Behind the brand: In conversation with XXIO Product Manager Joe Miller

It's probably fair to say XXIO is a brand that's not on the tip of most golfer's tongues when talking about equipment. However, it certainly should be. 

The Japanese brand that lives under the same banner as Cleveland and Srixon holds a niche spot in the golfing market.

Designed with slow to moderate swing speed players in mind, XXIO offers premium clubs, at a premium price point, that can deliver real results. 

So, what makes XXIO unique in a market that's jam packed full of brands competing for consumers eyes and wallets?

Well, to find out, we spoke exclusively to Joe Miller, the European Product Manager at XXIO, to find out.

Established in 2000, XXIO has been producing golf clubs on a two year product cycle, which they believe is the ideal amount of time for R&D, appropriate testing and technical advancement.

Almost all of XXIO's clubs are produced at its Japanese, Miyazaki factory, which builds a staggering 1m clubs per year. 

XXIO is one of the most popular brands in Japan, and has seen a meteoric rise in demand in the US too, with growth since 2014 increasing by between 60% to 90% per year.

So, what is it about XXIO clubs that has seen them explode in popularity since they were established?

Joe Miller revealed all:

"With XXIO there is an acknowledgement of ladies, seniors, slow swing speed players or those with injuries, that wasn't really catered for, nobody really thought about them.

"The thought process has been use the same head, but put a different shaft in it. Even with ladies it was men's heads, but with XXIO it's completely different.

"With XXIO we have to acknowledge that some golfers rarely hit the middle of the club.. it's about distance but it was about a distance driven club where players could miss it quite substantially, and still get that distance.

"People are living longer, and people can stay more healthy, so XXIO is critical to those people, these clubs are finders of lost yards.

So what makes XXIO so different to other equipment brands?

The answer to this in Miller's own words is a 'Holistic view to components.' 

XXIO's clubs are built from the ground up with components designed by the brand from the grip to the head. 

Each XXIO club is built for the brand rather than outsourcing shafts or grips from other manufacturers like many modern OEMs do. 

XXIO also utilises titanium faces throughout its entire its line of clubs, in order to deliver optimal speed and performance from across the striking area. 

Boiling down to an even more granular level, XXIO has completely individual grips for each of its clubs, with the correct weight being a key factor for ensuring each club is perfectly balanced for performance. 

The result of this approach allows XXIO to meticulously fine tune performance based on vast amounts of quantitate data that's collected at the Ichigima Science Centre. 

When it comes to testing, XXIO also take a slightly different approach to most brands, that are driven by Tour needs.

Brands including Srixon are Tour driven in their testing, whereas XXIO bases it's testing on the needs and performance of its target demographic, which as previously mentioned is slow to moderate swing speed players who don't always find the middle of the club face.

This approach allows XXIO to better understand their market, and as a result fine tune performance to meet its demands.

We've tested a number of XXIO clubs in our time, and can attest to the fact that they offer incredible performance, in terms of distance forgiveness and ease of launch.

XXIO's range features two lines, XXIO 13 and XXIO Prime. The two lines are both designed to cater to the needs of the slow to moderate swing speed player, and both catering to slightly different price points. 

The current Prime collection features a striking black and gold design throughout the set, while XXIO 13 opts for a slightly more toned down blue and silver scheme. 

To find out more about XXIO, visit eu.dunlopsports.com/xxio