Callaway Elyte HL irons

[Dave2golf2]

 In the past 3 seasons I've gamed ZX4's, Paradym X's, and Paradym core, landing on the Paradym core as my favorite. I'm 63 and losing some speed in my swing. Strong lofts, oversize heads and wide soles do nothing to improve my game - in fact just the opposite, I can't hit any of those SGI clubs very well at all. I'm a 16hc and my 7i goes 145. Lightweight shafts and loft are my friends. I really did like the Paradym core with the 50g Ascent shafts, but those heads were maybe a bit too compact for someone of my skill level.

I looked at the Elyte models in the store. Like the Paradym core, I felt the Elyte core was a bit too compact for me, I need a little more help. Conversely, the Elyte X had too much bulk and the strong lofts were a red flag, I never hit those bulky style heads very well on the course, despite usually hitting them pretty well in the sim. I didn't see the Max Fast but I understand they're trending in the direction of the X, so really wasn't interested in those.

Enter the Elyte HL. Seemed like the perfect goldilocks fit for what I'm looking for. I'd say they're about 3/8" longer toe to heel than the core model, just enough to give me some additional confidence without the bulk. I went with the Vanquish 50g R2 shafts with my normal build specs, 3 deg, up and plus 1/2"

I've only hit them at the range and in sims so far, but man I'm really excited. Easy to launch, very straight, distance is about the same as my usual, only I'm getting that distance in a higher loft. The feel is outstanding - addictive and although not a forged feel, pretty damn close. I'm confident they will play at least equal to or hopefully better than my Paradym's. The looks of the irons are stunning - definitely the best looking irons I've ever owned. I have really high hopes for these, maybe best irons ever?? We shall see once the weather cooperates.

Edited April 7 by Dave2golf2

[TNwanabe]

Thats awesome you like your irons! I hope they play well for you. 

[dai3015]

I've recently picked these up for my daughter.

 

She tried the Apex Pro, the Ai200, Ai300 and none of them gave the spin and launch numbers that she was looking for. The fitter suggested trying the HL's. I was a little skeptical, thinking that there would be tons of offset, etc - but I was really pleasantly surprised. They are a really nice looking head, not too big, not that much offset and my daughter says that they feel as nice as the Ai200s.

 

She's been gaming them for a couple of months and the launch and spin is much better for her than her previous Ping irons.

 

They are a nice set of irons

[WristySwing]

17 hours ago, Dave2golf2 said:

 In the past 3 seasons I've gamed ZX4's, Paradym X's, and Paradym core, landing on the Paradym core as my favorite. I'm 63 and losing some speed in my swing. Strong lofts, oversize heads and wide soles do nothing to improve my game - in fact just the opposite, I can't hit any of those SGI clubs very well at all. I'm a 16hc and my 7i goes 145. Lightweight shafts and loft are my friends. I really did like the Paradym core with the 50g Ascent shafts, but those heads were maybe a bit too compact for someone of my skill level.

I looked at the Elyte models in the store. Like the Paradym core, I felt the Elyte core was a bit too compact for me, I need a little more help. Conversely, the Elyte X had too much bulk and the strong lofts were a red flag, I never hit those bulky style heads very well on the course, despite usually hitting them pretty well in the sim. I didn't see the Max Fast but I understand they're trending in the direction of the X, so really wasn't interested in those.

Enter the Elyte HL. Seemed like the perfect goldilocks fit for what I'm looking for. I'd say they're about 3/8" longer toe to heel than the core model, just enough to give me some additional confidence without the bulk. I went with the Vanquish 50g R2 shafts with my normal build specs, 3 deg, up and plus 1/2"

I've only hit them at the range and in sims so far, but man I'm really excited. Easy to launch, very straight, distance is about the same as my usual, only I'm getting that distance in a higher loft. The feel is outstanding - addictive and although not a forged feel, pretty damn close. I'm confident they will play at least equal to or hopefully better than my Paradym's. The looks of the irons are stunning - definitely the best looking irons I've ever owned. I have really high hopes for these, maybe best irons ever?? We shall see once the weather cooperates.

 

It is a misnomer in the industry that slower swingers need stronger lofts to help them hit it further. The slower you are, the less you can rely on ball speed to keep the ball in the air. Instead, you need to look for loft and CG to do this for you. Most seniors and lady players I fit tended to do much better with modern-traditional lofts (i.e. 27/28* 6i and 45/46* PW) rather than the game improvement lofts the OEMs are pushing now (i.e. 24* 6i and 43* PW). They just don't have the speed to get these clubs in the air and keep it there, but with the weaker lofted clubs they can.

 

Although I should say at 145 with a 7i you are by no means "slow". That would be average, if not long, for someone of your age and handicap level.

Edited April 8 by WristySwing

[NicholasP]

I have been very pleased with my core Elyte irons, and just picked up an Elyte HL in the 4 iron.  I love longer blade lengths and the HL certainly fit the bill.  

[Dave2golf2]

5 hours ago, WristySwing said:

 

It is a misnomer in the industry that slower swingers need stronger lofts to help them hit it further. The slower you are, the less you can rely on ball speed to keep the ball in the air. Instead, you need to look for loft and CG to do this for you. Most seniors and lady players I fit tended to do much better with modern-traditional lofts (i.e. 27/28* 6i and 45/46* PW) rather than the game improvement lofts the OEMs are pushing now (i.e. 24* 6i and 43* PW). They just don't have the speed to get these clubs in the air and keep it there, but with the weaker lofted clubs they can.

 

Although I should say at 145 with a 7i you are by no means "slow". That would be average, if not long, for someone of your age and handicap level.

Absolutely right - strong lofts are only going to make matters worse for someone that struggles with generating speed. I wonder what these genius engineers are thinking when they design and market these strong-lofted SGI clubs to high handicappers that are likely to be struggling for speed?

The 7-iron in the Callaway Elyte HL is 30 deg. and by yesterdays standard is still quite strong, but I know for sure I can fly that as far as some of the 27-28 deg. SGI 7-irons that I've hit in the past, and with a much better ball flight.

Edited April 8 by Dave2golf2

[Joesti]

Buddy of mine games the ai smoke HL and they are pretty dang good. Ive hit them a few times and very surprised. They were giving me great numbers even at higher swing speed than the target audience. Super forgiving too.

[WristySwing]

1 hour ago, Dave2golf2 said:

Absolutely right - strong lofts are only going to make matters worse for someone that struggles with generating speed. I wonder what these genius engineers are thinking when they design and market these strong-lofted SGI clubs to high handicappers that are likely to be struggling for speed?

The 7-iron in the Callaway Elyte HL is 30 deg. and by yesterdays standard is still quite strong, but I know for sure I can fly that as far as some of the 27-28 deg. SGI 7-irons that I've hit in the past, and with a much better ball flight.

 

The general idea is that most players flip the club/add too much dynamic loft. Thus, they hit the ball too high with too much spin at what would be considered regular input speed. Therefore, stronger lofts == lower apex, better spin windows, and stronger flight.

[erock9174]

I’m in the same boat 7i carry 140-148 depending on the iron. Lower spin player and need as much height as I can get.  Last year the smoke HL tested the best for me and snagged a used mint set. Loved how they played but I cleaned them and didn’t realize the back cavity traps water.  The next day the 6i and 7i cavities had a ton of rust. Luckily some Norwex polish removed it but I sold them because of it.  I’m a neat freak when it comes to keeping my club nice.  
 

also I’m not a huge fan of Callaway either.  But I liked a the higher loft option , blade length is reasonable as welll as offset.  Wished more companies offered a similar profile.  
 

This year I’m gaming G440 irons in retro spec. So similar lofts as the Callaway “HL” irons. 
 

Hope you enjoy the Elyte HLs. I tried them this year and didn’t get the same magic as the Smoke HLs. 

Edited April 8 by erock9174

[Dave2golf2]

14 minutes ago, erock9174 said:

I’m in the same boat 7i carry 140-148 depending on the iron. Lower spin player and need as much height as I can get.  Last year the smoke HL tested the heat for me and snagged a used mint set. Loved how they played but I cleaned them and didn’t realize the back cavity traps water.  The next day the 6i and 6i cavity had a ton of rust. Luckily some Norwex polish removed it but I sold them because of it.  I’m a neat freak when it comes to keeping my club nice.  
 

also I’m not a huge fan of Callaway either.  But I liked a the higher loft option , blade length is reasonable as welll as offset.  Wished more companies offered a similar profile.  This year I’m gaming G440 irons in retro spec. So similar lofts as the Callaway “HL” irons. 
 

Hope you enjoy the Elyte HLs. I tried them this year and didn’t get the same magic as the Smoke HLs. 

I tried the G440's too before going with Elyte's. Maybe the retro-spec would have made some difference, but I just preferred the feel of the Cally's better, and I'm not partial to any brand more than another. I liked the shaft options in the Cally's better too.  I'm sure the G440's would be similar in retro-spec.

Edited April 8 by Dave2golf2

[mantan]

On 4/8/2025 at 11:22 AM, Dave2golf2 said:

Absolutely right - strong lofts are only going to make matters worse for someone that struggles with generating speed. I wonder what these genius engineers are thinking when they design and market these strong-lofted SGI clubs to high handicappers that are likely to be struggling for speed?

The 7-iron in the Callaway Elyte HL is 30 deg. and by yesterdays standard is still quite strong, but I know for sure I can fly that as far as some of the 27-28 deg. SGI 7-irons that I've hit in the past, and with a much better ball flight.

 

For sure. when I was getting fit the Elyte HL were a stronger loft than the Srixon ZXi5s and launched in a similar window. IMO, these can be easily played by anybody with 7-iron speed under 85 mph.  I think a lot of players will gravitate toward the Core or X without giving the HL a try and it could be a great fit for them.

 

 

[JohnGibson]

On 4/8/2025 at 2:09 PM, WristySwing said:

 

The general idea is that most players flip the club/add too much dynamic loft. Thus, they hit the ball too high with too much spin at what would be considered regular input speed. Therefore, stronger lofts == lower apex, better spin windows, and stronger flight.

This is so true. I couldn't understand why I was able to hit the Stealth irons so well but then I realized I was adding loft with my delivery to the ball. 

 

I since have gotten a little better with a later release and hesitate to go with strong lofts again so the Elyte HL is on my short list. 

[jeffrey r]

I played the Elyte HL for a spell this season. They were good in many aspects—looks, forgiveness and feel.

 

There was something a bit off for me with the HL in terms of turf interaction, so I returned the HL for the core Elyte. Those solved the turf interaction issue, albeit in a slightly less forgiving package. Love the core Elyte irons though. YMMV.

[JohnGibson]

19 hours ago, jeffrey r said:

I played the Elyte HL for a spell this season. They were good in many aspects—looks, forgiveness and feel.

 

There was something a bit off for me with the HL in terms of turf interaction, so I returned the HL for the core Elyte. Those solved the turf interaction issue, albeit in a slightly less forgiving package. Love the core Elyte irons though. YMMV.

 Maybe the HL have more bounce than the core. 

[jeffrey r]

49 minutes ago, JohnGibson said:

 Maybe the HL have more bounce than the core. 

 

Could be a bounce difference. Could be the longer blade length with the HL. Could be a minor difference with the grind. But the core definitely interacts better with the turf for me. The core are really outstanding irons—having a lot of fun with them. 

[JohnGibson]

On 7/7/2025 at 4:39 PM, jeffrey r said:

 

Could be a bounce difference. Could be the longer blade length with the HL. Could be a minor difference with the grind. But the core definitely interacts better with the turf for me. The core are really outstanding irons—having a lot of fun with them. 

I hit the HL today and the head felt very light and looking at the specs the head is lighter than the other models. 

 

I hit the X the best as I don't always find the center of the club. I found it very forgiving low on the face which is another miss of mine. 

 

With the announcement today of the 2X trade-in I will probably pull the trigger on the X. 

[jeffrey r]

1 hour ago, JohnGibson said:

I hit the HL today and the head felt very light and looking at the specs the head is lighter than the other models. 

 

I hit the X the best as I don't always find the center of the club. I found it very forgiving low on the face which is another miss of mine. 

 

With the announcement today of the 2X trade-in I will probably pull the trigger on the X. 

 

Yup, the X are really good also. I think their wider sole without the longer blade length works better for me than the longer blade length of the HL. Truth be told, I am waiting on a good bit of return credit from Callaway, and will likely use it towards a set of the X.

[SwooshLT]

On 7/9/2025 at 4:35 PM, jeffrey r said:

 

Yup, the X are really good also. I think their wider sole without the longer blade length works better for me than the longer blade length of the HL. Truth be told, I am waiting on a good bit of return credit from Callaway, and will likely use it towards a set of the X.

 

What shaft is in your Core model irons? 

[jeffrey r]

42 minutes ago, SwooshLT said:

 

What shaft is in your Core model irons? 

 

Axiom 105 S soft-stepped once. I’ve just about played ‘em all, and not sure I’ll play another shaft from here on out. Love everything about them.  

 

Just used my Callaway credit on a set of Elyte X irons with the same shafts, so I’ll be able to compare pretty much apples to apples. The core Elyte are outstanding, but looking forward to perhaps a bit more forgiveness from the X. I’ll hopefully have the X set in hand for some golf next week or weekend, so we shall see.