The New 2020 XXIO Eleven & X Drivers Put To The Test

What sets the XXIO Eleven apart from the XXIO Ten?

XXIO releases a new series every other year, the last being the XXIO Ten. This year, however, they are releasing 2 new series: the subsequent XXIO Eleven, as well as (a new series called) the XXIO X. Their previous series was also written with an "X," but pronounced "ten," while the "X" in the new series is pronounced as an "X." The X was probably made with the Miyazaki in mind, which was a slightly firmer model.

The 10th generation XXIO series featured the XXIO Ten and the XXIO Ten Miyazaki.

The heads of the Ten and the Ten Miyazaki are essentially the same, except slightly different in color. The Miyazaki is black, while the Ten is the usual XXIO blue color. Also, while the Ten uses the usual MP-1000 carbon for the shaft, the Miyazaki’s shaft is made with Miyazaki Waena carbon making it firmer.

On the other hand, the heads of the new Eleven and X clubs are quite different. The Eleven is the next generation of the Ten, made with an MP-1100 pure carbon shaft. The X is the next generation of the Miyazaki model, utilizing Miyazaki AX-1 carbon in the shaft. Today we are testing them out using the TrackMan Golf Simulator. I will be using a Nexgen D-Spec ball, which is made to maximize distance.

Dunlop XXIO Eleven Driver 10.5° XXIO MP-1100 (R)

Alright, let's get started! I still haven't tried it, so I'm extremely excited. The XXIO Eleven's shaft definitely has that classic XXIO flexibility, being more flexible at the bottom end. It has a more orthodox face, utilizing slightly less silver on the face of the crown than the previous XXIO Ten, where the silver was a large part of the design. If you waggle it a bit, you can see it is quite flexible. The XXIO Eleven's special feature is the "Weight Plus" technology in the grip.

As some of you already may know, XXIO is not the first to utilize a weighted grip. Yonex, as well as other brands, have used similar technology. However, Dunlop draws attention to the fact their weighted grip is different. There is weight to the grip without being too heavy. If you didn't know the grip was weighted, you probably wouldn't even realize any difference. Alright, let’s give it a go. This is a 10.5° regular shaft with a slightly closed face.

Let's start off with a head speed of around 89.5 mph. Wow, that felt nice. I take back what I said earlier. You can really feel the weighted grip when you swing, I’m a bit surprised. The weighted grip makes it extremely easy to swing. Let me hit another one. Yea, that’s nice. The slightly weighted grip makes it much easier to time your impact. Previous XXIO models had a lighter grip. If the grip is too light, it’s hard to control the trajectory of your swing. With this model, the grip still isn’t heavy, but having the weight at the end really improves the balance. Let me hit again. Wow, that’s easy to hit! That’s XXIO for you! Head speed: 98.9 mph, around the speed for a fast-swinging female pro.

That had an initial velocity of 145.2 mph. Best of all, a launch angle of 12.6° and a spin of 2310 rpm. The ball went 265 yards, and pretty straight. Smash factor: 1.47. Smash factor is extremely important. Even Tiger Woods said at the ZOZO Championship that you have to hit the ball with the center of the head. No matter how forgiving the sweet spot is, the bar will go furthest if you hit it with the very center of the head. When it comes to hitting the ball with the center of the club, the most important thing is the motion of your hands. I joked around about the weighted grip earlier, but like I said, I take it back. It's not a huge difference, but it felt different enough for me to want to test out a weighted tip versus an unweighted tip. Wow, 265 yards! I'm surprised, you don't usually see numbers that high on TrackMan. Plus, it felt good to swing with a 44 m/s head speed, even though it's a regular shaft.

Of course, the shaft is slightly flexible, as it is a regular shaft, but even people with a head speed of around 98.4 mph can hit well with it without a problem.

Dunlop XXIO X Driver 10.5° loft Miyazaki AX-1 Carbon shaft (S)

Now onto the XXIO X. The shaft is stiffer than the XXIO 11, but not that much stiffer than the XXIO Ten Miyazaki shaft. If you try bending it a bit, you can see that the bottom half does bend a bit, but it's stiffer than the Eleven.

So you can see that they have altered the bottom half of the shaft. This driver also has "Weight Plus" technology in the grip. It has a black head, giving it a bolder feel. It also has a flatter cup face than the Eleven.

Let's try it out. Woah, that sound! I'm surprised, it's a more gentle sound. It's definitely made for the more experienced golfer. The sound is totally different than the usual XXIO sound.

The X makes it easier to hit with low spin. It's totally different from the previous Miyazaki model, the sound is so quiet.

Look at those numbers. It has the same 10.5° loft as the Eleven, but has a slower loft and less spin. The X is definitely for people who can hit with a faster head speed. So in regard to the head, the X has a different design. It is probably better to choose the club based on your head speed, rather than your age. The X is for people with a head speed of at least 96.2 mph, rather than those who hit with a head speed closer to 89.5 mph.

At the XXIO conference, they said it was about age, but I do think it’s really more about head speed. If someone with a lower head speed were to try the X, it would probably make a very quiet sound. On the other hand, if someone with a faster head speed were to try the Eleven, it would probably make quite a loud sound. The X has a more muted sound, which golfers with a fast swing may prefer, while the Eleven has the stronger “ping!” sound, even more so than previous XXIO clubs. Judging by these basic characteristics of the head, I have the feeling that the XXIO Eleven was probably made to help people with a more moderate head speed of around 82.8-91.7 mph hit further.

For people with a head speed of over 96.2 mph, who want to try an XXIO club, the XXIO X will give off the perfect sound and trajectory.

The only real difference between the XXIO Ten and the Ten Miyazaki was the shaft, but this time, with the XXIO Eleven and XXIO X, there is a big difference in the head as well.

Dunlop XXIO Ten Driver 10.5° Loft XXIO MP-1000 Carbon Shaft (R)

Let's also test out the previous XXIO Ten models. First up is the XXIO Ten. This is a very characteristic XXIO club. Time to give it a go. Wow, that's what XXIO sounds like! It has a great balance. But, the handle... I wish it had the XXIO Eleven grip. As for which one hits further, well that depends on how you hit it, but the Eleven is easier to swing.

Still, 10 yards isn't really that big of a difference. I like to buy used golf clubs on GOLF Partner, but It's hard to say which is better, the Ten or the Eleven. If you are looking for a better swing, that would be the Eleven. If you're looking for something reasonably priced with that exhilarating XXIO impact sound, then the Ten is also a good choice. It can hit pretty far, it feels nice to swing, and you can experience the essence of the XXIO. Of course, you have to take into consideration how much you are willing to spend, but since GOLF Partner has both the new and previous XXIO series, if you really want to you can go ahead and try them both out.

Dunlop XXIO Ten Driver Miyazaki Model 10.5° loft Miyazaki Waena (S)

Next, let's try the Miyazaki Model. It has a much stiffer shaft. It gives off a louder sound, that classic XXIO sound.

The only difference in the head is the color. The sound and the internal composition is the same as the XXIO Ten. So if you just want that classic XXIO sound, go for the XXIO Ten. If you want a stiffer club, try the XXIO Ten Miyazaki model. But if you want a more finely-tuned club with a nice impact feel that can optimize trajectory, then the XXIO X is best. I recommend the XXIO X for those with a faster head speed. If you care more about the shaft and want something at a reasonable price, then the Miyazaki model is also fine.

How about Trying the Weighted Grip and Feeling the Difference for Yourself!

I was surprised how the heads of the clubs were made to optimize different head speeds, but I was really surprised by the "Weight Plus" technology! It doesn't just merely change your swing by adding some weight like I had originally thought. It does so much more, especially for people with an uneasy orbit or for those who aren't sure where to start your swing. The weight really makes a difference, if you try it out you can tell. It's really easy to swing! You can definitely feel a difference with the weighted grip, from the top of your swing to impact. I'm sure some of you are wondering what in the world I'm talking about, and since seeing is believing, please give the XXIO Eleven and XXIO X weighted grip a try to feel the difference!

At first, I was wondering why XXIO made two different head models, but now I see that it's to account for different head speeds and to improve your swing by optimizing your orbit. XXIO has been a popular, top-selling brand for over 20 years now, but now I can see that with their new 11th generation series they have really evolved!

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Mark Kanai (Golf Club Analyst)
Mark Kanai was born on September 16, 1958, in Osaka. He is 6 feet tall and has A blood type. After working as an editor for a golf magazine, he switched to freelance. He has tested over 5,000 golf clubs. With his expertise and as a single digit handicapper, his golf club trials and reports are published both in magazines and online.