Red X5

The 2007 Red X5 marked a turning point for the Red X line: this was the release where the plumbing neck first showed up, replacing the earlier design language. Scotty Cameron's own page frames the change plainly, noting that Scotty removed the insert, gave the soft, round lines a glare-resistant Charcoal Mist finish and milled a single sight line. Paired with a new neck, a single shaft of offset and Tour-inspired graphics, the maker's page says players call the Red X5 one of the best mallet designs ever.

On spec, the Red X5 carries 4° of loft and 71° of lie, milled from 303 Stainless Steel & Aluminum, with custom lie available at +/-2° and a Red Cameron Baby T custom grip option, all per Scotty Cameron's own listing. The maker's page lists lengths of 33", 34", and 35" with full shaft offset. Golflink.com's reporting adds detail the maker's page doesn't specify: a charcoal mist finish, single sight line, plumbing neck and square hosel, aluminum sole plate, and precisely milled stainless steel face, along with head weights of 350g at 33 inches, 340g at 34 inches, and 330g at 35 inches, and a 2009 suggested retail of $300.

Opinion on the X5 splits along the same line that separates it from its sibling, the X3. Golflink.com wrote that advanced players will especially like the X3, while the X5's offset better suits the novice putting stroke, a framing echoed in other community assessment praising the offset for the same reason. That same read criticized the mallet's heft, noting that mallets tend to be a bit heavy and can take getting used to, especially on short putts. Whether that weight reads as stability or sluggishness seems to depend on who's holding it.