Last week, we highlighted the Max Fast family. This week, let’s chat about the Elyte X family and how it compares to the Elyte HL. This is a new family for 2025. If we come at this from the irons side, it’s easy to understand the whole family. Last year, we had Smoke, Smoke HL, and Smoke Max Fast. Smoke HL was a slightly higher lofted iron with a little more forgiveness vs. the standard Smoke. If you had a player who hit the ball (hard), but needed forgiveness, he would have to go into Smoke HL. No other place to put him. This year, we have Elyte X.

Elyte X irons have a more forgiving club head for players who hit it a little harder. Elyte HL will be similar to your Smoke HL player – moderate to slower swing speeds who need help getting the ball in the air. Elyte X will be the typical modern loft package, the typical modern iron head construction, but more forgiveness built into the head. Ahhh.. a bomber that goes straight?? Check.

Where do you make the switch? Literally anyone stiff flex or stiffer should NOT be in Elyte HL. In regular flex, look at the hit location and the launch conditions. Low launch, low apex? Might be better in Elyte HL. Decent ball striker? Might be better in Elyte HL. Impact all over the face, decent launch conditions otherwise, or curving in BOTH directions? Try Elyte X.

You may not be able to use this across the board as the family is a little different. The Elyte X driver is like the Smoke Max D from last year – a draw biased driver. Say you have a player who needs more forgiveness but doesn’t slice the ball – Elyte X irons are great for a large hit area, but you may need Elyte STD in Driver and FW Woods – plenty of forgiveness there, but neutrally biased.

Thinking of Elyte HL – if it’s not super game improvement, what is it? Who is it for? Think a more neutral bias like Max Fast, but a weaker loft package to help get the ball up in the air. This is a good ball striker that needs help getting the ball up at launch. Is it forgiving? YES!! But the big feature is how well it launches. Think stronger women players, Seniors, slower swing speed Regular flex players. Remember, there is no HL family of woods, so you will probably be in the STD Elyte line, and tinkering in the higher lofted heads. These will compliment each other quite well.

Need height?? HL is where it’s at!!

Need more forgiveness?? X marks the spot!!