Callaway XR Irons Review

Last updated January 26, 2020 at 6:44 pm by Matt Saternus

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4 Comments

50 Words or Less

The Callaway XR irons are solid game improvement irons but aren’t a significant leap forward from the X Hot or X2 Hot irons. Great feel.

Introduction

If you’re familiar with Callaway’s XR family, the story behind the XR irons won’t surprise you: speed and more speed. With this iron, Callaway utilizes their Cup 360 face technology to provide tons of ball speed across the entire face. We put it to the test to determine whether or not that actually translates to more yards on the course.

Looks

There’s nothing about the Callaway XR irons that’s going to surprise you. The top line and sole are fairly thick, and there’s a healthy amount of offset. The cavity is pretty clean, especially by game improvement standards, with simple branding and just a splash of color.

Sound & Feel

The most standout element of the Callaway XR irons is the feel – they’re some of the most solid-feeling game improvement irons out. This solid feel is combined with a slightly loud, click-y sound that gives you the sensation that the ball is rocketing off the club face.

The only negative about the feel is that there’s virtually no feedback. If you put more than a couple dimples on the club face, you get rewarded with a solid feel.

Performance

Just as I said about the looks, the performance of the Callaway XR irons will not surprise you. There’s solid forgiveness here – shots on the toe or heel still retain most of their ball speed and thin shots rise to reasonable trajectories. When you do hit the ball flush, the distance is exactly what you’d expect from a strong-lofted iron. In spite of the forgiveness and the offset, the XR irons still give you some ability to work the ball and flight your shots up or down. All that said, there’s nothing about the performance of these clubs that make them stand apart from their competitors or their predecessors in the Callaway X series.

Conclusion

All in all, the Callaway XR irons are solid game improvement irons, but they’re not markedly better than Callaway’s past efforts. Though the feel is excellent, I don’t think that golfers playing the X Hot or X2 Hot irons will feel the need to upgrade.

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Matt Saternus

Editor In Chief at Plugged In Golf

Matt has worked in nearly every job in the golf industry from club fitting to instruction to writing and speaking.

He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.

Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.

4 Comments

Stefanus Eko
November 16, 2015 at 6:27 am · Reply

Hi Matt..
im 18 hdc looking for a new iron , what do you think about callaway xr vs ping g30 vs jpx 850 forged?
- Matt Saternus
  November 16, 2015 at 3:10 pm · Reply
  
  Stefanus,
  
  If the premium is on distance and forgiveness, I would eliminate the JPX 850 Forged and compare the XR and G30 in a fitting. I suspect the G30 will win.
  
  Best,
  
  Matt
Stefanus Eko
November 16, 2015 at 6:29 am · Reply

Im looking for distance and stability … right now i use tm r9 graphite s shaft … thanks
- Darren Richter
  July 25, 2023 at 11:26 am · Reply
  
  I use the XR 360 irons and great shot making irons.
  I get better distance and nice straighter shots with these.
  I had Burner 2.0 but these are better.