With plenty of technology and modern looks presented at an affordable price, the Benross Delta XT fairway wood is a breath of fresh air. While the brand owned by American Golf flies under the radar of many golfers, Benross has been producing some really solid equipment of late and I was particularly excited to get my hands on the Delta XT fairway wood to see how it would perform, given it comes in at nearly half of the price of some of the best fairway woods.
While I tend to prefer a more classic looking head, the modern aesthetic of the Delta XT fairway wood still appealed to my eye. The newly designed Aero Crown reminds me a lot of some of the recent Ping drivers such as the G430 with the Turbulator ridges on top for enhanced aerodynamics. I also really enjoyed the matte black finish on the crown giving it a premium look, although this is somewhat hurt by the red graphics on the sole.
The head size on the Benross Delta XT fairway wood is large enough that golfers of all abilities will feel comfortable when over the ball and I really feel as though the pear shaped head and smooth edges around the top line of the face will appeal to the better player. I was full of confidence when taking my first swings and my smile was beaming from ear-to-ear when I saw the high, towering ball flight it produced. This fairway wood comes with a movable weight port on the sole which will help alleviate a big miss or promote a desired shot shape - a feature I found to be extremely beneficial given many fairway woods don't offer this functionality.
While this club looks great and produces a nice ball flight when struck well, it was the sound and feel of the club where I began to struggle. I have always opted for fairways that offer up a more subtle acoustic, such as the TaylorMade Qi10 Tour or the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max, however, these could not be more polar opposite to the Delta XT. The ‘tinny’ sound produced through impact with this fairway was the loudest of any golf club I have ever tested and made the Ping G30 fairway woods sound like a whisper. The feel was fairly firm and a little harsh off the face too - I can understand why people may view this is a powerful sensation at impact and actually enjoy it but it didn't resonate with me.
The Speed Slot and Fast Face Technology helped produce average distances with the Delta XT fairway wood, with carry numbers hovering around the 250 yard mark. While the ball flight produced by the Delta XT fairway wood was similar to that of many of the fairway wood models I tested this year when struck in the middle of the face, I would advise golfers to look into some of the most forgiving fairway woods if after a more user-friendly fairway wood.
But all in all, there is plenty to like about what this fairway wood offers for the price, especially with the effective adjustability on offer.
