XXIO 12 Driver
The new XXIO 12 driver is a premium, lightweight driver designed to help slower swings generate extra club head speed and gain some distance. Sound like what you’re looking for? We teamed up with some of our friends who fit that profile to get their feedback for this review.
The Looks
I’ve always thought that while XXIO charges a premium for their clubs, their looks really match the price tag. After going with a bright blue crown in the XXIO 11 driver, XXIO gave the new 12 a more reserved finish. The crown is a darker, greenish-blue with metallic flakes that shine in the sun. Additionally, there’s the new ActivWing, which is a triangular piece that protrudes from the heel of the crown, designed to help with stability via aerodynamics on the downswing. The sole has a shiny chrome finish and features navy and gold accents with a bright blue heel weight. As I mentioned before, while they’re pricey, the new XXIO 12 Driver does have a quality high-end look to match.
How Does it Feel?
Our testers immediate feedback was that the XXIO 12 driver was very light. The driver felt super light throughout the swing. This left our testers feeling they could swing faster without getting tired throughout their round or range session. This is a key point of the design. The rebound face also gave the ball a springy, explosive feeling off the face that our testers gladly welcomed. One tester said, the XXIO 12 driver “just feels easy to swing”
How Does it Sound?
Similar to other XXIO drivers, the new XXIO 12 driver has a higher pitched “cracking” sound at impact. It sounds like a ting, similar to the XXIO 11. As I like to say, it’s not “holy cow everyone on the range look at me” loud, but it’s loud enough to notice coming from a different driver.
On-Course Performance
| Club Speed | Ball Speed | Launch Angle | Spin | Carry (Yds) | Total (Yds) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 92.1 | 136.3 | 13.1º | 2810 | 211.9 | 236.3 |
Coming from the XXIO 11, the new XXIO 12 Driver packs a few more punches in the technology department. The first, and most noticeable, is the ActivWing insert on the crown. The ActivWing takes the idea of aerodynamics of an airplane and applies them to your driver. In theory, it causes less resistance and more stability during your downswing. The Rebound Frame is also new and features a more sping-like flex to the face to increase ball speed. More ball speed means extra distance.
To keep things consistent, we had the same tester from our XXIO 11 Driver review try out the new XXIO 12. Right off of the bat we noticed a gain of a few MPH of club speed which is going to lead to more distance. With that increase in swing speed, the added ball speed from the Rebound Face didn’t hurt either. They also saw a slight increase in launch angle, while keeping their drives more on-line. The XXIO 12 does have a bit of offset to help those slower swingers have more time to square the club face, and it definitely helped out our tester.
In summary, the overall feedback was “better feel than the XXIO 11, and it has better distance to go with it. The club just feels extremely light, yet balanced, so I never felt out of control while swinging faster. It’s going in the bag”.
Final Thoughts – XXIO 12 Driver
If you’re a moderate swing speed player, looking for a high-end, lightweight driver, the XXIO 12 Driver might be worth the few extra bucks. It has great high-end looks and a lightweight balanced feel. Our testers found easy distance and control that they often struggled to find in equipment designed for their game leaving them impressed with this XXIO offering.
Stock XXIO 12 Driver Specs
| Loft | Length | Swing Weight | Head Volume |
Stock Flex |
RH/LH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.5º | 45.75″ | D4 | 460cc | S, R | RH |
| 10.5º | 45.75″ | D4 | 460cc | S, R | RH/LH |
| 11.5º | 45.75″ | D4 | 460cc | S, R | RH |
Good review but the big thing about xxio drivers is their light weight and yet the weight of the driver (and how it compares with normal drivers) is never discussed.
Hi Craig,
Thanks for the input. If you check out the feel section, the bolded section, as well as the mentioning of the driver being designed to help slower swingers generate more clubhead speed, is in reference to the weight. But yes compared to most drivers on the market, the XXIO 12 is very light.
Thanks for stopping in.
Tommy
Hi Tommy , I am gaming the XXIO 11 driver now, only issue i have is the face is pretty closed, hence I have a tendency to draw too much. Do you agree ? Any suggestions to counter this ?
Garry,
I did not notice the XXio 11 to be significantly closed, but it may appear that was as it seems to have a slight offset to fight a slice. The only thing I could recommend would be adjusting the club to more square at address, but that will change the effective loft of the driver. Otherwise, I can only recommend working with your local PGA Professional to see if you can address the left miss.
Thanks for stopping in,
Tommy
Hi there, the driver does have a closed face which I normally find off putting, I have the mp1100 it isn’t adjustable but I love the baby draw it produces without any assistance from me, it’s the best I’ve ever played.
Hi I have XXIO 11.5 driver with 39r shaft… My clubhead speed is 4-5mph faster than my previous club.
Question: Is it possible to change out the 11.5 to a 10.5 and what would this do the the drive characteristics?
Currently carry 200-207 and length 220-225. My old (sldr) driver onlly carries 187 but ends up slightly farther. Im thinking with a 10.5 or 9.5 if I might get better stats..
Yes you could reshaft your driver with a lower lofted head. Any certified club repair person should be able to help with that.
As far as how that impacts your game, without getting you on a monitor, it’s impossible to tell. All I can say is a lower lofted driver should, in theory, launch the ball lower. Whether that generates more distance, more/less carry, etc. is impossible to tell you.
Thanks for stopping in,
Tommy
I’m currently using the xxio 12 navy driver, my question is whether the driver complies and confirms with R & A?
Yes it does!
How much offset in the XXIO 12?I have never played with an offset driver and I wonder if I would be able to still feel comfortable at address.Also can you order it at 44.5 shaft length?
John – you should be able to order whatever length you’d like directly from XXIO. I’m not sure on the offset amount.
How would this driver be expected to perform in the hands of a woman? Any difference? A woman averaging 185-195 yards off the tee?
Gender shouldn’t matter. It’s all about the right specs for the right swing in terms of clubhead and shaft. You would have to test it out to see if it works for you!
Would it be possible for me to buy the 36g light flex thanks carlos
Carlos –
You would have to reach out to XXIO to purchase.
Thanks,
Tommy
It would be nice to know just how much progressive models have improved performance over the years. Do you have a table of on course field performance stats comparing all models say from SP 700 through to the 12 ?
Sorry, we don’t have that.