Callaway’s X Hot fairway wood is a unique club designed to help those golfers looking for an alternative to the driver and/or maximum length off the fairway. Callaway has maxed out everything here… the X Hot is oversized, over length and flat out long.
What Our Readers Say…
Readers looking for length and forgiveness off the tee enjoy the X Hot…
I can hit this almost as far as my driver. I have taken the big dog out of the bag!
The X Hot is a bit tough to hit off the fairway but it’s an awesome club off the tee.
Really easy to hit, really forgiving and really long. An awesome combo. Good job Callaway!
The extra shaft length isn’t a big deal. There are better clubs for off the fairway though. The overall size makes it really forgiving.
Overall Reader Rating – 64%
What Our Customers Say…
Feedback is really mixed here. People looking for an alternative to their driver really enjoy the X Hot. People looking for maximum distance like the X Hot. Golfers looking for an easy to hit fairway wood usually look somewhere else. Golfers that prefer the look of a shallow fairway wood don’t go for the X Hot.
Look – The X Hot is bigger than your average fairway wood… it’s actually bigger than the original Big Bertha Driver. The extra size really helps with forgiveness and performance on miss hits. The extra bulk also gives players a bit more confidence when hitting off the tee or out of the rough. Callaway has kept the overall look fairly traditional and it is a nice club to look down on. Callaway carries forward many of their standard technologies including the S2H2 hosel and the “X Sole” – which helps prevent the wood from rocking when set down.
Ball Flight – This club is a bomber off the tee and the X Hot hits the ball fairly high. Many players that we’ve talked to find it a bit tricky to hit this club off the fairway but a decent ball striker shouldn’t have too much trouble. I don’t know if I’d consider this club a “slice buster” but its large face and high(er) MOI help keep the ball straight. Players looking to work the ball should be able to move it with the X Hot.
Forgiveness – This is one category where the X Hot is fairly strong. Callaway once made forgiving drivers that rivaled the size of the X Hot so it shouldn’t be a huge shock that the kings of forgiveness have struck again. This extra size makes the Hot really versatile. It’s an effective option off the tee, out of the rough and off the fairway. There aren’t too many fairway woods as forgiving as the X Hot.
Feel – The 455 Carpenter Steel face makes this club feel “hot” (go figure) and lively. Callaway has always been known for their fairway woods and this club falls into line with all of the others.
Other – Most customers comment on the longer shaft offered in this club. Many golfers play drivers that are 44 inches in length so the idea of a three wood at this length concerns some. I’ve seen a few cut down this club to a more traditional length and sacrifice the extra distance. The Carpenter Steel face is really lively and it’s something that most customers notice right away. Some customers wish that the X Hot line was larger. Callaway only offers a 3 wood but there are rumors that a larger “Hyper” line might solve this problem. The stock shaft is average and Callaway offers a wide variety of upgrades. Players looking to use it off the fairway may want to look at a shaft that gets the ball up.
The Callaway X Hot is basically a 3 wood on steroids. Most golfers use it as an alternative off the tee or a high powered par 5 buster. Its larger head size and longer shaft scare off some people but few clubs can match its length. The Hot isn’t the easiest club to hit off of the fairway but the chance to bomb it off the turf drive many to at least try it. The Callaway X Hot is a formidable competitor in the new “juiced up” fairway wood market but it still is a step behind the Tour Edge Exotics when it comes to ease of use off the short stuff.
Overall Customer Rating – 76%
Overall Combined Rating – 70%