Equipment
Adams Golf’s new XTD “Cross Cavity” Irons
The give-and-take of golf club’s design is one of the biggest challenges engineers face when tuning its distance, forgiveness and feel.
Take, for example, golf equipment’s hottest trend of “distance irons.” Such clubs have extremely thin, unsupported faces that drive their fast ball speeds. But the thinness of their faces also tends to change their sound in a negative way, creating a loud, high-pitch noise at impact that golfers equate with bad feel.
Adams’ newest distance irons, the XTD “Cross Cavity” irons, are designed to fix that feel problem, while at the same time adding ball speed and forgiveness. To do so, however, the company needed an out-of-the-box solution that came by way of the Cross Cavity design.
The Cross Cavity design in the rear of the iron heads serves to move the center of gravity farther back, allowing the irons to be more forgiving than their size indicates. That’s the genesis of Adams’ claim that the irons have forgiveness that’s “more like a hybrid,” because the deeper CG generates a gear effect (draw spin on toe hits, fade spin on heel hits, etc.) that is similar to a hybrid.
But what makes the XTD irons truly unique is what Adams calls a “Pressure Piston,” a structure that’s mechanically lodged between the Cross Cavity and the club face to quiet sound and vibration (see the diagram below).
Justin Honea, senior director of research and development for Adams, said that Pressure Piston’s acoustic benefits allowed for a thinner, harder face material (450 stainless steel) to be used in the XTD irons. The thinner faces, combined with a 25 percent longer Cut-Thru slot on the irons’ soles, makes them significantly longer and forgiving than their predecessors, Adams’ Super S irons.
Sole shape (left) and topline (right). Click to enlarge
Just how much longer are they? According to Honea, they’re about 10 yards longer than the Super S irons while maintaining the same modest lofts (the 6 iron measures 28 degrees, 1.5 degrees weaker than TaylorMade’s SpeedBlade irons and 2 degrees weaker than Callaway’s X2 Hot irons).
The XTD irons sell for $599 for a seven-club set and come stock with KBS C-Taper 90 steel shafts. Golfers can also add one of Adams’ new Pro hybrids to the set for $100 each. Click to enlarge the spec sheet below.
Cameron Young’s WITB from his win at the 2025 Wyndham Championship. Cameron is a Titleist staff player but his bag is definitely filled with some unique clubs. Here are the clubs he used to secure his first PGA Tour win!
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus HB Black VeloCore+ 10 X
Irons: Titleist T200 (4), Titleist T100 (5), Titleist 631.CY Prototype (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F @57), WedgeWorks (60-K* @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom 9.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Prototype
- Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (10 degrees, C2 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Project X Denali Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 7 X
7-wood: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 8 X
Irons: Titleist T150 (4, 5), Titleist T100 (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper AMT Tour White X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F, 56-08M @57, 60-04T @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Fastback 1.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Yellow
We’re proud to once again partner with 2nd Swing Golf to bring you GolfWRX Members Choice 2025! 2nd Swing has more than 150,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.
What is the best driver in 2025? At GolfWRX, we take great pride in our online community and the cumulative knowledge and experience of our members. When it comes to the best driver of 2025, we want to know what our forum faithful think.
Since our founding in 2005, the bedrock of GolfWRX.com has been the community of passionate and knowledgeable golfers in our forums, and we put endless trust in the opinions of our GolfWRX members — the most knowledgeable community of golfers on the internet. No other group of golfers in the world tests golf clubs as frequently or as extensively, nor is armed with such in-depth information about the latest technology.
Below are the results of GolfWRX member voting for the 2025 best driver, along with the vote percentage for each club.
Best driver of 2025: The top 5
5. Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond: 6.02%
Callaway’s pitch: “For golfers looking for a fast, forgiving, yet workable driver, the Elyte Triple Diamond features a tour-inspired shape and is the preferred model by most Callaway tour players.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond here.
4. Ping G440 Max: 6.86%
Ping’s pitch: “The most forgiving G440 model, MAX has a hotter face to generate speed and distance, and a lighter overall system weight with a longer shaft (46″) for faster clubhead speed, higher launch and longer carries. The Free Hosel and Carbonfly Wrap crown save weight to create our lowest CG ever and increase forgiveness while contributing to a more muted, pleasing sound.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 Max here.
3. Ping G440 LST: 9.53%
Ping’s pitch: “LST is an especially good fit for faster swings, offering less spin and more control with a penetrating trajectory. A hotter face, lighter overall system weight and longer shaft (46″) deliver more speed and distance while maintaining tight dispersion.”
@phizzy30: “Not a fan of Ping drivers in general, but 440 LST takes the cake. It’s super forgiving across the face for a low spin head, looks and sounds good and the ability to make it play neutral or slightly fade biased through the hosel settings is very appealing.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 LST here.
2. Titleist GT3: 16.55%
Titleist’s pitch: “The GT3 Driver offers Titleist’s boldest combination of power and personalization through adjustable performance. Dial in the CG Track to your frequent contact location to make your biggest drives even bigger while taking total control over flight and shaping.”
@mrmikeac: “I’ve been Anti-Titleist for years and years and years (outside of Vokey, of course). With that being said, HOLY BEGEEZUS the GT3 driver is an absolute NUCLEAR MONSTER! This thing blew my G430 10K Max out of the water in every single category. Forgiveness is the biggest thing that stands out of me, the 3 model has always been one of the less forgiving models in the past but this GT3 can take bad shot after bad shot and still end up in the fairway, I think a ton of that has to do with the adjustability, it’s actually effective. Feel and sound is perfect, that solid crack is so addicting to hear and when you hit it out the screws this thing can absolutely bomb it. Titleist, I’m sorry for doubting you. You have converted me.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT3 here.
1. Titleist GT2: 22.91%
Titleist’s pitch: “Delivering impressive distance from any impact point, the Titleist GT2 Driver extracts maximum performance through a forgiving design. Get the stability and added confidence of a high-MOI driver without sacrificing speed.”
@DTorres: “The Titleist GT2 has proven to be the best driver of the year. Packaged in a classic profile, GT2 perfectly balances performance and forgiveness while consistently being a high performer across all categories.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT2 here.
Other drivers receiving >2% of the vote
| Driver | Vote percentage (%) |
|---|---|
| Cobra DS Adapt Max K | 4.85% |
| Ping G430 Max 10K | 3.85% |
| Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond | 3.68% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 | 3.51% |
| Callaway Elyte | 3.18% |
| Cobra DS Adapt X | 2.34% |
| Cobra DS Adapt LS | 2.17% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 LS | 2.17% |
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Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
Joe
May 29, 2015 at 6:48 pm
I just bought the xtd irons and two months later the 4 iron backing plate broke off, then three months after that the 3 iron broke in the same place, looks like a bad design,anyone else have such problems?
Joey
Aug 3, 2015 at 11:43 am
Bought my clubs about a year ago and the exact same thing happened to my 4 iron. Hasn’t happened to any other clubs yet though.
Pingback: Adams Golf 2014 Xtd Irons | Bi Golf Psychology
gray
Oct 21, 2014 at 7:44 pm
I just played these irons….they are really good. I think they set up nice behind the ball and they just have a beautiful flight. yes they are long but very, very forgiving….I ma purchasing them… I am a low handicap player by the way…
luis d
Sep 9, 2014 at 5:48 pm
I just bought these this past weekend. I went in with the mindset of buying the JPX or Apex, then the golf pro came over and handed me the 7 iron of the XTD and man i was hitting the ball straighter and at least 14 yds longer. A great product and cant eait to hit the links this weekend.
marty
Jul 14, 2014 at 10:17 am
Love these clubs.
Vaun Stoots
Jun 27, 2014 at 11:15 pm
These irons are incredible! They are 1 to 1 1/2 clubs longer than my Taylormade irons. The ball flight is high and just seems to carry & carry. Awesome feel! My last 2 rounds have been -1 and -2 & I’m an 8 handicap. They have been a huge difference in my game.
Birdman
Jun 25, 2014 at 12:07 pm
Hit these at a Demo Day a few weeks back … best feeling club I’ve hit in a long time. Not crazy about the ‘gimmicky’ back – but who cares if it works?! Tried it both with the stock steel shaft & also the graphite Matrix Q shaft. Loved the feel, the ball flight, and the distance so much – that I bought a set. Oh, and I went to this demo thinking that I would buy one of the following sets: Taylormade Speedblade, Titliest AP2, or Ping G25’s — sorry guys – Adam’s performed and felt better than all 3 of those, hands down!
marty
Jul 14, 2014 at 10:18 am
Not a gimmicky back. The cross brace allows a thinner club face. Beast.
leftymoose
Feb 13, 2014 at 10:21 pm
When’s the release date on these? And what are the specs on C-taper 90’s? KBS doesn’t even show them on their website.
Duncan Castles
Feb 13, 2014 at 8:20 am
‘Modest lofts’? A 28-degree six iron is at least 3 degrees stronger than standard. Essentially, Adams’ ‘modest’ six iron is a five iron…
leftymoose
Feb 13, 2014 at 10:09 pm
Have these irons been released yet or soon to be? Also, what are the specs on the KBC c-taper 90 shafts? Can’t find any info on them
Kenneth Petersen
Aug 31, 2014 at 8:28 am
Then speedblade 6 iron is essentially a 4 iron compare lofts to dif clubs of same nature, they are not as strong
Joe Golfer
Feb 13, 2014 at 1:57 am
Since Ernie Els is putting something like this in his bag now, I wonder what his lofts will be on his Adams XTD’s?
M
Feb 11, 2014 at 12:41 pm
Not only are the lofts jacked up now, the lengths of the shafts have gotten longer than what they used to be too, so the number of club doesn’t really matter any more than to just to help us count how many clubs there are in the bag.
Kyle
Feb 10, 2014 at 8:15 pm
Hit these the other day. Great clubs! Who cares what the back looks like, because it is all hidden at address.
Fuck Off
Feb 9, 2014 at 11:24 am
They look tight to me
markb
Feb 8, 2014 at 10:31 pm
Yes they are ugly, but I wonder how they perform.
Is that “piston” that connects to the face made out of a polymer or some speedslot goop? If so, it probably doesn’t impact the trampoline effect much.
Double Mocha Man
Feb 8, 2014 at 1:39 pm
“What’d you hit there?” Just bought some Titleist irons with close-to-old school lofts. 3-4 degrees weaker. So now when I’m asked that question (because I’ve got them all memorized) I just respond with the degrees of loft.
Ryan
Feb 8, 2014 at 1:29 pm
I don’t get it. First they tout how thin faced irons will have a trampoline effect for MAXIMUM DISTANCE. Then they add a bar to the face so it can’t flex?
Joe Golfer
Feb 13, 2014 at 1:45 am
If you are referring to the “Pressure Piston”, I suppose it acts like a normal piston in that it moves up and down, or in this case, back and forth. The metal support in the back is all off of the face, so that the face is unsupported.
It doesn’t even say what this “Pressure Piston” (see diagram they posted) is made up of, so it could be rubber material or elastomer.
The word “piston” would indicate that the object moves when the face is struck, so it isn’t a rigid support.
Kenneth Petersen
Aug 31, 2014 at 8:34 am
That “piston” is just for a sound dampener so club doesn’t sound so pingy and vibration isolator all I can say is go hit one then you’ll know what your talking about
Dave
Feb 8, 2014 at 12:38 pm
In a few years our 5i will have 21 degrees and we’ll be playing six wedges. No different than what we play now, just different labeling. Will we have a sub set name for wedges weaker than 53* ?
Bradley Lawrence
Feb 8, 2014 at 12:05 am
These are not like the speedbladez. I was able to hit these yesterday, they feel and perform incredible. The feel is much more solid than the speedbladez, much more like an AP1 feel. These are also crazy long! I hit a steel shafted 5 iron with the Stock KBS Tour C-Taper lite in them, and a 7 iron with the matrix program 85. They were both 15-20 yards longer than my current irons, Titleist 714’s.
I also had one of my members hit them, and he gained 15 yards, and was straighter than his Mizuno’s.
Are these for everyone? No are they for the average golfer who wants to hit the ball longer, straighter and higher. Not the Golfwrx member who wants a 52* PW, and wants to curve shots on command.
Ron H
Feb 13, 2014 at 12:34 am
Why does it matter in ANY way that your irons go further than any one else’s? Irons that fire the ball farther serve no purpose other than “bragging rights”. If your 6-iron is really like my 4-iron, will that lower your scores? Nope. But it will shrink your wallet because you’ll have to buy annother wedge or two to make up the gap at the scoring end of your set. It’s worse than pointless; it’s a waste.
Aaron miller
Aug 13, 2015 at 1:34 pm
I bought a set of these because I loved the way they looked at set up address. I played them for the first time last weekend and they launch the ball very high and mishits are very forgiving. I was really surprised at how easy they launch the ball out of deep rough on a buried lie but they are great feeling irons. I’ve always been a ping guy and play a set of titleist blades also. Guys these clubs are nice. Only down fall is you will have to add another wedge to your bag most likely. The pitching wedge is deep long. I hit it 135-150 pending wind here in Colorado. So a 50-52 degree gap wedge will mist likely be needed. A scratch golfer may not like these but if your a 8-10 handicapper you will love them.
prairiegolfer
Feb 7, 2014 at 11:29 pm
I thought these things were butt ugly and I still think they are. However, looking deeper at the technology they might have sick performance. I got to try them to find out. If they perform really well, a purchase may have to be made.
kev
Feb 7, 2014 at 11:02 pm
Just about everything Adams makes looks ugly…..including the name.
marty
Jul 14, 2014 at 10:20 am
Not a gimmicky back. The cross brace allows a thinner club face. Beast.
Amir
Feb 7, 2014 at 9:59 pm
Look at those jacked up lofts! PW at 44*..
Justin
Feb 7, 2014 at 10:05 pm
I’m not sure why everyone complains about the lower lofts. Does everyone’s pitching wedge have 52 degrees? No? Well, if not, then you’re technically playing irons with jacked up lofts. According to Mr. Wishon, in the 60’s and 70’s that was the standard pitching wedge. A 6 iron was 36 degrees, and even traditional players with “standard” lofts are a maximum of 31 degrees usually.
RumtumTim
Feb 7, 2014 at 8:37 pm
Ugly, maybe, but I have a hunch that these perform.
Adams is still playing catch up to my Wishon’s though.
Because
Feb 9, 2014 at 11:10 am
yea, because your Wishons are probably properly fit to you.
Joe Golfer
Feb 13, 2014 at 1:55 am
I like those Wishon 771 irons, with the High COR unsupported thin face.
Maybe that’s what you play, since you are comparing Wishon to these particular Adams clubs.
Don’t know how those Wishon heads sound though, as this article states that Adams made these so that they’d have the benefit of the unsupported thin face as well as good acoustics.
With Wishon’s prior model, the 870Ti irons, I have heard that they sounded sort of “clicky” to some golfers.
Wishon has a lot of great products, but I think they’d do themselves a good service if they provided all the aftermarket shafts of other companies in addition to their own in-house shaft models, just like companies such as Golfworks and Golfsmith and Hireko do.
Mike
Feb 7, 2014 at 8:19 pm
Look very much like Adams version of Speedbladez. Sure they are great but do we really need two versions of Speedbladez?