X marks the spot for Callaway Golf in 2006.

Earlier this season, Callaway launched a new series of drivers, the X460 and X460 Tour models, along with counterpart fairway clubs and tour-caliber wedges.

Featuring a unique soleplate and enhanced forgiveness, the X460 drivers have all-titanium clubheads. They are targeted as a complement to the ongoing Fusion FT-3 driver line, which has a multimaterial titanium and graphite composite clubhead.

Both X460 and FT-3 driver types boast 460cc heads. While the FT-3 carries a suggested list price of $500, the X460 drivers are listed at $375.

In X terms, Callaway also continues to offer three models of irons: X-Tour, X-18 and X-18 PS.

While most players on the Callaway tour staff use the FT-3 driver, many are using the X fairways and wedges, along with various X irons. The large roster of pros includes Phil Mickelson, Hank Kuehne, Craig Parry, Len Mattiace, Mark Brooks, Rocco Mediate, Annika Sorenstam, Morgan Pressel, Thomas Bjorn, Bruce Fleisher, Eduardo Romero and Jim Thorpe.

Here’s a closer look at the new X clubs from Callaway.

DRIVERS

The X460, according to Callaway officials, was developed in response to most golfers seeking a more stable club at address along with a driver that would be more forgiving than previous models.

The Callaway X460 driver has a list price of $375.

With its unique X-sole plate, reconfigured weighting and closed face, the X460 addresses those issues. For the X460 Tour, the bias of the face is square and the center of gravity modified to help produce trajectories generally preferred by more skilled players.

The X460 comes in lofts of 9, 10, 11, 13 and 15 degrees with a choice of three shaft flexes engineered with varying flex points. The X460 Tour lofts are 8.5, 9.5 and 10.5 degrees. The X460 women’s models have lofts of 10, 11 and 15 degrees. All the drivers have Fujikura graphite shafts, with choices geared toward different types of players.

The new CT/VFT face, featuring variable face thickness, has been robotically plasma-welded to the body. The Consistent Alignment Sole has subtle keels that rest on the turf at address to help stabilize the head and aid in alignment. With a larger head than Callaway’s previous 454 cc driver, the Moment of Inertia (resistance to twisting) has been increased, thus yielding a more forgiving club.

Faces that are two degrees closed on the X 460 men’s and women’s models should help golfers with a tendency to hit to the right straighten drives.

FAIRWAY WOODS

Like the driver line, Callaway is offering both X Fairway and X Tour Fairway models. All have stainless steel heads.

The Callaway X Fairway woods have stainless steel heads.

The X Fairway version comes in lofts of 15, 17, 19, 21 and 23 degrees. The two X Tour models have lofts of 13 and 15 degrees.

The X Fairway clubs, also like the drivers, have an X-Sole design whereby two subtle keels contact the turf to enhance alignment. The soleplate also helps eliminate rocking back and forth at address, which should yield a more consistent shot each time.

Additionally, perimeter weighting strategically located internally on the back ribbon of the fairway woods provides a high degree of MOI (stability).

The X Tour fairways have slightly smaller heads and weighting engineered for a more boring ball flight, features preferred by better players.

In testing among a variety of players assembled by GolfWeb, Callaway’s new X Fairway woods were rated very highly. Golfers specifically praised the clubs for setup alignment, consistently solid impact, workability and very satisfactory trajectories. A consensus of testers rated the clubs among the best fairway models introduced this year.

Suggested retail prices are $225 each with steel shafts and $250 with graphite.

WEDGES

There are eight different loft/bounce combinations in the new X-Tour wedges series.

The lofts run in two-degree increments from 50 to 60 degrees.

Of note, the 58- and 60-degree wedges with 11 degrees of bounce are made with a PM Grind and Mack Daddy grooves. The PM stands for Phil Mickelson, who also named the aggressively sized grooves.

“I knew the grooves were big. In fact, I called them my ‘Mack Daddy’ grooves for their size,” said the tour star. “They delivered what I wanted: max spin.”

“Wedges are all about two things: feel and control,” added Roger Cleveland, Callaway Golf’s chief designer, who crafted the new X-Tour series.

Suggested retail prices for the wedges are $135 each with a satin chrome finish and $150 each with a vintage, dark patina finish.