The Callaway X-22 irons have been released three months ahead of the official launch date in January 2009. Much to the consternation of competitors such as Taylormade, Mizuno, Nike and Wilson, this news has exited golfers with the prospect of getting their clubs before Christmas. Don't hang about though as only limited stocks have been distributed and are expected to sell out as soon as they arrive!
Callaway Golf look set to dominate the high-end game improvement irons market yet again as they bring out the updated version of the X-20 and X-18 irons. The imaginatively named X22 irons have the looks, but do they work? Only time will tell as the clubs get tested and reviews come in, but the initial buzz is very positive around these eye-catching cavity backs.
Aimed at the improving golfer with cash to spare, the Callaway X-22 irons are packed full of features and technologies that are designed to get you hitting the ball more accurately while helping to develop a sense of feel.
The 360-degree undercut channel is an improvement on the old X-20 irons, allowing a greater proportion of the club’s weight to be located toward the edges of the club. The reduces the effect of mis-hits by increasing the “sweet-spot” of the club. This means that balls hit away from the centre of the club face wont see as dramatic a decrease in distance compare to when the ball is hit cleanly. Simply put this means more fairways and greens hit, and less rough and sand to contend with.
At the same time, the Moment Of Inertia (MOI) of the club has increased, meaning that as well as your mis-hits going further, they will go straighter too. Callaway have cleverly done this through the use of Extreme Notch Weighting. You may have noticed the two “bumps” at the back of the old X-20s, well the X 22’s now feature bigger “bumps” which help to move more weight back and low in the club, stabilising it during the swing, and reducing twisting during impact.
Cavity backs have often been scorned by better players for the lack of "feel" they provide. Callaway has developed its unique Tru-bore system to combat this. Through the use of a polycarbonate plug tip at the end of the shaft, Callaway Golf have managed to reduce the unwanted vibrations that happen during impact with the ball, letting you feel the ball impact the face better and therefore judge distance better.
While changing many aspects of the X-20 irons, Callaway have kept a few of the things we loved about them too. During all their adjustments to the weighting of the club, they have maintained the same Centre of Gravity to allow for the same ball flight that served the X-20’s so well.
Like so many of the recent golf club designs, Callaway have moved away from the traditional colours and looks and gone for a more adventurous design which will appeal to the young and old alike.
Confused by some of the terms you’ve seen here like Cavity back, VFT and Moment of Inertia (MOI)? ...Check out our golf glossary to find out more about the technology we have mentioned here.
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