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Callaway X Hot 9.5° Driver (L83+)

• EdJaws 402 Posts

  Fri, Nov 22 2013 10:03 AM

  Can anyone compare the new Calloway X-Hot L83 Driver to the SLDR L89? I realize someone isn't going to have both clubs to compare but perhaps if 2 people played a multi player game where each had those clubs.
  
  I've basically burned myself out playing the best of par 3, 18 hole CC tournaments trying to reach level 89. So much so that I'm not playing that often now so I can recuperate, LOL. I got to level 87 and I still need a ton more points of experience.
  
  I'd definitely get the Cally even with the slight price increase, IF it's the same club as the SLDR. I've read so many good reviews of the SLDR that I'm hesitant in purchasing anything else.
  
  A friend who has the SLDR said it holds its distance pretty good into the wind and when hitting off ding shots. And a lot of main forum posters have said the SLDR is a fairway magnet.
  
  Yes I know it has the same dots for all the attributes but do the dots really tell the whole story? Would the 9.5 degree Cally hit higher than the 9 degree SLDR?

  I guess I just don't get why WGT would make the 2 drivers the same in every way except for price and level.
  
  I know I'm being pretty anal about this but it will most likely be the last driver I purchase. I most certainly won't live long enough to buy the R1 L98.
  
  So, what are your thoughts guys, do I wait the couple of months to get the SLDR or pick up the Cally? What would you do?

• fatdan 3,379 Posts

  Fri, Nov 22 2013 11:04 AM

  Personally, I would have gone with the TM lvl 48 driver(275 yrds) for the master tees a long time ago as it is more than enough club and plenty of forgiveness...different story if you plan on moving up to legend soon...if you can handle the rocketbladez swing meter ok, I would go with the R11 lvl 86 right now and the R11 3wd when you move to the back tees so that ALL my clubs/woods/wedges had the same swing meter(it really helps believe me)...I was leery of the forgiveness rating on the R11 but it is not a problem and it is long!(298-301 average on most courses, longer on STA and RSG, and I hit a lot of 3wds & 3i off the tees)...

  for example Merion back 9 has 2 par 3's....I hit a 3wd on 10, a 3i on 11, and it still averages mid 290's for the round...and when I do miss a fairway it's me not the club....I will buy the lvl 94 R11 for the forgiveness and the extra 2 yrds lol, but that will be the last one...the 287 yrd TM lvl 97 has the slower swing meter....

  not really what you were looking for but JMHO....

• borntobesting 9,710 Posts

  Fri, Nov 22 2013 12:01 PM

  EdJaws:

  I guess I just don't get why WGT would make the 2 drivers the same in every way except for price and level.

  Many players in the past few months have been saying that they didn't necessarily want better clubs just more variety. And since then WGT has made quite a few clubs and club sets that are fairly close to other clubs or sets that were already here. Not better clubs just more variety, just what they asked for. 

• EdJaws 402 Posts

  Fri, Nov 22 2013 12:27 PM

  fatdan:

  Personally, I would have gone with the TM lvl 48 driver(275 yrds) for the master tees a long time ago as it is more than enough club and plenty of forgiveness...different story if you plan on moving up to legend soon...if you can handle the rocketbladez swing meter ok, I would go with the R11 lvl 86 right now and the R11 3wd when you move to the back tees so that ALL my clubs/woods/wedges had the same swing meter(it really helps believe me)...I was leery of the forgiveness rating on the R11 but it is not a problem and it is long!(298-301 average on most courses, longer on STA and RSG, and I hit a lot of 3wds & 3i off the tees)...

  for example Merion back 9 has 2 par 3's....I hit a 3wd on 10, a 3i on 11, and it still averages mid 290's for the round...and when I do miss a fairway it's me not the club....I will buy the lvl 94 R11 for the forgiveness and the extra 2 yrds lol, but that will be the last one...the 287 yrd TM lvl 97 has the slower swing meter....

  not really what you were looking for but JMHO....

  Thanks for the reply Dan, very much appreciated. A lot of good info.
  
  Unfortunately when I first started out on WGT I was beating the living daylights out of the rough and bunkers, not really caring about stats or tiers. For the first 3 months I used the starter gear and didn't even realize you could earn credits by watching videos.
  
  Then when I got to pro and TP, I figured I could maybe get good at the game and being retired with a limited bank account I bought 3 wedges and practiced the crap out of them. After watching vids and being the cheapskate I am, I popped for the L59 G20 set after reading a lot about them. Too bad the L48 TM R1 wasn't on my radar then.
  
  I understand what you're saying about having the same meter speed but I can cope really well with the slower G20 driver I have now. The adjustment doesn't seem to bother me. The RBlades are awesome clubs and I can handle them most of the time even with the starter ball or the tour SD balls. I haven't used any ball better then the Sirxons and I can live with that too.
  
  My next driver purchase will be my last and I can't see going with the R11 if something is a little better that will keep me on the fairway. Thanks again.

• EdJaws 402 Posts

  Fri, Nov 22 2013 12:29 PM

  borntobesting:

  EdJaws:

  I guess I just don't get why WGT would make the 2 drivers the same in every way except for price and level.

  Many players in the past few months have been saying that they didn't necessarily want better clubs just more variety. And since then WGT has made quite a few clubs and club sets that are fairly close to other clubs or sets that were already here. Not better clubs just more variety, just what they asked for. 

  Gotcha BTB, thanks.

• fatdan 3,379 Posts

  Fri, Nov 22 2013 1:39 PM

  My next driver purchase will be my last and I can't see going with the R11 if something is a little better that will keep me on the fairway.

   

  Cool, no 2 people do it exactly the same...lol.

  1 more interesting stat....with the forgiving TM lvl 48 and Ping G20(not so forgiving) lvl 81 I believe my fairways hit was 78%...with the R11 and more experience it is up to 88%(include 1st cut and it would be 98% lol)....greens In regulation is up from 70% to 81...if I could hold BPB #5 and not hit in the trap intentionally at OAK #9 it would be even better lol...I think the forgiveness ratings is over rated however I do play with a 3 1/2 dot slow meter ball....when I'm done with a round all I look at is putts per round, FIR % and GIR %, if they are good you score well...

• siggipj76 2,989 Posts

  Fri, Nov 22 2013 6:49 PM

  I have tested the r11 , and I did like the length on dinged shots Fatdan, but what I think most players here are out for, is the forgivness , the new xhot /sldr will make for better shots with making fairways. the 2 yards extra is nice for the r11 , but I missed fairways with it when I rented it, I don't do that with the xhot , and that will always outway the 2 xtra yards.

  I think the r11 , has been outdated for awhile now , and don't see why they keep it.

  they should have made one of the new drivers with a 12 o'clock meter vs. the 11 o'clock to give players a choice , as I can't see why wgt have made two identical drivers, a little difference would be a choice. 

  the same thing with the rocketbladez vs. the speedbladez. 

  had the speedbladez been 3 forgivning, I would have understood it. well worth 500 credits more.

  the callwaway balls changing names was a joke too. 

  just hit 2 of each practicing bunker shots , they are the same !! 

  Just tasteless and showing how things are turning for the worse.

  new name , but same same 

• MIBCTGOLF 165 Posts

  Sat, Nov 23 2013 8:11 AM

  IMO the lvl 83 XHOT is the best Driver on WGT until lvl 98 R1

• EdJaws 402 Posts

  Sat, Nov 23 2013 11:13 AM

  siggipj76:

  I have tested the r11 , and I did like the length on dinged shots Fatdan, but what I think most players here are out for, is the forgivness , the new xhot /sldr will make for better shots with making fairways. the 2 yards extra is nice for the r11 , but I missed fairways with it when I rented it, I don't do that with the xhot , and that will always outway the 2 xtra yards.

  I think the r11 , has been outdated for awhile now , and don't see why they keep it.

  they should have made one of the new drivers with a 12 o'clock meter vs. the 11 o'clock to give players a choice , as I can't see why wgt have made two identical drivers, a little difference would be a choice. 

  the same thing with the rocketbladez vs. the speedbladez. 

  had the speedbladez been 3 forgivning, I would have understood it. well worth 500 credits more.

  the callwaway balls changing names was a joke too. 

  just hit 2 of each practicing bunker shots , they are the same !! 

  Just tasteless and showing how things are turning for the worse.

  new name , but same same 

  My guess is it's easier for WGT to keep the same attributes, meter, and so on, so their programmers don't have to do anything but change the name. Pretty lame if you ask me.

  And to top it off they get to charge more by releasing it to lower level players that would take them months more to be able to get it.  A win - win for WGT.

  Since the 200 credits ain't that much I'll take the plunge since they look to be the exact same clubs.

  Thanks for the replies guys.

• EdJaws 402 Posts

  Sat, Nov 23 2013 11:15 AM

  MIBCTGOLF:

  IMO the lvl 83 XHOT is the best Driver on WGT until lvl 98 R1

  Thanks for the reply  MIBCTGOLF.