The new set of irons from Callaway Golf is new not just for consumers, but for the company, as well. The Callaway X-Tour Irons represent the entry of Callaway - a company built on game-improvement - into the forged irons marketplace.
The X-Tour Irons were designed by Roger Cleveland and, while forged, still feature many of the qualities that have made Callaway irons so popular.
"It has been very exciting for me to work on Callaway Golf's first iron offering in a category that appeals to so many passionate and skilled golfers," Cleveland said. "I believe the X-Tour Irons bring a new level of performance in shot-making that can be easily discerned and enjoyed by better golfers."
The Callaway X-Tour Irons begin shipping to pro shops on April 15, 2005. The MSRP for the set (3-PW) is $1,280.
Callaway says the X-Tour set offers the best of both worlds, "... the playability and feel that better golfers demand (along with) proprietary technologies that have established Callaway Golf as the world's leader in golf equipment."
The Callaway X-Tour Irons feature a notch-weighted, cavity-back head to which the face plate is laser-welded. The back cavity is precision-milled to perfectly fit the face. Both pieces of the clubhead are forged from soft, 1020 carbon steel.
The 2-piece forging allows Callaway, the company said, to incorporate the other technologies well-known to Callaway fans: the 360-degree Undercut Channel, Extreme Notch Weighting and a modified bore through hosel.
The 360-degree Undercut Channel and Extreme Notch Weighting are designed to maximize perimeter weighting, moving more weight to the heel and toe. These qualities help stabilize the club through impact, helping improve the ball flight on mis-hits. These features also provide a deeper center of gravity for more ease of use with the long irons and a higher launch.
The modified bore through hosel is longer than typically found in Callaway's S2H2 Technology. The location and length of the hosel further influences the center of gravity, moving it more toward the heel. This quality, Callaway says, helps workability.
The Callaway X-Tour Irons have been in use on professional tours for a while already, with Phil Mickelson and Annika Sorenstam among those pros using them.
The standard shaft is True Temper Dynamic Gold steel shafts in flexes of R300 (regular), S300 (stiff), and X100 (extra stiff). A 2-iron can be special-ordered to add to the 3-PW standard set.
More information on the Callaway X-Tour Irons can be found on the Callaway website.
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