Author: Tristan Hilton

Callaway X Hot Pro Iron Review

Callaway’s newest lineup of irons only feature four sets and the X Hot Pros look to fill the large gap between the standard X Hot irons meant for high handicappers and the X Forged aimed at better players. Read on to find out if these clubs really have something for everybody.

For a while, in my opinion, Callaway golf has been a company that has struggled from a bit of an identity crisis. It seemed that they were coming out with numerous offerings every season, trying to have something for everybody, and yet it wasn’t clear what clubs were aimed at what golfer. Between the RAZR, Edge, Diablo, Octane, X, etc. it became hard to track what was what or even what was the newest. This year, Callaway as trimmed it back a bit and has just three new sets of irons. For the better player looking for minimal forgiveness but maximum feedback and workability there are the new X Forged irons. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the company has the new X Hot irons which give higher handicappers a bit more distance and a lot more forgiveness. For the rest of us caught in the middle, there are the new X Hot Pro Irons.

In many ways, the new X Hot Pro irons look to fill a very large middle ground in between the standard X Hot irons and the X Forged. In addition to this, players on both ends of the ability spectrum should see some desirable qualities in the X Hot Pro as lower handicap players looking for a little more help will appreciate them as will a mid handicap player that is making strides to improve their game. They are a set that one could pick up as they start to make serious improvements in their game and continue to play long after they have become a better player.

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TaylorMade Introduces the SLDR Driver

TaylorMade seems to have abandoned the “science of white” with their newest driver, the SLDR.

Bag DropFor a while now, TaylorMade has been one of the top drivers on tour, and this month, the company is back at it again with their fourth driver release of 2013. Earlier this year we saw the much anticipated R1, the follow up to the R11s, and at the same time the RocketBallz (RBZ) Stage 2. Both of the drivers proved to be fairly popular choices among golfers and found their way into many bags. Those two clubs followed the trend that the company had started a few years ago by featuring white crowns, albeit with more agressive graphics than previous models. A few months ago, however, TaylorMade seemed to stray from the “science of white” and released a black version of the R1, giving the club a more traditional look.

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Callaway Debuts New Woods and Wedges

Callaway adds to their line of drivers and woods with the addition of the FT Optiforce while also introducing new wedges with new (and conforming) Mack Daddy Grooves.

Bag DropThere are a couple of things that nearly every golfer, regardless of their ability, would take to add to their golf game; more distance (especially off the tee) and more control around the greens. With the release of two new product lines, Callaway golf is looking to help golfers in both of these areas. Later this month, the company will be releasing a new family of woods, the FT Optiforce, which includes two different drivers as well as fairway woods. In addition to that, they are releasing the Mack Daddy 2 wedges, which they claim have grooves that are even better than the original.

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Callaway X Hot Pro Driver Review

Callaway promises their new X Hot series of woods to be among the hottest available, read on to find out if we agree.

Callaway X Hot Pro DriverOver the last handful of years, Callaway Golf has released numerous drivers trying to appeal to golfers of all abilities. This year, Callaway has trimmed down its offerings to three drivers; there is the RAZR Fit Xtreme (the sequel to last year’s RAZR Fit) and the new X Hot and X Hot Pro. The RAZR Fit Xtreme offers the most adjustability of Callaway’s three drivers and is aimed at the better player. The X Hot line, on the other hand, is aimed at golfers seeking a little more in the way of forgiveness and a lot more in the way of distance. Callaway claims this to be their hottest driver and with the X Hot line their focus is very much on hitting the ball a long way.

In fact, the company’s focus on distance is so high that this year that they have assembled their “X Team” of long hitters. For every 325+ yard drive that is hit by a Callaway staffer, they are receiving a “bomb patch” to put on their bag and a special “4 bills” patch is out there for those who smash one over 400 yards. While most amateurs won’t be hitting the ball quite as far as that, Callaway says that this club will have you further down the fairway than ever before. Read on to find out if this club is really a hot as they say it is.

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Mizuno MP-T4 Wedge Review

Mizuno’s newest wedge, the MP-T4 aims to help golfers go after more pins with multiple lofts in a sleek package.

For many, there is nothing better than getting a new driver in the bag. The thrill of hitting a new big stick is an awesome one, especially when you pipe it down the fairway past all of your buddies. If you ask me though, while hitting the big drive is nice, sticking it in close to the hole or making a crucial up and down to save par and keep the round going is even better. To do this though, you have to have confidence in your short game and having the right wedges in the bag is a big part of that. Mizuno’s newest wedge, the MP-T4 looks to fill that spot in the bag. Read on to find out if their attempt was a success.

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iliac Golf by Bert LaMar

Bert LaMar’s growing company looks to add some flare to yourself and to your golf bag with an array of one-of-a-kind golf accessories and apparel

Bag DropSince 2005 iliac Golf by Bert LaMar has sought to offer the avid golfer something special.  80-90 players on the PGA Tour players use some iliac Golf products and do so as a personal choice; they simply love the unique design and quality of the wool and leather head covers and clothing designs. Most of the golf resorts in the USA now stock iliac Golf products and in the United Kingdom and Ireland, from its launch in 2011, iliac Golf by Bert LaMar can now be found in an ever increasing number of top golf courses across the region.

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Titleist Introduces the New 712U Forged Utility Iron

Titleist introduces the new 712U for players looking for a long iron replacement but don’t want hybrids.

Bag DropIf there is one thing you can say about the golf equipment industry, it is that it is one of trends. Over the last handful of years we have seen larger club heads, better balls, adjustable clubs, etc. One of the biggest equipment advances over recent years was the hybrid iron. Originally designed with the weekend golfer in mind, the hybrid was designed to replace the long irons but play more like a fairway wood. They helped players launch the ball higher and further than they ever could with their long irons.

However, even though the demand for hybrids are high and they have a place in many bags, some still don’t like them. For players in this category there have been a few options. For years now, Mizuno has offered the Fli-Hi irons which have become very popular, and last year we saw Callaway jump in the mix with the X Utility iron which was in Ernie Els’ bag when he won the British Open Championship. Starting in mid-May, golfers will be able finally be able to get their hands on Titleist’s offering in this category, the 712U, which was introduced on the Tour late last year.

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Callaway Makes Updates Across the Board with New Woods, Putters and Balls

Callaway has added to its popular line of X Hot fairway woods with a new deep face model while updating the HEX line of balls. Meanwhile, the new Tank putter from Odyssey promises to be the most stable flat stick yet.

Bag DropThis year, Callaway golf has come on strong with their new line of RAZR Fit and X Hot products. So far in the X Hot family they have introduced both standard and Pro versions of the driver, fairway woods, hybrids and irons. Taking things a step further, they are now introducing a deep face version of the X Hot Fairway that they are calling the X Hot 3Deep. In addition to the new wood, Callaway has updated it’s tour level ball with the new HEX Chrome+. Odyssey Golf (Callaway’s putter line) has also introduced a new product line with the Tank putters which aim to give ultimate stability.

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Titleist Releases the 913 Fairway Woods and Hybrids

Titleist’s 913 product family has new members with the introduction of the company’s newest fairway woods and hybrids.

Bag DropBack in November, Titleist updated its product family with the addition of the 913D2 and 913D3 drivers. These clubs replaced the 910 drivers in Titleist’s lineup, however, at that point, that was it; no new woods or hybrids. Starting at the beginning of this month, that is no longer the case with the introduction of the 913F and 913F.d fairway woods and 913H and 913H.d hybrids.

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