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Callaway XHot Hybrid - Forum Testing Review

SuperStroke
Update: coming later this evening!
I got some good feedback for you all. But no success really://
And I have the video to anyone that would like me to email it to them:) let me know via PM
-Manny M.
 
California92 said:
Update: coming later this evening!
I got some good feedback for you all. But no success really://
And I have the video to anyone that would like me to email it to them:) let me know via PM
-Manny M.
Click to expand...

Why don't you post it In the thread?
 
War Eagle said:
Tex, that was a good update dude. Thanks for sharing your thoughts in here.

Quick question for you about your round; If the Xhot wasnt in the bag, what club do you usually play there? Is it another hybrid or a fairway? And, if it's a fairway, do you pull the Xhot hybo in favor of it due to how reliable it has been for you?
Click to expand...

It was the Baffler T rail. Honestly It was so inconsistent for me. I liked the rail concept but I could never go it well. If I didn't have the xhot or the baffler it would probably be 5 wood. I am contemplating grabbing a 3h in place of the 5wood
 
Playing a course tomorrow with some reachable Par 5s, definitely going to lean on the XHot hybrid for those.

Also, there are back to back to back Par 4s that are doglegs or have blind tee shots that I am thinking this hybo will be perfect for.
 
War Eagle said:
Playing a course tomorrow with some reachable Par 5s, definitely going to lean on the XHot hybrid for those.

Also, there are back to back to back Par 4s that are doglegs or have blind tee shots that I am thinking this hybo will be perfect for.
Click to expand...

No on course for me tomorrow but found a range near here with a grass area so I am going to spend an hour or 2 working this thing out and hoping to figure out the whole tee problem I am having.
 
War Eagle said:
Playing a course tomorrow with some reachable Par 5s, definitely going to lean on the XHot hybrid for those.

Also, there are back to back to back Par 4s that are doglegs or have blind tee shots that I am thinking this hybo will be perfect for.
Click to expand...

Looks like you might rely on the beautiful high flight it gives you with the dogleg holes and blind tee shot :)
 
http://youtu.be/FEZhp8Bv36g

Here is my swing currently. Feel free for to suggest any help, please.
Sorry the angle is a bit weird. I had a friend record it.
 
Got rained out for our league yesterday and didn't get to hit the X-Hot save for one swing into a par 5 prior to the thunder/lightning. Obviously not much to report from one hole, but I have to say the versatility on this club still blows me away. It's great from everywhere. I hit into an uphill green from wet and thick rough from about 240 yards out and only missed the green by about 10-15 yards. This club is just money for me.
 
I hit this one again on the range this morning, and every time I hit it, I am reminded at how easy of a club it is to hit. Like I had said before, it's not the longest hybrid out there, but it gives me that higher ball flight and accuracy that I can depend on.

Off the deck, off the tee, the results are just there. The sound at impact and the solid "thwack" you get is addicting, and when well struck, you know it immediately by the audible feedback that you get at impact.

For someone who doesnt change hybrids often (Hello 2005 TM Rescue Mid 3h), I can definitely say that this one will be hard to beat out of my bag.
 
I want one or two of these and throw them back to back with my Adams. They were pretty close in the fitting, cannot even really recall why I went with one or the other. I think it was too close and basically flipped a coin.
 
Only hybrid I have ever been able to hit somewhat reliably. The 6 is deadly with a nice easy swing Adding a 3 that will give me a total of 4 of these beasts.
 
Any recent updated on this guys?
 
Went to the range for an hour today. Will have a writeup later.
 
War Eagle said:
Awesome buddy! Continued success with it?
Click to expand...

Really worked on 2 things. 1) Different ball positions in my stance 2) Hitting off a tee Really wanted to get the tee figured out. Overall, still just a tremendous piece of equipment. I think they absolutely nailed every aspect of it. I honestly dont see how they improve on it next year.
 
Couldn't ask for a prettier day today, it's 60° with clear blue skies. I started my day out with some Starbucks and some range time.

For some reason, I'm still having a huge amount of trouble with full swings with my irons. I'll get 3 or 4 good shots, and then just fall apart. However, my woods and hybrids are still working for some reason.

I spent most of the bucket with the 3H and wedges today. Right now, everything about the XHot hybrid screams confidence to me. I still really love the contrast that the white grooves on the black face provide. I know for sure that I'm addressing the ball right at the sweet spot.

I managed to put some awkward swings together today, mostly as a result of experimenting with different positions to try to work out my swing problems. The vast majority still turned out okay. My ball flight today varied from straight to a slight draw, with one severe hook. I was kind of shocked by this as I usually tend towards a pretty solid slice. I'm not sure if I was swinging smoother and easier than normal, but a good number of shots today sounded different, and felt as if the ball was barely even there. The sound was very muted but crisp, and the ball was just gone. After the ball took off, I could also hear a pretty distinct whoosh of the ball screaming through the air. I hadn't heard this in a while, and it was very encouraging to get that back.


My success with this club has me thinking a few different things. First, it's making me think I'll be doing a pretty good War Eagle impression, and not changing hybrids for a long, long time. Second, it's making me consider if the rest of the XHot lineup belongs in my bag.
 
Hoping to get to the course/range on Thursday now that I'm back in Pittsburgh. Had a TERRIBLE weekend at home weather-wise so didn't get much golf in period. We actually had snow today before I drove back to Pitt.
 
Reference Links:
Initial Thoughts
First Range Session
First On Course Testing
Second On Course Testing

Second Range Session:

Conditions: Beautiful day. 65 degrees. Little windy at some points but didnt really have much of an effect on my session. Recently found a range about 30 minutes away that have a grass range area which is something I have been dying for.

First 30 minutes: I decided I wanted to work on 2 different things today. The first half of my session I worked on moving the ball around in my stance and seeing what I could do to maybe work some different shots. Here is what I came up with:

Back in stance: As expected, I was hitting some pretty low line drives. What I didnt expect was how far the ball was going. I was hitting ropes out there. It really got me thinking if this "stinger" type of shot is the type of shot I should be playing more with this club to maximize distance where maybe I would normally hit a long iron out of the rough. Generally speaking, playing the ball back can sometimes result in pull hooks, especially with the offset, but I didnt see any of this.

Center of stance: This is where I have been playing the ball for the entire time I have been testing it. I dont know if I was struggling to get the ball to the normal height I am used to because I started out with the ball back in my stance or what but I was still making solid contact which is what I am always looking for.

Forward in stance: I was looking forward to this the most. I wanted to see if I would lose some distance due to the higher ball flight. As I have said previously, I struggle with a lower ball flight which leads to alot of missed GIR. I started it with it just off my front foot and by the time I was done it was off the front of my front foot. As expected, the further forward I played the ball, the higher it went. Minimal distance loss at best. It is definitely a shot I now feel comfortable with and will be using alot. I have been playing shorter courses so these types of shots and being comfortable with these shots is imperative.

Second 30 minutes: For the second part of my range session I worked on hitting the ball off the tee. I started off teeing it extremely low, as if there was barely a tee there and that seemed to work okay. I was still hitting the ball kind of low. I kept moving the tee up further and the ball kept going higher and higher. I ended up finding a sweet spot, using the THP Epoch tees.
IMG_1946_zpsc89ce1a2.png

I basically teed it down until the very end of the Hackers Paradise Logo writing was visible. I was hitting the ball with ease and with the ball flight I wanted.

Final thoughts: I am not usually one to mess around with different stances, ball positions, and tee heights but I felt like I wanted to make sure I am getting absolutely the most out of this club and for the review. I came away even more impressed (didn't think that was possible) with this club. It is so versatile and allows me to do so many different things and hit so many different shots with confidence. Being confident in the club you are using and knowing you can hit the shot you need to hit is one of the most important parts of any golf swing. I feel like I finally have it dialed in off the tee which is something I was worried about as well. As always, if you have any questions or want clarification on anything, please let me know.
 
Awesome Dev! Glad you were able to get comfortable with it off a tee
 
JB said:
Any club feedback with that video?
Click to expand...

Yes sir. Indeed their is and it will be up in just a short time.
 
I still think hybrids are an area that people overlook Callaway. It's a shame because they make great hybo's.
 
Testing update!

Testing update!

Hey THP'ers and Guest,
I wanted to hit you all with an update on my progress with the Callaway XHot Hybrid. This session was done at the same time I recorded my swing.

DATE: 5/9/2013
PLACE: Birdies Driving Range
TEMPS: 65* w/ Wind gust of 5-10mph
PURPOSE: To test the club and work on what is causing me bad ball contact.

RESULTS: Going to the range I already knew what I wanted to do and that was to get better ball contact and to see the flight and distance that I saw when I had first got the club for testing.
I warmed up a bit with my Pitching wedge and then went straight into the XHot. I initially took my practice swings with it to get a feel of how I wanted to play the club. When I normally do this I usually take a pretty decent divot, but this is not the case when I am hitting the actual ball.
Well I got into “GO” time and set up my ball position, stance, posture, and grip. I took the first swing and it was a thin almost topped shot. This wasn’t unfamiliar because it’s been happening for way to long. I proceeded with practicing and worked on the same ball position with different postures. I went from a normal posture to a slightly taller posture and then all the way to a pretty vertical posture. None of these worked for me so I decided to move my ball back a bit because I thought it would do me justice. With this, I had my normal posture and I actually got 2 out of 10 shots to go somewhere. They had a slight hook on them, but seeing the ball go up and out with that good ole "swoosh" sound was enough to keep me practicing. I was playing the ball just slight back of my right heel (I am a LEFTY). I worked on bringing the ball back more but it didn’t seem to work. I ended this session with my driver and got excellent results. The thing I never did was play my ball in the center of my stance. I do wish I would have because I feel it would have gave me better results. I am going to do this next time I practice.
When I setup I have my shaft slightly leading forward but nothing big. If anyone would like to take a look at my video of my swing and suggest any help, it would be deeply and greatly appreciated. Currently I have been playing my ball in the center of my stance for all my wedges, 9, 8, and then up to my front foot from there on normal/full swings. I know I can get this club to do what I want, but I just have to better my swing. I hope I get it worked out soon. Ill post soon when I get out to practice again. Until then, stay fresh and keep on rocking!!!

Respectfully, Manny M.
***The only guy who cant hit his hybrid currently!
 
California92 said:
Hey THP'ers and Guest,
I wanted to hit you all with an update on my progress with the Callaway XHot Hybrid. This session was done at the same time I recorded my swing.

DATE: 5/9/2013
PLACE: Birdies Driving Range
TEMPS: 65* w/ Wind gust of 5-10mph
PURPOSE: To test the club and work on what is causing me bad ball contact.

RESULTS: Going to the range I already knew what I wanted to do and that was to get better ball contact and to see the flight and distance that I saw when I had first got the club for testing.
I warmed up a bit with my Pitching wedge and then went straight into the XHot. I initially took my practice swings with it to get a feel of how I wanted to play the club. When I normally do this I usually take a pretty decent divot, but this is not the case when I am hitting the actual ball.
Well I got into “GO” time and set up my ball position, stance, posture, and grip. I took the first swing and it was a thin almost topped shot. This wasn’t unfamiliar because it’s been happening for way to long. I proceeded with practicing and worked on the same ball position with different postures. I went from a normal posture to a slightly taller posture and then all the way to a pretty vertical posture. None of these worked for me so I decided to move my ball back a bit because I thought it would do me justice. With this, I had my normal posture and I actually got 2 out of 10 shots to go somewhere. They had a slight hook on them, but seeing the ball go up and out with that good ole "swoosh" sound was enough to keep me practicing. I was playing the ball just slight back of my right heel (I am a LEFTY). I worked on bringing the ball back more but it didn’t seem to work. I ended this session with my driver and got excellent results. The thing I never did was play my ball in the center of my stance. I do wish I would have because I feel it would have gave me better results. I am going to do this next time I practice.
When I setup I have my shaft slightly leading forward but nothing big. If anyone would like to take a look at my video of my swing and suggest any help, it would be deeply and greatly appreciated. Currently I have been playing my ball in the center of my stance for all my wedges, 9, 8, and then up to my front foot from there on normal/full swings. I know I can get this club to do what I want, but I just have to better my swing. I hope I get it worked out soon. Ill post soon when I get out to practice again. Until then, stay fresh and keep on rocking!!!

Respectfully, Manny M.
***The only guy who cant hit his hybrid currently!
Click to expand...

Cal92, Why in the world are you positioning the ball off the front foot (instep)?? Isn't that where you position your driver? Or is it further forward than that??

The goal of the hybrid is to replace a long iron, not a fairway metal/driver. The ball position should be always very near to center UNLESS you're trying to play a particular shot, just like a long iron. Get the ball position off the zipper and get your angle of attack in the minus category instead of the plus side and I believe you'll have more success.

Looking at your video, your left leg (back leg) straightens during your backswing. You really need to maintain some flex in that left knee because it will cause you to over-rotate and as you can see at the top of your swing, your angles are off and you're probably across the line a bit (hard to say for sure on the address angle). Also, don't swing SOO hard! In slow-mo just before impact, you've already released. I.E. early release. You're doing this because your shoulder (upper body) and hips/legs (lower body) are overly disconnected. It's difficult to see in the video but it looks like you have a lot of flex in the elbows on the downswing. That right elbow should be straight at impact and the left arm finishing thru and down the line. You've got a little chicken-wing thing going on (which will definitely cause tops and thin shots). Typically you'll correct a lot of these issues by slowing down and letting the speed come in the impact zone. Slow your initial transition and maintain flex in the left knee throughout the backswing and impact areas...
 
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