50 Words or Less
The XXIO 14 irons utilize a new titanium alloy to maximize distance and forgiveness. Designed for moderate to slow swing speeds. Wonderful feel. Premium price.
Introduction
In my review of the XXIO 14 driver [read it HERE] I gave kudos to the XXIO 14 lineup tagline “crafted for effortless play.” To me it gracefully notes that the clubs are designed for moderate to slow swing speeds. As a senior golfer, I appreciate a brand that isn’t primarily focused on hyping clubs for Tour players. XXIO also has a core word: premium. Whether ‘premium’ conjures thoughts of high-end materials or a lofty price tag is up to the reader. For me, it needs to apply to both. Either way, let’s dig in.
Looks
At address, the XXIO 14 irons have a substantial presence that straddles the line between game improvement and super game improvement. Blade length is long, and there’s notable offset. XXIO did a nice job making the topline appear thinner than it is by utilizing the matte finish of the face for about two thirds of the width.
In the bag the irons have a modern look, with interesting angles and a variety of finishes. Branding is a simple, yet well executed, “XXIO.” I like the reliefs incorporated into the trailing edge of the sole. Easily missed, the metallic blue pinstripe line that bisects the cavity adds a high-end touch, and also coordinates nicely with the blue accents on the shaft.
Sound & Feel
Three entries in my field notes summed up my impressions of the XXIO 14 irons perfectly: “Wonderful feel. Subtle feedback. Lovely balance.” That last note refers to the feel throughout the swing, most likely attributable to the head weight and shaft dynamics.
The feel of the ball popping off the face paired nicely with the clean ‘snap’ sound the irons produced. I didn’t hear any noteworthy change in the sound unless I ventured to the true perimeters of the face. The XXIO 14 irons shined in both sound and feel.
Performance
Since I mentioned the shaft in the prior section, it’s worth noting that XXIO utilizes Miyazaki proprietary golf shafts in all their products. Miyazaki, like XXIO, falls under the Dunlop Sports umbrella which also includes Srixon and Cleveland. Miyazaki employs a four-digit International Flex Code, which describes the stiffness from butt to tip on a 1-9 scale. The code for the stock MP1400 shafts is 3-3-2-1, which equates to a regular flex shaft with a softer tip, or low-mid kick point. All that is to say the XXIO 14 irons are designed for smoother swings in their stock configuration.
As for performance, the XXIO 14 irons produced solid ball speeds that were very consistent with any reasonable strike. That consistency made me feel like the sweet spot was immense. As you might expect for the target golfers, lofts are on the strong side to maximize distance. I found launch and spin a tad on the low side, which resulted in additional roll-out. With that, I was seeing around an additional 5 yards when compared with my gamers.
The key to the technology changes XXIO incorporated into their latest irons is a new titanium alloy containing silicon that they call VR-Titanium. I first learned about the alloy while testing the XXIO 14 driver. Stronger and with more resiliency, VR-Titanium allowed designers to reposition discretionary weight to boost both ball speeds and forgiveness. For the body, weight was moved to the extreme perimeters and the framework was strategically slimmed to increase flex at impact. VR-Titanium also allowed for thinning of the face on the toe side, expanding the face deflection area for ball speed preservation on more of the face.
To work more efficiently with the designs described above, the “L-Groove” of the XXIO 14 iron face was positioned lower in the sole, which “reduces stiffness under the face to amplify flex and increase ball speeds.” All that technology clearly had a positive impact on the wonderful sound and feel I experienced.
Conclusion
I discovered something I really like on the XXIO website – a set builder. On this tab you can choose specific irons and woods to build a complete set of XXIO 14 clubs. As for the XXIO 14 irons themselves, I found them to be great across all the categories we focus on in our reviews. The standout for me was the feel – truly noteworthy. Are the XXIO 14 irons worthy of their premium price? Probably not if you are talking strictly about performance. But toss in the nice looks and wonderful feel and the XXIO 14 irons are a compelling choice if you have the budget.
Visit XXIO HERE
XXIO 14 Irons Price & Specs
Senior Writer at Plugged In Golf
Matt – aka ‘Meeks’ – lives in the beautiful Lowcountry of South Carolina with his wife who allows his golf obsession to stretch the limits of normalcy.
