Club:TaylorMade X-03 irons 3-sw
Shaft:TaylorMade steel regular flex
Grips:TaylorMade

Looks:The concept of multimetal iron heads is not a new one for Taylor Made (the Firesole model used it) and hollow driving irons have been around for some years now (Tour Edge are probably the master exponent of these) but it is unusual to see these 2 design concepts married into a complete set as in the
X-03.
The heads are an oversize semi-cavity back (a musclebar extends from top to bottom at the rear of each iron and a cavity is present at heel and toe end of it) with a highly polished chrome finish.The heads are constructed from titanium with tungsten heel and toe weight plugs in the long irons,stainless steel body with titanium face and tungsten weights in mid irons,stainless steel body and titanium face in short irons (no weight plugs!) and stainless steel wedges.
All this is said to lead to a combination of playability and forgiveness that gives a good level of compromise for all types of player.
There is progressive offset (more in long irons to very little in wedges) and the heads feel quite heavy in the hands.The finish of the heads is exceptionally good.
The shaft is the excellent Nippon NSPro950GH,a lightweight shaft that is 20grams lighter than an equivalent Dynamic Gold or Rifle shaft.The Tour velvet grip is very popular on top of the range irons and it is really hard to fault the overall look.
Marks:(out of 10) 10

Performance: The clubs sit powerfully behind the ball and just beg to be hit.
The long irons lift the ball effortlessly into the air on a relatively high trajectory and the ball seems to fly forever,landing softly and with little roll.It's a similar story with the mid irons and the tungsten weight plugs help to keep the weight low and prevent twisting on mishits.
On all irons the hollow construction gives a nice feel and solid sound and the short irons generate an amazing amount of spin (probably due to the sharp grooves of the titanium face).
The lightweight steel shaft also helps slower swingers generate a good deal more clubhead speed.The wedges are very easy to use,although perhaps a little large in the face for some players liking,and perform all the scoring shots with aplomb.
Because of the low weighting,this set is an exceptional performer from rough and they are also quite easy to work the ball with,despite the offset and non central weight distribution and it is easy to see why players like Justin Rose experimented with these irons.
Marks:9

Value: Prices here are beyond the budget of most players and it is easy to see why this iron was aimed initially at the Japanese market.
If you shop around on the internet or see a good second hand set in a proshop then good value can be had.On the trade-in side you will probably lose 50-60% of initial cost and this is really the only drawback of these clubs.
Marks:6

Verdict: Wonderful set of irons that will benefit all levels of golfer.Very forgiving and long hitting,they are a status symbol to have in one's bag,but cost is a major issue.If you want to start saving your pennies then do so in the knowledge that you are buying the best that money can buy.
Marks:8

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