One of the worst-kept secrets in golf equipment is finally out of the bag as Callaway is bringing its previously Japan-only X Forged ’24 irons to the U.S. market.

But Callaway isn’t simply flipping the switch on selling Japan-only irons that have been in the bags of numerous Tour players over the last year. The company is also announcing a player’s distance companion to the single-piece X Forged with the X Forged Max.

Here are five things to know about and my own thoughts on the new X Forged and X Forged Max irons.

Legacy of X Forged

Callaway’s X Forged line goes back to 2007 when the company released the original X Forged as a single-piece forged cavity back without many frills. While that was pretty typical for a 2007 iron launch, the releases didn’t change much in terms of the design philosophy.

Numerous pros turned to X Forged irons including Phil Mickelson, who still used the 2013 X Forged release until recently.

With the 2021 X Forged line, the company went in a different direction and put some tech into the ’21 X Forged CB, making it look more like the Apex line with the external MIM’d tungsten weight.

Then the name disappeared from the Callaway catalog until resurfacing last year with the Japan-only X Forged ’24. The 24s quickly developed a cult-like following with gear heads in the United States clamoring for their retail release here as pros like Mickelson, Chris Kirk, Minjee Lee, Max Greyserman and others added them to the bag.

Callaway is now giving them what they want.

The new X Forged irons go back to what made the brand so successful with a simple one-piece, 1020 carbon steel forged design and a compact profile.

“Where this one kind of differentiates is it is a single piece forging,” Callaway Senior Product Manager Zack Oakley told GOLF. “I like to kind of call it no frills, right? It’s about craftsmanship, it’s about shaping. You’re going to notice it’s a little bit longer blade length. There’s more mass centered behind the ball to really help with the feel portion of it. The overall sort of the sole design is different, so it’s going to have a little bit more of an aggressive tri-sole with a leading edge chamfer and a trailing edge relief section, so it’s really about getting in and out of the turf. And a lot of this is in search of feel.”

While Callaway has the largest iron lineup of any OEM currently, the X Forged will nicely fill a hole in their line for a player who wants the no-frills, single-piece construction that the X Forged name had been known for over the better part of the last two decades.

X Forged Max enters the chat

Callaway is also adding a new flavor to the X Forged brand with the X Forged Max.

The X Forged Max is unlike any other iron ever released under the X Forged name previously. Basically, what Callaway has done is taken the X Forged, made it larger to inspire more confidence, widened the sole and improved the perimeter weighting with two large pockets of mass carved into the back bar.

But it still retains the no-frills, single-piece forging design.

“We know there are a lot of players that would like to get into kind of this single-piece, pure feel category,” Oakley said. “There’s not a lot of options out there. So, we now have an iron for that mid single-digit handicap in the X Forged Max. Obviously, I think when you look at a lot of the irons that are out in this type of construction and platform, there are definitely kind of targeted more towards that better player, the scratch golfer even. But the X Forged Max is going to be a little bit easier to hit.”

Not only will X Forged Max allow more players to experience the feel and spin benefits of a single-piece design, but it will also directly complement the standard X Forged model for combo sets.

Typical players distance irons often struggle to retain spin and launch for better players, but because of the wider sole and mass pockets, X Forged Max has a super low CG, which increases launch despite a typical players distance iron loft package.

“What that really does is creates high launch and good feel, and those were our two main objectives with this iron, create a players distance iron that you’re still hitting that window that the player wants to hit,” said Ryan Ritchie, Callaway iron R&D manager. “But also maintaining the integrity of the feel of the X Forged franchise.”

The sole story

Perhaps the most notable feature of both the X Forged and X Forged Max is the aggressive tri-level sole.

This is a direction many iron companies are going these days, and Callaway has been one of the front runners. The idea is to provide extra bounce on the leading edge of the club to prevent it from digging and then relief on the trail side to help it exit the turf.

With Zoysia being the most common grass used in Japan, a grass that tees the ball up above the ground, Ritchie said they needed to use the tri-sole to get the club in and out of the turf quickly without digging. Because of how successful the irons were, not only has Callaway kept the same sole for the U.S. release, but they also previously incorporated a version of the tri-sole in the game-improvement Elyte irons.

“We actually were seeing ball speed losses without the sole feature because of the way it gets through the turf so efficiently,” Oakley said. “There’s obviously a performance benefit there too from maintaining speed, which will help when you catch it a tad heavy. You’re going to see less of those golf balls come up short in the bunker, and they get to the green.”

Japanese-inspired shaping

From address, you’ll notice both irons have subtle shaping differences inspired by what the best players in Japan use.

The most obvious is the higher pinched toe and sharper edges.

“What we did is we went out and we looked at the irons that our current staffers are playing, and we tried to design a shape based around those irons,” Ritchie said. “So, we took feedback from our JGTO players, our Japanese LPGA players and some of our Korean market players as well and grabbed inspiration from them and feedback and implemented it into the shape.”

The best feeling Callaway irons?

On both the X Forged and X Forged Max between the mass pockets, you’ll notice there is a triangle of material centered just behind the middle of the club. That’s by design to center mass at the impact location to improve feel.

“If you look at the back ID on the back of the iron, it’s really focused to put mass behind the impact location,” Ritchie said. “And that’s what really helps provide a really good feeling iron impact.”

While these irons don’t have the adjustable MIM weighting system of the Apex family, the solid construction and extra mass behind the ball is going to help players achieve the buttery feel many look for.

My thoughts

As a low single-digit player, I’ve dabbled in single-piece forgings and recently have gone away from them in favor of more forgiving multi-piece constructions.

However, the X Forged lineup might have pulled me right back.

What you have here is an iron designed for elite-level ball strikers and has a feel that can go toe to toe with anything on the market, but it is also surprisingly playable. And because of the sole and single-piece design, you’re also able to generate plenty of spin so you can get to a high peak height and stop the ball on a green.

I’ve been very surprised in my own testing with X Forged that even the 3-iron was playable, but perhaps the biggest star of this release will be X Forged Max, which is going to allow far more players to experience a single-piece feel than before.

It’s strange that with X Forged Max, we’ve almost reverted back to original single-piece cavity back irons, but obviously, Callaway has baked in much more help than ever before through the sole design and mass pockets. I play the X Forged Max in a 4-iron and found that weakening it allowed me to effortlessly hit my desired carry number while maintaining plenty of spin to stop the ball. Very impressive for a players distance iron.

If you’ve been looking for a compact forged iron that is playable, or a players distance iron that can still hold firm greens, X Forged and X Forged Max are going to be really strong options.

Price, specs and availability

Callaway 2025 X Forged Custom Irons

Pure Precision, Forged for Better Players Crafted from a single piece of 1020 Carbon steel, X Forged Irons deliver the crisp sound and soft feel that discerning players demand—precision-engineered for professionals and elite ball strikers. Clean Looks, Tour-Preferred Shape X Forged features a streamlined cavity back, compact profile, minimal offset, and a thin topline—crafted to appeal to the eye of the better player. Tri-Level Sole Design X Forged Irons feature a tri-level sole with beveled leading and trailing edges, promoting smooth turf interaction and precise ball control through impact.

$220 from Fairway Jockey

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ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore, Callaway

Callaway 2025 X Max Forged Custom Irons

Forged Precision, Pure Feel Crafted from a single piece of 1020 Carbon steel, X Forged Max Irons deliver the soft feel and crisp sound preferred by better players—along with a mid-compact profile that blends workability, feedback, and just the right amount of forgiveness. Clean Looks, Mid-Compact Shape X Forged Max features a more player-friendly cavity back and offset, mid-compact profile, and a refined topline—crafted to appeal to the eye of the better player looking for workability and forgiveness. Tri-Level Sole Design X Forged Max Irons feature a tri-level sole with beveled leading and trailing edge, promoting smooth turf interaction and precise ball control through impact.

$220 from Fairway Jockey

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ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore, Callaway

Callaway X Forged and X Forged Max irons are available for pre-order starting Monday, July 7, and will be available at retail on Friday, July 25.

Both sets will cost $220 per club and a 5-PW X Forged Max set will be $1320 while a 4-PW X Forged set is $1540.

The sets will be offered stock with Lamkin Crossline grips and the True Temper Dynamic Gold Mid shaft (100 g and 115 g). The 7-iron specs are 33˚ loft, 62˚ lie and 37″ length for the X Forged and 31˚ loft, 62˚ lie and 37″ length for the X Forged Max.

Want to find the best irons for your bag in 2025? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

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