Ain't a 'playa..

After much debate I sold my Mizuno MP32's today on Craigslist. For anyone who wants to sell golf equipment Craigslist really sells. In a matter of hours I sold them without any problem to a nice guy..he was a spitting image of that Saab salesman that was dating Elaine on "Seinfeld", David Puddy, you know..the guy that that always said "Hi Five!". (BTW: Wikipedia has an awesome entry of "Seinfeld" minor secondary characters) Although the MP32 were rated the "Testers' Top Pick" in GOLF Magazine's 2005 Club Test, I decided that I needed to try something more forgiving, thus equating more fun, to hit.

Don't get me wrong, the MP32's are an absolute work of art and I believe I was just merely holding up the performance they were intended for in the hands of a professional, or someone better than me, like Luke Donald. I really enjoyed the time we had together and admired the looks of approval from fellow golfers as they sat graciously in my bag.

After doing some research I decided to get the Callaway X-14 PS (Pro Series) from Callaway Preowned. They come with less offset compared to the regular X-14 and are a D-2 swing weight compared to D-1, respectively. They may not be the cheapest, compared to scrounging for the same on Ebay, but I could rest assured it wasn't going to be a knockoff and they have a great money/buy-back guarantee. I have purchased from Callaway Preowned on numerous occasions and their service remains consistently impeccable.

The X-14 came out in 2000 and is probably considered outdated technology when it comes to todays golf equipment, but it is still considered one of the most widely sought after iron in Callaway's lineup. The X-14 PS has a much more traditional, smaller profile, looking head that doesn't look like the your typical Callaway shovel (excluding the new X-Tour). I ended up buying the used set from their "average" condition rating (their lowest rating and cheapest), but with Royal Precision Rifle 6.0 shafts (4-PW) for $331, shipped (FedEx ground). Although the X-18 PS is one of the newest "X" series irons from Callaway, IMHO the X-14 PS look much more pleasant at address and look unbelievably identical to the old PING EYE2 at address.

When I received them they were in outstanding condition for just being rated as "average". I can only imagine what their "good" rating is like. (BTW: Callaway Preowned rates their irons as: Outlet, Like New, Very Good, Good, Average) After hitting a couple buckets the first thing I immediately noticed was a more muted feeling at impact with the X-14 PS. I guess this the difference between forged (MP32) and cast (X-14).

It wasn't a bad feeling and it did feel like there was some more punch behind each shot, but as far as shaping shots it didn't compare to the MP32. I tried for the life of me to intentionally cut/slice and the worst it would do is just pull left straight. I do have to say that the MP32 had a livelier feel and felt so pure when hit on the sweetspot, but compared to the X-14 PS, it definitely required more exact hitting where as the X-14 PS sweet spot seemed like the whole face. I was able to hit the longer irons with more consistency than the MP32's and am debating to pick up the 3 iron.

If you are a seasoned golfer and want a Callaway iron with a thinner topline and less offset, the X-14 Pro Series is something to be looked at for sure.