It's been about five years since Callaway Golf released an X Forged iron model. And improvements to the 2025 X Forged irons make this legendary series better than ever before. But Callaway also double-downed on X Forged with an entirely new model, the X Forged Max irons. X Forged Max features the same one-piece 1020 carbon steel forged material but is designed in a players distance construction.
I hit the 2025 Callaway X Forged and X Forged Max irons at a Club Champion fitting a few weeks back and can tell you I was incredibly impressed with both models after just a few first swings. I used the same Dynamic Gold MID 115 shafts in both irons for testing. And there are some performance differences between the two models that I'm going to tell you about in this comparative review.
Although one model was a bit better for me than the other both X Forged and X Forged Max were such great performing irons I'd put either in my bag in a moments notice and not blink an eye.
Here are 10 things to know about the 2025 Callaway X Forged irons VS. the 2025 Callaway X Forged Max irons.
Number 1. ▪️X Forged and X Forged Max look almost identical in terms of top-lines. X Forged Max has a slightly longer blade length (toe to heel) and also a wider sole. X Forged Max also has a more pronounced cavity back (and that winds up being important in distinguishing performance). Both X Forged and X Forged Max however are more similar than dissimilar in appearance and will blend well aesthetically for anyone wanting a mixed set. X Forged have a little less offset and are also 2 degrees weaker than X Forged Max through the entire set.
Number 2. ▪️Both X Forged and X Forged Max have Callaway's patented Tri Sole design and in my opinion it's one of the best soles you can ever play. The leading and trailing edge relief is basically strategic grinding of the sole to reduce the amount of sole that comes into contact with the ground. And X Forged and X Forged Max were gliding across the mats, clipping balls, delivering smooth clean contact. I was initially a little concerned about the X Forged Max wider soles. I'm usually not a fan of wider soled irons (these can bounce on me at times in firmer conditions). But the X Forged Max sole clearly plays smaller than it looks.
Number 3. ▪️X Forged Max have a slightly crisper feel but are still solid and extremely soft like X Forged. And that X Forged feel? Hands down the softest most solid feeling Callaway irons I've ever hit. For those of you who prioritize feel you're going to absolutely love X Forged. These legitimately belong in any conversation about best feeling forged irons on the market today. Interestingly (the smaller shape) X Forged felt like a slightly heavier head than X Forged Max during my swing (which I prefer). And I don't know if the sweet spot is closer to the center of the face with X Forged but it felt like that with obviously more mass behind the hitting area.
Number 4. ▪️There's definitely a difference in ball speed between X Forged and X Forged Max. I was getting almost 3 mph more ball speed with X Forged Max over X Forged. And that translated to X Forged Max being about 7-8 yards longer on average. You'd think this would be a no brainer, X Forged Max over X Forged for the win baby! Right?
Number 5. ▪️I'm not one to turn my nose to extra distance but X Forged was a more stable head "into impact" for me than X Forged Max. I'm not saying X Forged is more forgiving than X Forged Max. Quite the contrary. X Forged Max is more forgiving and more stable "at impact." But I was able to square up X Forged better than X Forged Max and this has more to do with my swing and iron shape preference. I just tend to put better swings on the ball (and more often) with smaller heads than with larger heads. And (for me at least) this means better dispersion overall.
Number 6. ▪️Ball flights with X Forged and X Forged Max were very similar in that neither had a left or right bias. Both are pretty damn straight (even with X Forged Max having a tad more offset). X Forged however did launch the ball 1-2 degrees higher for me and gave me higher peak heights by about 4-5 feet. I'm a low launch, low ball flight player and the extra launch and height of X Forged is simply better for my swing (especially when I miss a little).
Number 7. ▪️As you might expect I also had greater spin and steeper descent with X Forged versus X Forged Max. X Forged spun about 400 rpm more than X Forged Max (which is significant if you're a low spin player) and descent was steeper (but only marginally so at about one degree). Overall I was very happy with the stopping power of both X Forged and X Forged Max.
Number 8. ▪️Misses low with X Forged Max are more forgiving than misses low with X Forged. Downrange dispersion in particular was tighter as X Forged Max retained ideal launch and spin (approximating center strikes) better than X Forged. But this leads me to revisit the point I made earlier. Yes X Forged Max are overall more forgiving than X Forged. But if you're a player (like me) who puts better swings on X Forged then you really don't need that extra low miss forgiveness of the X Forged Max because you're hitting center or closer to center more often with X Forged.
Number 9. ▪️Misses on the toe with X Forged Max are also more forgiving but than misses on the toe with X Forged in general. But X Forged does a much better job with misses on the toe than it does with misses low. And in fact I actually had slightly better (tighter) downrange dispersion on toe misses with X Forged than I did with X Forged Max. X Forged Max however is still more forgiving on toe misses for right-to-left dispersion.
Number 10. ▪️Interestingly when I slowed my swing down (or honestly was just getting tired) the head-to-head comparisons remained consistent but with a few variations. At a slower swing speed there wasn't as much variance in launch or peak heights (X Forged and X Forged Max were nearly identical). And yet the difference in spin (400 rpm) remained about the same. So if you're a slower or average swing speed player (say anywhere in the 80+ mph and under range) X Forged Max all of a sudden potentially becomes the better choice for you simply because of the additional distance (maybe up to a full club) without sacrificing forgiveness or control.
The X Forged irons made my good shots better and that's why they wound up being ideal for me. On good and near-center strikes my downrange and left-to-right dispersion was just a little better with X Forged. The X Forged MAX irons however are ideal if your miss tends to be low, you want that extra and easy distance, and making mediocre shots a lot more playable is important for your game.
As I alluded to beginning this review the 2025 Callaway X Forged irons X Forged Max irons are truly an evolution of the X Forged dynasty. With both models you're getting a combination of playability and performance, forgiveness and precision, and a strong, soft feel that makes hitting them incredibly satisfying. Well done Callaway.
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