that shot on 10 (First hole) my father said "Great..here comes the wonder club". After the shot on 11 he just looked at me and shook my head and blurted out an obscenity at me. All I could do was smile and say "Thank you THP"

Hole 3 - Par 4: A short par 4 that really challenges your course management. Bunkers left and right. Small landing area. If you hit it too far, you are in the creek which runs about 30-40 feet in front of the green. Again, in an attempt to put myself in a position to hit the XHot, I hit iron off the tee both times through. Both times left myself around 165-175 left. First time through, I hit it off the toe and assumed it was headed to the creek but the ball just kept on going and I ended up on the green but about 50 feet away. One thing I mentioned was that I wanted to get some work out of the rough with this club and got more than I wanted on this hole. Ended up right on a down slope, behind a tree. Choked down a little bit, closed my eyes (not really) and let it rip. Cleared the tree, which shocked me, and ended up about 10 feet left of the hole. This club can do alot, but nothing can help me keep the ball straight on a down slope..haha

Hole 4 - Par 3: Long par 3, into the wind, over a big lake. Trouble short and right, huge hill behind the hole. 176 yards was stretching the limits of where I am comfortable but I went ahead and pulled the XHot again. First 9, I hit a decent shot but left it a little left of the hole, which was a pretty safe shot. I was still struggling with the tee height so I skyed the ball a bit. The 2nd 9 I gave up on the tee and hit off the deck again. Hit a much better shot. On the green about 20-25 feet away. Like I have said in previous reviews and posts, the ball flight is high, but it is penetrating. The wind really whips around this hole and for me to reach the hole both times spoke volumes to me as I have struggled mightily on that hole in the past.

Hole 7 - Par 4: Longest hole on the course. Driver off the tee both times. Left me about 225-250 each time. Both times through, I drove through the fairway so I left myself a good opportunity to work out of the thick rough. The warbird sole does a really good job of cutting through the rough allowing for solid contact out of the rough. It was one of the things I love about the Mashie. I hit this club just as well out of the rough but with much more difference. Really easy to hit from tough conditions. Left myself with comfortable full swing wedge shots both times so I was extremely pleased.

After round impressions: As I said earlier, I was really focused on trying to get some swings out of the rough with this club. It flat out delivered. The rough was pretty thick for this time of year. No matter the lie, the ball gets out of the rough with relative ease and maintains that nice ball flight, I and others have talked about. Still struggling mightily off the tee with it. The few times I hit it off the tee without teeing it up, were much more successful.

Final thoughts: Sorry for no pics this time through. The course was pretty crowded and my father and I were paired up with another twosome so I didnt want to be rude. I mentioned some of my father's thoughts earlier. The biggest endorsement I can give this club is that he went out after we played and bought one. He is a creature of habit and was still playing an old Wilson hybrid. He saw how easily I was hitting the ball and decided it was time. We drove from the course to GS. I laughed the hole way. Couldnt wait to put that up here. As always, if anyone has any questions or would like some clarification or more detail, please let me know.
 
Sharkhat really does hit the hell out of this thing.

I hit it pretty dang well over the weekend too. Went 2/2 on par 3 GIR's yesterday. I can only think of one bad shot with it the entire weekend, which was a borderline shank.
 
TexasHacker34 said:
Wheres California? Wondering if he ever got this thing figured out!!
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Ill have a review up today. I got to use the Xhot on Friday when I played 9 holes. I'm still working on it
 
Can't wait to read it.
 
California92 said:
Ill have a review up today. I got to use the Xhot on Friday when I played 9 holes. I'm still working on it
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I really hope you start to see some consistency. This is a great club, and I am sure when you hit it clean you see how beastly it is. I am sure it is something you will figure out dude. Keep at it!
 
California92 said:
Thanks bud.
The frustration of not having good consistency kills me! I'm getting more better though.
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Consistency isn't always needed. We need to hear good and bad with it. Lack of consistency is something we'd love to hear about so we can figure out if it's the club, the person, etc. I was very inconsistent with my RBZ irons when I tested them until I started choking down on them so they were the same length as my current irons. That's when I saw the best results with them.
 
California92 said:
Thanks bud.
The frustration of not having good consistency kills me! I'm getting more better though.
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Any kind of update would be nice, really.
 
I've played 7 rounds so far with the 20* Pro, but most of the rounds I only hit it a few times as the 200-210 distance hasn't come up much based on the courses I'm playing (local public tracks), but on Friday there is this gimmick hole that you have to hit to about 190 and your left with 100 to the green (OB on both sides of the fairway) the wind was howling into our faces so I grabbed this club took a nice easy swing and it went about 195 with a slight draw and was in position A, PW hit the green and 2 putted for Par, yesterday was not so good Par 3 about 197 with heavy cross wind and I knew I had to take a bigger swing to get it there and I heeled it and hit a low screamer that ended up behind the hole in the rough much better then I expected, next time was this big DLR that has about 220 to the corner with a helping wind, I swing hit it slighty towards the toe and it fades into the trees but the golf gods smiled and kicked it back but in the fairway and to the far left side the trees were still in my way but not as bad had I been on the right side, so I took this club again (about 215 to green) but I had to slice this ball big time to get around the corner, I open up the face take a outside-in swing and hit this low screamer that bent around the trees and rolled to about 10 yds from the hole. Not bad for me not getting great swings on the ball or being in a bad position but I needed a 200-210 club and I'm happy I have this in my bag and I'm sure I will get more consistent with it.
 
My X Hot Hybrids have definitely helped shave a few strokes off my handicap, they let me get the ball up nice and high with ease and I just hit them straight. Off the tee, fairways, rough, woods, everywhere I use them it seems I can pull a good shot off. Every round I seem to find a new way to use them. I tried a few other hybrids last year and these these are a night and day difference for me.
 
League night tonight and the XHot continues to perform well for me. I'd like to report on how it played from the fairway, but uhh ... I didn't have a chance to hit from there. We started on #2, so here's the round in order.

Hole #2 - From the left rough, just over 200 out. A nice confident shot that had a great flight. The ball went straight toward the green and came up just about where I expected in front of the green for a partial wedge in.

Hole #5 - hit off the tee. This hole plays downhill off the tee with water at the end of the right side of the fairway at about 220. This was one of my best tee shots of the night, with a dead straight shot down the left side of the fairway. The ball stayed safe and left me a nice 9I over the water to the green..

Hole #7 - from the rough. My tee shot leaked to the right, leaving me at about 190 out. I think that I caught this one a little high on the face, because the ball flight was a lot higher than expected, and came up a little short which surprised me.

Hole #9 - from the rough again, from 210 out. I caught this one flush and flat crushed the ball. I missed the green to the right, but was approximately pin high.

This club remains a performer. If I'm anywhere near 200 I know that I can count on it to get me somewhere close to the green. If I'm beyond 200 and in the rough where I would question my ability to hit 3w, then I know that I'll be able to get this club on the ball and get it moving forward.
 
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