Equipment
Callaway’s new XR OS irons and hybrids
Callaway’s XR irons and hybrids from last year (the standard models, not the “Pro”) were classified as game-improvement clubs, industry code for high-launching, forgiving clubs with big profiles and wide soles. The new XR OS irons and hybrids — the “OS” stands for over-sized — are made to be super game-improvement clubs. That means they’re the highest launching, most forgiving irons and hybrids Callaway has made to date.
Who is the new XR OS line for? Golfers who are either inconsistent or have slow swing speeds, and need the longest, easiest-to-hit irons and hybrids possible. If you had interest Callaway Big Bertha irons, or super game-improvement clubs from another company, these are for you.
So what makes the XR OS line more forgiving, and how exactly will they help your game?
Callaway’s XR irons, released in 2015, were the first generation of irons to utilize Face Cup, a Callaway technology used to improve ball speed across the face, especially on mishits. The new XR OS irons have an improved Face Cup. The second-generation design has thinned out areas around the perimeter, making those areas faster, and a sweet spot located lower on the face where most high-handicap players tend contact the ball. The improvements give the XR OS irons higher ball speeds in the areas where golfers want to hit them (low and in the center of the face), as well as where they hit them when things go wrong.
Related: The best game-improvement irons of 2015
Many irons with extremely thin and fast faces can sacrifice feel due to the significant vibrations that can occur from such designs. To reduce those vibrations, Callaway engineers put TPU between the face and the cavity — called a “snubber” — ultimately improving sound and feel.
For a higher launch and better contact, Callaway redesigned the soles with a trailing-edge bevel. It has the two-fold benefit of moving the center of gravity (CG) lower and more rearward, as well reducing turf interaction to help golfers make cleaner contact for longer-flying, more consistent shots.
Another problem that high-handicappers and slow-swingers face is differentiating the distance their long irons fly. For instance, maybe their 3, 4 and 5 irons all carry within 5-10 yards of each other. That hardly justifies the need to have all these clubs in the bag. But with the XR OS irons, Callaway has added loft and length to the longer irons, helping golfers spread yardage gaps and establish proper spacing throughout the set.
Here’s a look at the progressive loft-gapping, showing the differences in lofts between irons throughout the set: 4-6 irons (3 degrees of change), 6-8 irons (3.5 degrees), 8-9 irons (4 degrees), 9-PW-AW-SW (5 degrees). All of the lofts are below:
- 4-iron: 22 degrees
- 5-iron: 25
- 6-iron: 28
- 7-iron: 31.5
- 8-iron: 35
- 9-iron: 39
- PW: 44
- AW: 49
- SW: 54
The spacing makes creating a combo set more seamless since yardage gaps are more identifiable, according to Callaway.
The XR OS hybrids, like the irons, are the highest launching and most forgiving option in Callaway’s stable of hybrid offerings. They feature wider soles and larger profiles, and utilize the latest Hyper Speed Forged Face Cup for high ball speeds across the club face. They also have a low and back CG, a high moment of inertia (MOI) and increased draw-bias, making them easier to get airborne and turn over compared with the original XR hybrids.
A new sole, which Callaway calls “Dual-Keeled Utility,” is large, but is said to reduce ground contact by 50 percent, improving the versatility of the hybrids.
The XR OS hybrids (3, 4, 5, 6 and 7) come stock with a Mitsubishi Fubuki AT 60 shaft, and are available Jan. 22 for $219.99. The XR OS irons will be available on Jan. 22 in both steel, graphite, and combo-set offerings.
XR OS Pricing
- Steel: $799.99
- Graphite: $899.99,
- Steel Combo Set: $899.99
- Graphite Combo Pricing: $999.99
- Available Irons: (4-SW)
See more photos and join the discussion in the forums.
- LIKE135
- LEGIT32
- WOW10
- LOL9
- IDHT9
- FLOP7
- OB6
- SHANK44
- Patrick Reed what’s in the bag accurate as of the PGA Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G400 (8.5 degrees)
Shaft: Aldila Rogue Silver 125 MSI 70 Tour X
3-wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (15 degrees)
Shaft: Aldila Rogue Silver 125MSI 80 Tour X
Hybrid: Callaway Apex Pro (18 degrees)
Shaft: Aldila RIP Phenom Hybrid 100 TX
Irons: Titleist 716 TMB (2), Grindworks PR-202 (4), Grindworks PR-101A (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore (50-10 Mid), Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (56-08M @55), SM10 (60-04T)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Odyssey White Hot RX Pt Customs No. 2
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
More photos of Patrick Reed’s WITB in the forums.
- LIKE0
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL1
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK1
Welcome to the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.
In the last two PGA Championships held at Valhalla, Tiger Woods won in 2000 – when he famously pointed his golf ball into the hole during the historic duel with Bob May – and Rory McIlroy won the 2014 event, basically in the dark on the final hole.
The point is, history shows that Valhalla tends to produce top-tier champions and plenty of drama.
This week at the 2024 PGA Championship, GolfWRX got its first up-close look at what some of the LIV Tour players have in their bags in 2024. We also caught back up with a few PGA Championship legends, such as Rich Beem and John Daly, and we dove into the bags of PGA Sectional qualifiers, too.
In total, we captured 47 different photo galleries this week, including 32 individual What’s In The Bag (WITB) forum threads. Click here to see all of our photos from the event, or continue reading to see my 10 equipment highlights from Valhalla.
1) Brooks Koepka’s new putter
Koepka was previously using a Scotty Cameron T5.5 putter with a slant neck, which he used to win at the beginning of the month in Singapore on the LIV tour. This week, however, he tried a T5.5 with a plumbers neck instead of the slant neck, and it’s immediately going in the bag. According to Scotty Cameron Tour rep Drew Page, Koepka already loved the head, and now finds the plumbers neck a bit more familiar to the blade-style putters he’s used throughout most of his career.
2) The lead tape king returns, with putting goggles
Phil Mickelson has always been one of the GOATs when it comes to lead tape usage, so it was no surprise to see his 64-degree custom Callaway wedge slathered with slabs of lead tape on the back.
The big surprise was that lefty was spotted using ProAim putting training goggles on Wednesday during his warm-up session.
The ProAim goggles are helpful to find center lines and ensure proper alignment to the target.
See Phil Mickelson’s full WITB from the 2024 PGA Championship
3) Dobyns’ old-school gamer setup
Speaking of lead tape, check out Matt Dobyn’s old Titleist 718 T-MB irons, which are so loaded with lead tape that the club is nearly unrecognizable.
Respect.
The head professional at Meadow Brook Club is making his sixth start in a PGA Championship, and he’s using a throwback Callaway GBB Epic driver with MOI-boosting lead tape and adjustable weight placements.
As GolfWRX Forum user “InTheBag” pointed out in our Matt Dobyns’ WITB thread, he has the type of setup that makes you want to hide your wallet: “I don’t know Mr. Dobyns, but one look at that bag tells me he can take your money,” writes InTheBag.
Spot on.
4) John Daly’s custom Sub70 irons and wedges
We first saw John Daly using $750 direct-to-consumer Sub70 659-CB irons and TAIII wedges at the 2023 PNC Championship, and he still has them in the bag, but he’s since stepped up the customization on the Sub70 clubs.
Does Daly ever NOT keep things entertaining?
View this post on Instagram
A true showman.
5) DJ’s custom putter
Dustin Johnson has always been one to test multiple putters week-to-week, and he has a keen eye for different alignment lines and crowns. This week, he’s opting for a completely gray TaylorMade Spider Tour “T3.0” prototype with a short slant neck.
See the rest of DJ’s WITB from the week here
6) Patrick Reed still rocking GrindWorks irons
Patrick Reed knows his stuff when it comes to equipment, and he’s a prolific tester. Still, however, the GrindWorks PR-101A irons are squarely in the bag after his departure to the LIV tour.
The most notable new addition to Reed’s bag is this Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond 3-wood.
Click here to see Reed’s full WITB from this week
7) Beem’s Scratch set
Rich Beem, who won the 2002 PGA Championship at Hazeltine National, came to the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla with a bag full of Scratch Golf irons, which are loaded with lead tape and equipped with some of the coolest custom ferrules in professional golf.
See Rich Beem’s full WITB here
8) Jon Rahm’s 10-iron
Before going to LIV, Rahm was using a Callaway Apex TCB pitching wedge.
Now, he’s using a Callaway Apex TCB “10 iron.”
He’s also since upgraded to three Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke metalwoods, and fresh stampings on his Jaws Raw wedges. Click here to see Rahm’s full WITB from the 2024 PGA Championship.
9) “Why so serious?”
Tyrrell Hatton, another LIV player in the 2024 PGA Championship field, channels his inner Joker to ask everyone, “Why so serious?”
10) Block’s “Proto” iron, from address
As you probably know by now, Block switched out of his old TaylorMade Tour Preferred MC 2014 irons, and into a full set of TaylorMade’s new “Proto” irons. We’ve already seen the Proto 4-iron in the bags of Rory McIlroy and Collin Morikawa, but this is our first look at the higher-lofted irons in the set.
Here’s a look at the 7-iron from address:
See what GolfWRX members are saying about the Proto irons in our Forums
And, with that, we say goodbye to Louisville, and the second major championship of the 2024 season. We’ll see you next week at the 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas after a champion has been crowned.
Until then, don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week at the 2024 PGA Championship!
- LIKE2
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL1
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
We will be one quarter of the way through Thursday night men’s league season after this week. BK played much better last week, so he is hoping to continue that success and post another good score.
Here are the 14 clubs that will hopefully win him some skins!
Driver: PXG 0311 Black Ops (9 degrees, neutral setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 X (2024)
3-wood: Cobra Dark Speed LS Titanium (14.5 degrees, set +1)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD IZ-7x
Fairway: Callaway Apex UW (19 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura ATMOS Tour Spec Blue 8 X
Hybrid: PXG 0311 Black Ops 4h (22 degrees, Flat Setting)
Shaft: KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype 85 S
Irons: TaylorMade P770 Phantom Black (5-PW)
Shaft: KBS Tour 120 Stiff
Wedge: PXG Sugar Daddy II (50-13 BP)
Shaft: Nippon Modus3 Tour 120 Stiff
Wedge: PXG Sugar Daddy II (56-13 BP)
Shaft: Nippon Modus3 Tour 120 Stiff
Wedge: PXG Sugar Daddy II (60-13 BP)
Shaft: Nippon Modus3 Tour 120 Stiff
Putter: L.A.B. Mezz.1 Max
Shaft: Accra x L.A.B. White
Ball: Titleist ProV1 Enhanced Alignment
- LIKE1
- LEGIT1
- WOW1
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
Dave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
Justin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
Tiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
Report: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
Two star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
Report: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
Neal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
What we know about Bryson DeChambeau’s 3D-printed Avoda irons
Brandel Chamblee has ‘no doubt’ who started the McIlroy/LIV rumor and why
Patrick Reed WITB 2024 (May)
Patrick Reed what’s in the bag accurate as of the PGA Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Ping...
Club Junkie WITB, league night week 5: Another L.A.B. putter arises
We will be one quarter of the way through Thursday night men’s league season after this week. BK played much...
Jon Rahm WITB 2024 (May)
Jon Rahm what’s in the bag accurate as of the PGA Championship. 15 clubs pictured. More photos from the event...
John Daly WITB 2024 (May)
John Daly WITB accurate as of the PGA Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Ping G430 LST (9...
-
19th Hole3 weeks agoLET pro gives detailed financial breakdown of first week on tour…and the net result may shock you
-
19th Hole1 week agoReport: LIV star turns down PGA Championship invite due to ‘personal commitments’
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoGary Player claims this is what ‘completely ruined’ Tiger Woods’ career
-
Equipment1 week agoDetails on Justin Thomas’ driver switch at the Wells Fargo Championship
-
Whats in the Bag2 days agoTiger Woods WITB 2024 (May)
-
19th Hole1 day agoBrandel Chamblee says this is the primary reason why Rory McIlroy hasn’t won a major in 10 years
-
Whats in the Bag3 weeks agoTeam McIlowry (Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry) winning WITBs: 2024 Zurich Classic
-
Whats in the Bag1 week agoKeegan Bradley WITB 2024 (May)
Furious Styles
Jun 17, 2017 at 11:36 pm
Timmy?
Eric
Jan 17, 2016 at 9:55 pm
Unbelievable. Go back 15 years ago, and their irons and hybrids look exactly the same as these. What a joke. Take a hint from titleist or ping and release clubs every other year.
Philip
Jan 14, 2016 at 11:04 pm
Hard to believe an OEM got the loft gapping backwards…I do not know who is testing this stuff, but it is not the average golfer. How do they think reducing lofts in the lower irons increases yardages between the clubs. And increasing shaft lengths just guarantees poorer results for average golfers who struggle with lengths longer than 7 irons, let alone lengths for a 4 iron (with a 3 iron loft) that is longer than 1 irons used to be.
Marcus
Jan 14, 2016 at 11:26 pm
These types of clubs are designed with the novice golfer in mind. These golfers are not likely to be as consistent as the mid-low handicapper; they are more likely to be impressed and excited by the distance gains they get from lower lofts and longer shafts. They probably aren’t going to hit these clubs any more consistently than their half-an-inch shorter counterparts, so why would you focus on length and lofts for consistency when you can design a club with game-improvement tech and focus on distance? The vast majority of average players want to see distance gains.
Philip
Jan 14, 2016 at 11:51 pm
Except they would get likely get more distance with higher lofts and shorter lengths in the lower/mid irons as longer lengths only help if it doesn’t result in a worse impact. I reduced my lengths to improve my ball striking to great success when I was a mid-high handicapper and may just keep them shorter as I move forward. I was also experimenting with my lofts and decided to increase them 1-2 degrees to have 4 degree differences and was pleasantly surprised by my rather large distance gains (better ball flight for my setup) when I was willing to accept some yardage loses based on the current “wisdom” of the OEMs. For the longest time a 4 iron was 38 inches long and 24/25 degrees because the average golfer just couldn’t hit longer shafts or less loft with much success – at least until the marketing departments could show increases with an Iron Byron machine, which I am not. Besides, all I really care about is that there is only 3-4 months till the 2016 golf season! Cheers.