Maxfli XC3 Irons Review: Classy performance with a big hit of nostalgia

Key features

• Huge sweet spot for easy launch and enhanced ball striking
• 1025 carbon steel construction enhances feel
• Progressive sole widths add a little more bulk behind the ball provides consistency
• Co-forged with ceramic and tungsten to improve weight distrubution

Maxfli is a brand very firmly on the comeback. After spending its heyday as one of the biggest brands in the market throughout the '80s and '90s, after the turn of the millennium the brand faded into obscurity, passing through multiple owners, disappearing from the tour almost completely, and making most of its sales through budget golf balls and beginner-focused package sets.

Now, riding a wave of millennial nostalgia, Maxfli is making its presence and heritage known once again. The brand teamed up with cult LA apparel brand Metalwood on a capsule collection last year, and has begun producing equipment worthy of tour pros once again: LPGA star Lexi Thompson and red-hot PGA Tour pro Ben Griffin are just two to game their balls.

The XC3 game-improvement irons, released alongside the more player-oriented XC2, might be the brand's biggest statement of intent yet: an attempt at creating a set of game improvement irons that's both designed and priced to compete alongside the major players. They also happen to be the first forged irons to come off a Maxfli production line in three decades.

But how exactly do they perform, and given they're priced at almost exactly $1000 for a set—do they compete alongside the elite brands most common on? GolfMagic editor Andy Roberts tested them out to get the lowdown.

Looks and feel

The Maxfli XC3s strike a nice balance between being an iron engineered to help you hit higher, straighter shots while maintaining a minimalist look and feel in the bag. The XC3's pack plenty of metal into their design with no flashy inserts or real pops of colour, showing off their forged design and, if you can look past the name on the club, giving the whole set a pretty premium feel.

While they look sleek in the bag, at address the XC3s begin to betray their true purpose a little more. The thick topline and progressive sole widths across the club signify these clubs quite clearly as a game-improvement iron. They're by no means overly chunky, but improving players who feel comforted by having a lot of metal behind the ball will find these inspire a lot of confidence.

This carries through to the all-round feel the XC3s produce at impact. The carbon steel face produces a sweet, hearty sound striking the ball, while you feel every millimetre of the expanded sweet spot even on slightly off-centre strikes. 

The forged construction also helps the club feel substantial and luxurious striking the ball—something a lot of game improvement irons with larger cavities forgo in the pursuit of forgiveness.

Feedback is also excellent across the bag, giving you the information you need to correct what may have gone wrong on errant shots.

Performance

The Maxfli XC3s performed exactly how we'd expect, and hope, a solid all-round game-improvement would. Launching these irons is a breeze across the bag, while the thicker sole aids connection even if your ball-striking isn't dialled in. 

The XC3s also feature a small offset and weighting towards the toe, helping keep the slices at bay. Even on a number of squiffy hits this iron felt tough to hit too far offline. Horizontal dispersion remained tight on poor strikes, while the combination of ceramic and tungsten forged into the clubhead keeps the centre of gravity low, giving you the confidence to swing freely without worrying you're going to top the ball.

As with other irons in its class, the slight trade-off you pay for such forgiveness is distance. Andy found with his shots launching higher and landing steeper, distance dropped off marginally compared to his current gamers, but only by a few yards or so.

Should you buy the Maxfli XC3 irons?

The main drawback for many golfers looking seriously at the Maxfli XC3 is the price. Tagged at $1000 for a 5-AW set, they're not just fairly pricey for a game improvement iron by any measure, but a significant ask for generations of golfers attuned to equating Maxfli with budget golf equipment. 

We have a feeling it'll be hard to convince people to pick a set up when ranges like Wilson's Dynapwr or Cleveland's Launcher are available at a similar price—as are even more premium lines from a year or two ago.

At the same time, however, what you do get for your money in the XC3 is a truly excellent set of game-improvement irons with the build and looks to give the casual golfer years of happy play. The forged construction makes it a stand-out at its price point, while the feel and performance is among the best in its class.

Verdict

Maxfli is making big strides, and their new XC3 iron is a brilliant start to jump back into the golf equipment market. We're thrilled to see a true blast from the past making strides towards becoming a major player in the equipment space once more, and the XC3, while pricey for a brand most seasoned golfers might be hesitant to invest in, gives Maxfli a truly premium game-improvement iron to call its own.

The sleek looks and forged construction set the XC3 apart from their flashier rivals from brands like TaylorMade and Callaway, and there's a timeless quality to the clubs that ensure they'll age nicely as you progress into the hobby.

The design and shape, however, provides the launch and forgiveness mid-to-high handicappers crave as they get more into the game.