NEW IRONS:

Callaway X-Tour
3-PW, steel shaft, stiff flex, +1/2" shaft length, standard lie, +1/32" oversize grip $1,280 (steel); callawaygolf.com

READER:
Pieter Van Vredenburch
Hometown: Sherman, Conn.
Age: 38
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 190 lbs.
Handicap: 8
Occupation: Investment Banker

Old Irons: Game-improvement cavity-back, 3-PW, steel shaft, stiff flex, +1/4" shaft length, standard lie, standard grip

FITTER: James Jond, PGA pro and co-manager, The World of Golf, New York, N.Y.
"Pieter was hitting very well with his old set (custom-fit three years ago). But he said he'd like a little more consistency and distance. He's a good player, so I set him up with the X-Tour, which is a player's iron. It provides great feel, workability and a good deal of forgiveness due to the 360-degree undercut channel. We increased shaft length and Pieter's swing instantly became flatter. Now he's attacking the ball from the inside, which creates longer flight with less dispersion."

 

Callaway X-Tour

Know your limits:
Not all fittings produce clubs with dramatically nonstandard specs. Don't be surprised if your best fit is close to standard.

NEW IRONS:
Callaway X-18 Pro Series
3-AW, steel shaft, stiff flex, standard length and lie; $880 (steel), $1,120 (graphite);
callawaygolf.com

Michael Kazim
Hometown: New York, N.Y.
Age: 47
Height: 6'
Weight: 180 lbs.
Handicap: 19
Occupation: Physician

Old Irons:
Cavity-back game-improvement, Game-enhancing cavity-back, 3-PW, steel shaft, medium-stiff flex, standard length and lie.

FITTER:
James Jond, PGA pro and co-manager, The World of Golf, New York, N.Y.
"Michael's old irons are long, but they lack adequate forgiveness. The Callaway X-18 Pro suits him much better. It's more forgiving than X-Tour and more player-friendly than Big Bertha. But settling on the correct lie angle was more difficult. An inconsistent grip led to inconsistent lie angle readings plus dispersion problems. The increased forgiveness of the X-18 Pro helps dramatically, even without changing lie angle. But he must work toward a more consistent grip for optimum accuracy."

 

Callaway X-18 Pro