Price
$157 per iron
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Golf Digest
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Golf Digest
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Golf Digest
Why We Like It
- These irons use a titanium face plate that is thinner for greater flexing.
- An L-shaped internal groove etched deep into the interior of the iron’s stainless-steel body further enhances spring, especially for shots struck low on the face.
- In clubs up to the 7-iron, 31 grams of tungsten are used to drive the center of gravity low and back, fostering a high ball flight to optimize carry distance.
- The lightweight construction and shafts that feature a weight in the butt end help get the hands in a better position at the top of the swing.
- Fun fact: The average hand size in North America is 10 percent larger than in Japan, so XXIO uses larger grips on clubs sent here to be sold at retail.
- 7-iron: 28 degrees, PW: 42 degrees
what our testers said
handicap
- all
- low
- mid
- high
Wei
55, Handicap 13
9 years testing
Visually, the first impression is unremarkable and unassuming, but don't let that fool you. It was very easy to control the flight while being incredibly forgiving. Default was for the ball to go straight, but you could still move it. The forgiveness comes into play when you're trying to step on it and go after it. This was very fun to hit.
Shane
36, Handicap 15
5 years testing
This just felt like a typical iron, not like I was using a training-wheel club. You get a lot of towering height and good carry distance. It was a little more explosive at impact, even on toe mis-hits.
Alejandra
26, Handicap 5
4 years testing
It was easy to produce something that feels like good impact, but you didn't always get the result you thought you got when you looked up. That was confusing.
Scott
37, Handicap 14
9 years testing
This set felt more on the intermediate side of playing ability rather than being for beginners. It rewards the better strikes. It doesn't give total assistance for a super beginner, but it does really help the player who needs more height and can make OK contact.
Jin
30, Handicap 13
1 year testing
Its best attribute is that the ball did hold its line really well. I also like the clean look at address. The sole is somewhat visible and a bit distracting, but you can tell it was designed to help get the ball up. Might help with confidence in that regard.
SEE ALL (11)
Wei
55, Handicap 13
9 years testing
Visually, the first impression is unremarkable and unassuming, but don't let that fool you. It was very easy to control the flight while being incredibly forgiving. Default was for the ball to go straight, but you could still move it. The forgiveness comes into play when you're trying to step on it and go after it. This was very fun to hit.
Shane
36, Handicap 15
5 years testing
This just felt like a typical iron, not like I was using a training-wheel club. You get a lot of towering height and good carry distance. It was a little more explosive at impact, even on toe mis-hits.
Alejandra
26, Handicap 5
4 years testing
It was easy to produce something that feels like good impact, but you didn't always get the result you thought you got when you looked up. That was confusing.
Scott
37, Handicap 14
9 years testing
This set felt more on the intermediate side of playing ability rather than being for beginners. It rewards the better strikes. It doesn't give total assistance for a super beginner, but it does really help the player who needs more height and can make OK contact.
Jin
30, Handicap 13
1 year testing
Its best attribute is that the ball did hold its line really well. I also like the clean look at address. The sole is somewhat visible and a bit distracting, but you can tell it was designed to help get the ball up. Might help with confidence in that regard.
Daniel
33, Handicap 12
5 years testing
You get a higher launch angle and a controllable flight that climbs easily. Through the turf, the heft of that sole really seemed to help plow.
Ryan
46, Handicap 14
2 years testing
These set up nice behind the ball and you barely notice the offset. I felt it had really good balance in the head and a nice high ball flight. It was penetrating and the ball jumped off the face with a ton of energy. It's probably the most workable in the category. Just fun to swing.
Gary
37, Handicap 13
10+ years testing
This performs like a slingshot. It's lightweight and allows you to accelerate through impact to get a nice high launch. No doubt these will hold greens. I really got it out there with the longer clubs, covering a ton of distance. As far as looks, the badging makes it look more premium,
Ryan
49, Handicap 10
7 years testing
There's no standout design feature, and that carries over when you hit it. It didn't go super high or super far or was super forgiving. There is forgiveness, but it's just not extraordinary.
John
55, Handicap 11
1 year testing
I really like the 5-iron, just a beautiful high launch with a soft landing. The shorter irons were a little more of a struggle to get in the air. I got decent distance, but they were pretty average in regard to power and control. These were just really comfortable to swing.
Alex
40, Handicap 11
6 years testing
More than anything, the pitching wedge felt like a paddle or a tennis racquet. The middle and long irons were more traditional, but not exceptional. My ball flight was low and the balls did run out.
Wei
55, Handicap 13
9 years testing
Visually, the first impression is unremarkable and unassuming, but don't let that fool you. It was very easy to control the flight while being incredibly forgiving. Default was for the ball to go straight, but you could still move it. The forgiveness comes into play when you're trying to step on it and go after it. This was very fun to hit.
Shane
36, Handicap 15
5 years testing
This just felt like a typical iron, not like I was using a training-wheel club. You get a lot of towering height and good carry distance. It was a little more explosive at impact, even on toe mis-hits.
Scott
37, Handicap 14
9 years testing
This set felt more on the intermediate side of playing ability rather than being for beginners. It rewards the better strikes. It doesn't give total assistance for a super beginner, but it does really help the player who needs more height and can make OK contact.
Jin
30, Handicap 13
1 year testing
Its best attribute is that the ball did hold its line really well. I also like the clean look at address. The sole is somewhat visible and a bit distracting, but you can tell it was designed to help get the ball up. Might help with confidence in that regard.
Daniel
33, Handicap 12
5 years testing
You get a higher launch angle and a controllable flight that climbs easily. Through the turf, the heft of that sole really seemed to help plow.
Ryan
46, Handicap 14
2 years testing
These set up nice behind the ball and you barely notice the offset. I felt it had really good balance in the head and a nice high ball flight. It was penetrating and the ball jumped off the face with a ton of energy. It's probably the most workable in the category. Just fun to swing.
Gary
37, Handicap 13
10+ years testing
This performs like a slingshot. It's lightweight and allows you to accelerate through impact to get a nice high launch. No doubt these will hold greens. I really got it out there with the longer clubs, covering a ton of distance. As far as looks, the badging makes it look more premium,
Ryan
49, Handicap 10
7 years testing
There's no standout design feature, and that carries over when you hit it. It didn't go super high or super far or was super forgiving. There is forgiveness, but it's just not extraordinary.
John
55, Handicap 11
1 year testing
I really like the 5-iron, just a beautiful high launch with a soft landing. The shorter irons were a little more of a struggle to get in the air. I got decent distance, but they were pretty average in regard to power and control. These were just really comfortable to swing.
Alex
40, Handicap 11
6 years testing
More than anything, the pitching wedge felt like a paddle or a tennis racquet. The middle and long irons were more traditional, but not exceptional. My ball flight was low and the balls did run out.
Alejandra
26, Handicap 5
4 years testing
It was easy to produce something that feels like good impact, but you didn't always get the result you thought you got when you looked up. That was confusing.
NO REVIEWS
There are no tester reviews here.
Range Results
We tracked 27,000 shots through player testing and then had them analyzed by our team of scientists. These graphics reflect the relative performance our players saw for each club in the category.
Surviving The Hot List: Celebrity Intern
From the Manufacturer
XXIO 13
XXIO 13 Irons feature a remarkably low Center of Gravity thanks to their 4-piece construction, including titanium faces and tungsten-nickel sole weights. That weighting, combined with the Irons’ unique Rebound Frame structure which alternates stiff and flexible zones for added ball speed, gives you a satisfyingly high launch with incredible distance.
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Callaway used AI analysis of average-golfer impact points to selectively thin areas on the face to maximize ball speed. The face also wraps around the topline, sole and toe to further widen the springlike effect.
A metal-injection-molding process fashions the internal tungsten weighting to better position the center of gravity.
That weight is encased in urethane microspheres that helps deliver a soft feel.
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The hollow-body, hybrid-style iron is designed to help golfers get the ball in the air. The irons feature a variable-thickness face and oversize heads.
Grooves that stretch across the face improve launch conditions for shots hit outside the typical groove area by providing more spin consistency.
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Most of the same technical features of the DS-Adapt irons are used here but with a longer blade length, thicker topline, more offset and a wider sole—all things that are highly useful to players in this category.
Feedback from clubfitters that weaker-lofted irons benefit less skilled golfers resulted in lofts here that are about 2 degrees higher than other irons in this category.
Concentrating weight low and back is key to achieving easier launch and more speed. That’s accomplished via a steel weighting system inside the head that gets weight in the proper position while allowing maximum flexing of the face.
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High-strength chromoly 4140M steel is used for the face. The hitting area is thinned around the perimeter, increasing rebound for maximum ball speed.
The wide sole teams with tungsten weighting low in the head of the 4- through 7-iron to help golfers get the ball up in the air.
Internal ribs are used to provide a softer feel yet explosive sound at impact.
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An enhanced metalwood-style variable-thickness face uses a special heat treatment to allow thinning of the 17-4 stainless-steel.
The large head and wide sole offer increased stability and instill confidence.
The rear badge is a 10-piece construction that uses two plastics and has five bending regions to assist face flex for higher launch and a steeper landing angle.
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The multi-material cap back is lighter than the steel it replaces and wraps around the high-toe area. The reduced weight in that area makes it easier to square the club at impact, reducing the chance of hitting a slice.
The center of gravity is lower in the long irons to boost trajectory and progressively rises, allowing for controllable short-iron shots that don’t balloon.
The irons feature extreme heel-toe weighting to provide stability across a wide swath of the clubface.
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An L-shaped maraging-steel face wraps around part of the sole. The steel is durable, allowing it to be made thin to easily flex. This creates more speed and helps launch shots higher in lofts that are extremely strong.
The hollow-body construction uses forged S45C steel for a soft feel. The face actually uses two steels (one for the main irons and another for the gap and sand wedges).
The irons use a graphite back plate and stabilizer bar that allow the face to bend while maintaining an acceptable sound and feel.
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Through weighting, center-of-gravity placement and relatively weaker lofts, the irons provide the kind of launch-angle boost slower swingers need.
The variable-thickness face was inspired by Cobra’s driver. By tweaking the thickness and size of each “zone,” ball speed can be optimized across the face.
The lightweight Air-X starts with a cast head that is two grams lighter and a 41-gram grip that is six grams lighter. Saving eight grams makes the club easier to swing faster.
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An excellent choice for players more concerned with how many good shots they hit during a round than their score.
Designed using AI, the forged face insert uses stainless steel in a variable-thickness pattern that increases the area of the sweet spot.
Fifteen zones range in thickness from 2 to 2.2 millimeters. The result is a face that is slightly larger but doesn’t weigh more.
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The set uses a 6-hybrid then 7-iron through sand wedge. All are designed with a large amount of offset and a bigger overall profile—perfect for the beginner or occasional player looking for a club that’s easy to hit.
The irons have a hollow body filled with a polymer for feel and rebound. The outer cavity badge has a weight-saving insert. The mass saved is relocated to the perimeter for improved forgiveness.
As with all PXG irons, the face insert is made from HT1770 maraging steel and is razor thin at just .05 of an inch. That and the channels around the perimeter provide a chest-puffing trampoline effect.
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Tour Edge
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The diamond face with its three shapes and thicknesses boosts speed, particularly on off-center strikes, and uses less weight that allows for a deeper center of gravity.
The shallower clubhead, thicker topline and additional offset all work together to help golfers get the ball in the air while minimizing the tendency to slice.
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This is an all-iron set (as opposed to the hybrid-like Launch Pad model).
Wilson used analytical tools to develop its first ever cupface construction in which the face wraps around the topline and sole to get more distance in a pleasing look.
Mass was added to the topline to improve stability. This delivered better results on strikes caught high on the face while helping to mute the sound.