Specification comparison

Highlighted cells differ between the two sets. Lofts and lies are factory standard.

Lofts compared

What the differences mean

At the 7-iron, the XXIO Forged is 30° and the 12 is 28°, a 2° gap. Each degree of loft is worth roughly 3 to 4 yards of carry at the same swing speed, so the 12 should carry roughly 6 to 8 yards further with that club, on a slightly lower, shallower flight than the XXIO Forged. Across the 8 clubs both sets share, the 12 averages 1.8° stronger, with the largest gap at the 5-iron (24° vs 22°). The pitching wedges are 44° and 42°; the stronger one leaves a 8° jump to a 50° gap wedge, which matters when planning wedge gapping. Beyond loft, the XXIO Forged 7-iron sits 0.5° flatter (62° vs 62.5°), which nudges start direction slightly right for a right-hander; the 12 7-iron is 0.25 inches longer (37" vs 37.25").

The sets are built differently: the XXIO Forged runs 4-iron to SW (9 clubs), the 12 5-iron to SW (8 clubs).

The XXIO Forged is a players iron and the 12 a super game improvement iron, so they sit 3 steps apart on the forgiveness scale. The 12 is the more forgiving design, with a wider sole, more offset and more perimeter weighting for high handicaps, beginners and slower swing speeds. The XXIO Forged trades some of that for a more compact head, thinner topline and more control over flight and shape, which suits roughly scratch to 10 handicaps.

The XXIO Forged is listed as forged body with a high-strength face insert and the 12 as cast body with a Super-TIX titanium face plate. The 12 adds tungsten weighting, which lowers the centre of gravity and raises stability on mis-hits, helping the long irons launch.

There are 6 years between these sets (2015 and 2021), more than one design generation. Over that time irons moved toward stronger lofts, thinner and faster faces, hollow and multi-material heads and wider use of tungsten, so the newer set is not simply a better version of the older one: it may launch and spin quite differently. Here the 7-iron loft moved from 30° to 28°.

Which should you choose?

The 12 is the stronger-lofted set — up to 2° stronger than the XXIO Forged on matching clubs. Expect longer carry per numbered iron but a flatter descent angle; gapping at the wedge end is where that shows up.

Both charts are reproduced in full on their own pages: XXIO XXIO Forged specs and XXIO 12 specs.

Frequently asked questions