The Ultimate GX-7 Driver Review: What You Need To Know
If you are an amateur golfer who struggles with getting straight drives consistently, the GX-7 driver may just be the golf club for you.
New golfers especially can have a difficult time using a driver. If this is the case, then frustration and constant disappointment when hitting off the tee could discourage someone from continuing in golf.
Also, as senior golfers age and lose physical strength, standard drivers may not work as well as they used to.
The GX-7 driver is designed to help real golf players – amateurs, not tour pros – with a special club designed just for them. It is also for both men and women, instead of being just a men’s club.
What Is GX-7 Driver and How Does It Work?
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Launched on December 27, 2016, the GX-7 driver (aka “X-Metal”) is a specialty golf club created and distributed by a company called Golf Tailor, which is primarily known for DVD golf lessons that are sold by subscription.
This is an infomercial-type company that has gotten some criticism for the monthly subscription fees with their video training series. However, they have an A+ rating as an accredited member of the Better Business Bureau.
The GX-7 driver is more than just a typical golf driver. It is designed to be used as both a driver and a fairway wood. In fact, the company has officially called the GX-7 not a driver, but an “X-Metal,” to distinguish it from a traditional driver.
This “X-Metal” is specifically designed to help amateur golf players with slow swings to hit longer, straighter drives. It also works as a fairway wood. It is designed to be hit off the tee as well as “off the deck,” which means on the greens without a tee.
The design of the GX-7 means that you can use a consistent swing for your drives, fairway shots, and irons. The tagline for this golf club is:
“SWING IT LIKE A 7-IRON. SMOKE IT LIKE A DRIVER.”
GX-7 Technical Features and Specifications
According to the GX-7 website, “the GX-7 measures 43”, with a loft of 14° and a 267cc clubhead.” This loft is designed to get more height when you hit the ball. The shorter shaft is easier to control than the longer shaft on a traditional driver. The small clubhead improves airflow.
A tungsten bar is set against the back edge of the club head to help lower the center of gravity, improve moment of inertia (MOI), and increase forgiveness.
The front edge of the GX-7 golf club is designed like an iron, to improve consistency and accuracy of shots.
The bottom has a lip near the front face to reduce friction with the grass. The shaft was supposedly designed with the help of 25 manufacturers to perfectly fit the club.
What Makes GX-7 Driver Unique
The GX-7 is unique in that it may be one of the only golf clubs to successfully cross a driver with a fairway wood – with an iron-like swing to boot!
This unique club is unlike anything else you may have in your golf bag. For some of the fans of the GX-7 X-Metal, the club actually replaces not one, but two or three clubs in their golf bag.
Focused on Amateurs, Not Professional Golfers
The number one difference between the GX-7 and golf clubs made by most major golf companies (such as Callaway, TaylorMade, and Ping) is that the GX-7 is specifically designed for amateurs, not pros.
The average high tech “premium” golf club is typically designed and tested by golf professionals and people who have really good golf games. The R&D departments of most major golf equipment companies are focused on refining golf clubs, especially drivers, to achieve more distance for people who are already at the top of their golf game.
In contrast, the creators of the X-Metal club dubbed the GX-7 specifically created a club for amateurs and hobbyists. They worked with real people who are often frustrated at how to best use their driver to get more distance.
This focus on amateur players means that GX-7 golf club was designed for real people, average golfers, not the superstar, professional player, or retired pro.
Designed for Women as Well
The other thing that makes the GX-7 X-Metal unique is that it is for both men and women. If you are a woman golfer, you can get the GX-7 simply add a lady’s flex shaft at checkout (or, get one of the senior flex options if you prefer that).
Many women golfers complain that women’s golf clubs tend to be inferior products with a bit of pink paint splashed on them. This lack of quality golf clubs by women can be quite frustrating. The companies that do offer clubs for women, even the best companies like Callaway, have a smaller selection of women’s clubs. The drivers for women are often years behind the drivers offered for men.
And, then there’s that “pink” problem. Far too often, designers of women’s golf equipment focus too much on making the golf clubs or bag “pretty” instead of functional. This is not only insulting to many women players, it can be infuriating.
In this day and age, it would be better if golf club companies simply offered “ladies flex” shafts for all their golf clubs like the GX-7 team is doing, and offered a wide range of club heads for varying strengths and abilities.
Thus, the GX-7 is actually quite forward thinking in offering an advanced club for amateurs that both sexes can use.
Pricing
The GX-7 driver retails for $199, which includes the shipping price.
The club comes with five stock shaft options:
- Senior Plus Flex
- Senior Flex
- Regular Flex
- Stiff Flex
- Ladies Flex
You can also get right handed and left-handed versions of the GX-7 X-Metal golf club.
The best part about the pricing is a 60-day money back guarantee. You can try the club for two months (technically, a little less than that), and if you don’t like it, you can send it back for a full refund.
Public Perception (Other GX-7 Driver Reviews)
The GX-7 X-Metal is designed for a very specific type of golfer. Golfers who are already driving over 250 yards consistently without problems may not see much of an increase in their hits with the GX-7. If your swing is already over 100 MPH then this club may not help you that much.
Thus, some golfers who tested the GX-7 driver found it did not help their distance significantly, and they retuned the club. On the positive, even those who returned the golf club had good things to say about the company, reporting that their refund was handled promptly.
Other golfers, especially seniors, were ecstatic about how much the GX-7 helped them. Here are some comments:
“Took my brand new GX7 down to the driving range for the first time today to try it out. Very happy with the results that I was getting, both off the grass as well as teeing the ball up.”
And, in another post:
“I realise that opinions are like backsides (everybody has one). But the fact is that after playing golf for approximately 25 years I have never hit any other club off the fairway with as much distance as I have with my recently purchased GX7. Several times on the weekend I was approximately 30 metres short of the green for 2 on a couple of par 5’s. Something that after being a member at the same course for 10 years I have never done before. Personally, I Love This Club.”
One user suggested that the club works best if you position the ball as if you were playing a 6 or 7 iron instead of a driver.
Overall, the reviews are positive, and even the people who reported that they had returned the club didn’t have anything terribly bad to say about it. They just felt it didn’t help increase their distance significantly enough.
The main criticism of the GX-7 X-Metal, from both people who kept the club and those who returned it, was that it has a tinny sound when it hits the ball. This should not be a dealbreaker, however. What is more important to you, how the ball sounds when it hits? Or how far it goes?
How It Compares
The GX-7 X-Metal driver is a unique golf club that doesn’t really fit into any of the normal categories. It is not quite the same thing as a driver, but it is not a fairway wood either. The club has elements of these types of clubs, as well as a standard iron. It is kind of like a hybrid golf club, but much more than that.
Other golf companies have experimented with providing amateur club sets that are engineering to work for non-professional players. Callaway, for example, developed a “Game Enjoyment System” (GES) golf club set for women beginners in 2004. This was also Callaway’s first line of golf clubs for women. The beginner’s set included only seven clubs. The driver had a unique hollow face design that lowered the center of gravity.
These clubs actually work quite well for amateur golfers, if you can find them, but they haven’t been produced in years. They were replaced by newer golf sets for women that weren’t so focused on beginners.
So, if you can get access to a special type of club designed differently, and it works for you, then you might want to grab it. You just don’t know how long these clubs will be in production.
What We Think
We think that more innovation in the world of golf is a good thing. We also like the GX-7’s focus on helping amateur golfers and trying to solve their genuine problems, instead of just focusing on pro needs.
The GX-7 X-Metal is an affordable golf club that can double as a driver and a fairway wood. For the amateur golfer, who just wants to relax and enjoy the game, this is a great option.
A bad drive can ruin a hole, and as it is the first shot you make, it can negatively impact the rest of your play. Why struggle with a driver if it is simply not your strength? This innovative club provides an alternative to using a standard driver that can really improve the enjoyment of a golf game. And that is a good thing.
Coupons and Deals
The GX-7 driver is available through their website for $199. When you select the shaft type through the order form, you will be given the option to buy a certified pre-owned (aka used) GX-7 driver for $30 less.
You might also be able to get the GX-7 X-Metal for a special trial offer deal at their website, which may pop up if you hesitate and the shopping cart and don’t purchase right away. This 30-day trial costs $1 plus shipping and handling. Shipping and handling may vary by region, but a generic cost would be $9. If you like the club, you will be billed the remaining $198 after 30 days.
Now, with this deal, you do not get free shipping and handling as you would normally get with an upfront purchase. However, if you are concerned about having your card charged right away, this is a good option. And while we don’t necessarily suggest that you get into debt to get your first GX-7 X-Metal, this is also a great way to get the club quickly if your debit credit card balance is low and you are waiting for payday.
Because the GX-7 X-Metal is already at such a great price compared to other new drivers, which can run $500, the GX-7 “driver” is a fantastic deal.
