Compare and Contrast the new Acer XV Irons

For well over a decade, Hireko had been offering X-series Acer irons which have to be beyond a shadow of a doubt the best-selling irons in all the component golf industry. While so-called off brands are not tracked like the major OEMs, the Acer irons would have had a measurable market share as some of the OEM’s iron lines over that same period. This year we continue with that heritage by offering the latest generation Acer X-series called the XV (or the number 15 in Roman numerals).

Like previous X-series Acer irons, they are offered in multiple versions to cover the needs of a wide array of skill levels and personal preferences. There is a standard version, which would appeal to the broader masses. We also have a Acer XV HT Irons or High Trajectory version. Finally we have our “Pro” model. Each of these unique products, which we designed in-house, has a unified appearance so they look like a family.

What is the difference between the new XV and your current XS and XF series?

The new Acer XV Irons takes over where the popular XF left off. These have the same basic size and shapes, but the specifications have been modified to reflect the trends of modern irons. More importantly we altered the weight distribution in the cavity area to be better balanced to provide you with more accuracy on off-center shots plus a more solid feel at impact.

View Technical Director Jeff Summitt’s Review of the Acer XV Irons

 

The XV will have increased offset across the board than the standard and HT versions in the Acer XS series to help those that tend to push or fade their irons and enable them to square the face at impact better. Conversely, the Acer XV Pro Irons will have reduced offset and a little longer blade length compared to the XS Pro; two requests we have heard from our customers. So these aren’t just rebadged version of one another, but each club brings a little bit to the table that the others do not.

Don’t be pigeonholed in what XV model to use

I get this all the time from customers and some of it is our fault when we write the text or do the marketing for each of these irons. For instance, the HT version is for people who struggle to get the golf ball airborne. After all the face height is 5% shallower and the sole is 30% wider so it should only be for slower swingers, higher handicappers, sweepers or low ball hitters. WRONG! While true for a lot of golfers, I really don’t fit into any of those categories and for whatever reason hit the HT better than the standard version. Plus, I am not alone in that assessment.

Then the biggest misconception is the Pro versions as we have a lot of customers say that they are not at that level to play the “Pro”. Well, you got to name a product something to distinguish it and we have used the Pro moniker for more than a decade for the reduced offset version of each X-series. Granted, most golfers that fade or slice the ball would be better off with more offset. The “Pro” model could very well be short for Perimeter-weighted Reduced Offset. This still has all the game improvement features as the standard model with a reduced blade length. The blade length is really only 5mm (0.2”) shorter and that is really a result of the reduced offset and lack of the gooseneck hosel. The actual face hitting area is only 1 mm (0.04”) shorter. Yes, a shorter blade length technically is less forgiving and may be slightly more workable, but nowhere near that of a blade or so-called player’s iron. So we are not lying in regards to marketing; just embellishing a bit. The fact is you don’t have to be a pro to play these irons.

Judge for yourself

This is why I encourage any of our customers who professionally fit their customers to have a sample of each of the heads. And for those Hireko Golf who might be building for themselves or an end consumer looking to purchase an assembled club – here is something you might not know. We sell individual clubs and you don’t have to buy the whole set. We would encourage you to buy a couple 6 or 7 irons in whichever series you are vacillating between and go out and hit them and see which one you like best rather than just going by what the description says. Once you found the one you like best, then you can buy the other irons around it to fill your set.

> CLICK HERE TO SHOP FOR THE NEW ACER XV IRONS!