XXIO, friends, is a niche product.
Hell, that might even qualify as an understatement. From grip to tip and driver to sand wedge, XXIO is really a double-niche product. Its lightweight design is purpose-engineered for slower swing-speed golfers, specifically seniors and women.
It’s also what we lovingly refer to as premium.
That is, if you consider an $800 driver or a $450 fairway wood premium.
It’s easy to roll your eyes, make smart remarks about excessive prices and assert that no one will buy it. Actual sales, however, say otherwise. Yes, it’s a niche product, but it’s a big niche. There are a lot of slower swing-speed golfers out there with money, looking to make the most of the golfing years they have left.
This 14th iteration of XXIO’s core lineup is called, appropriately enough, XXIO 14. The new line follows the basic XXIO precepts: lightweight and very premium. However, for the first time in recent memory, XXIO is taking a bold step forward in materials, design intent and, interestingly enough, in broadening its potential audience.
With that, here are five important things you’ll need to know about the new XXIO 14 lineup of drivers, fairways, hybrids and irons.
#1: This time, “new” really does mean new
The last two or three XXIO iterations have been, quite frankly, stale and not terribly exciting. They’ve been more of the same and the story has gotten a tad repetitive, if not boring.
We’re lightweight, we’re premium, yadda, yadda yadda ….
However, with the new XXIO 14, XXIO is breaking some new ground.
“We’ve moved beyond incremental improvements to deliver something completely new,” says XXIO Vice-President Chuck Thiry. “(We’re) making it easier than ever before for women and seniors to swing faster, hit it straight and enjoy the game even more.”
There’s a long list of legitimately new and innovative stuff in XXIO 14. The headliner comes courtesy of the metallurgical minds at Srixon-Cleveland-XXIO. It’s called VR Titanium.
According to XXIO, VR Titanium is a never-before-used-on-this-planet alloy that’s lighter, stronger and more durable than the Super TIX-51AF titanium it used in previous models. That lightweight strength and durability translate to a thinner and more flexible face. That translates to added ball speed for slower swingers.
The next new element is called UltiFlex. It’s an offshoot of Srixon’s signature Rebound Frame technology. The thin VR Titanium face is backed by a rigid edge, which is followed by a thinner, more flexible body. The idea is to transfer energy to the ball more efficiently at lower swing speeds while also creating a considerably larger high COR area, or sweet spot. According to XXIO, UltiFlex makes the high COR area in XXIO 14 drivers (anything measuring 0.8 COR or greater) 151 percent larger than XXIO 13. The “extremely high” COR area (anything 0.82 or higher) is 183 percent larger than XXIO 13.
I don’t care what your swing speed is, that’s intriguing.
#2: Broadening the niche with XXIO 14+
XXIO made its bones as a premium lightweight offering for slower swing-speed golfers. The new XXIO 14+ is targeting a different niche: 90- to 100-mph swingers who could use some lightweight help.
XXIO 14+ features the same technology as the standard XXIO 14 line. However, it’s optimized for golfers who still have some juice in their swings. The XXIO 14+ irons, drivers and hybrids all feature VR Titanium faces (the standard XXIO 14 hybrid faces are HT 1770 stainless steel) while the irons sport a new cavity structure that removes mass from the heel and neck. That, coupled with high-density tungsten-nickel weighting in the toe, creates a lower and more centered center of gravity.
The variable-thickness iron face is designed for higher swing speeds. A larger area of the toe has been thinned, creating more face flex to minimize ball speed loss in that area. That frees up even more mass to bring CG down.
This isn’t XXIO’s first swing at better players approaching life’s Red Zone. XXIO X, launched back in 2020, targeted better players in their 50s and early 60s who still had swing speed. Unfortunately, XXIO X was a confusing launch. It came out at the same time as the standard XXIO 11 line, and two years after XXIO 10, which at launch was also called XXIO X.
Like XXIO X, the XXIO 14+ driver features a lightweight adjustable hosel. The standard XXIO 14 men’s driver also features the adjustable hosel, a first for the standard XXIO line.
XXIO 14+ an interesting offering from XXIO, and it’ll be fascinating to see if it does in fact broaden XXIO’s appeal. It will be available only through select fitters and dealers. XXIO 14+ also features the first co-developed shafts in XXIO’s history: the lightweight Fujikura Speeder NX DST.
#3: XXIO doesn’t shortchange the women’s game
XXIO proudly states that women make up 40 percent of its clientele so XXIO takes that market seriously.
XXIO isn’t a “shrink it and pink it” company. The entire XXIO 14 women’s line is engineered for what the company describes as “woman-specific” swings. While the women’s driver features a VR Titanium face and UltiFlex technology, the head itself is optimized for the women’s game.
XXIO studies show women golfers in its target demographic tend to hit the ball more toward the heel so the driver face is thinner in the heel section. Additionally, the more rounded head shape allows for an even lower CG design which, when paired with the ladies-specific (and XXIO-made) MP 1400L shaft, creates even more draw bias.
The new design, according to XXIO, makes the extremely high COR area 202 percent larger in the women’s XXIO 14 driver compared to the XXIO 13 driver from two years ago.
The fairways and hybrids are also optimized for the women’s game. The HT 1770 faces are made even thinner at the low end to maximize distance and the faces themselves are slightly larger than the men’s versions. That makes the fairways and hybrids even easier to launch.
The XXIO 14 irons are also specifically designed for the women’s game. The face is shallower with a more rounded top and the overall design is more draw-biased as slower swingers tend to struggle with an open face at impact.
However, unlike both men’s drivers, the XXIO 14 women’s driver does not feature an adjustable hosel. XXIO makes up for that by offering four different women’s drivers with four different lofts. When you’re going for something that light, every gram matters.
#4: If nothing else, XXIO gives it to you straight
I know we all love to complain about the promised “10 more yards.” Seriously, friends, no OEM is promising you that and hasn’t for many, many years. XXIO and, by extension, Srixon and Cleveland have traditionally been the most forthcoming, dare we say responsible, with their model-over-model comparisons and with comparisons to other OEMs.
According to internal testing, XXIO says its new driver delivers 2.9 yards more carry than XXIO 13 while fairway carry is about 1.5 yards longer than the previous model. That’s not a lot, and certainly not enough to upgrade from XXIO 13, but upgrading from XXIO 13 isn’t why XXIO 14 exists. It’s simply the newest version in the lineup, designed for the next generation of players losing the battle with Father Time.
That may be the beauty of XXIO’s business model. While the pricing isn’t for everyone, XXIO understands its target demographic very well. Aging and declining swing speed are inevitable. For the well-heeled golfer determined not to go gently into that good night, XXIO offers hope. Clubs are designed grip to tip to be easier to swing and the distance technology for slower swing speeds is legit. That combination can ultimately make the game more fun.
And fun, after all, is why we play the game.
#5: About that pricing
The concept of value is about as subjective as it gets. Is $700-plus to play Pebble Beach a good value? If you’ve never played it, I’d argue yes. It’s a bucket-list destination and is absolutely worth saving up for. Play it every Saturday? Not so much. I’d need to be in a much higher tax bracket.
That said, XXIO 14 isn’t cheap. Drivers are $799.99, fairways are $449.99 and hybrids are $349.99. The irons, with XXIO’s proprietary and lightweight MP1400 graphite shafts, are $239.99 each. That equates to $1,199.99 for a five-piece set or $1,699.99 for a seven-piece set.
The XXIO 14+ irons are also $239.99 a piece with the co-developed Fujikura Speeder NX DST shaft. Since the 14+ will only be offered through custom fitters, steel options will be available at $214.99, which is in line with other major OEMs.
We’ve said it before on these pages but it bears repeating. One of the most underserved demographics in any business is the premium, high-end demographic. Those are people who have money and are willing to spend it on something they want. That demographic includes a sizable contingent of slow-swing seniors and women. XXIO’s hope, and there’s plenty of history to back it up, is that when those golfers try XXIO, they’ll gladly pay the freight.
XXIO 14 specs and availability
The men’s XXIO 14 lineup features hosel-adjustable drivers in 9.5-, 10.5- and 11.5-degree lofts (10.5 only for lefties). The five fairway wood models (3, 4, 5, 7, 9) come in lofts ranging from 15 to 23 degrees. There are five hybrids, including a new 30-degree 7-hybrid.
Only the 3-, 5- and 7-woods and 4- and 5-hybrids come in left-handed models.
The XXIO 14 iron set is 5-iron through sand wedge (6-PW in LH). XXIO’s lightweight MP 1400 graphite shaft and lightweight grip are standard.
The XXIO 14+ is right-handed only with two hosel-adjustable drivers (9.5 and 10.5). 14+ also includes two fairway woods (15 and 18 degrees) and three hybrids (18, 20 and 23-degrees). The iron lineup features 5-iron through gap wedge with lofts typical of the game-improvement category.
The Fujikura Speeder NX DST graphite shaft is standard for 14+ (steel is available via custom fit). It’s stiffer in the middle and tip than the MP1400 for greater stability at higher swing speeds. It’s still lightweight while providing lower launch, ranging from 42 grams for the driver and 59 grams for the irons. The Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 is standard.
The XXIO 14 women’s line is robust with four bonded-hosel drivers (10.5, 11.5, 12.5 and 13.5 degrees), five fairway woods and five hybrids, including a new 35-degree 8-hybrid. The irons are available in 5-iron through sand wedge. The ladies’ MP1400 shaft is standard as is the XXIO ladies’ lightweight grip.
The women’s lineup is right-handed only.
XXIO is offering online set builder tools for the XXIO 14 men’s and women’s sets as well as for XXIO 14+.
All three product lines are available in stores and on the World Wide Web starting today. For more information, visit the XXIO website.
The post Five Things You Need To Know About The New XXIO 14 Lineup appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
