Caley Golf Irons & Driving Iron - 2023 Forum Review

[GolfSpy_APH]

Testers Announced!

About Caley

At Caley, we're passionate about making high-quality golf clubs accessible to everyone. We believe that golf is a game that should be enjoyed by all, and that starts with having the right equipment.

We know that finding the perfect golf clubs can be a daunting process, which is why we aim to simplify it for you. We offer a carefully curated selection of affordable, high-quality golf clubs with premium components, such as shafts and grips, that are designed to help you play your best game.

Our minimalist design approach ensures that our golf clubs are sleek and stylish, while still providing the performance and functionality that you need on the course. We believe that form and function should go hand in hand, and that's why we've made it our mission to create golf clubs that look great and perform even better.

But our commitment to our customers goes beyond just providing great golf clubs. We pride ourselves on offering outstanding customer service, and we're always here to answer any questions you may have. We want you to feel confident in your purchase, and we're dedicated to making sure that you're completely satisfied with your new golf clubs.

So whether you're a seasoned golfer or just starting out, we're here to help you find the perfect golf clubs for your game

Please welcome and congratulate our testers!

@Vegan_Golfer_PNW is testing the Caley 01X Driving Iron

@AndySP is testing the Caley 01X Driving Iron

@GolfSpy SAM is testing the Caley 01t Irons

@Shlax is testing the Caley 01CB Irons

[GolfSpy SAM]

INTRODUCTION

Check out THIS post for my intro!

UNBOXING

Okay, ladies and gentlemen: the boxes have arrived.  I'll give a little commentary, but mostly I'll let the pictures speak for themselves, and be sure to take 3 minutes to watch the little video there at the end - should be good for at least one laugh

So, I got notice that instead of arriving next Monday, somehow my clubs were on the truck headed to my house for delivery TODAY.  Like a dog waiting for its owner to appear, I stared at every car that drove by, waiting for the FedEx truck to arrive.  And when it did, I ran downstairs to greet the driver at the door.  My heart sank almost immediately, as he was carrying two VERY beat-up-looking boxes.  There's NO. WAY. these were going to arrive broken, right?  The driver apologized, scanned them and entered them as "crushed", just in case anything went wrong when I opened.  

Thankfully, upon opening, everything was in perfect shape - the small styrofoam blocks did their job and fully protected the heads, and the shafts show zero sign of wear and/or tear.  Phew!

As a special surprise, Caley threw in the X01 driving iron - I had mentioned that I currently play the Cobra Forged Tec driving iron, and I guess that was enough for them to confidently throw it in an extra box my way.  It's stunning to look at, and with the Recoil Dart shaft (my Cobra has the KBS $ Tour shaft which is not my favorite), I'm very excited to give this thing a go. 

 

I couldn't stop taking pictures of the irons - I'm really in awe of how beautiful and simple the design is.  Following are some more "glamour" shots.

I'm not sure I've ever had as much fun with an unboxing as I did with these - each one just made me feel giddy to get them on the course.  The clubs are considerably smaller than my 2020 TaylorMade Sim Max irons (comparison with the 6-irons and the PW's below), especially in the longer irons.  That being said, the top-lines are surprisingly substantial - and that's not a knock on them AT ALL.  I shudder a little when I see something ... butter knife-y, so these things instill exactly the right amount of confidence.  They're thinner than the Sim's, but not so much so that I'm confused about where my handicap sits

That about does it - I seriously can't wait to get these out to a range, and on the course.  I'm not going to waste any time getting these into play - I sadly don't get to play until next week, but I'll be hitting the range this weekend for a run-through, and will report back in in the main thread when I do.  

Thanks for looking!

 

[Shlax]

0.0 - SUMMARY OF FINAL REVIEW

TL;DR: I honestly didn't think that the Caley 01CB irons truly had a chance at grabbing a spot in my bag and yet they did! Performance is simply stunning and undeniable. They checked every case on the list of key parameters that I had assembled prior to testing and despite some issues concerning the aesthetics side of things, I will gladly keep these irons in the bag because they are just that good!

1. First impressions: 8/20
2. Aesthetics: 8/10
3. The Numbers: 10/10
4. On-Course: 18/20
5. The Good, the Bad, the Inbetween: 18/20
6. Play it or Trade it?: 18/20

       FINAL SCORE: 80/100

 

1.0 - INTRODUCTION (JULY 17TH, 2023)

Greetings fellow Spies,

I’m Shlax and I’ve been a regular on the Forum since last April. I’m mainly involved in the various threads about recent performances and individual achievements (MGS Virtual Tour, How’d You Play, How’d You Practice, etc.) and anything about drills, swing thoughts or other threads related to the continuous journey toward improvement of our game. I read almost all official and unofficial reviews about golf gear and I especially focus on those concerning clubs. Consequently, I must admit that I am absolutely ecstatic at this opportunity to review what appears to be a very nice set of irons in the Caley 01CBs. We’ll see how they perform soon enough.

1.1 - Who am I?

I am a 31 years old geotechnical engineer from Montreal, Canada. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, I have a second full-time job which is basically geeking out on golf gear and being consumed over every little aspect of the swing and its mechanics. Golf now occupies a worryingly important place in my life and I am grateful that I can almost fully dedicate my free time to this addiction .

I started golfing in my early teenage years but never really committed to practicing or improving to an extent where I would care about low scores. Back then, I played about 6-7 times per year at the very most and broke 100 maybe once or twice a year. My game was all about distance and I could not care less about the short game or putting. Being from Canada, hockey was my main sport growing up. As a result, I always had plenty of power in my golf swing but did lack much needed accuracy, consistency and course management abilities. Even today, I would describe my swing as including some remnants of my slap shot days, for better or for worse!

1.2 - What about my game?

I started playing golf again when I graduated, after having completely stopped for many years, but still wasn’t playing more than a handful of rounds per year. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I seriously got back into the game and began investing time and energy in my performance for the first time really.

Today, my official handicap index is 9.1 and I play roughly 40 rounds per year. I am not a member at any club and I like to alternate courses despite playing close to half of these rounds at my local course. Typically, I play courses between 6200 and 6600 yds and like to give a go at courses around 6900-7000 yds on occasions. I have the distance to play these lengths but since last year, I mightily struggle with driver. This all started when I decided that I wanted to play a draw off the tee instead of my usual and very reliable cut. Of course, golf being golf, I now slice and drive the ball shorter than I have ever before. My average driving distance has fallen to only 4 yds longer than the average distance that I hit my 3W irrespectively of the lie, yikes.

Off the tee being the weakness of my game, iron play is definitely my strength. I have a fairly steep swing and play a very reliable cut that I love although I can sling my irons right to left when the situation is dire. I consider my short game and putting as somewhat average in comparison to players of similar handicap. I also often play a nice 9-hole par 3 course near my place. I play this course a little less than 25 times per year and this aspect probably is a good contributor as to why approach game is my strength.

My scoring average in my last 20 rounds confirms that I have much more success on par 3s than on other holes. This is not a surprise as it takes driver out of my hands. I can also vouch that my scoring average on par 4s where I tee off with 3W or driving iron instead of driver is also much better than when I pull driver out! I now average more pars than bogeys per round which is an objective that I had at the beginning of this season. Here's what a decent typical round looks like:

• Between 3 and 5 fairway hits;
• Between 9 and 11 greens in regulations;
• Anywhere between 32 and 36 putts;
• I averaged 3.5 penalty strokes per round in my last 20 rounds and I can safely say that at least 90% of these penalties are incurred off the tee with driver exclusively.

1.3 - Testing planification

Full disclosure, I had never heard of Caley prior to signing up for the member test so I did not have any preconceived idea about their product. Like for other DTC brands, I initially thought that their irons were nice and that the price point was aggressive, but I don’t know if I would ever have had the guts to order a set without trying them out first. This is where I hope that this review will be useful to many future readers!

In all good experimental program, a baseline is required. In this case, the baseline will be my current Srixon Z785 gamers. I absolutely love these irons and I consider that they are still top of the line irons even today. The Caley 01CBs are of very similar design so the comparison is relevant. Per their respective technical specifications, they are indeed almost identical in terms of blade dimensions. Moreover, both sets have the same standard length, lie and loft for each club. One difference is that the offset on the Caley 01CBs is slightly less. The stock swing weight of the Caleys is D2 and that of the Srixons is D3.

I am eager to see them for myself as the Srixon Z785 are most definitely players iron and can be intimidating to a lot of people at address. This aspect would make the Caley 01CBs really aesthetically appealing, in my opinion, to players who like more compact blade-type irons.

Table below updated on August 28th, 2023 - Update post here

Of course, I plan on playing as many rounds as I can with the Caley 01CBs during the testing period. The objective is to see the impact on my scoring average and par performance and well as identifying any noticeable changes in my typical ball flight (e.g., shot shaping ability, carry distance, peak height, spin, stopping power, etc.). I will also take special care to try to communicate as faithfully as possible the feel of these clubs as this aspect is of utmost importance when it comes to forged irons. Finally, I plan on renting a Trackman for an hour or two in order to obtain concrete and precise data comparing both sets and verify my observations.

1.4 - Summary

I think that if the Caley 01CBs' performance is even remotely close that of my Srixon Z785 gamers, I will consider these irons as serious disruptors in the industry given their price point. Iron play being the main protagonist of my game, any changes in performance in this area will most likely be exacerbated and visible during testing. I think that my game truly is an opportunity for the Caley 01CBs to rise and shine, hopefully. The parameters that I will be looking for are:

1. Carry distance: I expect somewhat similar carry distances. Certainly not less;
2. Ball flight: Ideally, I would like the peak height to go down from my current typical ball flight. Otherwise, it should at least not be higher;
3. Spin: I am a high spin player. Spin does cost me distance but my stopping power on the greens is much appreciated. A slight reduction in spin would be okay although not expected;
4. Feel: This is where the subjective aspect comes in. I like a solid strike to feel like an effortless slash through the grass, if it makes sense. I also like a more muted thud with some crisp to it rather than a clicky rebounding sound. There is nothing more satisfying than a pure strike with a forged iron and feel and sound are important components when it comes to enjoying your equipment.

If you have some interest in irons in general or are thinking about eventually buying a set of Caley 01CBs, make sure to follow the current testing thread as interesting updates will come weekly!

 

2.0 - UNBOXING AND FIRST IMPRESSIONS (8/20)

2.1 - Packaging

If you have read @GolfSpy SAM's stellar unboxing section, you'll see that I also received a pretty beat up box. I do not explicitly consider this aspect as a fault on Caley's part, but I suspect that most orders will ship from their factory in China and will be subjected to a similar treatment during their long journey so it might become an issue to address in the future.

Fortunately, the clubs appear to be just fine. Packaging was decent and the clubs were 100% covered. Nevertheless, if the irons had graphite shafts, I would definitely be more worried about their integrity due to any sustained load or blunt/shear impact possibly experienced during transportation.

Because of this issue, I removed 2 points.

2.2 - First impressions

Club head

The first club that I unwrapped was the 4-iron: WOW! I was pleasantly surprised at how nice it really looks. It has a relatively thin topline and a narrow sole as expected from any cavity back players' irons. The other clubs are also nice, but I noticed that the topline gets a bit thicker and apparently chunkier as we progress down the set. At address, there's something going on with the heel section. The offset appears quite large even if the technical specifications indicate that it is smaller than on my current gamers, the Srixon Z785s.

The finish is what I would describe as Tour Satin probably more than Tour Chrome if I am to use Titleist's description of their Vokey finishes. I like it.

Shafts and grips

I got the KBS Tour in x-stiff flex (130g.) I gamed the KBS Tour FLT in stiff flex (120g) in my Srixon Z785s. I decided to go with the x-stiff shafts as every source that I check indicates that this is the flex that I should be playing. I wasn't fitted for my current irons and I would have probably ended up in x-stiff shafts if that was the case. For what it's worth: I was fitted into an x-stiff shaft on my driver. By going with the stiffer shaft, I expect my typical ball flight to slightly go down and backspin to decrease as well, which would be perfectly fine.

The grips are Lamkin Crossline 360 which are pretty standard grips and basically identical to Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360. They are usually what comes stock on most irons from major OEMs. I prefer corded grips but because they are brand new, they will do just fine. I am happy with the grips and shafts.

2.3 - Bad surprise

When I compared the irons from both sets, I immediately noticed something odd. Indeed, the Caley 01CBs are 0.5" shorter than standard and this gap is present throughout the set. I octuple-checked my measurements to make sure that my current gamers were not in fact 0.5" longer than standard: They aren't.

Now, I don't really mind since I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to test these very nice irons. I don't think that the 0.5" shorter length will drastically impact my game as I already grip slightly down on my irons. After all, it only results in basically playing a very strong 6-iron when I using a 5-iron, for example. After completing testing, I can attest that this aspect was not a mjor issue for me but it could have very well been for someone else.

That being said, if I was a paying customer, I would rightfully request a refund or exchange without any additional cost on my end. I did order a set with standard lengths, lies and lofts as are my current Srixon irons. According to Caley's website, the standard length of their 7-iron is 37" which is the generally accepted standard length for pretty much all manfacturers. As such, my Srixon Z785 7-iron is indeed 37" and Caley 01CBs' 7-iron is 36.5". It is something that should be verified on their end to avoid any potential issues with paying customers.

Because of this major issue, I removed 10 points.

 

3.0 - AESTHETICS (8/10)

As mentioned above, the irons look stunning. The minimalist design is appealing to a wide range of potential customers, myselft included, and the profile in general is clean and crisp.

For the sake of simplicity, I only compared the 4-iron, 7-iron and PW. As mentioned before, the 4-irons from my Srixon Z785 and Caley 01CB are very similar but the Caley 01CBs appear to get much chunkier and more square as we progress down the set. I think that what previously caught my eye near the heel section is the height of the face. To my surprise, the Caley 01CB's face is almost 5 mm higher in this area! Other than that, the general looks and geometry of both sets are almost identical. The Caley 01CB are definitely nice clubs!

The topline of the short irons at address, mainly the 9 iron and PW, is also something that caught my eye. It is indeed surprisingly thick for players' irons of this type. Below is a comparison between both PWs from both sets. The geometry of the transition between the hosel and heel section of the head is also somewhat less refined on the Caley 01CB PW. 

Because of this issue, I removed a point.

I removed another point due to the font and general markings on the head and the ferrule. The markings look very generic. As some members highlighted during testing, the fonts used, size and location on the head are very reminiscent of some other DTC products. As for the ferrule, call me crazy if you want, but I feel that providing a nice ferrule to a set of irons is something that barely costs anything and yet adds a certain premium haze to the look. The ferrule on the Caley 01CBs is as basic as it gets and there's nothing wrong with it, but it does fell there's something missing there.

4.0 - The Numbers (10/10)

A perfect score!

Indeed, I might have been somewhat harsh on the looks and aesthetics ratings but I am also not shy to give them praise where they derserve it the most: Performance. The numbers of the Caley 01CB irons are simply astounding.

I initially planned on renting a Trackman to gather precise data comparing both sets but considering the stellar and striking performance of the irons, I figured that I had all the data that I needed to complete my review.

Distance

I did not expect or looked for increase distance and yet, the Caley 01CB provided just that. Club data from my Garmin Approach S60 watch indicates that the Caley 01CBs are about 10 yds longer than my Srixon Z785s on average. I would describe the response off the face as HOT. The strikes feel a bit like that of players' distance irons and I think that this aspect contributes to the ball speed off the face.

Forgiveness and Control

Being cavity backs players' irons, a certain level of forgiveness should be expected while still not getting to the point of not being to miss a shot. This is exactly what the Caley 01CB irons achieve. I would categorize them as forgiving players' irons. Slight misshits toward the heel did not experience any dropoff in distance and only a slight deviation to the right (fade). Misshits toward the toe had much a much more dramatic deviation to the left (draw/hook) yet distance still remained pretty much unafffected.

I mentioned this aspect in a testing update but the amount of forgiveness (and to some extent, the feel) incorporated in the Caley 01CB irons reminds me of the TaylorMade P790 which is a great thing. Maybe Caley succeeded in packaging the explosiveness and forgiveness of players' distance irons in the form a players' irons cavity back?

Starting prior to the testing period, I drastically began working on shallowing my swing and found that shot shaping with the Caley 01CBs was a piece of cake. I mostly stuck to playing my newfound draw. However, slinging it hard left or keeping it tight was easy with these irons and they really gave me confidence in my game.

Spin and Trajectory

While not having exact numbers for my assessment of the irons regarding spin, I can attest that spin was in a better spot than with my gamers. Indeed, the x-stiff shaft contributed in reducing spin just enough so that ball flight was much more penetrating and efficient in the wind but not so much that I had trouble holding greens. On the contrary, I threw a lot of darts in the rounds that I played with the Caley 01CBs where the ball had a piercing trajectory yet stopped on a dime once it hit the green. I didn't have trouble holding green with long irons also.

The video below is from my very first range session with the Caley 01CBs. Some of the iron shots can be traced up to a certain point and the ball flight is powerful and confidence inspiring.

Feel

This one is difficult to put into words but I will do my best. Simply put, the Caley 01CBs don't have the feel of your Srixons, Mizunos or other forged players' irons from major OEMs. As mentioned above, I would describe the feel as being closer to that of players' distance irons like the TaylorMade P790s or Ping i230s for example.

That being said, the feel isn't bad at all as the mentioned players' distance irons above have an amazing feel. It is simply different than what you should expect from a pure forged blade/muscle back for example. Pure strikes are effortless. The ball comes out with a nice thud and some crispiness which is exactly what I personally like. It is far away from a dingy ring or hollow reverberating sound.

In terms of feedback, the level of forgiveness incorporated in these irons contributes in misshits not feeling especially bad yet still underwhelming so that you can immediately make adjustements.

 

5.0 - ON-COURSE (18/20)

Performance on the range transitioned on the course beautifully. My handicap index reached an all-time personal low 8.6 during the testing period and basic stats tracking indicates that the irons had a positive impact on my game.

During the testing period, my par performance did decrease on PAR 4s and PAR 5s and my PAR 3 scoring average did slightly increase. However, my guess is that the break-in period (i.e., getting used to the distance) or one particular bad round had a significant impact on the statistics given the relatively small numbers of rounds.

The positive effects on my game are also demonstrated by my scoring performance. During the testing period, my birdie rate increased while the rate of bad holes (double bogey or worse) decreased. The par and bogey rates remained somewhat unchanged.

Unfortunately, I can't provide reliable stats comparing my GIR% before and during the testing period due to Garmin Golf's interface. However, I began tracking this stat independently in the last 7 rounds of the testing period and I now sit at 41.0% GIR. My GIR% had historically been closer to 35% prior to testing so I can safely attest that the Caley 01CB irons also had a positive impact on this area of my game.

I removed 2 points in the on-course category due to performance out of the rough. I highlighted in two testing updates (here and here) that fliers out of the rough occurred much more frequently during the testing period with the Caley 01CBs than it had previously experienced with my Srixon Z785s. Indeed, these irons are much more sensitive to spin reduction in rough for some reason. You really have to be careful when going at it from the rough even if the lie appears perfectly decent as spin reduction is brutal. Not only can it carry much longer, it will also have much more difficulty holding the green. This is not an aspect that I had experienced with any other irons that I played before. On the other hand, performance in wet conditions form the fairway is completely fine.

 

6.0 - THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE INBETWEEN (18/20)

In this section, I would to highlight some aspects that left me a bit in doubt about the Caley 01CB irons. I removed 2 points each for both apsects described below.

The first thing is the emphasis that is placed on the milling of the grooves and face. The below picture is taken from Caley's website and depicts what I would describe as micro-milling to potentially contribute in increasing spin. The above picture is a closeup of the 4-iron's face. This micro-milling is nowhere to be seen (and on the other clubs as well)! I feel that this feature is a bit "irrelevant" to mention and I have doubt that there is any added feature of the sort considering performance out of the rough as mentioned above.

The other aspect is the swing weight of the irons (see specifications table in 1.0 - INTRODUCTION). I would like to provide a disclaimer that the swing weights were determined at home using a methodology that is highly sensitive to incertitudes in measurements, especially regarding the balance point of the club. For this reason, I can't consider the absolute swing weight values as reliable. However, the relative differences in swing weight between clubs still serves as a good indicator. I was surprised at the relatively wide range of swing weights measured for the Caley 01CB irons and especially the large swing weight of the PW which did feel very much heavier than that of my Srixon Z785 set.

Price

You might be wondering how I ended up giving the Caley 01CB 18/20 when I just removed 4 points? Well, because of the price of these irons. I am sensitive about the current price of golf clubs and in the end, price is an important parameter when it comes to choosing a new iron set.

The Caley 01CBs being priced at $589 simply can't be ignored in comparison to offerings of similar design from OEMs like the TaylorMade P7MCs ($1,300), Srixon ZX7 MkIIs ($1,200), Titleist T150s ($1,400), etc. Of course, at less than half the price, you have to be ready to forgo custom fitting, shaft and grip choices (although heads only can be purchased), having a recognizable brand and resale value. However, performance is not sacrificed and this aspect cannot be ignored.

I added 2 points for this reason.

 

7.0 - PLAY IT OR TRADE IT? (18/20)

If you have read the summary at the start of this review, you already know that I chose to keep the Caley 01CB irons in the bag! Where have I removed points? I decided to remove 2 points because I will be gaming irons 0.5" shorter than standard so I know that I will be leaving some distance on table even if I don't feel at a disadvantage right now.

Despite some aspects that I dislike about these irons (rough geometry of short irons' head, originality of markings, 0.5" shorter than standard and, to a certain extent, feel), I can't deny that performance is there and in the end, this is all that matters.

Being a mid-handicap player currently sitting at 8.6 and usually around 10, I am not in a position to ignore the gains came with playing the Caley 01CB irons. It must be noted that the stiffer shaft likely had a significant impact on the suitability of these irons to my swing, but it doesn't remove any shine to the level of control and forgiveness that the heads provide. Here is a chart comparing both sets and the Caley 01CBs have the advantage is many categories.

For these reasons, I would gladly recommend Caley 01CB irons to anyone looking for good irons at a very competitive price.

8.0 - SOME UPDATES

• First practice round (August 12th, 2023)
• First driving range session (August 13th, 2023)
• First week update (August 17th, 2023)
• Solid testing round (August 23rd, 2023)
• Second week update (August 29th, 2023)
• Third week update (September, 10th, 2023)

Edited September 25 by Shlax
Finale review and updates + clean up

[AndySP]

Hey everyone, I’m so excited to test this driving iron from Caley. I’ve been on the MyGolfSpy forum for a few years now and have gained so much from it. So, I’m honored to have been selected from among the responders to give my opinions and pay it forward. 

By way of background, I’m 35 years old and learned how to play golf with my dad starting around age 6 or 7. While I’m originally from Chicago and learned to play on the public courses on the north shore, I now live a play in north central New Jersey. I am now an attorney and live with my beautiful wife who is a college professor in microbiology and by far the smartest person I know. I have a 4 year old daughter and our hope is that the three of us will soon all play golf together one day. I also am a pretty active rock climber, and used to set routes and climb professionally. Because I don’t have any golf photos, here’s two pics of me bouldering in the gunks, New York:

My Golf Game:

I played golf on my high school team, and while I wasn’t very good compared to my peers I maintained low single digit handicap. Being only 5’4” and 120 lbs (at best), I had to (and still need to) swing outta my shoes to keep up. All that effort seems to have paid off and I have maintained decent speed for my size. (I have posted about my speed training in the Stack System discussion).
 

The Grint app tells me I play off 7-10.  While I don’t track shots with arcos or shot scope, it’s obvious that the strongest part of my game is off the tee and short irons. My putting is atrocious, but I manage to get around ok with decent GIR averages:

Even so, I don’t have a good second option off the tee and get myself into trouble on narrow holes and windy days.

Testing Plan:

There are only limited choices with the driving iron right now, but I chose the stiff shaft, and asked it to be cut down one inch and bent 2 degrees flat to match the specs on my irons, which I was happy to find out they would do. I am not sure if I will need to add some weight to the club head to re balance it, but as you can see further down, it is an art that I have become pretty familiar with.

My goal in testing this driving iron is to find out if it’s an option off the tee that doesn’t get me into as much trouble as my driver. I have a new-for-me Titleist TS2 3 hybrid that I’m struggling with. I would love to find a driving iron that flights low when it’s windy, and allows me to feel comfortable on narrow par 4s. If I can have a club that gets 220-240 yards out with less stress than my driver, it will definitely stay in the bag.  Long approaches are less important for me with this club, but it will also be a consideration. 

I also do appreciate how my clubs look. I don’t like lugging clubs around that I don’t enjoy hitting. I have tested the Taylormade UDI and DHY, as well as a PXG 0311 and a few others on a simulator. I gave up on the DHY because it flew too high, sounded hollow, and looked bulky. The sound and feel will be a deciding factor if the performance is borderline. I like a driving iron to sound more ironey than driverey. That said, the UDI was like a mini driver, but was a little too erratic to consider buying. If the Caley driving iron can keep up with the UDI, add some forgiveness, and sound solid, it will replace this fairway wood. 

Hopefully this intro will help you guys get a feel for who I am, and how I play golf. I can’t wait to get the club on the course for a proper test!

UNBOXING!

 

Well I think I’m the last person to get my delivery… I was beginning to worry y’ll would think I was skirting my duties. Alas. I couldn’t be happier to see this box when I opened the door:

A little beat up, but nothing to be too concerned about. Maybe not the most careful packaging, but it kept the club alive for its long journey from China to New Jersey. 

I asked for my driving iron to be 2 degrees flat, 1 inch short and for some extra head weight to try and balance it back out. Really happy to see the 2 flat sticker and it also seems to be just an inch bigger than my 5 iron, which is perfect. I’ll have to go to the range and check the swingweight to see about the balance point. Initially it’s hard to tell because of the lightweight shaft in it. 

One thing that I noticed right away is that they installed the shaft with the logo facing up. It’s a little off-putting, to be honest. I don’t know what to think about it…I can’t be alone in preferring graphics to be on the bottom. Guess I’ll have to learn to focus a little better, haha.   

Ok, even given all the, the club head really is stunning. It’s a great shape, has a nice minimalistic vibe and the finish is immaculate. 

I think the images kinda speak for themselves. I also took some pictures next to my 5 iron (new level 902) and 19* hybrid (titleist ts2) to help give some size perspective. 

I’m writing this after work so I won’t be able to test it out until the weekend. But I’m very excited to get going. I have my prgr monitor, and some time at the course to get my first feels. 
 

As a bonus, this couldn’t have come at a better time as I just cracked the crown of my g400lst on Sunday. I have a g430 coming, but it’s still a funny coincidence. Maybe the ping got scared because he knew why was arriving. I guess we’ll see. Very excited to add my thoughts to the mix.

Sad picture:

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FINAL REVIEW

SEPTEMBER 24, 2023

 

First Impressions (20 out of 20)

Caley says the 01X “combines the forgiveness of a hybrid with the control of an iron.” As a headline, I’d say that’s a good place to start. As for how they get there, the 01x has a hollow body with an ultra thin face, injected with lightweight foam, an internal groove on the face to increase launch, and heel and toe tungsten weights to optimize cg. This tech is not new-new, but it’s tried and true. I’ve seen similar tech in the marketing for other OEM utility irons.  I’m confident that the tech is sufficient to put the 01x in the same ballpark as the big guys.

With regard to price, something that is pretty important for me, I tried to put this club into context in the table below. Initially the price was listed as $249, but as of yesterday, it’s listed at a more reasonable $119, putting it in the same category as the other popular DTCs and about $100 less than the major OEMs. Here’s a quick chart of what I found. The stock shaft listed is what I saw being sold at PGA Superstore. 

 

Aesthetics (8 out of 10) 

The driving iron has a classy and understated look in the bag even now after I put some lead tape on it to try and balance out the feel. (I obviously look like I have  some kind of addiction to lead tape, but I promise it’s really because I cut down my clubs 1” short, and because I’m no club builder, I use it to get the swingweights more manageable on the cheap.) I love the minimalist branding and traditional blade-y shaping. It really hides the fact that it’s a DI until you set it down behind the ball. I also own a Sub 70 699 pro DI which is slightly smaller than the Caley, though because of the design, the Caley looks  better in my opinion. 

At address, the over-size shape of the club is much more evident and provides much needed confidence required for 18* of loft. Seeing the back of the club bothered me at first, but not anymore. 

I’m only taking off points for the alignment of the shaft. For whatever reason it really bothers me that it’s installed logo up. It’s a busy design and because it’s the only club in my bag set up that way, it’s distracting. It also conflicts with the rest of the clubs own minimalistic branding by looking tacky at address. 

I also asked a few people about the look of club while playing. Everyone really liked the look and a few even thought it was a normal 3 iron until I compared it to my other irons.

Sound/feel—

The club has a tweener sound—something between a solid iron “thwack” and an empty hybrid ting a (thwing?). It sounds hollow out of the center, but more muted away from the sweet spot. I posted some video of the sound in this thread that gives some idea for the curious. 

In comparison to some other DI’s sound it’s in the middle. Some, like the Ping are very hollow and loud, where others, like the PXG (forgot the model) and the TM UDI, sounded very iron-like. The Caley has a bit of each. It’s closer to the solid sound of the UDI than the ping of the Ping. I like it and I think there will be very few people who won’t enjoy hitting it.

 

The Numbers (7 out of 10)

Accuracy – 

I struggled a lot here. My first two or three range sessions with the iron resulted in a whole lot of soft push fades and very few good shots. I could have put a  laundry basket out on the range about 30 yards right and 30 yards short of my target and caught quite a few. I fought hard to get the pattern back left, but could only replace it with a hook. It was honestly a bit discouraging. 

Around the fourth day I started getting a better feel for timing it up and was hitting a much stronger, straighter ball flight. My standard shot does not have much curve, and the DI eventually started behaving.  However even now more than a month in, I’m still mostly hitting push fades when I’m on the course. 

Distance—

I was getting a good distance out of the club when I hit it straight. Even though I had mine cut down 10, and adjusted the lie 2* flat, it is definitely 20-25 yards longer than my 4 iron, and just a few yards shorter on the carry to my 3 hybrid which is pretty impressive. I was getting somewhere between 220-240 depending on whether it was teed up and the lie. It’s a bomber that creeps up on the distance I get out of my 4 wood. 

Forgiveness—

It’s not the most forgiving club in itself, which shouldn’t be too surprising, it’s basically a big 2 iron. That said, compared to my other irons, including my Sub 70 22 Utility, I am getting much better results particularly with low and toe strikes. I looked up many times expecting to see a worm-burner, and amazingly saw some pretty manageable flights. I practice a lot with foot spray and saw some embarrassing low strikes turn out good. Maybe it’s the cavity in the face plus the tungsten? Either way, it was impressive. If that tech is the reason, then I applaud the designers, because it works great. In that respect, the club lives up to the marketing.

Sadly, left and right dispersion is hard to quantify given some of my struggles, so I don’t feel comfortable saying too much.

Control—

All that said, I secretly had only one special desire with the club— to hit mean low rockets to impress my instagram friends…I mean to stay under the wind. Perhaps surprisingly, it can get windy where I play in Jersey, so having a reliable lowball is very nice. I had no problem putting this a little back in the stance and keeping it low on the range. Addicting, but still a little scary on the course for me. I did hit one or two real beauties though.

 

On-Course (10 out of 20)

I used this club in three situations: (1) short par 4s where driver puts me into trouble,  (2) long 2nd shots into par 5s, and predictably, (3) punching out of the trees. Sadly, I do not have Arccos or Shott Scope to give y’all more legit data, (I’m too cheap), but I did keep notes. With regard to number (1), as I alluded to above, I did not have as much success as I hoped. I had difficulty tapping into the feel that I needed to straighten out the flight on course. Out of about 25 first attempts in the weeks I’ve tested this, I probably only hit 5 or 6 good ones off the tee, and many of them were on hole number 1 where I had just walked over from the range. I hit many good second attempts, but it was rare to hit the first one good. 

With regard to (2) I had even less success, for similar reasons. I hit so many balls 20 yards right and 20 yards short. It started to get to me a little and I think I lost a bit of confidence in it towards the end. That said, I do believe that part of my issues are fitting related, so I don’t feel comfortable taking off too many points. Right now I’m more comfortable off the tee with a stinger driver than the Utility, and with a firm 4 iron from 215-230 rather than risking a weak right one or a hook.

I did hit some great punch outs though, haha. Pretty casual to keep it low with only 18* of loft. Plus I don’t have to do any trickery with the setup. Probably the best punch out club I’ve ever hit, lol.

Unfortunately, I don’t think the 01x helped my scores much over hitting driver. I put myself into more trouble than I hoped, and often used it twice in a row (if you catch my drift). My game is heavily reliant on my tee to green game, so when I’m missing greens in regulation, I start to suffer a lot. I’m only a 7 or 8 handicap, but I average 55% GIR, so as you can imagine, I’m not so great at scrambling to save par or bogey from the trees. 

 

The Good, the bad, the in-between (14 out of 20)

Unquestionably, the club head is good. It it gorgeous, has a great feel off the face, makes a powerful sound at impact, and sends the ball on a towering trajectory. All the other parts, however, have given me some pause. As I noted above, I don’t like that the shaft is logo up, that there were only two options for flex, and that there were no options for weight like Sub70, Haywood and New Level.

One of the biggest disappointments was when some odd metal flakes came out of the grooves in the club while I was cleaning it early on. Here are some of the pictures I posed when I first uncovered them.

I only use a boars hair brush and dish soap to clean it, so I know it’s not me being reckless. I have never seen this before and it threw me off a little. I used a tee to get the bigger pieces out. I can’t say I noticed any difference before and after removing the material, but I don’t think it’s a stretch to say it could have compromised the performance or compliance with the rules. 

 

Play it or Trade it? (13 out of 20)

While I’m not going to keep it in the bag as it it is currently set up, I’ve not lost all hope. I’ve seen enough good shots to believe it can work. I still think I am a good candidate for a driving iron and want to put on in my bag. This version was just not quite right for my swing.

It may be painfully obvious by now, but my hunch is that the shaft is too light, and too soft. The stock shaft is only 65g, which is a gram lighter than my driver’s shaft (ping tour 2.0 black x) and a lot lighter than the shafts in my irons (120g) and hybrid (90g).

I haven’t done a survey, but I think I have a pretty generic shaft weight setup. I also think that lot of people looking for Utility irons will use similar, if not heavier weights to me. I honestly think Caley made a mistake to use this shaft. UST makes a 90g version, which I think would fit more people in this category. If choosing the shaft online I think the options would have put me off and I would have reached to to get something different if I knew more about it at the time I did not know what “65 F3” meant. Because of this, I’m a little disappointed in the brand at least compared to my experiences buying from New Level and Sub70, where I had an easier time getting set up to my specs.

My guess is that it would be perfect for someone who is using graphite irons and has a little less speed than I do. I’m not a fitter, but I imagine that for the folks who swing driver under 100mph, but don’t like hybrids, and are playing 80-90g iron shafts will enjoy this club. Perhaps someone who loves their super-game- improvement G430s or Stealth irons, and wants to extend their reach without getting a hybrid or 5 wood would love it as it is. 

Right now I am looking to swap out the current shaft. I think something 30-40g heavier will fit me better. It’s interesting that Caley went with 65g but that other companies chose 80-95g as stock. I will update my experience in the thread after I make the change for anyone who remains interested. Also if anyone has any insight into what shaft I should look to replace it with, I’m all ears. 

 

Conclusion

The performance of this club for me has been like eating delicious ice cream with chopsticks. I got a good idea of what it had to offer, but I couldn’t dig in. When I got it all timed up, o could really see how forgiving it is on low strikes, how easy it is to flight up and down, and the impressive distance. Sadly, though, it was all a little fleeting. I’ve never felt particularly sensitive to shafts, but I think this club crossed that line. As a result, I’m confident that there are many people out there who will love it, I just think that there are also many like me who will need more customizations to make it work.

Lastly, I’m definitely left a little concerned about the club making and QC. The fact that I found pretty big pieces of metal come out of the grooves, and the odd shaft alignment give me pause when considering buying more product from Caley. Granted, I did not reach out to them, so I am not sure what their response would have been. My hope is that they would be as accommodating as I have seen the other DTC brands and offer either a replacement or a reassuring explanation. I have no reason to assume anything other than that. When I add up the final score it seems a little low, but I tried to be honest here. Obviously attaching numbers to qualitative findings is never perfect, but hopefully the explanations adequately describe how I got to here.

TLDR bullet points:

+ gorgeous club

+ great sound and feel

+ impressive height on thin shots

+ easy to manipulate trajectory

+ solid distance

- unconventional shaft weight

- shaft installed upside down

- excess metal found in grooves

- limited customization available

 

Final Score ( 72 out of 100)

Edited September 25 by AndySP

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

Intro

 

Hi all. Randy here. I have been a forum member since 2017 and  now a 3 time tester. I am 34 and live in the suburbs of Portland Oregon. I have a Ph.D  in chemistry yet do industrial engineering. I have a wonderful family with an ever growing and learning 4 year old, supportive spouse and her mom in one house. When not golfing, I love being outside hiking. Throughout my life, I have had some rough patches and golf has been a much healthier outlet for me, yet still requires some balance as it can become addictive and obsessive. 

 

My Game

As a golfer, I am about a 20 handicap and trending down. This last month I’ve dropped two strokes from 22. I’ve taken Golf more seriously since 2020 and gains are starting to show. I use Skillest for lessons and my coach is Jayson Nickol. When I play I usually play two nines in a week so I am not spending over four hours away from my family.  I play the 2019 0211 pxg irons MOI matched to my 7i (4-gw) and can carry my 7i about 165

Last 14 months I have been working on curing an OTT move and gaining speed. I did gain speed and got to a dry speed of 120mph with driver but my technique suffered, so I have been dialing it back. The last few weeks approach play has been great. Outside of putting, something that can get me into trouble is my tee game and not being strategic and having options. Hence where this opportunity came to be. As well I also have a gapping issue with my longer clubs (typical of most AMs) from data in a TrackMan session. With that there is a possibility to drop a club and add a specialty club. I used to play a pxg gen 2 0311x 2 iron DI on a whim after I had some serious driver/fw woes. I since learned how to hit driver but also miss having a safety club off the tee.

About Caley

 

I knew about Caley from a James Robison review a few years ago where he demoed their irons. I didn’t think much of it but was impressed nonetheless. Then, in MGS testing, the UTI came in tied for second with sub70. Now that got my attention, especially the part about being the top for forgiveness. Being a high handicap that it huge. Then you look at their price points and it’s a no brainer if these clubs can perform. Now, looking at the UTI itself, I have seen its price point fluctuate from $160 up to $261 currently so this is coming in at a premium price point product. I expect it to perform as such. They are setting the bar high and I’ll run it through its paces. 

 

 

Testing plan

 

This club is fighting to earn a spot in my bag. Here are the things it has to do. 

 

Launch monitor: on my PRGR (and if I can get on a TrackMan) have carry distance between my 4w and 7w with decent amount of roll out. 

 

On-course: this will be multi fold. 

 

Off the tee, can I keep this club in play without sacrificing too much distance from my wooded clubs? Currently I can get super hooky with them and I hope the lack of bulge and roll of a DI helps straighten things out. To me my woods were off the deck clubs and never meant for replacement tee clubs. There are 8 holes on my primary course I could potentially use this club off the tee. 5 of those I play driver now but sometimes get in trouble distance wise. I actually plan to play a round or two with this as my only tee club (except some short par 3s and see how the SG metics play out (Shotscope). 

 

Off the deck, how playable is this club off turf. This club could be very valuable if it can be. A controllable long club I can roll up into a green. This could also be a great punch out club if I need a longer punch out or have some hard pan in front of me. 

 

While we wait

 

For me this was a test I have a need for in my bag. That will make this test fun as I will need to determine if it will cause me to drop a club or not. To stay in the bag, it has to do at least two of these things: be a great second tee option by staying in play and be more controllable than my woods and/or be more playable off the turf than my 4i or 5i and flight differently than my 7w. I am very excited to find out if it can. I am a huge fan of DTC brands and want to make sure they can succeed. Now, I can’t wait for this club to get here so I can have a stinger fest. 
 

Unboxing

It has finally arrived. Apologies in advance, I am not the videographer that @GolfSpy SAM is. Based on others packaging I was expecting similar box damage. It was rough. I was also saddened to see no foam supporting the club in the box. Oh well, it came out stunning. 
z

It had a 2up sticker per my request along with a midsize cross line grip. Will see if I need to check it based on funky flight. The head is big, which is fine. To me it speaks confidence. What is also interesting, this club has less offset than my 4i. We will see how that plays in terms of workability. 
 

Comparison of the club it will be competing against  my pxg 2019 0211 4i

My one initial gripe is the shaft weight. Will see how it is on the range and course but a 65g shaft in a DI seems very light. The club does feel head heavy so maybe it will provide good feedback. 

FINAL REVIEW

 

Final Review for Caley 01X DI 09/25/2023

Randy Siedschlag

Vegan_Golfer_PNW
 

Aesthetics (9 out of 10) 

 

Out of the box, this club was stunning. The lines were very clean. The assembly was super clean. Spec sticker stated my desired lie angle. The grip that came with it was a nice Lamkin crossline. The head itself is very minimalistic, which I prefer. I just can’t stand badges.

Club is listed as a 3 iron with an 18* loft. Other OEMs would list that as a 2 iron instead. Minor quibble. 

The stock shaft is a recoil Dart 65g. I got mine in F4 which is stiff. To me this is very light for a club. I did struggle with timing sometimes due to the overall weight. I will say, per their spec of D1, this club came out at D2.

Compared to my PXG 2019 0211 set 4 iron, the sole of the Caley is bigger and the back beefier. Exudes confidence that when you hit the ball it is going to go. I also like how it has less offset than my 4i.

As you can see, it sets up really well behind the ball. Less offset than my 4i, which I really like. The bigger back makes me feel confident that the ball will fly far.

When I first took it out to the range, I enjoyed hitting it. It set up well and sounded nice. If you miss the sweet spot, it can get a little clicky as well as vibrate in your hands depending on where you hit it. Well struck shots feel powerful and just go! Here is some video of the first time I hit this on the range. There may or may not be commentary. Out of the box it was very easy to swing and hit.

 

The Numbers (10 out of 10)

 

Took the Caley out to the range for a trackman session and compared it to my clubs that would be around it (21*UW and my 22* 4i). From a ball speed perspective, the Caley fell in-between the 4i and UW in terms of ball speed. Compared to the 4i, smash was much better on the Caley and launch slightly lower. I did have more of a hooky miss with it that day, most of that is due to a swing fault that my coach and I are working on, but some of it also due to the overall club weight. Compared to my UW, I was only a handful of yards overall short of the UW, mostly due to roll out (Carry was 10-15 shorter than the UW). On a dried out course, this club could really shine on a straight hole that you need to keep in play.

From the tee, this club is easy to flight high and low. It is also a very workable head. From the tee I was mainly hitting draws to straight and from the turf straight to fadey. You can also really hit some low balls to get out from under trouble without a very forceful swing. This head is hot. When I first took the Caley out on the range and the course, I was surprised how easy it was to launch and square up. I will mention this in the oncourse section, but I was able to get some balls over 240 with ease. As testing went on, even bad swings still got out almost 170-190 yards due to roll out. This club will also tell you where you hit it as toe strikes sound like hitting rocks and hosel strikes do sting the hands. I did have a Gen2 PXG DI at one point and only once did I ever hit it beyond 200 yards on course and my average carry back when I tested it was 168 yards. Now some of that is the driver and not the car itself but still is something to highlight against other DIs.

 

Here was a round I took it out and took multiple shots from the tee.

 

And here is a video showing the shot traces I could get with it and compared to my other clubs.

 

 

From the turf, the numbers were lower but still not bad. I noticed I had to take easy swings to make good contact. On course was different but in my track man session the launch of the turf was still good. Now, you won’t use this when you need drop and stop on greens, but it is a good option when you are able to get it close and maybe roll one up.

 

 

 

On-Course (16 out of 20)

For the part everyone wants to know. How did this bad boy work out on the course? On the track I usually play, there were ample opportunities to play the DI off the tee, even from the back tees. These were typically holes I would play driver. As well, there were 2 par 3s that suited using it off the tee.

 

Below are my numbers from 162 holes of golf with the Caley DI (comparing the rest of 2023 with the others). As you can see, from a pAvg (good shots) standpoint, the DI was past my UW and nearing my 4w even. This just shows the ball speed you can get with this club (ball for reference was the Z-star Diamond).

The first round I brought it out, I had these two dandies of shots from the tee (after a rough start not being able to hit the club before the round). The first one a beautiful baby draw down the right side. I also hit my driver after on this hole and the Caley was only a few yards short and in the proper fairway. This shot started to put expectations through the roof.

 

Then, two holes later this happened on a down hill par 4, where you need to hit it about 230 to set you up into the green. I was over the moon and had big expectations!

Then came a downhill par three that has a yardage of 195 but should play 180 and never does. Hit a soft swing with the Caley and over shot the green pretty good. I played this hole a couple more times during testing and was able to get the Caley to hit the green, of course it didn’t hold.

Now, there were plenty of instances where I didn’t end up in these great positions off the tee. That is just golf. I will say, that even though I did mishit this plenty, the misses still gave me playable second shots or a shot that I could recover from. It was an absolute weapon on a very long slightly uphill par 3 where I usually play 7w. Most my shots I took with the Caley got me close to pin high or a simple chip on the green.

 

Overall, here is my comparison of the Caley with my 7w from the tee. Now the 7w is of limited sampling but you can still see the yardage gain with the DI and only slightly more avg miss.

In comparison to my 4 wood, the distance is shorter and dispersion not great (again, on me not the club), but considering the 3” difference in shaft length, the distance disparity is not too bad.

 

I wish I could say I can equally show off this club from the turf, but to me that was a struggle. Again, I mostly believe that was on me and not the club. There were times I would play my 7w instead and then drop a ball with the Caley, not hit it great and say whelp. Thinking back though, it wasn’t that bad. These were mostly Par 5s and I would say I got into decent positions to chip on and still have a good shot at birdie or par. Ultimately that is what I wanted out of this club.  For example, this hole I just tried to get the ball down to the green, preferably on the right side as there was a green side bunker left. I hit it, not the best, but still got it down there almost 190 and set up for a nice pitch on.

Here is another one from my last “Testing” round. I believe I had about 240 out. I normally would pull my 4w and try and get it on but for the sake of MGS, grabbed the Caley and actually hit it pretty well. Slight pull draw and if I was aimed up the right side more, may have gotten it to roll up.

Proximity wise, it was in the ballpark of my 4w but again, I am a high handicap. My goal is just to get it in the same area code of the green.

 

Now in recovery situations, I think this club really shines. If you can take enough of a swing and don’t have too many obstructions, you could really hit some low bullets that will roll forever (or smack a tree square and come right back at you).

 

I did have one round where I played with a good buddy of mine and had some nerves going in. You could see it with all my clubs as I was hooky with everything and trying to overswing. With that said, the Caley performed really well for me. It helped me set up a birdie on a par 5 where my drive put me into the trees. Hit a low ball trying to get it in play and kept it low. It ended up hitting a tree and coming back a little. If the tree wasn’t there though, I likely end up pin high with an easy chip. On the next hole, I hit a great draw that maybe was a little too far left to start and ended up getting stuck by a tree. I basically cut the corner and if not for the bad lie, I have a nice wedge into the green and another birdie change. Overall, after I got over my nerves, I could have confidence in this club.

 

As an overall on course assessment, like any club, practice it and find where it benefits you the most. For me this club was very versatile depending on situation. The only places I found this to be unusable was sitting down in the rough. I really hope at the price point that Caley has the UI, that they allow for more customization. This club really is forgiving but when you only have one shaft choice it limits who would want to buy it.

 

 

 

The Good, the bad, the in-between (15 out of 20)

 

This is the section I am going to dock the most. The limited shaft options and now the price increase of this club really was a downer for me. If the shaft was customizable a little bit (say the same Dart Shaft but in different weights), I think this would be more realistic. The price increase surprised me as it jumped $100 dollars after the MGS most wanted testing placed it third (EDIT: As I was writing this review, the price is back down to $150 on their website as of 9/18/23 and my score here is now adjusted accordingly). I call it opportunistic but with a limited shaft selection and other DTCs, including one that tied with you in most wanted testing, it left something to be desired at that price point (Now $150 vs Sub70 at $120 for V2 with at least 3 stock shaft options at a wide range of flexes and at least 10 more choices for $5-$10 more which is still cheaper than the Caley) . The good about this though is the quality of the build was top notch. The club feels great and is very explosive. The forgiveness rating from most wanted also rang true to me as you could hit it almost anywhere and not lose much ball speed.

 

Another thing that bothered me, and everyone else, was the packaging. All of us received damaged boxes. Thankfully, no one’s clubs were damaged, but they could have been. I don’t know if this falls on Caley or the factory, they use in China to make their clubs, but something didn’t sit well with me.

 

 

Play it or Trade it? (18 out of 20)

 

I am going to play this club but with a different shaft put in it. To me the setup is great if you have irons that are more in the 80-100 gram weight class. Coming from KBS tour 120s to now a 65g DI was hard and I would lose feel easily. This club did do what I want and getting the right total weight should only make it better. It was farther than my 4i, which helps my gapping issues noted in my intro, and is a better option for me off the tee than my 7w where I can utilize roll out and control. While I didn’t shoot my best rounds with it, my scores did not drop dramatically by playing it (Handicap at start of test was 20.2 and ended test at 20.1). For being a high handicap, I definitely think this is a good club in any player’s bag.

 

Conclusion

The Caley 01X DI is a good DTC offering but offers little customization for the high price point of $261 (scratch that, as of 9/18/2023 the website says it is $150). It is very forgiving for a DI and can be very versatile. It has a hot face and the build is top notch. Highly recommend for players playing lightweight steel or graphite in irons. In my opinion, from a value standpoint there are better options but if the price ever drop, this could be a great option for the right player.

 

Final Score (78 out of 100)

[Willie T]

Congrats to those picked for this test - love seeing less “known” brands literally throwing their clubs in the ring.  Would have loved to see how these compare to my old SLDR irons, but alas will have to live vicariously thru the reports of the testers….swing away folks, swing away!  

[Ben Joest]

Congrats to the testers! Let us see if they will perform as good as they look. Now the fun begins!

[sirchunksalot]

Congratulations testers! 

[russtopherb]

Congrats all!

[GolfSpy_APH]

Looking forward to these reviews and excited for our own @GolfSpy SAM to get his chance at testing this season! He did an amazing job for LAB last year and has done a lot for the forum which is truly appreciated. 

Reviews are of course a lot of work, but this is a nice opportunity for him to get involved!

Congrats to our others with a couple newer members as well. Looking forward to getting to know all of you a little more and seeing how you find the clubs.

Finally big shout out to @Caley for reaching out to us and getting this member test on the books!

[StrokerAce]

Good luck gents. Interested to see how Caley irons perform compared to the more traditional brands. Great to have a moderator giving these a whirl!

[LWTY]

Congrats to the testers!

[jbern]

Great intro @Shlax and congrats to the rest of the testers @Vegan_Golfer_PNW, @AndySP, @GolfSpy SAM, @Navart! 

I haven’t heard of Caley golf so it will be neat to see how these perform for you all!

[GolfSpy SAM]

Super excited to get back into testing mode, especially with this stunning set of irons.  @Shlax - your intro has set the bar impossibly high - incredible job!  Even if you are Canadian. (RIVALS GO!)

 Really excited to see how these irons treat everyone, especially with @Caley being somewhat unheralded around these parts - those of us who've been watching James Robinson for a while have heard the name and have been itching to get these in-hand.  

  Any questions, ask away - it's what we're here for!

[Caddie1966]

Congratulations all.  I’m very interested in DTC clubs and these look primo.  I will follow along as you test these babies.

[Leonvdwesthuizen]

Congrats guys, looking forward to reading the reviews.. I am very interesting to see how they perform and each person's experience with them.

Good luck!

 

[GolfSpy_APH]

We have a lot of reviews going on, but I have to admit this is one that I am really interested in as the DI is something I could play and I enjoy seeing more brands get their name out there and how the product performs!

[Djnz]

Congratulations to the winners.

I am also keen to keep up with the reviews on the DI, as this is one club that has been in consideration for a while now. 

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

I am pumped for this opportunity. I will try to get my intro up tomorrow. Just got back from 5 days in the woods and need to check on how my swing is going   thanks MGS mods

[Navart]

On 7/17/2023 at 4:50 PM, Navart said:

Intro

Navart here, reporting to y’all for the Caley 01 Iron set testing! I have only been a forum member for a handful of months and am also a very new golfer. I am most focused on equipment, practice discussions and the community building posts to help me familiarize myself to a new landscape and arm myself with the right information. A bit of background that may help orientate you to my skill and game: 

 

I am a clinical researcher and split my time between Minneapolis, MN and the Bitterroot Valley, MT. I will be 30 years old later this month and let me tell you, I have felt for a while like I should be turning 40…Right after the pandemic hit, I had a brutal run of knee and lower body soft tissue injuries related to years of avid running, hiking, and soccer with a mild leg length discrepancy. When I finally started getting back to normal function the winter of 2020 I was gifted a beginner set of cavity back clubs off the rack by my family in hopes that I would start spending some time with less strenuous hobbies. Along with cycling to stay fit, sure enough I got sucked into the world of golf. Like my fellow tester here, Shlax, I am lucky enough to have a partner who is very supportive of the time I have shifted into learning, practicing and playing the game. But, man, is this game challenging!

 

My Game

Having only begun playing the game in 2021, using a heel lift in one shoe, and going back and forth from home public courses in Montana (4000ft) to Minneapolis (400ft) it took me a while to start seeing the progress. I have always been very athletic with good flexibility and functional strength to get the ball really going on quality strikes but therein lies the issue; strike consistency with longer clubs has been challenging to improve without regular, significant set-backs. However, the last nine months of practice (3-4x/wk) and play (9 or 18 holes every weekend) have really paid off in building a routine, selecting the right club, and making solid contact more frequently with the others clubs in my bag.

My current handicap is 21 and misses are mostly low height, low spin shots with a lot of run, pulls, or hitting off the toe with woods and long irons. Putting, wedges and short-mid iron approach shots have been saving me from many triples and a few doubles every round by getting up and down from 150 and in. The lion share of my pars are on short to average par 3s and the occasional par 4 with a safe drive off the tee. I often prefer the Montana home course over Minnesota... many fewer trees and water!

 

Caley Mission & 01 Irons

I had not heard of Caley before this testing opportunity so I have no biases or prior assumptions of the brand or product. I will say though that, after a little reading and research, my interest and engagement in testing the 01 irons was won over quickly in equal parts support of the brand’s mission, aesthetic, and potential performance gains:

• High-quality product that is accessible to everyone - as a new golfer I don’t need the most advanced technology or feel confident knowing enough about my performance needs to invest in $1200-$1500 iron sets. The customisable 01 set made with premium components that is affordable just makes sense and I appreciate the inclusivity.
• Aesthetic - The minimalist design is clean and refined. A wise man by the name of Deion Sanders once said “If you look good, you feel good, and if you feel good, you play good.”
• Performance - More on this below but the better technology and custom options offer a more likely than chance of improvement in most areas as compared to my gamer irons.

 

Testing Plan

My plan for testing the 01 irons is largely head-to-head against the affordable, entry level irons that I currently game across a couple different settings.

• Simulator/Launch Monitor Range - head-to-head comparison of each iron between sets using multiple quantifiable parameters in a controlled environment at the beginning and end of the testing period
• On-Course Trials - Okay anyone that is triggered by less than ideal etiquette, please skip down to the next item…I intend to play at least two separate 9 or 18 hole rounds in which I play two balls from the same location and lie when appropriate for irons (par 3 or lay up tee shots, approach shots, etc.). This will give a sense of feel and real-world outcome disparities though. In the table below you’ll also see that I don’t currently have a 4i or 5i in my bag but this provides a nice opportunity to gather more evidence on my struggles with longer irons and the suitability of hybrids for my game.
• Impressions & 3rd Party Feedback - I love to play with my friends and, along with my own assessments, will try to log their first impressions on the looks, quality, and price-point of the product.

 

You can see the spec differences on the websites for Caley 01 and Callaway Strata, but generally:

• Caley 01 irons are a hollow-body design with stronger lofts and flatter lie across the set (a 1 degree flat adjustment was requested). The shafts are KBS Tour Lite Stiff and standard length. Grip size is standard
• Callaway Strata irons are a cavity back design with regular flex graphite shafts of unspecified type and standard length though ~0.5” shorter than the comparator. Grip size is standard.

 

Looking Forward

Short and sweet here to wrap it up - Ultimately, I expect overarching better performance from the Caley 01 irons as compared to what’s currently in my bag. I did do an iron fitting using comparable lofts and hollow-body heads for the purpose of selecting the optimal 01 specs so the acclimation period should be short and mitigated.

To secure a spot in my bag beyond the testing period, improved strike consistency and confidence in feel and tempo should be enough even if carry distance is not significantly improve. The stronger lofts will be interesting to see whether I have any issue holding greens, but my guess is that they aren’t overly strong and I will actually gain more height and spin to hold better.

Intro is up!!! Getting really excited for this test