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Callaway X Forged UT Review

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Good write up Dean! These are nice looking irons. If they offered something more than a 2iron in LH I’d be more interested in looking at them, but it’s great to see the availability of another option for most players.
 
dazeedmonds said:
Good write up Dean! These are nice looking irons. If they offered something more than a 2iron in LH I’d be more interested in looking at them, but it’s great to see the availability of another option for most players.
Click to expand...

It appears from the article they offer a 2 and 3 iron in LH.


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e1iterate said:
It appears from the article they offer a 2 and 3 iron in LH.


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Click to expand...

So they do. Reading it in the app and formatting made it easy to miss. Good catch.
 
Great job Dean. I find it interesting that these individual "irons" are the same price as hybrids. Prices just seem to be higher everywhere now a days!! Oh well, the price of progress I guess!
 
I really enjoyed this one Dean. It's been interesting watching OEM's in this space expand beyond just the 2/3 irons and in this case all the way to the 6i slot. I think that's a fantastic option to give something a bit more easier to hit than just a pure bladed long iron while in a package that's still appealing.

The talk of the MOI and CG is fantastic as those are something I admittedly don't completely understand no matter how many videos I see or posts I read but the way you described what it does here makes absolute perfect sense to me and why I've gotten along better with a club similar to this over a hybrid.

The hollow body along with Tungsten is a popular setup these days and I can see why. I think Callaway nailed it with this offering and these will make it into the bag of even those that aren't pure ball strikers.
 
Excellent, very comprehensive review Dean. These look at sound like they will be viable options for mid, as well as low, handicap players.
 
First I have to say the new formatting for the homepage and articles really makes the reviews much more enjoyable to read and the pictures are fantastic!

Now to the review, I have not gamed a UT though I have thought about it. I only carry 1 hybrid (3h) and I used to struggle with until I learned how to hit it properly. That being said these are intriguing to me, something about having a 2i or 3i in the bag is pretty cool. I'd have to do some testing to see how it would fill the gaps for me compared to my 3h but I will definitely give these a look
 
Fantastic look on the reviews and great job Dean.

In terms of the club itself, while I understand the allure for a better player as an alternative to a hybrid, I'm still struggling with the rationale of offering a replacement for a 6-iron loft. Is the implication that golfers in this demographic would replace everything from 6-iron on down to 3? Obviously that would be great for Callaway; I'm just wondering how many people would actually do that.

Perhaps this is the beginning of a shift toward equipping your bag with the right tools for the job on a club-by-club basis. For example, if you know you hit your 5- or 6-iron more often than other clubs, it could make sense to carry an individual club build specifically for that purpose.
 
jdtox said:
First I have to say the new formatting for the homepage and articles really makes the reviews much more enjoyable to read and the pictures are fantastic!

Now to the review, I have not gamed a UT though I have thought about it. I only carry 1 hybrid (3h) and I used to struggle with until I learned how to hit it properly. That being said these are intriguing to me, something about having a 2i or 3i in the bag is pretty cool. I'd have to do some testing to see how it would fill the gaps for me compared to my 3h but I will definitely give these a look
Click to expand...

I recently made the transition to a similar club style and absolutely love it man. Definitely recommend giving it a shot.


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Great review Dean. A lot of great information and material in there.

I have to say, I am intrigued by the 21* to bend to 20* and use where I may not like a hybrid (thicker rough primarily). I did that with the Apex UT, but the 815 hybrid beat it out and I moved on, but have always had it in my regrets that I got rid of it. Add in face cup and new tech and I am very interested!



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Great review! I got the 24* a week or so ago and I really like it vs. the hybrid option. I find it really good off the tee and just as easy off the turf. The ball flight with it is really good for me here in El Paso where it is windy more times than not.
 
golfunfiltered said:
Fantastic look on the reviews and great job Dean.

In terms of the club itself, while I understand the allure for a better player as an alternative to a hybrid, I'm still struggling with the rationale of offering a replacement for a 6-iron loft. Is the implication that golfers in this demographic would replace everything from 6-iron on down to 3? Obviously that would be great for Callaway; I'm just wondering how many people would actually do that.

Perhaps this is the beginning of a shift toward equipping your bag with the right tools for the job on a club-by-club basis. For example, if you know you hit your 5- or 6-iron more often than other clubs, it could make sense to carry an individual club build specifically for that purpose.
Click to expand...

I think we are somewhat seeing that shift come to fruition. Utilities have been around, but generally used more in the long/driver iron spot, which is aimed directly at those better players with high swing speeds. But we've seen companies get much better lately at making these hollow body irons that look more compact than say a hollow design like the Nike Vapor Speed. When PING released the crossover(which I couldn't stand), in my mind it was a clear way of trying to bridge things together, although that looked like a toe. Now we have options like this and the MMC Fi Hi which are pretty comparable to me, and with these offerings, and the growth in combo sets, it allows golfers to either check their ego, or create something that works best. Me for example, I could play the X Forged irons and would feel comfortable doing so. Much like that MMC I am playing now, when I get down to that 4-5-6 range, my confidence in ball striking starts going downhill. I have no real fear of hybrids, but this gives a chance for something to blend in better to the eye, and quite frankly look better in the bag. So giving me the ability to have something that looks similar, keeps similar lines, but offers a small bump in forgiveness and speed, might get me to hit that 4-5-6 more frequently.

Short answer: It's a niche club, something the utility has always been. Callaway & Mizuno are just trying to see if they can broaden the appeal by offering in some higher lofts.


Maybe I should have given the short answer first:alien:
 
tpluff said:
Great review Dean. A lot of great information and material in there.

I have to say, I am intrigued by the 21* to bend to 20* and use where I may not like a hybrid (thicker rough primarily). I did that with the Apex UT, but the 815 hybrid beat it out and I moved on, but have always had it in my regrets that I got rid of it. Add in face cup and new tech and I am very interested!

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Click to expand...

That's exactly what Gerrit put in my bag (a 21 bent to 20).

So far, with a winter swing I'm hitting my Apex hybrid more consistently. The UT has a flatter trajectory though, which I'm sure I'll really appreciate when it's windy and/or firm. I hit it well enough in Palm Springs to give it the benefit of the doubt for a while anyway.
 
Hit this one the other day and was left a little under whelmed....... Seemed more on the less forgiving side for a club of this type. Felt good but just isnt as easy to hit IMO in comparison to some other offerings
 
Well hello UT 24*. We shall be meeting each other soon
 
jdtox said:
First I have to say the new formatting for the homepage and articles really makes the reviews much more enjoyable to read and the pictures are fantastic!

Now to the review, I have not gamed a UT though I have thought about it. I only carry 1 hybrid (3h) and I used to struggle with until I learned how to hit it properly. That being said these are intriguing to me, something about having a 2i or 3i in the bag is pretty cool. I'd have to do some testing to see how it would fill the gaps for me compared to my 3h but I will definitely give these a look
Click to expand...

With the way you hit your 4 iron I have no doubt you'd hit this well.
 
Am I the only one on here that has a problem with the $249 price tag?
This is a pretty expensive club for something you are going to have 3 - 4 swings per round.
 
Great review, and as I thought I don't think these are what I need in my bag even at the lower lofts. I need something that is going to help it get airborne, but love the options out there for everyone.
 
Nikhil said:
Am I the only one on here that has a problem with the $249 price tag?
This is a pretty expensive club for something you are going to have 3 - 4 swings per round.
Click to expand...

I would guess it depends which loft you end up going with in terms of use per round. But the price is equal to the Rogue Hybrids out there, and you can make the same price/use argument about those.
 
Dean. Bravo.
 
Thanks for the review Deano! The hybrids were so good this year (Rogue) that I never even got around to hitting these and I wish I had! Not only do they look fantastic but guys seem to really be enjoying them. I've always struggled with what to put in my bag between the 3W and 4i. If the hybrid ever starts to leave me this is a fantastic option!
 
Nikhil said:
Am I the only one on here that has a problem with the $249 price tag?
This is a pretty expensive club for something you are going to have 3 - 4 swings per round.
Click to expand...

Yes I wish they were cheaper. I won’t complain too much though I really like it so far and find myself hitting it more than my hybrid or fairway.
 
Nikhil said:
Am I the only one on here that has a problem with the $249 price tag?
This is a pretty expensive club for something you are going to have 3 - 4 swings per round.
Click to expand...

That’s high IMO...especially when competitors offerings are at $149. $249 for a single iron is silly.


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Thanks for the review....ordered a #4 X forged UT!!!

Can't wait! :)
 
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