A while back I suggested that the game improvement clubs weren’t for better players because all they can do is hit straight. But a reader emailed to remind me that a number of successful pros are playing clubs that could be considered “game improvement.” As an example, he cited Jim Thorpe, who plays the Hawkeye VFT.

I checked, and he was right. So I stand corrected.

The best thing about the Hawkeye VFTs is that you can get them at a good price from Callaway’s Pre Owned program.

Hawk Eye VFT Iron Set Mens Steel Shaft

The Callaway Rep came around to the club last week, and I spent about an hour an a half hitting every club he had. I’m sure he was tired of me by the end.

The Big Bertha irons turned out to be the easiest clubs I’ve ever hit. Every shot got up in the air, and flew almost perfectly straight. Even the ones that I knew I hit off the toe flew straight (though not as long). I tried to hit my usual fade: the ball flew straight. I hit it fat, and the ball flew up and straight. I hit it thin and .... well, you get the idea.

Callaway has built a number of player friendly systems into their clubs, including a notch weighting system that repositions weight toward the heel and toe. This gives the club a very high moment of intertia (resistance to twisting) that keeps the ball online. Weight toward the bottom and a wide sole help to reduce the fat and thin shots.

As for distance, they seemed to give me about my usual distance: 155 or so for a six iron. (Though its a little hard to tell: my club’s driving range goes uphill from the tees, so everything tends to be short.)

The feel also was good—although not nearly as buttery as my forged irons on graphite shafts.  The clubs I tried all had the standard steel shafts.

Clearly, if you’re a single digit handicapper, these clubs aren’t for you. But for the rest of us, they’re a good choice.

You can get them at Golfsmith.

I had a chance to swing a Callaway Big Bertha Heavenwood the other day and really liked it. It’s billed as a hybrid but looks to me more like a small fairway wood.  Its graceful, with none of the stumpiness of some of the other hybrids.

Callaway says that the elongated low profile face gives it a high moment of inertia (resistance to twisting) and that the modified warbird sole makes it easy to hit off of any surface. I only had the chance to hit it off tees at a range, but liked the ball flight and the feel at impact.

The Callaway X Tour Irons—apparently played by the likes of Phil Mickelson and Charles Howell—are now ready for pre-order. Ironically, they’ll be available on April 15—so you can use your expected tax returns to buy them. You’re going to need a big return, though. They retail for $999

Here’s the official blurb:

Forged 1020 Carbon Steel Body: The X-Tour’s advanced two-piece design features a forged 1020 carbon steel body, with a forged 1020 carbon steel face welded in 360 degree undercut channel, which enlarges the sweet spot and provides perimeter weighting previously unavailable on a performance iron.

Extreme Notch Weighting: Extreme notch weighting focuses the perimeter weight to the extreme heel and toe helping to raise the Moments of Inertia for resistance to twisting on off-center hits.

Traditional Size and Shape: In designing a performance iron with a traditional size and shape, many new design features were incorporated into Callaway’s X-Tour irons. The X-Tour blade length is shorter from heel to toe, while the toe has been raised and squared. A thin, understated, pared-off top line and straight leading edge provide the look “traditional” players prefer, while reduced hosel offset and a beveled, narrower sole combine to add workability from all types of conditions.

New Blind-Bore Hosel Technology: A hosel design longer than the patented S2H2 design of past Callaway irons moves the center of gravity towards the heel and higher in the face. This repositioning of the center of gravity provides enhanced workability, and the increased trajectory control more accomplished players seek.

This is Callaway’s first attempt at forged clubs.  You can read the full blown press release in the extended text.

  I’m interested in what you have to say. Add you own review by clicking on the comments link below.

Continued...

Callaway’s new HX Hot is out.

Callaway says that the ball

boasts significant improvements over traditional 2-piece distance offerings. The new, highly resilient core—essentially the ball’s engine—is super-fast, and kick starts a chain reaction that produces explosiveness off the clubface. The revolutionary HEX Aerodynamics on the cover also are improved, with the hexagons and pentagons optimized to reduce drag, increase lift and maximize distance.

The cover of the HX Hot Golf Ball also has been improved to reduce spin off the driver for a penetrating trajectory. Like other balls in the HX family, the HX Hot has 332 geometries on the cover, blanketing the surface of the ball with 100% coverage—unheard of in competitors’ golf balls and critical to the superior flight properties and overall performance of the HX Hot Golf Ball. Achieving 100% surface coverage allows Callaway Golf engineers to tune lift and drag properties of the ball in order to reduce distance-robbing initial drag and increase length-promoting lift during flight.

There’s also a HX Hot contest for a gussied up Ford Mustang in the HX Hot black and orange colors.

I tried out the HX Red late last fall and liked it. So maybe I’ll give the “Hot” a try this year.

I’m interested in what you have to say! Add your own review by clicking on the comments link below.

I did a demo with the Callaway Fusion Irons the other day at a local golf shop. And although I (obviously) didn’t play a round with them, I’ll give my first impressions.

When I first picked them up, the clubs felt light to me. I suppose that the graphite shafts and the composite parts of the head were responsible for that. However, with a couple of practice swings, the light feeling went away. They felt fine. Better than fine. I thought that I could “feel” the clubhead extremely well.

Unlike many previous offerings from Callaway, these clubs have a nice, precise look at setup. The topline is much thinner-looking than the bloated Big Bertha irons. I’ve never bought into the idea that a larger topline inspires confidence. They just look like bricks on sticks.

I was able to cleanly pick the ball off the astroturf from the very first swing. Ball flight was about what I wanted—not too high, with good distance (for me, about 155 with a 6 iron). The feel at impact also was very nice—every bit as nice as my graphite shafted forged irons.

Now, being very hard of hearing, I can’t accurately tell you what they sounded like, but the proshop guy asked me what I thought of the sound. So I have to assume that they either sound perfectly normal, or that there’s something weird going on that I couldn’t hear.

All in all, I think that these clubs bear looking into. If you’re gong to get a new set this year, you should take a look at these.

Callaway has a new line of X-18 Irons.  The company says that the clubs’ deep undercut channel “maximizes perimeter weighting,” and raises the moment of inertia for stability on off-center hits. The clubs also apparently have a more traditional size and shape, which is a welcome thing after the last couple of years of godzilla toplines. For my money, the “thicker toplines” that companies have been promoting as building confidence simply make the clubs look fat.

  I’m interested in what you have to say! Add your own review by clicking on the comments link below.