Callaway Elyte irons

Gear: Callaway Elyte irons

Price: $999.99 (Elyte, Elyte X, Elyte HL, Elyte Max Fast) with True Temper Vector or KBS Max steel shafts Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips, $1,099.99 with True Temper Denali or Mitsubishi Eldio graphite shafts

Specs: Cast 17-4 stainless steel chassis with internal tungsten weight and urethane microspheres.

Available: Feb. 7

Who it’s for: With four models in the family, the Elyte irons were designed to serve a wide-range of golfers who want more distance and forgiveness .

What you should know: Callaway redesigned the face of the Elyte irons to maximize distance on good shots while also protecting ball speed on mis-hits. The standard Elyte will fit the most players, while the Elyte HL provides a higher launch, the X is designed to be the most forgiving, and the Max Fast version comes with lighter components.

The deep dive: It has been a huge year for Callaway in the forged and better-player iron world, with the Carlsbad, Calif.-based company having released the Apex Ai200, Apex Ai300, Apex Ti Fusion and a limited-edition set of Apex TCB irons that pay homage to two-time major winner Xander Schauffele.

Now, for golfers looking for a game-improvement iron, Callaway is releasing the four-club Elyte family. Why four clubs? Golfers who score in the mid-80s to 100 are usually looking for more distance and forgiveness, but some also want more height and stopping power on the greens, some are looking for enhanced stability on mis-hits and others want a lighter club to make it easier to swing. Delivering all that in one club would be a tall order.

So the Callaway Elyte, Elyte X, Elyte HL and Elyte Max Fast look nearly the same and share several technologies, but they were designed to offer something unique and appealing to different subsets of the game-improvement world.

All the Elyte irons were designed with Callaway’s updated Speed Frame construction that is similar to the construction used in the Paradym irons. The chassis is cast using 431 stainless steel and features an internal bar that links the topline to the body of the club. That stiffens the whole club at impact, like Callaway’s Jailbreak system did in drivers and woods in previous years, to help transfer energy back into the shot more efficiently.

The Speed Frame construction is slightly different in each club, but they all allow Callaway to increase the amount of urethane microspheres injected into each head. That material soaks up excessive vibrations to enhance sound and feel.

Like the Elyte drivers, fairway woods and hybrids, the Elyte irons have been made with Callaway’s AI10X face. Callaway feed its supercomputers more "real player" data than last season, and because each of the Elyte irons is designed for different types of players, all four clubs have hitting areas that are slightly different in design, each optimized for the type of golfer who is most likely going to use it.

Finally, Callaway added a Tri-Sole design to the bottom of each Elyte iron. Behind the leading edge, there is a small C-shaped area that has been softened and removed. Behind that area is a thin, standard sole, and the trailing edge also has noticeable relief. This focus on the sole area is common in better-player irons, but the Tri-Sole is meant to help mid- and higher-handicap golfers achieve solid contact more often. When players hit slightly behind the ball, the sole helps keep the iron moving faster through the hitting area so any loss of ball speed is less severe.

• Elyte: The standard Elyte is designed to offer a blend of distance and consistency for average-speed to faster-swinging golfers. Within the Callaway iron stable, this club slightly overlaps with the Apex Ai300, but it is cast instead of forged (and costs less). This club will probably be the model that fits the widest range of golfers.

• Elyte HL: The HL stands for high launch, and this version of the Elyte was made to create a higher trajectory and help golfers maximize carry distance. It could be a good option for players who have some speed but struggle stopping shots on the green.

• Elyte X: Made to inspire confidence in the address position and maximize forgiveness, the Elyte X has a cavity-back design and larger size to increase stability and make this the most forgiving Elyte iron.

• Elyte Max Fast: This version comes standard with a lighter shaft and grip to reduce the overall weight of the irons and make them easier to swing for slower and moderate-speed golfers.

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Callaway Elyte irons are made for distance and forgiveness.