Is the Callaway X Hot 3 Wood Still Good? Is it Forgiving for High Handicappers?

Callaway X HOT Fairway Wood

“The Callaway X Hot fairway wood had a high-quality design when they came out in 2013 – and the same can still be said now in 2023.”

A lot of us have been fans of the X Hot fairway woods since they came out in 2013. The only problem was that when they came out, they were expensive. Time has passed and the Callaway X Hot fairway woods have been succeeded.

This means that in 2023, the Callaway X Hot 3 wood is much less expensive. But does it provide value to the average high handicapper?

Luckily, some of our testers were already very familiar with the Callaway X Hot 3 wood when it came time to review it.

Still, we went out and tested it on the range and on the course to see if it still has anything to offer high handicappers specifically.

Is the Callaway X Hot 3 Wood Still Good?

“The Callaway X Hot fairway woods have enduring features that made them a hit when they came out and makes them classics today.”

Let’s start with the forged 455 Carpenter Steel face. Carpenter steel is an incredibly hard, strong and resilient steel alloy. When it’s forged, manufacturers are able to control the reactiveness to an acute degree.

In the case of the Callaway X Hot fairway woods, this allows for incredible consistency and amazing ball speed all over the face.

The forged Carpenter Steel face alone is enough to make the Callaway X Hot fairway wood a good choice in our opinion.

But then, you pair the face design with forward weighting. The result? Incredible ball speeds and low spin

. We were getting spin rates in the mid 2,000 RPM range with the Callaway X Hot 3 wood.

On average, the spin rate clocked in at 2,300 RPMs. This is due to the forward weighting of the Callaway X Hot fairway woods.

The weight has been moved as close to the face as possible to all but kill any spin off the tee or deck.

Speaking of the tee, the Callaway X Hot is a viable driver play. Because the face is incredibly consistent and resistant to twisting, you can count on it for great forgiveness off the tee.

MOI is very high in this fairway wood so you can also count on impeccably straight shots.

The Callaway X Hot fairway wood has held up incredibly well in the 9 years since it was released and is most definitely still a good club.

Is the Callaway X Hot Fairway Wood Forgiving for High Handicappers?

Callaway X HOT Fairway Wood1

“Because of the low spin, some golfers will need to go with a higher loft to get the trajectory they want.”

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s just something to be aware of. The Callaway X Hot fairway woods spin so low that you might need to spec up on the loft if you need better apex height.

The Callaway X Hot fairway wood also features a low profile face that almost makes it look like a hybrid club. This is the perfect design for anyone with a shallow angle of attack.

You should also keep in mind that these aren’t the biggest fairway woods on the market; but they still provide plenty of forgiveness.

Virtually anywhere on the face that our testers made contact, they were getting incredible ball speed and distance.

The face stays remarkably stable so even when you hit out near the toe or heel, you don’t lose much ball speed.

Callaway states that the Callaway X Hot fairway woods also have an improved “Warbird Sole” that enhances turf interaction.

In our testing, we weren’t blown away by the turf interaction though. It wasn’t bad by any means; but the lofty claims seemed unjustified.

Callaway X Hot Fairway Wood Vs Callaway Apex Utility Wood

“The Callaway Apex Utility woods are tungsten weighted and have a more compact head design than the Callaway X Hot woods.”

But like the Callaway X Hot woods, the Apex woods feature high-quality face design. In the case of the Apex, Maraging steel was used for the face.

The tungsten weighting is placed to produce a neutral ball flight though.

In general, you will have to be more accurate with the Apex wood than with the Callaway X Hot wood.

Callaway X Hot First Impressions

Callaway X HOT Fairway Wood3

“The Callaway X Hot 3 wood has a very pleasing look at address.”

We also noticed the incredibly rich “plink” sound it makes when you pure the ball – letting you know you nailed the sweet spot.

Callaway X Hot Selling Points

  • Standing Wave technology
  • 455 Carpenter Steel face
  • Modern Warbird sole
  • Forward CG
  • Low spin
  • Shallow face

Callaway X Hot Key Features

 “Many of the features work to reduce spin.”

Standing Wave Technology: The internal standing wave structure allows for weight to be placed very close to the face.

Carpenter Steel: Carpenter steel is incredibly resilient which lends the Callaway X Hot wood a very high MOI.

Shallow Face: A shallower face profile allows for more lateral forgiveness.

What Handicap is it for? 

“We would recommend the Callaway X Hot 3 wood to players in the 15-23 handicap range.”

It’s got great versatility for mid handicappers and the forgiveness is right on the money for high handicappers.

Callaway X Hot Options

  • X Hot Pro model
  • X Hot 3 Deep model
  • Project X graphite shaft
  • 15 degree loft

Who Should Buy the Callaway X Hot Fairway Wood?

Callaway X HOT Fairway Wood2

“The Callaway X Hot 3 wood would be a great choice for anyone who wants an instant boost of ball speed.”

Again, be aware that the launch angles are a bit low but if you’re fine with that, the Callaway X Hot is an absolutely terrific fairway wood.

The sound and ball speed alone make this wood worthwhile. Both mid and high handicappers will be able to get very good performance out of it.

Distance: 98/100 

Forgiveness: 97/100 

Feel & Control: 98/100 

Value: 98/100 

 

Overall Score: 98/100 

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