What’s the most well-respected, high-quality brand of golf equipment not frequently played by PGA Tour pros? If you ask a few of your local fitters, there’s a good chance they’ll respond “XXIO.” (That said, there may be some variety in the pronunciation…more on that later)

Male professional golfers don’t play XXIO’s clubs because they’re not supposed to, which is to say, the majority of the company’s clubs are not designed for them. The average driver clubhead speed on the PGA Tour is more than 115 mph. XXIO’s 13 lineup of metals and irons is designed for players who swing their drivers at less than 100 mph. From a design perspective, it’s a completely different equation for a completely different set of needs.

Lightweight, forgiving, and easy to launch are the watchwords for XXIO’s 13 Series. And if you’re not swinging your driver more than 100 mph, your golf game will thank you for learning more about the series in this conversation with Ryan Polanco, General Manager, XXIO.

Check out the full discussion below.

GolfWRX: Before digging into the specifics of the XXIO 13 lineup, can you settle a debate within the golf community? How do you pronounce “XXIO”?

RP: (zek) – Like “how the heck are these clubs so light and easy to swing.” (si) – Like “yes” in Español. And (oh) – like, “Oh that ball went a long way’. (zek-si-oh)

GolfWRX: For the average consumer who may have heard of XXIO but not know much more about the brand generally, how would you describe the company’s product offerings and the space XXIO occupies in the golf equipment world? Who generally plays XXIO clubs?

RP: We focus on making the best lightweight and easy-to-swing golf clubs for moderate-swing speed players (below 100 MPH).

From a product perspective, nearly every female golfer and the majority of men are perfect candidates for XXIO golf clubs. We have some of the best ladies’ clubs out there because we focus our engineering on slower swing speeds, and that requires a very different approach than every other club manufacturer out there. We also have incredible men’s clubs because most men fall into the moderate swing speed category as well.

GolfWRX: Digging into the XXIO 13 lineup. Can you briefly describe what unites the series as a whole, what XXIO is offering golfers the 13 lineup of driver, woods, hybrids, and irons?

RP: The big thing with XXIO 13 is that this is the 13th generation of lightweight golf clubs, so our engineers focused on making these clubs easier to swing in addition to being lightweight. Previous technologies like Weight Plus and new ones that focus on enhanced COR: New Bi-Flex Face, L-Groove irons, and enhanced aerodynamics (new ActivWing) are what unite this 13th generation of XXIO golf clubs.

GolfWRX: XXIO irons have historically been excellent performers in the game improvement space. What can you tell us about the XXIO 13 irons?

RP: The enhanced Rebound Frame technology in the Irons helps to increase ball speed (especially on shots struck lower on the face) by utilizing alternating zones of rigid and flexible sections. New for XXIO 13, we have internal grooves cut in the heel and toe to save mass and create greater flexibility for more ball speed, which previous generations did not include. These improvements help to increase COR in the center and lower portion of the face. Additionally, these irons feature the same face material we use in our fan-favorite driver to help with ball speed.

GolfWRX: Similarly, for years, we’ve seen XXIO’s drivers as a fitter favorite in the lightweight category. Can you discuss how the XXIO 13 driver continues this trend?

RP: Yes, the XXIO driver is normally most golfers’ introduction to XXIO because they perform so well and are generally much different from the golfer’s gamer during a fitting. New for XXIO 13 is a technology called BiFlex Face which helps to expand the sweet spot, while an all-new ActivWing helps golfers hit the sweet spot more often; something many golfers will benefit from. The BiFlex Face and ActivWing technologies work together to give XXIO 13 golfers better control of their clubface, more ball speed off the face, and more forgiveness on mishits.

GolfWRX: Finally, in terms of fairway woods and hybrids, what is the XXIO 13 lineup bringing to the table?

RP: Technology-wise, BiFlex Face carries from the driver into the fairway woods for an expanded sweet spot. Our Canon Sole has been upgraded as well. Canon Sole is a floating weight pad that optimizes launch and distance, while also allowing space for improved face flex, which is especially helpful for shots struck lower on the face (a common mishit for golfers with moderate swing speeds).

GolfWRX: Among golfers who play XXIO clubs, it seems like many have been fit into driver-through-irons sets. What have you seen in terms of set makeup for golfers who go “XXIO 13” in driver-through irons? (number of fairway woods, hybrids, lofts, etc)

RP: Yes, that is normally the case. Typically, we will see golfers dive into the driver first and then continue to add clubs until they have a full bag once they experience the benefits of XXIO. Once you have a lightweight and easy-to-swing driver, having heavier, stiffer clubs through the rest of your bag just feels so different. The lofts and combinations will vary, but a driver, three fairway woods, a hybrid, and five or six irons are a common setup in many bags.

Learn more about XXIO’s 13 Series here and on XXIO’s website.