The best game improvement irons have to tick a lot of boxes. Forgiveness, ease of launch, and strong distance output are all needed to make up a successful product in this category. Following up on the Ai Smoke irons from last season, Callaway is bringing to market the Elyte irons. Let’s take a look at what’s on offer and see if they can rival some of the best golf irons in the game…
In terms of the technology on offer here, we are looking at a hollow-bodied iron with something that Callaway is calling a ‘Speed Frame’ construction, which essentially facilitates more of the urethane microspheres that help with feel and acoustics. Callaway has advanced its A.I. story with the Ai10x face, which it says offers 10 times more 'control points' than previous iterations. It has also been given a new sole design to enhance turf interaction.
There is only really one place for me to start in terms of offering my opinions. Call me shallow, but I am going straight in with the looks. To my eye at least, these might be the most visually attractive game improvement irons I have ever seen. From the soft curves and beautifully proportioned shaping, to the classy combination of brushed steel and chrome finishes, the Elyte irons are a thing of beauty. The detailing on the badge in the ‘cavity’ is brilliantly done, and the whole branding has been delivered in an extremely sophisticated way which elevates these irons above anything else in the category for me.
In addition to looking fantastic in the bag, these irons are also a treat in the playing position. A healthy amount of offset is brilliantly subdued by clever blending around the hosel, and the overall shaping is superb. Whilst they are relatively substantial as players shopping in this category would hope, these irons have been delivered in an excellent visual package more akin to some of the best irons for low handicappers. Top marks.
The looks are only relevant, however, if the iron can perform, and I am pleased to report it does. To be honest I didn’t see much difference in the tangible launch monitor deliverables over last year's model - data was almost identical in fact - but the brilliance of these irons lies more in the unquantifiable areas such as turf interaction and workability. The new ‘tri-sole’ that has been introduced here is excellent. Too often details such as ground connection are overlooked for high handicap players but not so with the Elyte. Essentially Callaway has used its C-Grind offering on the leading edge of the club to soften impact and smooth out the entry into the turf, while the relief on the back section is there to assist the exit. I have tried this sole out on some fairly juicy turf in Spain, and some very tight firm links turf in the UK and it works superbly on both.
In terms of the feel, the urethane microspheres do take away any hollow sensation, however, I would say that they still feel just on the firmer side of the impact scale, but far from harsh. The feedback from strike is excellent which will benefit players who are looking to improve, and I found the Elyte irons exceptionally easy to manipulate trajectory with - which is always a nice surprise in the game improvement category. Speaking of trajectory, I found launch relatively easy to come by considering the fairly strong (7-iron is 29°) loft set-up, however, for those seeking even more launch still, there is a HL option featuring weaker lofts.
One of my bugbears in the game-improvement category is patronizing equipment that hasn’t really been thoroughly thought through and features unnecessarily loud colorful graphics, but the Elyte irons couldn’t be any further from that. Details have been meticulously addressed, and the visual should satisfy even the most discerning of players. This is an early contender for best game improvement iron of 2025 for sure.
The Callaway Elyte irons have an RRP of $900 for a six-piece set and are available in both right and left-handed options throughout their 4-SW head offering.
