Callaway XR irons

[ThumbtackR9]

Anyone playing Callaway XR irons?  I bought a set about a month and a half ago.  I just can't make myself completely satisfied with them.  They have the Fubuki AT 55 x5ct shafts with regular flex.  I just don't like the way they sit on the ground when you address the ball.  It is like the bottom on the club is rounded so much the leading edge of the club sits too high unless you lean the club way forward.  I have two other sets of clubs and they don't do this..  If you really lay the club back to hit sort of a flop shot the bottom edge of the club is about the center line of the ball.  The clubs have a thick rounded lip.  I am not sure what to do.  I bought them from Callaway Preowned clubs and I talked to them today.  I was just wondering if anyone else plays these clubs and what they think.

[Vinsk]

6 minutes ago, ThumbtackR9 said:

Anyone playing Callaway XR irons?  I bought a set about a month and a half ago.  I just can't make myself completely satisfied with them.  They have the Fubuki AT 55 x5ct shafts with regular flex.  I just don't like the way they sit on the ground when you address the ball.  It is like the bottom on the club is rounded so much the leading edge of the club sits too high unless you lean the club way forward.  I have two other sets of clubs and they don't do this..  If you really lay the club back to hit sort of a flop shot the bottom edge of the club is about the center line of the ball.  The clubs have a thick rounded lip.  I am not sure what to do.  I bought them from Callaway Preowned clubs and I talked to them today.  I was just wondering if anyone else plays these clubs and what they think.

Funny you say that. That's actually the reason I didn't buy the XR's. I was demo'ing several clubs at the time. I have the Callaway Apex CF16's, Callaway XR Steelheads, and the Callaway Apex Pro's from 2015. By far my favorite are the Callaway Apex CF16's. Better in every way actually. However, I currently play the Ping i200's and they are absolutely fantastic. I'm gonna try and sell my other sets on eBay. I'm left handed so it takes me a bit longer to sell my stuff.

[ThumbtackR9]

Did you just feel that they didn't sit right on the ground or especially a practice matt.  I can trade them back in and lose some money but I think I would rather do that and be satisfied with the club. I don't know if all Callaway clubs are like this or not..

[WUTiger]

I have tried the XRs at various expos and demo days. They were OK, but I would prefer Steelheads or the 2015 Apex Forged (I've found a couple of sets in shops)  if I got new irons.

That said, I know two people who play the XR irons - one is about 50 and the other about 65. Both of them like the XRs and hit them quite well. (The 65-year-old has an 8 HDCP).

If you don't like the XRs, send them back to CPO. If you don't trust a set of irons, likely they won't work for you.  

[Rsuslow]

I tried the XR's and the XR Pros at a local golf shop.  I felt the same way.  They just didn't look right to the eye.

When I hit them, they were okay, but no better than the M2's I'm currently hitting.  I hit a few shots with the Apex after and those felt much better.

[StefanUrkel]

Those clubs should be illegal. Impossible to mishit super game improvement Irons. It's a different game

[ThumbtackR9]

I chipped a bunch of balls this afternoon off my mat here at the house and I think they are growing on me a little.  I think the bottom grove having the white line on it makes the bottom edge of the club look like it is sitting higher than it really is if that makes sense.  I made quite a few good chips where it really felt solid.  I do know that when it is a good hit it really comes off the club face.  

Here is another question.  I bought a Callaway X2 Hot driver off ebay.  Wanted to experiment with a shorter driver.  This one measures 43 1/8.  I really like the feel of the shorter driver.  I need to carry it in and have the swing weight checked I guess.  I  put a few pieces of lead tape on the sole.  Can't really tell much difference.  I wonder what swing weight I would be looking for.  If I don't try and swing to hard I can hit it pretty close to the sweet spot most of the time.  Oh well,  time to go to bed.  Thanks for all the comments.

[Largobuc]

On ‎7‎/‎20‎/‎2017 at 10:24 PM, StefanUrkel said:

Those clubs should be illegal. Impossible to mishit super game improvement Irons. It's a different game

I play them and mishit them a couple times a round.

[ThumbtackR9]

If I can get to that I would really be happy.  

[WUTiger]

X2 Hot drivers had a 46" stock shaft, and had an Aldila OptiFit2 shaft as stock; weighed 58 grams in both R and S flex. Swingweight was D3.

At 43 1/8", yours is 3.8" shorter than stock. Every 1/2" you trim a shaft lightens the swingweight by 3 points... So, if you have the OF2 shaft, you would have about 21 SwingW points below stock D3. This would put you around B9 - really light.

If you want to know the swingweight for sure, why not go to a golf shop and get a reading?

[JonMA1]

19 hours ago, Largobuc said:

I play them and mishit them a couple times a round.

I thought the same thing when I read @StefanUrkel's post. They don't make an iron I can't slice, hook, shank, top or chunk.

That said, my Mizuno 850's (SGI's) are really, really forgiving. I can hit a shot that feels just terrible and watch it get almost the same distance as one hit from the sweet spot.

[ThumbtackR9]

I added a little lead tape to the head of it just for the heck of it.  Gonna play Monday.  We only have one golf shop here so I may go by and let him check it.  I know I like the feel of it being short and find that if I don't try to kill the ball I can hit it pretty close to the sweet spot and I can really tell the difference.  

[StefanUrkel]

On 7/22/2017 at 0:53 AM, Largobuc said:

I play them and mishit them a couple times a round.

The mishits are totally different. I have the worst swing on the forum. I play blades and a mishit is a mishit. I felt guilty playing my one round with my dad's rbz Irons. 

[JonMA1]

2 hours ago, StefanUrkel said:

The mishits are totally different. I have the worst swing on the forum. I play blades and a mishit is a mishit. I felt guilty playing my one round with my dad's rbz Irons. 

I understand to some extent why it's fun to play with blades, but I have to ask - and this isn't to be argumentative - if SGI's are so much easier to hit, why wouldn't better players play them? Is it because they can't control shots as easy, like working the ball or hitting backspin with them?

When I'm practicing my trouble shots and even a couple of times on the course, I've been able to get the desired sidespin with my irons. I'm not good at it, but I can get some results.

I'm not that knowledgable about the PGA and their equipment, but don't some pro's play cavity backs? 

[GolfLug]

@JonMA1, most SGIs have huge club head offsets from hosels to make it easier to square through impact zone for relatively handsy swings with poor turn rates (most high HCs). But this very feature can make high level swingers duck hook them. Also feel wise SGIs can feel like tennis racquets with strings that has lost all tension, i.e., boardy, hollow, low energy transfer, etc. for fast swing speeds due to 'harmonics' of it's construction. 

Having said that there are plenty of cavity backs that are constructed like blades but with weight moved out to periphery of the club face. Plenty of pros play these, for eg. Spieth plays AP2s I think.

[JonMA1]

11 hours ago, GolfLug said:

@JonMA1, most SGIs have huge club head offsets from hosels to make it easier to square through impact zone for relatively handsy swings with poor turn rates (most high HCs). But this very feature can make high level swingers duck hook them. Also feel wise SGIs can feel like tennis racquets with strings that has lost all tension, i.e., boardy, hollow, low energy transfer, etc. for fast swing speeds due to 'harmonics' of it's construction. 

Having said that there are plenty of cavity backs that are constructed like blades but with weight moved out to periphery of the club face. Plenty of pros play these, for eg. Spieth plays AP2s I think.

Thanks @GolfLug. The tennis racquet analogy is something I can relate to. I wouldn't have known that SGI felt that way because I don't have a fast swing, but I can at least understand the idea.

I knew there had to be reasons because, good or bad, we all want to accomplish the same thing. I can't imagine a better playing thinking "I want to make hitting a good shot as difficult as I possible". Lol.

 

[WUTiger]

12 hours ago, GolfLug said:

most SGIs have huge club head offsets from hosels to make it easier to square through impact zone for relatively handsy swings with poor turn rates (most high HCs). But this very feature can make high level swingers duck hook them.

If you're looking at the Golf Digest 2016 Hot List categories, the XR irons rank as GI, along with this year's XR Steelhead and Apex CF.16;  the Calla SGI was the XR-OS and this year's Big Bertha OS.

Another potential problem with SGI irons: too high launch a shaft. Circa 2009, I was looking to replace my  iron set of 14 years. The Callaway original Big Bertha and the Ping G10 both launched too high with their stock R-flex shafts. The Callaway X20s (played for two seasons), however, had a more moderate launch with the heavier Uniflex shaft. So, don't forget shafts when you're considering SGI, or any other class, of irons.