Xcaliber Avalon i8/i9

[Popeye64]

Some of you know I build quite a few Maltby sets throughout the year. My best selling head was the Maltby PTM irons. They have sadly been discontinued but were my favorite no non-sense forged iron head.

The Black DBM finish is my personal favorite and I grabbed one of the last few sets sold. I've had them laying around for a while and it was time to build them out.

I wanted to do a special build on these and I used the Avalon i8/i9 shafts. These are continuations of the Pro X shafts that have been my go to way before the Rapid Tapers were even a thought. The metal mesh woven into the graphite has them playing like a steel shaft but dampens like graphite. I still have a strong swing but steel eats up my elbows. So I almost have to play graphite.

I stiffened these up a half inch more than standard S flex and it's just right. I made up a 6 iron as a test club before I built the whole set. I used that 6 iron all over the course. It's carrying almost 180y with a dead straight flight. The sound at contact is addictive. The feel is a dead blend between a steel shaft and a graphite. Soft at impact but extremely stable. I was very aggressive at times with this club and it just launched with a lower initial flight that slowly climbed and flattened. I got quite a few.. Oh Wow.. and Ooohhhs, from my two playing partners.

This combination of woven steel mesh and graphite has been built by Xcaliber for a long time but this setup is a step up. Can't put my finger on it but these are just better. I was unable to pry from Robin Arthur what he actually did different.. but it works.

I was getting the ball to stop just a few inches past its ball mark. It was a point and shoot setup that really surprised me. That extra tipping gave me superior control but did not make them harsh in any way.

I did some quick head to head testing with the Rapid Tapers. The RT 6i was just a bit longer. Too early to tell on dispersion but both were all over the flag. I'll go back and collect some data between the two.

I built the rest of the set last night but won't be able to ring them out for two weeks.

Just by looks alone these are a dead sexy setup. In the sunlight they are gorgeous. The metal weave is just visible. The way the red blends into the black is perfectly done. The Lamkin Genesis Corded grip had red and black blend that compliments the rest of the build. Looks wise? My favorite build to date.

I have also been a proponent of mixing weight in iron sets and went with the i9 95g in the Gw-9. The i8 85g in the 8-4. This just gives the set a more natural progression in weight through the set. Its gonna be a long two weeks at sea before I can Hammer the full set.

 

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