When it comes to a new set of irons, most golfers, regardless of skill level, want more distance and increased forgiveness. Even touring pros are more and more interested in distance at the expense of other features in today’s golf world.
The Callaway Rogue X irons are long and forgiving and they are great for golfers of all skill levels. For beginners and high handicappers, they are really easy to hit and will help you to add distance and accuracy to every aspect of your iron game.
If you are a mid or lower handicap player, these clubs are long, really long. If distance is not an issue, then the Rogue X may not be for you, but if you want to add a few yards and reach a few more greens, the Callaway Rogue X irons might be just what you are looking for.
The following is a Callaway Rogue X irons review and our hope is after reading it you will know whether or not these are the irons for you.
To see how the Rogue X irons compare to the Rogue irons click here.
Things to Consider Before Buying The Callaway Rogue X Irons
The Callaway Rogue X are irons built for the majority of golfers who want clubs that are long and easy to hit. The combination of 360 face cup technology and variable face thickness (VFT) make these clubs as long and as forgiving as any irons you will find.
The Rogue line was built to be different, and not to conform to the normal “iron rules” in golf. These technologies allow the club face to have shallow and flexible rim surrounding the face flexes and releases at impact. The VFT allows affects how the face flexes to promote maximum ball speed and accuracy even on off center strikes that would normally end up in the woods. If you are a beginner, the forgiveness is necessary.
It will help to tighten up your shot pattern and increase your distance. If you are a seasoned vet, the distance you gain is worth the lack of shot shaping ability. One of the problem with the new distance clubs that are out there is that they produce a lot of vibration and a hollow sound that negatively affects feel.
These Rogue X irons include urethane microspheres which both dampen the vibration and give it that solid feel and sound at impact. If you are a beginner or high handicapper, there isn’t much not to like about these clubs, and if you are a low handicapper you have to decide is the distance worth losing some feel and workability. Callaway set out to produce a forgiving and long iron and they accomplished that with the Rogue X.
Pros
- Very long and very forgiving golf clubs.
- They have a really high launch, but their finishing distance is just as good as any other irons out there.
- They feel solid and sound great because of the urethane microspheres behind the club face.
- They are a very light golf club which adds to swing speed and control.
- When you focus on forgiveness like Callaway did with VFT, then accuracy and increased distance is not far behind.
- The 360 cup face produces a lot of ball speed.
- High end control and feedback with each shot.
- Tungsten weighting allows the center of gravity to be placed in the right place for every loft and every club.
- They look great at address.
- Did we mention they are very long and very forgiving?
Cons
- Perfect beginner clubs but probably too expensive for golfers just starting out.
- They do not provide a lot in terms of shot shaping and workability.
- Not as strong of an option for low handicappers.
Features and Benefits Of The Callaway Rogue X Irons
Construction (4.5 out of 5)
Head
The VFT and 360 Cup Face technologies dominate the head construction for these irons. The combination of these technologies dramatically increase the surface are of the face that can produce fast ball speed which both increases forgiveness and distance for these clubs.
The tungsten weighting in the longer irons allows precision placement of the center of gravity for each club so that each loft is built to maximize ball flight. Usually when you increase ball height you decrease distance, but the other technology allows for a higher ball flight with very little distance lost.
On top of that, the clubs feature urethane microspheres for great sound, solid feel, and a reduction of vibration. All of this in a slightly offset design with a visible cavity and wide sole. These clubs were built for speed and forgiveness and could be used effectively at any skill level.
Shaft Options
The stock shafts include 2 graphite options and 1 steel option. The KBS Max 90 Steel shaft comes in either regular or stiff flex and add a little weight to the clubs but a lot of control as well.
The 2 graphite shaft options are both Aldila synergy shafts and you can choose between the lighter 50 or heavier 60 model. With the graphite shafts you can choose between light, ladies, regular, or stiff. There are no X Stiff options available with the Callaway Rogue X irons. Both shaft options are good.
Club Specs
-
- Available Clubs (Loft): 4-iron (18.5), 5-iron (21), 6-iron (24), 7-iron (27), 8-iron (31.5), 9-iron (36), PW (41), AW (46), GW (51), SW (56)
- Hand: Men’s/Women’s Right and Left Hand
- Head Material: Multi Material construction
- Shaft Names: Aldila Synergy 50 Graphite, Aldila Synergy 60 Graphite, KBS Max 90 Steel
- Shaft Materials: Graphite or Steel
- Shaft Flex: Light, Ladies, Regular, Stiff
- Shaft Weight: 56g, 61g, 92g
Performance (5 out of 5)
Forgiveness
You are not going to find a more forgiving iron than the Callaway Rogue X. The VFT, 360 Cup Face, well-placed center of gravity, and high MOI promotes a really high ball flight without losing any distance or forgiveness.
The sweet spot is huge, but even more than that, the VFT drastically increases the surface area of the face that produces the highest ball speeds and distance.
In short, off center hits still travel long and straight while solid strikes give you more distance than you will find in most irons.
Control/Shot Shaping
Control and shot shaping are 2 very different features in the Rogue X irons. The shot shaping capability leaves a lot to be desired because the entire goal of the Rogue X irons is distance. If you increase spin, you decrease distance; if you decrease spin, you decrease shot shaping capability.
That last compound sentence was an oversimplification but it is true in this case. At the same time, there is a lot of control in the Rogue X irons. It is solid, straight, great feel, and very accurate.
You get immediate feedback and feel in your hands and these irons produce a very consistent ball flight and distance.
Distance
If it was not logically impossible to give a score of 6 out of 5, then that is what the Rogue X irons would receive for distance.
Every aspect of the design of this club was focused on producing as much ball speed and distance as possible, and the result is one of the longest irons on the market.
Even the added forgiveness of the club allows players the freedom to swing harder knowing that even off center hits are going to fly long, high, and straight.
The 360 cup face and VFT along with the precision placement of the center of gravity combine for great distance while the lightweight build gives you additional swing speed. These are really long irons.
Looks/Feel/Sound (5 out of 5)
One of the best things about these irons is kind of a subtle feature that has wider ramifications. The urethane microspheres join together with the cavities of the iron to dampen vibration and give you a more solid feel at impact. They also give an acoustical quality that is very pleasing even on off center strikes.
The irons look great at setup too. They are slightly oversized and long which is pleasing to the eye. They actually look very forgiving even though it is difficult to describe why. When you set the club down, they look like a professional grade iron but they are accessible both in performance and price to anyone.
Cost (3.5 out of 5)
The Rogue X is at the top end of the distance iron category in terms of price, but they are also at the top end in terms of distance.
You can find good forged irons for the same price as the Rogue X, but many players are less concerned with the forged softness and more concerned with the distance offered by the Rogue X.
The price of these clubs is good for the features offered though they are on the expensive side of cavity-backed distance irons.
Alternatives To The Callaway Rogue X Irons
Callaway Apex 19
Long, forgiving, workable, and great looking are all great words to describe the Callaway Apex 19 irons. In a year that included the introduction of the Epic Flash driver, the Apex 19 were a little forgotten but high quality nonetheless. These are a forged club that provide really soft feel while not skimping on length and forgiveness.
There is a Pro model that is made more for low handicappers, but the the Apex 19 are really for high and mid handicappers looking to improve their game. The 1025 mild carbon steel body give you really soft feel while they maintain the same 360 cup face found in the Rogue X.
The main difference in the 2 irons is that the Rogue X are longer and more forgiving while the forged carbon steel of the Apex 19 are more workable and much softer while maintaining good distance and feel.
If your focus is length and forgiveness, the Rogue X are for you but if you want good distance and feel with excellent softness and workability the Apex 19 may be more your style.
Pros
- Very soft forged irons.
- Maintain good distance and forgiveness, especially for a forged club.
- More workable than the Rogue X.
- Much of the same technology and features in the Rogue X but with a soft forged feel.
Cons
- On the expensive side, but about the same price as the Rogue X.
- The Rogue X reach a much wider audience.
- The golf world is moving more and more toward pure distance clubs.
Callaway Mavrik
The Mavrik line of irons are Callaway’s replacement for the Rogue line and they are receiving high praise from many in the golf world.
They are the first line of Callaway irons to be created using Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology and they are performing really well. You get gains in distance and forgiveness over the Rogue X irons that were already some of the longest and most forgiving on the market.
The Mavrik irons feature longer shafts and stronger lofts which should immediately lead to gains in distance, but there is a lot more to it as well.
The Flash Face technology that is found in the Mavrik and Epic Flash drivers is now found in the Mavrik irons. Flash Face creates a specific and precise face architecture for every individual iron taking into account loft, length, and purpose.
The Flash Face is really thin and hot as well with great perimeter weighting the gives you a huge sweet spot and great distance.
The clubs also look, sound, and feel as good as any game improvement iron on the market.
In short, the Mavrik took the positives of the Rogue X and made them better even adding some great features along the way.
Pros
- The new and improved version of the Rogue X irons.
- They are longer and more forgiving than even the Rogue X.
- The Flash Face technology means the club face is more advanced than any on the market.
- Each club/loft has its own face architecture to maximize distance, launch, and purpose.
- Produces really fast ball speeds and great distance.
- Maintains the tungsten energy core for precision placement of the center of gravity of each club.
- Stronger lofts but with higher launch angles means you get added distance and height.
- They look great at setup.
- The Pro, Max, and Mavrik are all designed for different skill levels.
Cons
- The slightly smaller head size may be a turn off for higher handicappers.
- They are not priced for beginners
Final Thoughts On The Callaway Rogue X Irons Review
(Overall Rating: 4 out of 5)
Even though the Mavrik line has come out to improve upon and replace the Rogue X, the Rogue X are still really long and really forgiving, enough to be great irons for almost any player of any skill level.
What is even better is that as clubs are replaced, they become cheaper and easier to find on sale, and that is true for the Rogue X irons.
While AI has changed the game for Callaway golf clubs, their “pre-AI” clubs are still top notch and worth a look. If you need length, more length, and forgiveness in your iron game, the Rogue X irons are a great option.
