There are a lot of cool things out there that make us wonder — do they really work? In our I Tried It series, we set out to use them in the real world and have determined that, in fact, they really do.
The Product on Trial
Stix V2 Golf Clubs 14-Piece Complete Set
The Tester
Andrew Bettlach, aspiring golfer
The Brief
Stepping onto the links feels like a break from reality, whether you're halfway across the country, on an actual vacation, or are just down the road from work. That's why I play golf every chance I get.
I started golfing since I was 12 years old and have been playing ever since. In my adult life, I'm the type of golfer who plays up to 10 rounds per year. Though my skills have atrophied with less frequent play, one thing remains true: I really love this game. Yep — even when I am cursing at myself, questioning my very existence, and trying to refrain from whipping my club into the woods — I still love the game. And I keep coming back for more. Just like Jeep owners say, “It’s a Jeep thing. You wouldn’t understand,” golfers say, “It’s a golf thing.”
Golf is a multisensory experience: It's the smell of freshly manicured grass, the burn of sunshine on your neck, the sight of your ball landing on the green, the taste of a bratwurst after the ninth hole, and the sound of your buddies telling the same jokes they told the last round.
Over the years, I’ve owned a couple of different sets, plus I’ve played a handful of demo and rental sets. My current set of golf clubs cost almost $2,000 to piece together and has been in rotation for almost 10 years. When I played multiple times each week, these steel-shafted irons delivered more accuracy and control in approach shots. But as my trips to the course became less common, my swing grew more inconsistent, and my old irons proved increasingly difficult to hit well.
As a 6-foot-1 golfer, golfer, I'm right on the cusp of being able to play a standard-length club. But they've always felt short. And to get longer clubs means a custom fitting, which is something I've never been able to justify splurging for.
Enter Stix.
Stix Golf’s founder, Gabe Coyne, was a weekend golfer for 20 years when he finally decided to upgrade his clubs. He found two distinct options: Pick up a cheap, beginner set from Walmart that’s clunky, outdated, and not fun to play (or be seen) with, or shell out upwards of $2,000 (even $3,000) for a big-brand set with “breakthrough technology.” He wasn’t interested in either option and instead saw the market gap as an opportunity. Gabe’s mission: Make high-quality clubs with current technology, sleek styling, and a minimalist design, and price them reasonably for the modern amateur golfer.
Stix clubs are offered in a variety of options for everyone. Their full sets include woods, irons, wedges, and a putter, including the Complete 14-piece Set ($899), Classic 11-piece Set ($749), and Casual 9-piece set ($699). If you just want the irons, you can snag them separately with the 5 – PW Iron Set ($550), and you can snag wedges separately with the 3-Piece Wedge Set ($199) which is quite the steal. Carry everything with the Stix Stand Golf Bag ($199), which is quite possibly our favorite bag ever.
Key Specs
• Irons: Irons: 5 – PW, cavity-backed, stainless steel, Diamond Like Coating
• Woods: Driver (10.5°, titanium). 3-wood (16°, stainless steel). 5-wood (19°, stainless steel). 4-hybrid (21°, stainless steel).
• Wedges: SW (52°). GW (56°). LW (60°). Blade style, milled face, stiff shaft, diamond-like coating.
• Putter: mallet style, oversized grip.
• Shafts: All high-elastic graphite. Choose left/right. Choose flex (regular, stiff, or senior/ladies).
• Length: choose from -1", -.5", Standard, +.5", +1"
Every Stix club features a sleek, sexy, black-on-black finish that I was instantly drawn to —and everyone around me wanted the 4-1-1 on my clubs. But the sleek black color isn't just for looks. The irons and wedges feature a premium diamond-like coating (DLC), which is the highest-quality synthetic diamond coating available for black clubs. DLC is extremely durable and scratch-resistant, which means these clubs will look good and play just as well years from the first time they grace the fairway with their presence.
From the moment I opened the box, I was instantly impressed with these golf clubs. Each club in the 14-piece Complete Set was neatly, individually wrapped to protect them in transit. When unwrapped and lying side by side, these stealth black clubs were just beckoning to be swung. With just a few practice swings, I could already tell my game was going to improve. Eager to try them out, I arranged them neatly in the Stix Stand Golf Bag, walked right past the driving range, and headed out for 18 holes.
From the tee boxes, the Driver and 3-wood felt lightweight, well-balanced, and easy to swing. The sweet spot is enormous, and there are no distracting colors or shapes like you'll see in the pricier, high-tech, big-brand drivers. Off the tee, my good shots traveled slightly further and just as straight as my old driver.
As I said, I’m 6-foot-1, so I ordered my Stix with a .5-inch longer shaft — which Stix makes easier than ever to do — and I instantly noticed the difference this made for my aging spine and thus, my golf swing.
The real superstars here are the irons and wedges, which I think fit best into the “game improvement” category because they did just that. The irons have a large clubface that provides more surface area for ball contact, with a sweet spot that is nearly impossible to miss. Game-improving irons aren’t made for great players — they are made for the rest of us. While fancy “player’s irons” improve pinpoint accuracy and spin, game-improving irons help you hit further and miss smaller.
Stix irons and wedges helped me — a below-average player — land the ball on the green from up to 175 yards out (rather than missing left or right), prevent from sinking my ball in the drink on mishits with my 5-iron, and straight-up have a better time.
These clubs make you look like you know what you're doing (even when you don't) and have a confidence-inspiring design that makes it nearly impossible to suck — unless you can hardly make contact off the tee, in which case the clubs can't be blamed.
The Closing Argument
After a few rounds with Stix's new V2 golf clubs, I can definitively say that they are high-quality, high-tech, and built to last. These graphite-shafted clubs increased my swing speed, improved my accuracy, and did damage control on mishits.
Whether you're just learning or an experienced weekend golfer, these thoughtfully crafted clubs should help you score lower and smile wider. For $900, these are an absolute steal, with quality that rivals premium sets and a silky-smooth modern style that will leave the country club old-timers gossiping.
