Equipment
The shafts are how light? XXIO’s new Prime drivers, fairway woods, hybrids and irons
XXIO (pronounced zek-si-oh), the No. 1 golf brand in Japan year-in and year-out, has unveiled to America new XXIO Forged irons, as well as a new line of Prime clubs — drivers, fairway woods, hybrids and irons — that take drastic measures to help golfers hit longer, straighter shots.
The feathery-light club heads have an inherent draw bias to help fix a slice, as well as a high moment of inertia (MOI, a measure of forgiveness) to help improve performance on mishits. To achieve a lower and deeper center of gravity (CG), which translates to a higher launch and more forgiveness, the rear portions of the crowns in the driver, fairway woods and hybrids were made more shallow, helping to push weight down and back in the heads.
Extremely light, XXIO Prime SP-900 graphite shafts are the stock option throughout the line. The shafts are made with premium materials, including Toray T110G, and use different constructions in the tip, mid and butt sections to improve performance. Key to their design are shock-absorbing, flexible tip sections, which can help golfers create more club-face closure at impact to increase draw bias. The weight of the shafts is just as critical. The XIOO Prime SP-900 driver shaft measures 46 inches, yet it weighs just 36 grams. The 3-wood shaft measures 43 inches and weighs a mere 38 grams. The 5-hybrid shaft measures 39 inches and tips the scales at only 48 grams. All of the stock shafts in the woods are available in SR- and R-Flex.
The new releases are priced at the higher end of the American golf equipment market, as you may have guessed from the ostentatious gold color schemes.
- Driver: $849.99 each
- Fairway Woods: $579.99 each
- Hybrids: $379.99 each
The XXIO Forged irons will be available on Dec. 10, while the Prime clubs will be available on Dec. 17. See what GolfWRX members are saying about the clubs in our forums.
XXIO Prime Driver
The XXIO Prime drivers, which have a total weight of 252 grams, are designed to quell the common slice that average golfers fight. In addition to its draw-enhancing weighting and shaft design, the club heads also have a smaller toe section and an expanded heel section. The heel section of the club face is thicker to reduce a slice on open-face, heel strikes, according to the company.
Also, a very thin crown that measures just 0.35 millimeters in most spots helps lower the center of gravity (CG). For even more forgiveness, the drivers have what the company calls a “Wing Cup Face,” which uses variable face thickness and a channel in the sole — both to produce faster ball speeds across the forged faces.
Compared to XXIO’s previous driver model, the club head is 4 grams lighter, the shaft is 0.25 inches longer, the swing weight is two points heavier (D3), the shaft is 2 grams lighter and the grip is 2 grams lighter. The changes, as well as the driver’s higher average COR area, will create an increase of 4.3 more yards on average, according to XXIO.
The XXIO Prime driver comes in lofts of 10.5 and 11.5 degrees.
XXIO Prime Fairway Woods
Like the XXIO Prime drivers, the fairway woods have a cup face with variable thickness for more forgiveness and speed across the face. They also use an extremely light shaft and lower CG from the head construction to pick up 3.4 yards on average compared to their predecessors, according to XXIO. The total weight of the clubs range from 273 gram (3 wood) to 285 grams (7 wood), making them some of the lightest fairway wood offerings on the market.
The fairway woods — 3 (15 degrees), 5 (18 degrees) and 7 (21 degrees) — will sell for $579.99 each.
XXIO Prime Hybrids
The XXIO Prime hybrids have a HT17709 maraging steel cup face for forgiveness on off-center hits, and have a taller face to increase the sweet spot, according to the company. Compared to the predecessors, they also have a more shallow rear crown — like the drivers and fairway woods — for lower and deeper CG. A single weight in the heel portion of the sole is made from tungsten-nickel and weighs 4 grams.
The clubs are available in U5 (23 degrees), U6 (26 degrees) and U7 (29 degrees), and will each sell for $379.99 each.
XXIO Prime irons
According to XXIO, its Prime irons irons boast the lowest and deepest CG ever used in a XXIO iron, leading to a higher launch and more forgiveness, partially a result of faces that have been lengthened near the sole.
Their soles are also made with a tungsten-nickel weight — it weighs 28 grams in the 7-iron — and a high-density, tungsten-nickel inner weight in the long irons, as well. The iron bodies are made from 630 stainless steel with a mirror, satin and high-gloss, bead-blast finish. Total weight of the clubs, like the rest of the line, are very light, coming in at 339 grams (5 and 6 iron) and 349 grams (7-9 iron).
XXIO Prime irons come stock in either SR or R Flex and are available as a set for $1,039 (7-9, PW), and individually for $260 each (5, 6, AW, SW).
XXIO Forged irons
The XXIO Forged irons have bodies made from mild carbon steel and a HT1770 maraging steel face. The V.T. Soles have slightly higher bounce than previous models to prevent digging and improve turf interaction, ultimately tightening dispersion. The faces are made thin for high ball speeds, and the thin area has been expanded by 20 percent compared to the previous model to expand the sweet spot, according to the company.
The irons are available in either N.S. Pro 930GH DST steel, XXIO MX-6000 graphite, or Miyazaki Kusala 8 shafts available at custom, each offered in SR or R Flex. Pricing is as follows:
- $1,019 (Steel: 5-9, PW), $1,259 (Graphite: 5-9, PW)
- Individual clubs (4, AW, SW) can be purchased for $170 each in steel and $210 each in graphite.
Related: See what GolfWRX members are saying about the photos in our forums.
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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Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
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Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
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Leftienige
Nov 17, 2016 at 1:05 pm
How much bling would have to be glued to the top, back, and sides to bring the price up to $5000 ? After all , a club cheaper than 5K is just not worth having .
John Krug
Nov 16, 2016 at 1:43 pm
Everyone has their own unique swing. There is no such thing as the best clubs. You need to be fit and what works for one person may not work for another person.
Oskars
Nov 14, 2016 at 9:21 pm
They look like something from the early 2000’s, wow are they ever ugly. What is exactly the appeal of JDM golf equipment?
Jack
Nov 14, 2016 at 10:27 pm
I think there are two lines, one is this type of club which is destined for folks who need all the help they can get. The lightest, flexiest, highest launching highest COR clubs you can find that are draw biased. They are like the ones shown, often gold and brown and conservative in looks (in an old japanese man way).
The other clubs are higher tech players clubs which are pretty similar to what US companies are doing now anyway. They usually have a more edgy look and look techy. There’s really no reason to pay the premium.
There are also some blades too which people just like to play no matter their skill level LOL. But that happens everywhere. Blades all have muscle backs now no more butter knife 3 irons.
Skip
Nov 15, 2016 at 1:26 pm
You won’t know, unless you’ve actually tried them. Just like anything, they’re good for some, not for others. Personally, my all-time favorite irons are from Miura Giken and Epon.
JLJ
Nov 14, 2016 at 3:32 pm
You can’t have a Driver shaft that is 36grams with headweights of 252grams.
You made a typo there, I think, you meant to say that the total weight is 252. Even if the grip weight they use is around 40grams, that headweight has to be around 175-ish