It’s a pretty exciting time in the golf equipment world right now. We just saw the release of Taylormade’s JetSpeed line of woods including the first ever driver with Speed Pocket Technology, fairway woods and hybrids which will replace the current RBZ Stage 2 line of woods. Callaway is also releasing a new line of equipment with a more familiar name – replacing this year’s X-Hot line of equipment are the X2-Hot’s! In the video above, you’ll hear from Doc Hock and Harry Arnett explain the approach they took with the new X2 Hot driver and the Hyper Speed Face. Read more about the driver and the entire X2 Hot line below!
The X2 Hot driver has a more traditional pear-shaped head compared this year’s X Hot driver. Hyper Speed Face Technology, which is made of 455 carpenter steel, is featured on the 460CC driver, allowing it to be 4% larger than the previous version without adding extra weight. This larger face also helps the driver to retain the same forgiveness but adding about 1.5 mph more ball speed on average compared to the X Hot. The X2 Hot driver also features “Progressive Draw Bias,” which means that higher-lofted models (9, 10.5 and 13.5 offered) will have more draw bias than lower-lofted models, but players will have the ability to adjust this through Callaway’s OptiFit hosel. The OptiFit hosel gives golfers four different loft settings and two independent lie settings (standard or draw).
The X2 Hot Pro driver has a deeper face and is 440CC. It also features the Hyper Speed Face. The X2 Hot Pro is only offered in 8.5 degrees, but also features the OptiFit hosel, which allows players to loft the club as low as 7.5 degrees or as high as 10.5 degrees. The driver also has a removable 7-gram weight screw at the back of the club to give the stock swing weight of D3 – this can be customized by Callaway to change swing weight for golfers.
The X2 Hot fairway woods also feature the Hyper Speed Face Technology and is offered in standard, Pro and Deep models (which became very popular and inspired by Phil Mickelson’s “Phrankenwood”). Although the face is similar to what they used last year, Callaway has improved the “Internal Standing Wave,” which is located on the front of the sole to push the CG of the clubs lower and more forward. The X2 Hot fairway woods are available in lofts of 15, 17, 19, 21, 23 and 25 degrees. The X2 Hot Pro fairway woods will be offered in lofts of 13.5, 15, 17 and 19 degrees. The Deep versions will be offered as a 12.5 degree 2Deep, 13 degree 3Deep, a 14.5 degree version and an 18.5 degree 5Deep.
What’s really exciting is the completely redesigned and re-engineered Callaway X2 Hot Hybrids. The look is traditional but again, they’ve incorporated their Hyper Speed Face Cup. They look much more like irons with an overall boxier shape, straighter leading edge and less offset than the X Hot hybrids. In general, Callaway says these new hybrids are 15 yards longer because of the new Hyper Speed Face Cup. The leap that Callaway took in their driver and fairway wood technology last year is what they’re doing this year with hybrids. Standard version hybrids will be offered in 3 (19 degree), 4 (22), 5 (25) and 6 (28). The Pro version is more compact, with a slightly flatter lie angle and more neutral center of gravity, offered in lofts of 16, 18, 20 and 23 degrees.
There will also be X2 Hot and X2 Hot Pro irons as well, which are considered “distance irons.” The X-Hot design was a big and bulky design and looked much like a game-improvement iron. The X2-Hot though has lost a lot of that “bulkiness” yet maintained it’s playability, forgiveness and distance. You’ll find an unsupported face and undercut channel in this X2-Hot as well as new, wider grooves to help promote spin out of rough. The X2-Hot Pro looks much more like a “players-iron” and probably will suit the low handicap crowd that seeks a bit more forgiveness. They’ve got a thin top line, slight offset and a compact design. These two sets of irons will definitely give consumers even more choices to consider from Callaway, including their Apex and Apex Pro sets of irons.
Source: Callaway Golf, Golf Week
