XXIO 14 Driver review: Effortless (but expensive) power

Japanese club manufacturer XXIO is not a brand many western golfers have much experience of playing.

Part of the same stable of brands that also includes Srixon and Cleveland, XXIO (pronounced zex-ee-oh, in case you're still wondering) stands alongside brands like Honma and Yonex among the most popular manufacturers in the Asian market, however due to its clubs' premium price tag and general gearing towards meeting the demands of Asian players, it's never quite been able to crack mainstream success in the west.

In recent years, however, all of these brands have made intentional motions towards wooing western customers. Honma's short-lived and ill-fated partnership with Justin Rose was an attempt at giving the brand real tour credibility, while brands like XXIO are now far more vocal about trying to get golfers in the US and UK to give their clubs a try.

This, conveniently, brings us to the brand's latest premium range, simply named the 14 and, as you might have guessed, the successor to the 13 range. 

Sticking to the brand's core philosophy of making clubs aimed at seniors, ladies and slower swingers, XXIO hopes that the 14 will hold even more universal appeal outside the Asian market, delivering a simple one-stop option for luxury-minded golfers who want clubs that work with their swing, rather than against it.

But is the XXIO 14 really a club that'll propel the brand further into the mainstream equipment conversation here in the UK? More importantly, priced at almost £750, is it worth the added investment? We took it on the course to find out.

Check out our video review and scroll on to read our detailed thoughts. Let us know what you think of the new range in the comments below.

Looks and features

If you're familiar with the way XXIO's drivers look and feel, the look of the 14 won't come as a great shock to you. In keeping with the brand's elevated aesthetic, there's a distinctly premium air to the 14 range, with a strong focus on metallic finishes, subtle tonal colours and premium metals. It's not covered in visible carbon fibre in the way many modern drivers are, rather it looks like something that belongs as much in a display case as it does out on the course.

This look subtly hides some of the new performance features XXIO have engineered into the 14 driver, all with the intention of helping slower swingers get more performance out of their natural game.

While a lot of recreational players who swing the club more slowly tend to invest in heavier drivers because they think they have to, XXIO's 14 is part of a growing subset of drivers that prioritises a lighter feel to help you generate more ball speed while keeping your tempo slow. 

The Ultiflex Titanium alloy face is XXIO's thinnest yet, allowing for more speed off the face, while the ActivWing shaping helps stabilise the club head throughout the downswing to create a more consistent swing path. A High-Grip Milled Pattern on the heel and toe helps maintain both distance and direction, adding further forgiveness to the package.

The clubhead and shaft are both super light, engineered bespoke to the brand's specifications, which theoretically should eliminate the need to go through a time-consuming driver fitting. Slower swingers should simply be able to pick up the XXIO and play.

Performance

Players with slower speeds, as such, will be pleased to read that the 14 driver really does pay increasing dividends the more controlled you are with the driver. We tested the driver in the hands of both a higher-handicapper swinging slowly and a recreational player with a slower swing, and found that creating power with the 14 feels completely effortless. 

You'll actually find your ball flight more consistent and controlled the slower you swing, making the XXIO an appealing package for anyone who really likes to feel stable and controlled throughout the entire shot. 

This also extends through to the new 14 Fairway woods, hybrids and irons, all of which will deliver bags of forgiveness and extra power for recreational players who swing under the 90mph mark. 

Ultimately, testing the XXIO really drove home the importance of lighter clubs for golfers who simply aren't able to generate club head speed with raw power. Its ultra lightweight head and specially tuned shaft simply work better with the body compared to "normal" clubs simply fitted with lightweight shafts, and will likely produce far more consistent results in kind.

Should you buy the XXIO 14 driver?

XXIO will always have a devoted base of clients, particularly in the Asian market, who are drawn towards the brand's premium reputation and knack for making clubs that help smaller, slower-swinging golfers unlock more distance. Whether or not this translates to the western market – an area the brand has long tried to crack, remains to be seen.

Regardless, there's no doubt that the XXIO 14 is a seriously impressive bit of kit for the slower-swinging golfer. Seniors, slow-swinging beginners and ladies alike will find a lot to love in this new driver, and if you do struggle with distance would thoroughly recommend looking into trying a driver like this as opposed to forcing yourself into a heavier driver that might actually be working against you. 

There are tons of golfers who would benefit from switching into the XXIO, whether you're getting a little bit older, have lost a few mph through injury, or have recently undergone a swing change and want to build your confidence back up.

The only drawback, of course, is the cost. XXIO's prestige allows it to charge £750 in countries like Japan and Korea, safe in the knowledge that people will buy their clubs regardless. 

The issue, however, is that more and more companies are producing lightweight, forgiving variants of their flagship drivers for hundreds of pounds less. Titleist's GT1 (£579), PXG's new Lightning Max Lite and TaylorMade's Qi35 Max Lite (readily available for under £400), and all serve the same purpose as the XXIO, for far less money. 

Can we imagine the average golfer springing for the Japanese option over all of them? As good as it looks and as well as it performs, it might prove a bit of a tough sell.

The XXIO 14 range launches on the 20th of February 2026. You can find out more at the XXIO website.