Callaway Rogue Vs Rogue X Irons Review & Specs – What Are The Differences?

Callaway Rogue Vs Rogue X Irons Review & Specs

 The Callaway Rogue series of irons is pretty well-established as a set of clubs that deliver on distance. There’s no disputing that.

Distance is what they were primarily designed for. With the advent of the Rogue X irons though, everyday golfers may be a bit confused as to the difference between the two.

Make no mistake about it; the Rogue X irons are still predicated first and foremost on distance. T

he difference between the standard Rogue and the Rogue X irons is in the finer details – and those details are what we will be examining in today’s side by side review.

 

Introduction to the Rogue Series

Callaway introduced their first Rogue series in February of 2018.

They were hyped to no end as being able to get you farther down the fairway with fewer strokes – and for the most part, the hype was legit.

The Rogue’s quickly became known for their explosive distance.

The Rogue X irons debuted at the same time with the promise of providing the same distance but with greater feel.

 

Rogue Key Features

The Rogue irons feature two of Callaway’s most important design features: the 360 Face Cup architecture and Variable Face Thickness.

The 360 Face Cup allows the face to merge seamlessly with the head, creating a larger flexing point.

The face is made of an ultra-thin material that allows it to flex and rebound at more points.

This is the main engine behind the Rogue series’ explosive ball speed and distance.

 

Rogue X Innovations

The Rogue X kicks things up a notch. It still features the VFT and 360 Face Cup design; but with beefier soles and longer club length.

They were designed to launch higher and carry longer than the standard Rogue irons.

 

Who is Each Set for?

So what do you lose with longer irons and higher lofts? Most would say workability which, in our experience with the clubs, is accurate.

The standard Rogue irons will suit lower handicap players more congenially while the Rogue X’s may feel more comfortable in intermediate golfers’ hands.

 

Loft Comparison

	Rogue Loft	Rogue X Loft
3 iron	18	N/A
4 iron	20.5	18.5
5 iron	23	21
6 iron	26	24
7 iron	30	27
8 iron	34.5	31.5
9 iron	39	36

 

Performance Comparison

On the course, we really liked how both the Rogue and Rogue X irons felt. Usually, with face construction that is as thin as it is in the Rogue series, you sacrifice a ton of feel. Callaway has addressed this by adding a layer of urethane microspheres in the head.

This layer effectively dampens the harsh vibration of the thin face for both the Rogue and Rogue X irons. Since their composition is virtually identical, there was no difference in feel between these 2 iron sets – they both felt clean, responsive and smooth.

Distance is where one pulls ahead of the other. The Rogue X were designed to be lighter and launch the ball higher. They have a visibly larger sole than the standard Rogue irons. You can feel the pull of the deeper, lower CG on your swing and see it in how much higher it launches the ball than the Rogue’s.

That’s not to say that a skilled player wouldn’t be able to get the same distance from the standard Rogue’s. By and large though, beginner and intermediate players would benefit greatly from the easy distance of the Rogue X’s.

Aside from the Tungsten weighting, there isn’t much in the way of advanced forgiveness features for either of these sets. That being said, the thicker top line and more pronounced offset of the Rogue X’s will provide more leniency on off-center shots in general.

Price Comparison 

There’s about a $50 difference between these two sets. The Rogue X’s tend to be slightly cheaper at about $700 for the set while the standard Rogue’s go for about $750.

 

Callaway Rogue Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Better for advanced players
• Shorter length
• Great feel
• Great distance
• Good ball speed
• Better on approaches

 

Cons:

• Heavier
• Not great for beginners
• A bit more expensive
• Sightly less forgiving

Overall Score: 95/100

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Rogue X Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Better for beginners
• Longer carry distance
• Higher launch angles
• More offset
• Wider sole
• Thicker top line

Cons:

• Less accurate on approaches
• Longer club lengths
• Less accurate
• Not great for low handicappers

Overall Score: 95/100

Check Out More Reviews Here:

 

Honorable Mentions

Taylormade M2 Irons

The 2019 M2 irons have been outfitted with Taylormade’s geoacoustic technology which gives these irons a great sound and feel.

The thinner Speed Pocket also allows for a greater amount of flex and more ball speed preservation on low face hits.

Overall Score: 96/100

Check Out More Reviews Here:

 

Cobra F9 Irons

If you are looking for a good muscle back set of irons the Cobra F9’s deserve your attention.

The belt of steel that wraps around the sole stabilizes high swing speed shots and creates a lower CG for optimal control without losing any distance.

Overall Score: 92/100

Check Out More Reviews Here:

 

Ping G410 Irons

The Ping G410 are great player irons. They feature a shorter blade and cut down on the offset so they look great at address.

Weights are added in the toe and the hosel to increase MOI so they are still surprisingly forgiving.

The aluminum/elastomer rear badge help to improve feel.

Overall Score: 93/100

Check Out More Reviews Here:

Final Assessment

To recap, the main differences you need to know about between the standard Rogue and the Rogue X irons are as follows: the Rogue X’s have a wider sole, they’re lighter and they’re longer. In short, they would be more congenial to mid to high handicappers.

Our final assessment of these 2 iron sets is this: if you are looking for an all-around better mix of precision and distance, go with the standard Rogue’s.

They were more workable and skilled players will be able to get the same distance from them as with the Rogue X’s. They are our overall pick so check them out!