Callaway X Hot

NEW! 10 OF THE BEST: GAME IMPROVEMENT IRONS 2014

Brand: Callaway
Game improvement iron: X Hot
RRP: £599 Best price: £549
Loft: 26-degree Lie: 61.75-degree Length: 37.75” Swing Weight: D2
Shaft: True Temper Speed Step 85 Grip: Callaway Stock

Summary: The deep undercut design allows Callaway to precisely position the centre of gravity and move the most compliant part of the face - the hottest part - lower, where most golfers make contact with the ball. And for the first time ever, Callaway has incorporated Speed Frame Face Technology from its drivers into the X Hot Irons to optimise stiffness across the face for more ball speed and consistent distance on off-centre hits.

Appearance: The thin face profile has the look of a player iron with the performance you’d expect from game improvement. The crown finish looks smart and although there’s not too much offset on show, there’s enough to help square the face up at impact. 8.5

Feel: From practice swing through to impact, everything about this iron feels great. Aided by Callaway’s Feel Management Technology, X Hot provides a crisp, dynamic feel and lovely feedback at impact. The stock shaft offering of True Temper Speed Step 85 Lightweight - 10g lighter than Callaway has previous utilised in the past - also impresses. 9.5

Performance: Like the TaylorMade, this 6-iron carries a low degree of loft (26-degree - 0.5-degree down on the RocketBladez), we were achieving a remarkable average distance gain of eight yards. The X-Hot isn’t all about distance, however, as the deep undercut channel - which has allowed Callaway engineers to lower the sweet spot - provides solid forgiveness on off-centre hits. 9.5

Verdict

While not surprising to see it was the longest iron in the test alongside the RocketBladez, the ball was incredibly easy to launch and provided remarkable forgiveness. All-round, very impressive. 27.5

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