Callaway irons

[jpolomsky]

I am performing research on Callaway Golf Clubs for a market research class. I would like to understand how Callaway irons compare to other manufactures. Are Callaway irons desirable golf clubs by avid golfers? What are some positive and negatives when compared to other leading manufactures?

[Knockglock]

  jpolomsky said:

I am performing research on Callaway Golf Clubs for a market research class. I would like to understand how Callaway irons compare to other manufactures. Are Callaway irons desirable golf clubs by avid golfers? What are some positive and negatives when compared to other leading manufactures?

I like mine. I think they're more desirable for the higher handicapper / game improvement market.

[pxc]

According to a commercial featuring Phil Mickelson, they're the "#1 irons in golf" or something like that.

[alomar123]

They own the market but to each their own, its what irons feel the best for you.

[flap]

I am on my 3rd set of cally irons and they have the best customer srevice hands down.

[Golfaway]

They're good and you'll find them with most high handicappers and casual players. I personallly tend to find them too big and too flashy with a lot of graphics. Also I think all the models are basically the same with different decals. The X series at least.

[jpolomsky]

  Golfaway said:

They're good and you'll find them with most high handicappers and casual players. I personallly tend to find them too big and too flashy with a lot of graphics. Also I think all the models are basically the same with different decals. The X series at least.

What would Callaway need to do to their club desing and feel in order to attract low handicappiers and compete with Ping, Titleist and/or Nike irons?

[WUTiger]

Also check out this Playing Tips thread on "Can't Hit Callaway X20s":

http://thesandtrap.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29050

I play Callaway X20s, standard lie, with the stock Uniflex shaft.

My current bag mix started this winter when I dumped stiff shafts for regular.

The X20s are an Ultra Game Improvement club (per Maltby Playability Factor). They do, however, have a lower UGI score than the Big Bertha and FT-i irons.

The X20s get the ball up well, but not too much. The Uniflex is a midkick shaft, which promotes moderate ball height. (Check out kickpoint ).

The Uniflex shaft was designed to cover the Regular and partially into the Stiff flex range. Callaway predicted it would suit 70% (check out actual predictions) of male golfers.

While the Uniflex shaft is OK for lots of people, it possibly isn't ideal for everyone. The X20 Uniflex weights from 106-120 grams, about medium weight for metal shafts. Some lightweight metal shafts are available which come in at 105 grams or less. With less weighty shafts, I could pick up more clubhead speed and maybe five more yards per club. Not enough on its own to change clubs, but something to consider with other factors.

Back to the X20 series clubs. The X20 is a rather large clubhead, easier to get the ball near clubface center, but also more likely to hang up somewhat in the rough.

The X20 Tour and X22 Tour clubs have smaller heads than the X20, and sleeker less boxy hosels. Thus, better action through the rough.

If my swing and my disposable income both improve, I would consider X22 Tour clubs with an R-flex, lightweight metal shaft with a mid-kickpoint.

Project X shafts might also be a possibility, if they produced a lightweight variation. All PX variants are pretty heavy right now. (Project X/Royal Precision is a True Temper enterprise; check out the TT website if interested.)

I have tried other irons, namely Titleist and Ping . I really liked the Titleist AP2 model, but my swing wasn't quite good enough, and it would have cost $1,200 to get a set with the shafts I wanted. The Ping I10 was on my short list for about two years, but in the final tests just didn't feel as clean a hit as other clubs. The ball went OK, but it just felt strange.

I was then tied between the X20 and the X20 Tour, when a slightly used set of X20s showed up at the golf shop for $400. I bought them, and am glad I did.

The X20 Tour driver and 3 wood are working well also, as long as I swing them smoothly. This is the first time I have ever hit a jumbo driver, so figuring out how high to tee the all was part of the challenge.

The Tour heads are basically square-faced, rather than closed to prevent slicing, and allow for a purer lineup of short. Also, the shaft combinations encourage a lower ball flight.

My main problem right now is swing consistency. I decided to completely redo my swing the past year, and my old swings creep back in about twice a nine and prevent me from breaking 90.

------------------
Part of the "problem" on selecting irons: A whole bunch of really good-looking sets started coming out about 2005. I haven't really tried Cleveland or Mizuno or Nickent because there just isn't time.
First step for amateurs: Avoid irons which will hurt your game.
------------------

[WUTiger]

  jpolomsky said:

What would Callaway need to do to their club desing and feel in order to attract low handicappiers and compete with Ping, Titleist and/or Nike irons?

It may be a matter of the X20 irons muddling the brand image of the entire X line.

The X22 Tour and the X-Forged irons are pitched to low handicappers and pros. I volunteered at the U.S. Women's Amateur this summer, working the range one day. I took notes on what the players had in their bags, and eight women out of the match-play field of 64 carried X20 Tour or X22 Tour irons. The Callaway irons for higher handicappers are the Big Berthas and the FT-i brids. The irons for better players are the X20Tour/X22 Tour and the X-Forged. The new FT irons, I'm not sure where they fit. It has than a UGI rating (MPF = 949), but the marketing blurbs talk about "designed to appeal to accomplished players with thinner toplines - blah-blah" I rank the Berthas for high handicappers because those who play them say they really help get the ball up. Other players waved me away from Bethas when I mentioned having trouble keeping trajectory down . Certain Berthas, however, have an MPF rank lower than the X20s. The standard X20s are possibly "stuck in the middle," and people aren't sure what they are. I find X20s to be user-friendly clubs - a bit clunky sometimes - which allow you to work the ball reasonably well - fade and draw - if you know how a golf swing works. Check out Golf Digest online. Its annual equipment review from the last year or so ranks the X22 Tour as a true player's club, much more to GD's liking than the X20 Tour , which it called a "wanna-be player's club." So, possibly the X20 had muddled the brand image of the X line? Note downward shifts in MPF ratings of the X line. Model------MPF X18..........1040 (UGI) X20..........1051 (UGI) X22.......... 854 (SGI) ----------------------- X18 Pro..... 982 (UGI) X20 Tour... 716 (SGI) X22 Tour... 594 (GI) ---------------------- XForged(07).. 636 (GI) XForged(09).. 621 (GI) I would go talk to local club fitters for more details on who buys which Calalways.

[WUTiger]

Not to dominate your thread, but the Callaway site now has a side-by-side comparison of their current iron models:
http://www.callawaygolf.com/Global/e...omparison.html

[bruce]

I have a second set of irons which i used to play all the time,there the x16 pro series,i still think they are top class irons and often wonder why i bothered to buy the ones i have now.don't get me wrong,i love the irons i have now but have they changed my game.absolutely not.

[Saint]

It's not the clubs really. Callaway is just a tad bit more picky on who they chose to sponsor, versus, say Titleist.

[Lefty-Golfer]

I play X-20's and love them. Callaway preowned is awesome for replacement parts...if you break one!!