Caley Golf Irons & Driving Iron - 2023 Forum Review

[Shlax]

2 hours ago, Shlax said:

Surprise surprise!

Like @Vegan_Golfer_PNW, the delivery window was advanced.

Like I expected, the box is pretty beat up. Bets are on. Will I have 7 or 14 pieces of clubs in this box?

Clay 01CB: Unboxing content is live in the main testing post!

Spoiler alert: The clubs are safe and sound!

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

The DI sets up real nice behind the ball. I may need to put this in the bag right away. I took some slow swings with it and it feels real stable. It does have some junk in the trunk but they shape it nicely 

[Navart]

1 hour ago, Shrek74 said:

So did you do a full iron fitting with CC or did you just give them the list of shafts you had to chose from and have them fit you for just the best one of the list utilizing a hollow-body iron similar to the 01? I'm just curious.

I did both! Found the best options based on what was available and most comparable hollow body heads then did a full spec brand agnostic. 

The KBS Tour Lite Stiff was still the best for me but those Mizuno Pro 225s had me hitting a nice little draw tho... No surprise given MGS had them as most wanted distance irons this year

 

[Shlax]

2 hours ago, Vegan_Golfer_PNW said:

The DI sets up real nice behind the ball. I may need to put this in the bag right away. I took some slow swings with it and it feels real stable. It does have some junk in the trunk but they shape it nicely 

I’m very curious about this club and looking forward to your review! I currently play a 2-iron TaylorMade Stealth UDI and previously had a 3-iron Srixon ZU85. The Stealth UDI is an absolute weapon off the tee whereas the ZU85 was a very versatile and easy to hit long iron.

As you mentioned in your unboxing post, the 65g shaft weight is odd in comparison to what’s typically found on other DIs. Do you know what is the swing weight of the 01X and what is the flex profile/main attributes of this shaft?

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

17 minutes ago, Shlax said:

I’m very curious about this club and looking forward to your review! I currently play a 2-iron TaylorMade Stealth UDI and previously had a 3-iron Srixon ZU85. The Stealth UDI is an absolute weapon off the tee whereas the ZU85 was a very versatile and easy to hit long iron.

As you mentioned in your unboxing post, the 65g shaft weight is odd in comparison to what’s typically found on other DIs. Do you know what is the swing weight of the 01X and what is the flex profile/main attributes of this shaft?

Swing weight according to their site is d1. Feels slightly heavier than that. It is the f4 (stuff recoil dart) which is supposed to be a stouter feeling shaft. Due to the weight the shaft does feel flexy but stable and definitely seems to flex closer to the club head. 

[GolfSpy TCB]

7 hours ago, Shlax said:

Surprise surprise!

Like @Vegan_Golfer_PNW, the delivery window was advanced.

Like I expected, the box is pretty beat up. Bets are on. Will I have 7 or 14 pieces of clubs in this box?

Wow! that is crazy.,

[AndySP]

I’m late to the party, but I received a shipping notice this morning. So excited! 

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

Got out to the range this morning. Here is a little video of it. Low on the face feels harsh but sweet spot is mushy. Very easy to elevate. Easy swing I could carry 184. More aggressive got it to 212 out the bat with range balls. My swing is real steep at the moment so likely adding a bunch of spin. When I can get more shallow I bet this can shine. The light shaft doesn’t feel whippy which was surprising to me. It held up on my most aggressive 102mph CHS swing and was fine on my 84mph easy swing. 

 

 

[Shlax]

Got to play my first round with the Caley 01CB this morning. I played on a very short course (about 5500 yds) where my father-in-law likes to go. As such, most approach shots were with wedges. In fact, I only hit a total of 8 shots with the Caley 01CB irons and most of them were from the tee on par 3s so I hardly put them to the test. I did not even touch the 5, 6 and 9 irons.

I did hit a 4-iron on the second shot of a par 5 and it was PURE! It really felt nice and premium. Also, an 8-iron on one of the par 3s was on an absolute string to the flag but I carried it about 10 yds longer than usual. I suspect that the reduced spin with the x-stiff shaft had something to do with this.

Overall, very pleased with the few shots that I got to hit with these irons today. Once I get used to them, I suspect that good things might happen to my game!

Edited August 15, 2023 by Shlax
Photos

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

9 hours ago, Vegan_Golfer_PNW said:

Got out to the range this morning. Here is a little video of it. Low on the face feels harsh but sweet spot is mushy. Very easy to elevate. Easy swing I could carry 184. More aggressive got it to 212 out the bat with range balls. My swing is real steep at the moment so likely adding a bunch of spin. When I can get more shallow I bet this can shine. The light shaft doesn’t feel whippy which was surprising to me. It held up on my most aggressive 102mph CHS swing and was fine on my 84mph easy swing. 

 

 

So I will say, I like this shaft but feel I could get more out of it with a little more weight to drop some spin. I might consider this after testing more of course. Gotta see how it performs on course with urethane balls. Curious on what the actual hosel diameter is. The dart 65g is a 0.370” tip but the 95/105g is a 0.355”. Something I will contemplate now

[Wilsonplaysgolf]

I had the original Caley irons and loved them. Very forgiving on poor strikes. My friend has just got the new 01T including the driving iron and they feel great. Only minor detail is the shaft on the driving iron feels very light and whippy, you hardly need to swing it. Looking forward to the full reviews!

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

Took the DI out for its maiden voyage. First two holes with it were rough. Then it came alive. See my two best tee shots. Used it in a few punch out scenarios   Need to realize I don’t need to kill it to flight it low. I tried my normal punch swing and duffed it. Then did a smoother swing and hit it 90 yards farther. On a par 5 third short that a difference of 6i for half GW. Even used it on a par 3 I usually hit 5i and was able to take a nice easy swing (200 yards but 2 clubs downhill. Hit multiple shots there and got one to hold the green. On my last hole I dropped three in the fwy 205 out. Didn’t strike any well but get this, one was 25 yards short, one was short fringe, the last hit green and rolled to the back rough. I think this club is a player. See my long game with the Caley added in as 3I vs the last 15 with my other clubs. Hopefully this honeymoon phase doesn’t end 

[Shlax]

Had a first range session with the Caley 01CBs tonight.

Had good shots and surprisingly, a few straight up shanks. I still need to get used to the the 0.5” shorter than standard length and the weight. They are supposedly at D2 but they feel heavier.

Filmed some shots. The pure strikes felt smooth and soft off the face and the sound is a pleasant thud with some crisp. Hopefully, my phone’s microphone will have faithfully captured the relevant stuff.

Note: I noticed that the quality of the embedded video is abysmal. I think that if you open the video in YouTube, HD quality will be available and you might be able to see some ball flights.

 

Edited August 14, 2023 by Shlax
Note added

[AndySP]

On 8/12/2023 at 11:30 AM, Shlax said:

 

I can’t help but notice how similar they look to my New Level 902s, which I currently play as my 6 and 5 iron and very much like. The milling pattern inside is different, but I wonder about the other specs too. Same manufacturer?

 

 

[Shlax]

22 minutes ago, AndySP said:

I can’t help but notice how similar they look to my New Level 902s, which I currently play as my 6 and 5 iron and very much like. The milling pattern inside is different, but I wonder about the other specs too. Same manufacturer?

 

 

I did not know about the New Level 902 but you're right: They have A LOT of similarities at first sight.

Someone in the thread previously talked about the similarities between the Caley 01T and the Takomo 101T and I remembred having seen a cavity back model similar to the 01CBs on their end: the 201s.

The similarities are also VERY noticeable. Once again, only the ridge inside the cavity seems to present somekind of variation.

Per Takomo's website, the technical specs of the 201s (i.e., length, lie, loft, swing weight, head weight) are identical to that of the 01CBs. Moreover, grip and shaft options are the same (i.e. Lamkin Crossline 360 and KBS Tour and KBS Tour Lite).

I remember reading about some DTC brands sharing the same factory for production (note that this is also the case for major OEMs to produce some balls and other equipments). This might be the case for Caley and Takomo (and maybe New Level) but definitely don't quote me on that!

Edited August 14, 2023 by Shlax
Typos

[AndySP]

4 hours ago, Shlax said:

This might be the case for Caley and Takomo (and maybe New Level) but definitely don't quote me on that!

Likewise! It seems possible that they all used a similar blank, but yeah, I’m also not going to move from anecdote to truth based on some similar pics just yet.

The changes to the cavity might be significant for performance, too.

In any case, I’ve no complaints. Mine look good, feel great out of the center and have held up well too. I’m excited to hear how they work for you as testing continues. 

[Shrek74]

5 hours ago, AndySP said:

I can’t help but notice how similar they look to my New Level 902s, which I currently play as my 6 and 5 iron and very much like. The milling pattern inside is different, but I wonder about the other specs too. Same manufacturer?

 

 

Those are older New Level irons. They don't look like that any longer nor do they have that cut-out cavity. But I agree they are very similar to the Takomo and Caley's.

[TSauer]

I'm just getting caught up on this thread (as you may have figured from the notifications). Y'all are off to a great start. Caley did a great job with these sticks, they look incredible! I'm really interested in hearing about the driving iron, as I've been pondering adding one to the bag.. I just haven't decided on a brand.

Also, @GolfSpy SAM loved the unboxing video... the peeling of the plastic is oh so satisfying!

[GolfSpy SAM]

Thanks, @TSauer!  It's definitely a lot of fun, this whole testing thing - I kind of forgot how much silliness it brings out in me  

  Had a pretty ok range session on Saturday with the new clubs - it was a VERY "get to know you" kind of session - no monitors, no devices, just me and my son and two buckets of balls between us (he hit about 15 before deciding "Ninja Turtles" was more fun to watch).  

  I worked my way through the clubs, and found that right away I was VERY heel-y.  I have yet to measure the clubs (duh, rookie mistake), so I'm not sure if they're actually standard (as was an issue with @Shlax's irons), or if the 1-degree upright is just different enough from my previous clubs (which were 2-flat), but either way, adjusting my stance just a smidge further away seemed to alleviate most of those towards the center.  Center strikes feel beyond good - significantly better than my Sim Max's, better sound, for sure.  Swing weight feels nearly identical - D2, per website, but yet to be measured (but there's a plan in motion for that).  

  I've got a plan to bring these to an indoor facility nearby with a full Uneekor set-up, to be able to get preliminary numbers/spin, etc., which I'm excited to do.  I've also got some new wedges coming (details upcoming as well) tomorrow, so I'll be adding those to my testing retinue.  I can't quite get over how good these look down by the ball - I really thought the smaller profile would be at least a little intimidating, but it really isn't.  The topline is, while thinner than my Sim's, still very inviting.  

  As the lofts are about 2-degrees (ish) weaker across the set, getting some numbers in a bay feels like both a good opportunity for data and for me to start to dial in what clubs go how far.  

  Overall, a positive first experience - with one notable exception.  I could not hit the Driving Iron to save my life. Lol - it was...I was literally hitting my 8-iron further, which...if you played with me, may not be a shock, as I LOVE my 8-iron, but still.  I didn't try it teed up, which is primarily how I use it when I have one in the bag, so that'll be the next session's goal - tee it up low and let's see what it can do.  (To be 100% fair to the Caley, I can barely hit my Cobra D.I. either, but it's a club I would LOVE to figure out as there are some very tough tight par-4's I'd like to have it as an option for, so I'm not even close to giving up on it.)

  Cheers!

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

Took the Caley out again today and it was a mixed bag. This club is friendly toe side but heel side it lets you know. I didn’t hit it as well as Sunday. I did try to hit it on every hole. Of the turf has been rough sledding. Likely on me. I think I need an open flat shot to use it off the turf. Light rough has been even worse. Off the tee is good if I keep good tempo. See the you tube video here where I videoed a 225 to back of green par 3. I usually hit my uw here and the ball draws due to the upslope of the tee box. That didn’t happen with the Caley as my first ball went straight into the trees. Second ball was just short of green as I didn’t hit it perfectly. Last leaked into the right side bunker. 

 

[Navart]

I've spent a couple short sessions on the mat and net in the backyard but was able to take the Caley 01s out to the range last night and hit a bucket and a half. 

I had already felt that the balance was super smooth, but my biggest takeaway was how effortlessly these irons cut through the turf when hit a bit fat. It was very impressive considering the leading edge does not look like they've aggressively trimmed or grinded it as one might expect to offer that characteristic. 

The other impression that just pops right out at you is that on thin and toey strikes there's hardly any drop off in carry. A hot face is perhaps to be expected for a hollow-body but I've demo'd a few other hollow bodies like the Paradym and Mizuno 225 Pros. All of them are hot but the Caley 01s retained more responsiveness than the Paradyms and were on par with the 225 Pros, in my opinion. Don't know what more you can ask for with a hot face on every strike AND still getting a feel on how you've mishit to get back on track throughout a session or round.

The 4 and 5 irons were still a bit of a challenge to consistently get a good flight and trajectory but all operator error. We'll keep working at it and the smooth turf interaction will only make it easy to get more reps in before tiring out in the hands and back.

It's off to the simulator tomorrow evening now that I've gotten more acclimated to the irons! Really looking forward to getting a clearer picture of stock yardages across the set and comparing the numbers and dispersion to my gamers.

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

Hit about 10 shots with the caley at the range today. 5 from turf and 5 from tee. Turf was much better today so had that going. Off the tee was a mess. I Couldn't find anywhere near the center of the face and my distance suffered and my hands actually hurt. Hoping for better on the course this weekend. I am glad this club gives you feedback when you miss hit it. Lots of DIs these days do not unless you are playing a P790 DI or something similar.

[GolfSpy SAM]

Managed to get to a simulator for some base numbers, and I won't lie - I'm a little surprised.  While I know that GI irons typically have fast faces, I wasn't prepared for the difference in yardage I'm seeing.  I will for sure say I'm by no means thinking this is the be-all/end-all in regards to these Caleys - it's just fascinating to me.  Another caveat: I did not bring my gamer set for this particular session, which was a mistake, as I'm pretty confident in those numbers, and I should have seen if there was any variation in the software that would not show up on-course.

All those aside, these things feel pretty fantastic.  I've got a pretty slight fade on most shots - very okay with this.  I'd love to get my path more neutral than the out/in it's currently in, but honestly, I'm not seeing crazy slices, just nice little fades, so I'm okay with the results.

As mentioned above, I am very surprised at the numbers these were giving me.  Again, I'll wait and see until I'm on course tomorrow to see if it's the same. 

Here are the lofts of my Sim Max Irons (2020),                       and here are the lofts of the Caley's.  

                       

 

Per the lofts, I would have assumed I'd see about a 1/2 club difference in them, but I'm seeing closer to 1.5-2 clubs difference, which is ... surprising.  Again, it could be the simulator used (Uneekor, balls with 3-dots, no club stickers, but a high-speed camera to capture face impact), but with my gamers, my 8-iron is 160-165 all day, every day, and with the Caley's, I was seeing 147-153.  

This is not bad in and of itself, mind you, and I'm reminding myself of that as I type this.  My dispersion was pretty excellent (slightly left of line, which given that these are 1-degree upright, might make the difference to being right of line like I normally would be) with all clubs tested (6, 8, PW).  

Why did I only test those three, you ask? Because I was also testing some new wedges from Indi, and I wanted to see where the 48 and the 56 landed (they're AWESOME wedges, btw - Just crispy), and the set-up I was using only had spots for 5 clubs.  So I figured if I gapped 6/8/PW, I should be able to closely extrapolate what the 5/7/9 would do.

So here's what I got (I did try emailing myself the report, but when I got the email, there was nothing attached - going to try to contact the place today to see if they can send it over), along with what I play my SIM's to when on-course.

PW: 127 / 135

8: 147 / 165

6: 167 / 185

So, as you can see, this is, in some cases, much more than the loft differentials.  

I'll stress again, however, that if I can be as consistent with these as I hope to be, I have no problem with those numbers - it was just a bit of a shock to see the difference. I was fully expecting about 5-ish yards, MAYBE 10, per club.  

There's a lot of variables here I can't quite pinpoint (were the balls legit, or were they banged up (one of them had a significant cut on it - could be from the new wedges I was testing, but...maybe that played a factor?)?), but I didn't want to not share the results just because they weren't what I was expecting. 

I'll have a much better idea on Friday when I get these out on the course.

Until then!

 

[Shlax]

First week update - Caley 01CB

So it’s been a week since I have received the Caley 01CB irons. I played a single round with them and hadn’t hit a single ball prior to that so it doesn’t really count toward the review.

However, I managed to go at the driving range 4 evenings in a row this week to truly get a feel for them, determine my stock yardages, evaluate forgiveness, and make sure that when I get on the course, I can play as usual without blaming my comfort level with new clubs.

I don’t have any raw data, but so far, here are the main talking points:

• Feel and sound: They feel amazing on pure strikes. The ball releases with a soft yet explosive bounce and the sound is a crisp thud which is exactly what I expect from forged players’ irons. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that they feel as good as my Srixon Z785s just yet, but they are definitely very pleasing to hit.
• Ball flight: As mentioned in the main testing post, I went with an x-stiff shaft with these irons. I suspect that this contributes to slightly lowering my typical ball flight. Backspin also appears slightly lower yet the descent angle with the various clubs looks like it is still in a very good spot. Overall, I think that my launch window and parameters with the x-stiff shaft are closer to the optimal values than with my current gamers, but this likely has to do more with the shaft than the club heads themselves.
• Distance: It is difficult to evaluate the carry distance with each club  precisely since there are not many targets at my local driving range. From what I saw, my carry distances are somewhat similar with the Caley 01CBs despite the launch angles being slightly lower (i.e., the reduced backspin probably helps in that regard). Also, note that these clubs are 0.5“ shorter than standard so I leave some distance on the table. Overall, distance definitely is not an issue with these irons.
• Forgiveness: Getting used to new clubs with 0.5“ shorter shafts, I did hit more shanks and thins this week than in the last 3 years combined. That being said, off-center strikes are not as punitive as I would have expected. To my surprise, strikes toward the heel barely lost any distance and minimally went offline to the right with a slight cut that ressembles many players’ typical shot shape. Of course, you instantly feel when the strike is off-center, but it’s not brutal like it’s the case with straight up muscle backs/blades. As for strikes toward the toe, these also did not lose too much distance but deviation/hook to the left was far more severe. To me, they can be considered as pretty forgiving players’ irons.

Unfortunately, I won’t be able to play this weekend but I have a round planned at a wonderful course on August 26th. I’ll make sure to take many pictures of these irons in action and of this mountainous/boreal course for your enjoyment!

Edited August 17, 2023 by Shlax
Photo

[AndySP]

On 7/17/2023 at 5:51 PM, AndySP said:

 

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:

 

 

 

 

 

Finally arrived! Very psyched to start testing!

[GolfSpy_APH]

Enjoying getting caught up on this thread

 Keep up the great work all!

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

Another nine with the Caley today. Distance wasn’t there today but neither was my swing. Was sub 50° at tee time. Hit decently still from the tee. Learning that the lie needs to be just right from the turf. Had a smooth punch out today that I got a little too high and it struck a tree. Dropped another and flighted it low. Woulda left a nice wedge shot. It has its place of the turf to an open green that’s for sure. 

[GolfSpy SAM]

Got my first 18 in with the Caleys yesterday, and ... wow.  I know my initial take on them from the range wasn't sunshine and rainbows, but I'm happy to report that playing them as one club less than my gamers (Sim Max 2020 v.1) was money all day.  Started with a 5-iron from 185 that I pured to the middle of the green (normal club would have been 6-iron).  They feel ... incredible.  I think the thing for me that is standing out is the turf interaction, especially with the 4/5/6 irons.  I've never loved hitting those irons in my gamer set, as I tend to get them VERY heavy, but the thinner soles on the Caley's just...it just effortlessly glides out of the ground and leaves (for me, anyway) a perfect divot.  I literally took a picture of the 5-iron's divot because I was so pleased, lol.  The random I was paired with was all..."ummmm...is everything okay?" So then I got to explain the testing process and how it was my first round with the irons.  By the end of 18, he pulled me aside and said "you should definitely keep those irons." Lol. 

Here's the divot:

(yes, I have a slight out/in path, but I've been using it to my advantage - this thing landed about 15 feet from the cup, so leave the lessons to another post )

While I reserve judgement until the testing period ends, it was an EXCELLENT opening round.  Also, I really, really like looking at the ball by the club.  I really thought they'd be on the "small" side for my taste, but I'm really growing to love the smaller (than my GI Irons, mind you) profile.

(Ball beside PW)

I also saw a bunny, so that was cute. 

(Cute bunny)

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

18 minutes ago, GolfSpy SAM said:

Got my first 18 in with the Caleys yesterday, and ... wow.  I know my initial take on them from the range wasn't sunshine and rainbows, but I'm happy to report that playing them as one club less than my gamers (Sim Max 2020 v.1) was money all day.  Started with a 5-iron from 185 that I pured to the middle of the green (normal club would have been 6-iron).  They feel ... incredible.  I think the thing for me that is standing out is the turf interaction, especially with the 4/5/6 irons.  I've never loved hitting those irons in my gamer set, as I tend to get them VERY heavy, but the thinner soles on the Caley's just...it just effortlessly glides out of the ground and leaves (for me, anyway) a perfect divot.  I literally took a picture of the 5-iron's divot because I was so pleased, lol.  The random I was paired with was all..."ummmm...is everything okay?" So then I got to explain the testing process and how it was my first round with the irons.  By the end of 18, he pulled me aside and said "you should definitely keep those irons." Lol. 

Here's the divot:

(yes, I have a slight out/in path, but I've been using it to my advantage - this thing landed about 15 feet from the cup, so leave the lessons to another post )

While I reserve judgement until the testing period ends, it was an EXCELLENT opening round.  Also, I really, really like looking at the ball by the club.  I really thought they'd be on the "small" side for my taste, but I'm really growing to love the smaller (than my GI Irons, mind you) profile.

(Ball beside PW)

I also saw a bunny, so that was cute. 

(Cute bunny)

I know you aren’t required to test the DI but would love to hear your take on it as for me it’s great in certain situations but I have to be cognizant of my tempo

[GolfSpy SAM]

1 hour ago, Vegan_Golfer_PNW said:

I know you aren’t required to test the DI but would love to hear your take on it as for me it’s great in certain situations but I have to be cognizant of my tempo

I will for sure be putting it into play, but the results off-mat so far have me... Unsure if it should be any time soon. To be fair, the DI I have I hardly ever use, as I feel more comfortable with a 5-wood, however, I've hit a few good ones with the Caley and (like you) find that it's very dependent on tempo. And since it's SUCH a difference from the set 4-iron, I'm not quite adjusted to it. 

But I will for sure be doing an irons-only round where it will get worked out.