Over the last few months we have had the pleasure of testing and experimenting with a number of quality clubs. Whether it be a set of high performance blades or a set of super game-improvement irons, I take away a number of valuable experiences with each and every set. Thanks to THP and its relationship with some of the greatest club makers in the world, my perception and experience with club design and technology has expanded exponentially. In the past I would have automatically sought after a set of player’s irons but my recent experiences with game improvement irons has shown me that technology and forgiveness simply work. This past week I was fortunate enough to test and evaluate the Callaway X-22 irons. The X-22 irons are Callaway’s latest development targeting the player who is seeking the ultimate combination of playability and forgiveness. Callaway continues to expand their designs and push the limits of innovation. The X-22 irons are a perfect example of Callaway’s commitment of setting the industry standard for performance and forgiveness.

The irons according to Callaway have loads of technology behind them:
Precision Notch Weighting
Precisely positions more weight to the perimeter of the iron to create a higher moment of inertia (MOI) for greater forgiveness and stability while maintaining the center of gravity position that produces ideal trajectories and feel.
Tour-Inspired Head Shape
Our engineers took elements designed for Tour players, like a thinner top line and narrower sole, and incorporated them into highly forgiving irons with a higher MOI so they can be played by a wide range of golfers.
Modified Tru-Bore
An advanced version of the original Tru-Bore design, the polycarbonate tip plug at the end of the shaft dampens vibration for enhanced feel and performance.
VFT Technology
VFT Technology maximizes ball speed and perimeter weighting for more distance and forgiveness; S2H2 increases discretionary weight by removing it from the hosel and repositioning it in the perimeter of the clubhead; 360-Degree Undercut Channel maximizes perimeter weighting by moving the CG lower and farther back in the clubhead, enlarging the hitting area and stabilizing the clubhead for more forgiveness.

There seems to be an ongoing argument with these and just about everything Callaway is producing right now having to do with their looks. I was always on the side of “these clubs are ugly”. Once I saw them first hand, my opinion has changed drastically! The overall appearance of a club is very important, especially in the confidence side of things and these clubs up close and in your hands look so much better than when I was viewing pictures of them online.

Once armed with this new set of clubs we headed out to the range and to play a quick 18 holes. On the range we noted that especially at setup, these irons look fabulous. Similar to most GI irons, (game improvement) the Callaway X-22’s have a thick topline, but overall size and shape are very much different than many of the GI clubs we have played recently. The shape is very much “Player’s type” with just a thicker overall feeling. Definitely a thinner topline than we have been used to in the past. As someone that has played both types of clubs, thick lines have never bothered me. Results are what matters.

That is where these irons shine. One the range we noticed two things with this set of clubs. The first is that THEY ARE VERY FORGIVING. When you miss them on the toe or heel, they fly as straight as an arrow. The good thing about the X-22’s compared to others we have tried though is that when you do miss it, you still get the feedback that lets you know how to correct it. That is something we did not expect but was a pleasant surprise. The second thing we noticed with this set is that the feeling of good impact was better than we had felt in many of the GI irons. Many times we feel as though with clubs that are built for forgiveness, you miss that “great shot feeling”. With these you definitely get that.

On the course we had the same thoughts. The ball traveled long and straight. One thing I want to add here is that most irons in this class get the ball up quick and have a very high trajectory. The X-22 irons did not have that. They had more of a “tour trajectory” and we really liked that aspect of them. We played four rounds with them and not once did I ever complain of wanting my player’s irons back. In fact after the last few GI sets that we have reviewed, it is making this reviewer wonder if playing them full time would make a better option? On the course we had 8 people play these clubs over the time we had them and all eight remarked about ball flight and forgiveness.

Overall we enjoyed this set quite a bit. If someone has been a Callaway fan in the past, they will really love these. They have raised the bar on the “X” series quite a bit this year, and we noticed instantly.