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Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Golf Equipment Review: Callaway’s 2010 Diablo Edge Irons


I feel compelled to write a review on the 2010 Callaway Diablo Edge Irons. Why? They have revitalized my game to the point that I can’t wait for my next round! I can’t think of another golf equipment purchase that has excited me as much as these super-forgiving irons.

I have to admit that the first thing that drew me to the Diablo Edge irons was their looks; the angular/geometric cavity opening looks great, not overly gimmicky. The dark red color and slick logo work well, and the dulled chrome finish ties the whole look together. They are just plain good-looking! There’s nothing wrong with beauty as long as there is performance behind those good looks, right?

Well, after one test drive on the range, performance was no longer a concern. After a short warm-up, my first easy 9-iron shot flew higher than my normal trajectory and landed just short of the 150 yard marker. Now understand my normal 9-iron averages around 130 yards. And that’s with my game ball, not the range balls used in this Diablo Edge trial. I quickly checked the sole of the iron to make sure I hadn’t inadvertently grabbed an 8 or 7 iron. Sure enough; 9-iron it was. A dozen shots later and warmed-up, I was peppering the 150 yard marker with shot after shot while imagining the short birdie putts they would have followed had I been playing a round.

My next pleasant surprise was the consistency of performance right up through the 5-iron and then into the 4 and 3 hybrids that round out the standard set. After bouncing several 3-hybrids off of the 200 yard practice green, I made up my mind to own this super-game-improvement set.

Halfway through the first round with my new irons, I hit a horrible tee shot on a short par-3 with a large pond lurking in front of the green. The way the impact felt, I was sure I would be witnessing an ugly splash-down seconds later. To my surprise (and relief) the ball bounced twice and rested on the fringe! I couldn’t believe the results, especially after investigating the damning evidence on the tee; my divot was almost entirely inside the still-in-the-ground tee. I re-enacted the crime by placing the 8-iron back into the divot it had just created. To my amazement, it proved the ball was struck by only the slimmest margin of the club’s toe. I had used 1/10 of the club face and got 95% of my expected distance. Incredible!

What’s the technology behind the performance? Callaway studied amateur golfers and identified their tendency of striking the ball lower on the club face than low-handicappers who are more adept at aggressively attacking and pinching the ball with a steeper angle of attack. So, they lowered the center of gravity and resulting sweet-spot to the area of the face that mid and high-handicappers use; the lower third. The sole shape is also designed to lessen the effects of both thin and heavy shots.

The lofts are stronger than average irons which produces longer shots. But long isn’t the only goal, accuracy and high trajectory also help approach shots hold the green. Compare the following lofts to your current or prospective iron sets:
·         3 iron 19 degrees
·         4 iron 22 degrees
·         5 iron 25 degrees
·         6 iron 28 degrees
·         7 iron 32 degrees
·         8 iron 36 degrees
·         9 iron 40 degrees
·         PW 44 degrees
·         SW 54 degrees
·         LW 59 degrees

Hybrids
3 hybrid 21 degrees
·         4 hybrid 24 degrees
·         5 hybrid 27 degrees
·         6 hybrid 30 degrees

The Callaway Diablo Edge irons are available in steel shafts and graphite shafts. The all-irons steel shafted set is $599.99. The six irons and two hybrids set goes for $699.99 with steel shafts and $799.99 with graphite.

These irons are classified as super-game-improvement, meaning maximum help for us amateurs that need it. But low-handicappers should also give these powerful and ultra-forgiving irons a try. If they can get past the classification, they just might find that they too will shave strokes, and really, that’s what it’s all about.

7 comments:

  1. Great review, do you plan on reviewing the Edge Drivers?

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  2. First, thanks for the comment. Yes, we will go through the entire Callaway Edge series. Hybrids are up next, with driver to follow...

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  7. Golf equipment first and foremost needs a golf club. There are four basic categories for golf clubs and they are woods, hybrids, irons, and putters.One of the best ways to find the best golf equipment is the online store at a famous golf shop.

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