Callaway’s new Quantum irons inspire the confidence that handicappers are looking for

Callaway is new Quantum line of game-enhancing irons to have everything golfers look for, but without the frills. The technology built into the clubs – plus a new hollow look – offer a friendly invitation to their target player. The rear cavity departs from the hollow-body look of the Elite and Apex Ai lines.

“The reason you have a hollow body is you can hide a lot of internal technology. You can make it look cleaner, you can make it look like a better player’s iron,” Zack Oakley, Callaway’s senior manager of product strategy and category management, told GOLF. “With Quantum, we wanted to signal that these are fakes. We’re not necessarily trying to hide the technology internally to make that appeal to an aspiring gamer.”

The new Quantum Max, Max OS and Max Fast irons are meant to look attractive and signal that they will help players not only play golf better, but have more fun on the course.

Continue reading below for more on the Callaway Quantum Max, Max OS and Max Fast irons, including my take on the release.

What’s really new with Callaway Quantum irons — and why you should care

Why looks matter

Last year’s Elyte irons took on a hollow-body look that probably looked too good for improving players who mistook it for a player’s distance iron.

In the past, cast irons have been known for their large cavities that are more appealing to handicappers and beginners. There’s a reason when I think of the game improvement iron categories, I still think of Callaway irons like the X-18 or Diablo or Big Bertha from the 2000s.

The Quantum takes the same look as the back cavity and modernizes it to help the modern disabled person.

“We didn’t want to hide what this iron is. This is a hollow iron that’s designed to be forgiving, and the shape reflects that. When you put it in, it should feel easy to hit,” Oakley said. “This isn’t trying to be a player distance iron. The Quantum is about being approachable, forgiving and confidence-inspiring, and the address look needed to match that.”

The same concept applies to the segmentation of the three models. Oakley said the goal was for the game-enhancing player to look at the Qunatum Max and the super-enhancing gamer to look at the Max OS and know they’re getting the right model for them. There is little overlap.

360˚ Undercut

The key technology in the Quantum Max line of irons is a new 360˚ Undercut construction. Typically, game improvement irons are a one-piece face and gut with an attached back. The new 360˚ Undercut in the Quantum Max irons pushes that weld line further, allowing for greater toe flex and faster speeds.

“It gives us a more active face with more deflection, and you can really see the spacing of that deflection in the sole,” said Brian Williams, Callaway’s Vice President of Roasting and Development. “This allows us to store and return a lot of energy through this face, which is helping us provide speed and stability off-center.”

While the iron is hollow back, the bottom is still filled with urethane microspheres to dampen vibration and improve feel.

Usable speed

Callaway found that the player who uses the game-improvement and super-game-improvement cuffs only hits in the center of the face about 20 percent of the time.

They could make quantum irons as fast as they want off center, but it doesn’t mean much unless they account for the other 80 percent of times a player misses the sweet spot.

“When we think about the Quantum line, speed is something that we’ve focused on in every single product, but it’s a little bit different with the irons in how we’re focusing on speed,” Oakley said. “It’s not about maximizing ball speed across the face to hit it further. The biggest thing was how do we improve forgiveness across the face or speed across the face to give golfers the ability to hit more greens.”

This is where the iron construction comes in to protect against ball speed lost to the face.

Additionally, each iron loft within each model features a unique progressive Tri-Sole design to help provide a more consistent shot and minimize loss of ball speed.

Quantum Iron formation

There are three models, and both the Quantum Max and Quantum Max OS are available in an HL spec with a two-level leaner loft.

Qauntum Max

What is it: A cleaner, lighter game-enhancing iron that still offers an attractive look from both the backhand and address thanks to the larger topline. The Max iron will offer more forgiveness than a player’s distance iron, but still plenty of speed for the player looking to advance their game and hit more greens.

Who is it for: Players looking for forgiveness and high ball speed with their irons.

Quantum Max OS

What is it: Super game improvement iron with a larger shape than the standard Max iron. Gives golfers a bigger sweet spot and more forgiveness.

Who is it for: Beginner players who need as much help as possible to get the ball in the air.

Quantum Max Fast

What is it: Max Fast is similar in size to Max OS but in a lighter package to help players generate speed.

Who is it for: Slower golfers who need a lighter package to generate speed and release.

My take: Making it easier to get the right iron for your game

Let’s be honest – most game upgrade irons probably aren’t bought in a convenient place (although they should be).

Being able to look at a game improvement and identify that it is right for you will be huge for the consumer who just wants to have more fun on the course, and that is the consumer who is looking to buy game improvement irons.

I thought the Elyte was a great looking iron, which was probably part of the issue when it came to their intimidation factor. With the Quantum irons, these look like those 2000s Callaway irons I mentioned, which are still what I picture when I think of the category.

If you’re looking for irons that will help you hit it hard and in the air more often, then Callaway’s game improvement line is a great choice.

Price, Specifications and Availability

Irons Custom Callaway Quantum Max

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Callaway Quantum Max OS custom irons

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Callaway Quantum Max custom speed cuffs

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Callaway’s new Quantum irons are available for pre-order starting January 16 and will arrive at retail locations on February 27.

Max Irons and Max OS will cost $164 per club for steel shafts and $178 for graphite. Max Fast handcuffs will cost $192 per club and are only available in graphite.

The stock lofts are below:

Quantum maximum: (4i) 19, 22, 25, (7i) 29, 33, 37, (P) 42, (A) 47, (G) 51 (S) 55
Quantum Max HL: (4i) 21, 24, 27, (7i) 31, 35, 39, (P) 44, (A) 49, (G) 53 (S) 57
Quantum Max OS: (4i) 19, 22, 25, (7i) 29, 33, 37, (P) 42, (A) 47, (G) 51 (S) 55
Quantum Max OS HL: (4i) 21, 24, 27, (7i) 31, 35, 39, (P) 44, (A) 49, (G) 53 (S) 57
Max Quantum Fast: (5i) 22, 25, (7i) 28, 32, 37, (P) 42, (A) 46, (G) 50 (S) 54

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