Equipment
’13 Callaway Irons: In-hand photos, video and specs
Callaway’s X Hot and X Hot Pro irons were designed for two distinct categories of golfers, but they have one major similarity — they’re designed to fly a long way with consistent distance.
The X Hot is Callaway’s most forgiving iron in its 2013 lineup, featuring a deep cavity to improve distance and forgiveness. It’s a game-improvement iron, a category of irons that gets a bad rap for causing flyers — shots that are hit slightly above the center of the face and tend to fly unexpectedly far.
[youtube id=”OD5ltnU6GB4″ width=”620″ height=”360″]
That’s why Callaway removed the undercut that sits behind the top line of most cavity back irons. By reinforcing the top part of the face, engineers lowered the sweetspot to slightly below center (0.155 inches lower then than Callaway’s previous game-improvement model, the RAZR X), which is where most amateurs make contact with their irons. By doing this, Callaway engineers said they’ve removed the “high hot spot.”
“Golfers have a mortal fear of hitting the globe first, so they hit it thin,” said Dr. Alan Hocknell, vice president of R&D for Callaway. “That’s why these irons are very forgiving low on the face.”
X Hot 3 Iron
X Hot Pro 3 Iron
The X Hot Pro irons are designed for golfers who need forgiveness but don’t want to look at an oversize club. The Pro model has less off set, thinner soles, thinner top lines and 1-degree weaker lofts than the standard model. Like the standard version, engineers stiffened the upper part of the face to eliminate flyers and make the lower portion of the face more forgiving on mishits. The Pros also feature Callaway’s 20-degree close-spaced grooves, which Luke Williams, global director of woods and irons for Callaway, said increases backspin as much as 1000 rpms out of the rough.
“This is the first time that we’ve cast the groove that we’ve been forging,” Williams said. “It’s a harder, more expensive groove to make. But we wanted to put in in the (pro) line where players are more likely to notice.”
Both models are cast from 17-4 stainless and feature dual-material medallions in the iron cavities to improve sound and feel.
Click here for more in-depth photos and discussion in the “Tour/Pre-release equipment” forum.
Availability: Jan. 25, 2013
Price:
- X Hot Irons: 3-PW or 4-AW — $699 (steel), $899 (graphite)
- X Hot Pro Irons: 3-PW or 4-AW — $799 (steel)
X Hot Shafts:
- Steel — True Temper Speed Step 85 Lightweight, Regular (93 grams) and Stiff (95 grams)
- Graphite — X Hot I-750, Light (68 grams), Regular (79 grams), Stiff (79 grams)
X Hot Pro Shaft:
- Type: Project X 95 Flighted Steel [5.0 (R), 5.5 (S) and 6.0 (X)]
- Weight: weight: 92.3 grams (R), 92.3 grams (S) and 97.3 grams (X)
Specs:
Click here for more in-depth photos and discussion in the “Tour/Pre-release equipment” forum.
Click here for more in-depth photos and discussion in the “Tour/Pre-release equipment” forum.
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- Kris Kim what’s in the bag accurate as of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. More photos from the event here.
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees @7)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 60 TX
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour (15 degrees @13.5)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana WB 73 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P770 (2, 4), TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX (2), Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 120 X
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (50-09SB, 56-12SB, 60-11TW)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 WV 125
Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Check out more in-hand photos of Kris Kim’s equipment here.
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TaylorMade is continuing its UDI/DHY series with the successor to the Stealth UDI and DHY utility irons: PUDI and PDHY (which the company styles as P·UDI and P·DHY). TaylorMade is folding the designs in with its P Series of irons.
TaylorMade outlined the process of developing its new utilities this way. The company started with the data on utility iron usage. Not surprisingly, better players — i.e. those who generate more clubhead speed and strike the ball more precisely — were found to gravitate toward the UDI model. DHY usage, however, covered a wider swath than the company might have expected with six-to-18 handicappers found to be bagging the club.
TaylorMade also found that the majority of golfers playing UDI or DHY utilities were playing P Series irons at the top of their iron configurations.
Can you see where this is going?
Matt Bovee, Director of Product Creation, Iron and Wedge at TaylorMade: “As we look to the future, beyond the tech and the design language, we are excited about repositioning our utility irons into the P·Series family. P·UDI is an easy pair for players that currently play P·Series product and P·DHY is an extremely forgiving option for players of all skill levels. It is a natural fit to give these players the performance in this category that they are looking for.”
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TaylorMade PUDI
TaylorMade PUDI technology cutaway (via TaylorMade)
Crafted with tour player input, TaylorMade sought to develop a confidence-inspiring utility iron that blends with the rest of the P Series irons. Also of note: Interestingly, the PUDI has a more compact head than the P790.
In comparison to past UDI products, the PUDI has a more traditional iron shape, slimmer toplines, and less offset with a little of the backbar visible at address.
TaylorMade PDHY
TaylorMade PDHY tech cutaway (via TaylorMade).
Larger in profile than the PUDI, the PDHY seeks to position center of gravity (CG) lower in the club for ease of launch. The toe height is larger and the profile is larger at address — roughly five millimeters longer than PUDI — the sole of the club is wider for improved forgiveness.
Club Junkie’s take
Golfers who feel like they are missing something at the top of the bag could find the PUDI or PDHY a great option. The look of the PUDI should fit the most discerning eye with a more compact look, less offset, and a thinner topline. If you want a little more confidence looking down the P-DHY will be slightly larger while still being a good-looking utility iron.
For being small packages both models pack a pretty good punch with fast ball speeds, even off-center. The feel is soft and you get a solid feel of the ball compressing off the face when you strike it well. Your ears are greeted with a nice heavy thud as the ball and club come together. The PDHY will launch a little higher for players who need it while the PUDI offers a more penetrating ball flight. Both utility irons could be the cure for an open spot in the top end of the bag.
PUDI, PDHY, or Rescue?
TaylorMade offers the following notes to assist golfers in filling out their bags:
- PUDI has mid-CG right behind the center face to create a more penetrating mid-to-low ball flight
- PDHY has a lower center of gravity to produce an easier-to-launch mid-to-high ball flight.
- Both PUDI and PDHY are lower-flying than the company’s hybrid/Rescue clubs.
- PUDI is more forgiving than P790.
- PDHY is the most forgiving iron in the entire TaylorMade iron family
Pricing, specs, and availability
Price: $249.99
At retail: Now
Stock shafts: UST Mamiya’s Recoil DART (105 X, 90 S and 75 R – only in PDHY)
Stock grip: Golf Pride’s ZGrip (black/grey)
PUDI lofts: 2-17°, 3-20°, 4-22° in both left and right-handed
PDHY lofts: 2-18°, 3-20° and 4-22° in both left and right-handed
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Equipment
Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (5/3/24): Scotty Cameron Champions Choice 2.5+ putter
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a Scotty Cameron Champions Choice 2.5+ putter
From the seller: (@wwcl): “Has been gamed as pics show. 33.5 includes original h/c and grip. $575 includes shipping and PP fees.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: Scotty Cameron Champions Choice 2.5+ putter
This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules
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Art
May 14, 2014 at 8:35 pm
Does anyone know if the Callaway X hot are bore through?
Ed
Apr 30, 2013 at 12:38 pm
Had a fitting for irons by a leading Pro Fitter. I tried out the new TM Rocketbladez and the Callaway X-Hots. I hit my current 6 iron further and with closer ball dispersion than any of the TM 6 irons I tried out using a number of different shafts. The Callaway X-Hot went 10 yards further with the bog standard off-the-shelf shaft with equally close dispersion to my own iron. My current irons? – Callaway FT Fusions. And yet both these new 6 irons have the same loft as my old FT Fusion 5 iron!!!
FCM
Jan 13, 2013 at 5:48 pm
Hallelujah on everyone calling out the ridiculous lofts from Callaway and TM. Of course they will be longer than the other brands. Even the X Hot Pro iron’s have much stronger lofts than the other better player irons. Titleist and Ping are two of the big companies still making true honest products. None of the marketing BS needed to back up their products too.
Nick
Dec 20, 2012 at 11:56 pm
Golf Pro: “What makes your 2013 iron so good?”
TMaG Sales Rep: “With the addition of the speed pocket in the Rocketbladez, we were able increase the size of the sweet spot from a pea to a quarter.”
Callaway Sales Rep: “Forget about the sweet spot. We fixed the ‘high hot spot’ problem. You’ll never hit a flyer again!”
Joe Golfer
Dec 21, 2012 at 4:10 am
Exactly, Nick. They fixed the mythological “high hot spot”, that thing that exists on courses where unicorns roam.
FCM
Jan 13, 2013 at 5:48 pm
LMAO!! Great!!
Lee
Dec 20, 2012 at 4:34 am
Certainly nothing special and cheap looking but at least Calli are using decent shafts especially in the Pro model. The loft specs get more and more rediculous every year however having grown up with a 50 deg PW they are now in a position I like. 5-AW is pretty much what 3-PW used to be so with these clubs you don’t need the 3 & 4 irons and can balance the business end of the bag accordingly.
Joe Golfer
Dec 20, 2012 at 2:19 am
Repeating the other posts, Wow, those lofts really got strong. “Gotta keep up with the boys at TaylorMade”, said the
Callaway R&D team, “even if it makes for a cruddier club”. Now even the “Pro” model has superstrong lofts.
And that garbage about flyers is ridiculous. They talk about hitting the ball above the center of the face? Maybe off the tee on a par 3, but not off the turf. You’re not going to get spring effect from an older Callaway iron no matter how much you hit down on the ball, EVER. C’mon, Callaway, cut the crapola. New Callaway motto ought to be “We can’t make a better clubhead, so we’ll just hype it with a bunch of mularkey.”
Want to hit a flyer? Hit out of rough and have grass get between ball and grooves, so you don’t get spin on the ball. That’s a flyer.
On the GolfWRX homepage, there’s an article by Tom Wishon called “Wishon: The way golf clubs are being sold has harmed golf”. Everybody should read that article, as it explains why Callaway has just jumped the shark in terms of making a better club.
cg
Dec 18, 2012 at 12:40 pm
they look just like titleist aps
Dominic Chong
Dec 19, 2012 at 4:43 pm
Exactly.
I am looking into the AP1 right now.
cg
Dec 18, 2012 at 12:39 pm
just last year, we were told the slot behind the face helped us get it higher. I have never met a golfer who said that was bad…now we hate fliers? most people would love a flier so they can get to the green. I think the designers are laughing at the public as they go back and fourth with the ULTIMATE club design that will never be beaten..until next year.
forget a gap or a gap gap wedge..you need a gap gap gap wedge. Or else let us carry 16 clubs.
Jeff
Dec 17, 2012 at 10:01 pm
Wow, they got really aggressive with increasing the lofts. The pitching wedge is 44*. If you have a standard 52* gap wedge there will be an 8* difference. Are we approaching the point of needing a gap gap wedge?
Jay
Dec 17, 2012 at 8:14 pm
These are just ugly…
– not in the high tech new design type of ugly
– but in the cheap walmart type ugly
Please Callaway, you have to get a new design team.
No matter how the clubs perform, they are not going to sell well if they keep looking like this.
Don’t believe guys on this forum who say they don’t care about looks as long as they perform. That’s total BS.
luke keefner
Dec 17, 2012 at 5:28 pm
The Xhot 6 has a stronger loft than my Mizuno 5 iron