If you’re not toting a 7-wood right now, can you even call yourself a proper club golfer?
Tour players are stocking their bags with the utility club and whenever the very best start doing something we’re soon getting in on the hype.
At my club, 7-woods are popping up all over the place and there are some pretty good reasons why you should think about adding one too.
If you’re not comfortable with hybrids – I have a ritual of duck hooking them – then a club that’s got the shape of a conventional metal might be your saviour off the tee and from the deck.
Into this space comes the XXIO 14 model. It’s the latest in the Japanese golf brand’s series of lightweight clubs that are designed to help golfers with more moderate swing speeds hit the ball further, higher, and straighter.
For someone like me, approaching a half century and looking to cling onto every yard, that is an attractive proposition. But is it all it’s cracked up to be? Let’s dive in with my XXIO 14 7-wood Review….
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NCG Summary
NCG SUMMARY
You can’t deny XXIO are onto something. The XXIO 14 7-wood launches like a short-iron, just keeps going, and will surprise you with its straightness and carry distances. It has the potential to transform how you hit approach shots and shots into longer par 3s. But you’ll need pay for the privilege at an RRP of £499.
PROS
- Incredibly high launch
- Carry distances are exceptional
- Tee shots go very straight
- Very satisfying noise off the face
CONS
- It’s a premium price
- Flexible shaft might feel weird to some players
- Lack of adjustability
My First Impressions
If you like your woods to be largely uncluttered, look no further. The XXIO 14 7-wood has a clean finish, save for the alignment arrow and for the ActivWing stripe.
‘Experience the difference’, the XXIO slogan, adorns the sole and this club certainly is different from many of its competitors – just not in the way you might think.
There are no bells and whistles. No movable weights and, crucially, no adjustability. That is unusual these days.
We’re all used to getting out a wrench and fiddling when shots go awry. The XXIO 14 is old school on the outside. What you see is what you get.
The clubhead sits slightly offset at address – another clear nod to the golfer it’s designed for – but at 20 degrees there is still plenty of loft even if you are inclined as I am to shut the face.
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What I found
Distance and height
If ever you need a club to go further, it’s in the bleak midwinter. Let me tell you, the XXIO 14 7-wood does everything it promises.
The first time I struck this, off the 17th tee at York’s Sandburn Hall, I initially thought I’d got underneath it. It went higher than any club than I’ve ever hit in four decades of playing this game. And it kept going. I’d expect to hit my 20-degree hybrid to carry about 165 in this weather (I told you I’m a short hitter). This carried 184 yards.
Descent angle
The flight was beautiful, with the shot coming down from a height I just can’t usually manufacture.
That’s going to be a gamechanger for me when we’re into the heart of the competition campaign.
It’s a lovely feeling when you strike this club well. It pings off the face with a satisfying sound and, if you thought my opening shot was just a fluke, I subsequently hit it 190, 191 and 184 again – all with the same big ball flight and long carry.
Helping with long par 3s
Where I got particularly excited was on approach shots. I tend to hit the ball low and that makes distance control something of a lottery, particularly when the ground is running.
But I achieved stopping distances I’ve not seen before. I now have a legitimate club into a longer par 3.
Whippy shaft
I was using the supplied MP1400 39g shaft and it’s whippy. It felt a bit like casting a fishing rod. There is the odd sensation of the club and shaft not quite feeling in unison as you accelerate into the backswing.
That’s going to freak some of you out, but I play a lot of hickory golf where a soft wooden shaft can perform in a similar fashion.
It takes a bit of trust but once you realise you’re going to be in the right place at impact – which is all that really matters – you’ll be in the groove in no time.
It’s not a club, though, you can try to smash. On the few occasions I did, I was up and out of the shot far too quicky. With XXIO, slow and steady wins the race.
The price issue
Let’s talk about the price – a tick under £500 – because it’s the biggest thing might stop you buying this club.
I’ve been showing it off around my club and when we get to the RRP I get a hangdog expression from players. I’ve yet to find anyone who says they would fork out.
It’s a premium price for a premium product and its performance comprehensively delivers. But how many ordinary golfers, who this product is surely being aimed at, will pay up? That’s the £499 question.
NCG Final Say
I can’t fault how the XXIO 14 7-wood performs. It launched high, straight, and carried much longer than what’s currently in my bag. I’d be really interested to see how much extra I could get out of the driver too. They would be absolute musts for my bag.
But here’s the rub. At £499, and £750 for the driver (that’s the most expensive on the market), it’s an investment. The potential upsides are great but the lack of adjustability and that hit on the wallet will put some potential customers off.
If you can dig deep, you will certainly reap the benefits as this club will give lots of mid and high handicappers something they just don’t have in their bag: high launch and longer carry distances.
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That’s likely to help you bring down your scores and, for that, you might decide it’s a price worth paying.
Price information
RRP: £499.00 / $449.99
More information: XXIO website
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