At a Glance
I know you’re here because you are looking for a Fairway Club that prioritizes long distances, fast ball speeds, and has an awesome forgiving head shape. For that, without further ado, I present to you the Callaway X HOT Fairway Wood that is ideally perfectly suited for a vast variety of shots.
The X Hot fairway is an excellent choice if you have trouble getting the ball airborne on longer strokes. After several years of RAZR models, Callaway finally introduced this X Hot fairway.
In general, you need a fairway club to be longer. Longer than the RAZR Fairway, which is what the Callaway X Hot has.
Like all of our reviews, this one will give you a more in-depth look at the X Hot as well as a few other options if this isn't the right fairway for you.
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Callaway X HOT Fairway Wood Review
Now, let us know why this fairway club is essential to sight when it comes to fairway clubs. To put it simply, Callaway's X Hot fairway woods are longer and more forgiving than previous versions. Most golfers like you would probably love the matte grey color and the quiet sound it gives. This is just a glimpse of what you’ll unravel in this review.
To start off, let us look at the club’s engraved technologies.
Technology Used
Let me tell you a trivia, Callaway intended to achieve two objectives while creating the new X-Hot fairway wood;
To begin with, they wanted to keep the center of gravity low so that they could have a more aggressive launch angle.
Second, Callaway wanted to make certain that the ball speed you'll get would be off the charts.
Forged Speed Frame Face Cup
In order to achieve their goals, Callaway divided the club into two parts. The Forged Speed Frame Face Cup was the first piece of the puzzle. This enables for constant speeds across the whole face of the club, as well as quick speeds. Surprising, right? It is not just that, there’s more!
Internal Standing Wave
The clubhead's stainless steel casting is the second component. In this piece, the Internal Standing Wave is used to lower the center of gravity and push the weight as close to the face as feasible.
Warbird-style sole
The Warbird-style sole was another addition to the X-Hot which now gives a little more versatility. The X-Hot of the previous generation was a little more difficult to strike off of the deck. But with the new sole design applied in this X-Hot, this type of shot is considerably easier to pull off. So, you wouldn’t have to worry anymore.
Looks
In terms of golf clubs' appearance, I'm a little more of a traditionalist. When I'm hitting the ball, I don't want to be distracted by a lot of graphics.
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The crown of Callaway's fairway wood has a matte grey finish like the X Hot driver. In order to complement the club's red and black bottom, the X Hot fairway wood's back features a red and black crown.
In addition, the fairway wood bears the usual Callaway alignment mark where the driver does not. There might be a reason for this, but it works for me, therefore it probably will work for you as well.
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There is a stylized X in the sweet spot and white grooves that contrast well with the glossy black finish on the face. Not just that, the black, glossy surface and red and white insets at the face cup-to-club interface add some visual interest.
Overall, I'm a lover of the matte look. Numerous clubs are beginning to use this finish, and I prefer it over a high-gloss one since it is less likely to scratch or glare. None of the visuals bother me, but they're not over-the-top either.
The only thing I'd modify is to remove all of the graphics off the top of the club, save for the alignment help. The X Hot fairway wood, in my opinion, was well-designed by Callaway.
Sound and Feel
Now, one feature we need to look at, and specifically consider, is the sound it makes as well as the feeling we’ll gain. Just like other great fairway woods, X-HOT comes close to them.
At impact, this Callaway X Hot Fairway produces a pleasing sound. Just enough to make you feel like you've achieved something, but not so much that you'll feel like you've done much. It is more like a so-so kind of sound, but I think you'll like it.
As with any club that is known to be forgiving, my perception of the club will vary from the reality experienced by others. But, regarding workability, I only saw a difference in the ease with which the ball flies from the club face.
Forgiveness
In terms of forgiveness, It is quite simple to strike out of a variety of lies. Due to the fact that it responds so efficiently, Callaway suggests utilizing this club from all lies, even the rough.
Because of the large face, you can quickly launch the ball into the air even while you're holding a 3-wood in your hand.
Therefore, stop wasting any more time second-guessing yourself and simply get fairway woods in your bag!
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Distance
To put it simply, the distance of this X Hot Fairway Wood will somewhat shock you—well it shocked me though.
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This is because Callaway claims that the X Hot fairway wood is an average of 24 yards longer than the RAZR and it does! To be honest, that's a significant amount of distance.
Additionally, the club's speed frame technology allows it to launch long enough for an average golfer. However, those who are primarily concerned with distance should practically focus on new fairway woods.
Performance
It used to be that on a fairway, you would have had to choose between a long-distance fairway wood and one that was excellent off the tee. Luckily, the X Hot fairway woods have a low center of gravity and compact size, making them ideal for you!
If you're a golfer with a shallow angle of attack or a desire for an additional spin, the X Hot is the best option for you.
Some players may find the X Hot to be a little too low-spinny or travel too far with the club's enormous ball speeds. To acquire the spin or trajectory they want, some golfers will have to raise their loft. A good thing, but something to keep in mind for golfers.
It's possible that a tiny number of Tour-level swingers may have difficulty with the X Hot Pro's smaller dimensions. With the X Hot Pro, Phil Mickelson, for example, struck too many high-faced shots. Thus, engineers created a 3 Deep model with a wider, deeper face to avoid the vertical gear effect that caused his shots to spin too low. However, the 3 Deep and X Hot Pro aren't used by all professionals; Jim Furyk and Tianlang Guan, for example, both utilize the X Hot fairway woods, just to let you know.
Shaft Options
The X Hot fairway woods are available in several options. Woods 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, and 11 come in degrees of 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, and 25. However, only the 3, 5, and 7 woods are available to lefties.
Four fairway wood lofts are available for the X Hot Pro fairway woods: 13.5, 15.5, 17.5, and 19. Only 15 degrees are available to lefties. The shafts of the Pro models are a half-inch shorter than the shafts of their similarly-degreed counterparts, making them somewhat more open.
You may choose from a large selection of custom shafts. If you prefer a more costly shaft like Aldila, Fujikura, and/or Project X then lucky you! They'll have you covered if you're prepared to fork out the extra money.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
FAQs
Q. Who are these X HOT for?
They are playable for everyone—amateurs to professionals.
Q. Is X HOT good for mid-handicappers?
Yes, they are made for mid to high handicappers. So, they would be the ones who’ll greatly benefit from it.
Q. What are the available lofts and club flex?
You may choose between three shaft flexes: light, normal, and stiff, and they come in loft sizes 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, and 25.
Interested in more Fairways? Check out the following:
- TaylorMade SIM Fairway Wood Review
- TaylorMade SIM MAX Fairway Wood Review
- TaylorMade SIM 2 Max Fairway Wood Review
- TaylorMade SIM Max-D Fairway Wood Review
- Taylormade Stealth Fairway Woods Review
- Callaway Big Bertha B21 Fairway Wood Review
- Callaway Epic Speed Fairway Wood Review
- Callaway Epic Max Fairway Wood Review
- PXG 0211 Fairway Wood Review
Final Thoughts about Callaway X Hot Fairway Wood
Three-woods are the only clubs in a your golf bag that need to be adaptable, which is why many Tour players are still using fairway woods from many years ago. Until a golfer discovers something better, it's a difficult club to replace.
Our faith in these fairway woods is unquestionable, and that's why they've become so popular with professional golfers. Because of their length and forgiveness, they're a good fit for the kinds of lies we didn't believe they could bear.
Adjustability in the X Hot line is something we'd like to see, and it seems like we'll get it next year. These fairway woods are precisely what we're looking for in a modern-day fairway wood—classic in sound and feel, yet very long-flying in comparison to other fairway woods.
So, better check this outstanding fairway wood and experience its great features.
Alternatives to Consider
TaylorMade RBZ Fairway Wood
The RBZ is available for practically the same price as the Callaway X Hot Fairway, which it closely resembles if you're looking for an alternative of the same price.
This is one of the greatest wood on the market because this one is fast, forgiving, and hot off the club face. In comparison to the Sim Max Fairway, which is a lot longer, the RBZ has a lower price point and is easier to hit. Moreover, the RBZ is coated in black to avoid glare, giving it a sleek and clean look.
For that, this should be one of the fairways you should look at.
Callaway MAVRIK Fairway Wood
The Mavrik fairway woods from Callaway are the first of their kind.
The Mavrik woods are as lengthy and forgiving as they can be thanks to the use of artificial intelligence and ball speed enhancement technologies.
The Callaway X Hot Fairway, on the other hand, costs almost twice as much. It's all worth it, however, thanks to the Flash Face SS20, which boosts ball speed and performance to new heights.
Not only that, but this club has a number of other distinguishing characteristics that have elevated it to the ranks of the greatest fairway woods on the market.
So, to tell you, this is also a worth its club!