{"id":1623,"date":"2016-09-17T20:45:46","date_gmt":"2016-09-18T01:45:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.golfballs.com\/?p=1623"},"modified":"2022-07-22T14:29:25","modified_gmt":"2022-07-22T19:29:25","slug":"new-product-launch-callaway-steelhead-xr-irons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/blog\/new-product-launch-callaway-steelhead-xr-irons\/","title":{"rendered":"New Product Launch: Callaway Steelhead XR Irons"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Callaway<\/a>

Callaway Golf Releases the All New Steelhead XR Irons<\/p><\/div>\n

Do you need any evidence that time flies? We\u2019re so deep into the 21st century already that golf manufacturers are looking back with nostalgia to golf clubs<\/a> introduced in years that started with a \u201c20\u201d. Witness the Callaway Steelhead XR irons that recently hit the late 2016 golf market.<\/p>\n

The new generation of design wizards didn\u2019t have to blaze an entirely new trail to create the Steelhead XR\u2019s and instead harkened back to innovations from the past. Mostly they landed on the Steelhead X-14 from that long-ago time in 2000, with inspiration from the original X Series irons as well as the still-popular Apex and XR families.<\/p>\n

A Bit of History<\/h2>\n

When the Steelhead X-14 arrived, it was a replacement for the popular Callaway Big Bertha line that launched the company into manufacturing prominence. Those Steelheads boasted a longer blade length with weight shaved from all the edges for a clean, rounded-off look all the way around the face. The bigger face and repositioned center of gravity bred improved performance on off-center strikes.<\/p>\n

The Steelhead X-14s became one of Callaway\u2019s best-sellers, even though the set cost rammed up against the upper reaches of affordability. In fact, back in the beginning of the century, a set of X-14s were aspirational clubs for many golfers hoping to reap the benefits of that enormous sweet spot. Even after many Callaway golf clubs<\/a> came and went, golfers swore by their X-14s as the best clubs the company had ever made.<\/p>\n

\"Callaway<\/a>

Callaway Golf Steelhead X-14 Irons, Circa 2000<\/p><\/div>\n

Building from a Not-too-Distant Past<\/h2>\n

To craft its new line of Steelhead XRs, Callaway started with the eye-pleasing shape of the X-14 irons and kept the company\u2019s trademark massive cavity-back meant to tame mishits. From there, engineers adapted Callaway\u2019s recent 360-degree Cup Face technology, which represents the brand\u2019s latest innovations on iron performance.<\/p>\n

Essentially, the clubface of the Callaway Steelhead XR irons<\/a> wraps around the perimeter of the club. Think about how a trampoline is stretched around a tubular frame, where the effect is maximum spring in the center. The same principle applies to the clubface of the XRs, which deliver a dynamic effect to the center of the face. The results are so pronounced that the new XR irons bounce right up against the limits of USGA regulations.<\/p>\n

Working with a thinner and faster face, Callaway was able to realize significant weight savings in building its clubheads. Designers then configured its Steelhead XR set to maximize performance from each club by putting that missing weight where it\u2019s most needed. In the longer irons the weight sits low and centered to promote a higher ball flight, and in the shorter clubs, the weight is pushed up the face to send golf balls<\/a> away with a lower, more controllable trajectory. The internal \u201cstanding wave\u201d weighted pad also supports the frame of the face cup design, enhancing the flexibility of the face and controlling the location of the center of gravity.<\/p>\n