Tag: Tour Edge

First Look – Tour Edge Exotics Pro 721 Series
For years, Tour Edge’s “Exotics” brand was well known for producing some of the hottest, best performing metal woods on the planet, but in recent years that all changed. Now, Tour Edge’s Exotics line are simply some of the hottest and best performing CLUBS on the market. The new Exotics E721 and C721 series of spin-reducing and distance-enhancing irons and woods have taken the PGA Tour Champions by storm, and now Tour Edge is releasing a limited edition “tour van” lineup of woods for further spin reduction called the Exotics Pro 721 series. Here are the details:

Summary
- Only 1000 of each will be made available to the end consumer in this special small batch “Straight from the Tour Van” series.
- The more forward Center of Gravity Pro 721 metals were designed for the players with faster clubhead speed to produce low-spinning, penetrating shots.
- The all-new designs feature more compact heads and with deeper faces that sit open at address for the driver/fairway and perfectly square at address for the hybrid.
- The tour-inspired metalwoods showcase the extremely popular and highly effective Ridgeback support system in a new matte finish on the driver and fairway metals, while the hybrid features a matte finish stainless steel crown.
- Diamond Face 2.0 technology is utilized on all three of the metals.
- The Pro 721 metals were designed with the feedback from the 120 PGA Tour professionals who have played Tour Edge over the past few seasons, including over 25 players choosing to play Exotics drivers in tournament play.
- The Pro 721 series will range from $449.99 for the Pro 721 Driver, $299.99 for the Pro 721 Fairway and $249.99 for the Pro 721 Hybrid.
- The metals will be available to purchase by the end consumer at select retail locations and online on August 13^th.
More Info & Technical Details

Exotics Pro 721 Driver

Tour -Inspired Shape – The deeper face, shorter heel to toe and compact front to back ensures low spin and a penetrating ball flight. The more compact 440cc classic pear shape head the ideal shape and size for tour players and those who produce faster club head speeds.

Extreme Heel and Toe Flight Tuning System – The clubhead features a Flight Tuning System (F.T.S.) adjustable heel (3 grams) and toe weights on the sole (12 grams). Adjusting the F.T.S. dual weights in these ports that are placed to the extreme heel and toe of the clubhead can drastically affect ball flight and shaping shots in this compact, low-spin design.

Ridgeback Support System and Dual Carbon Wings – The Ridgeback spine within the Carbon Fiber crown acts as a brace to produce more power on center hit and allows for greater face flex in the heel and toe, meaning off-center hits achieve greater power and ball speed.

Ridgeback replaces extra titanium from the crown and sole with wrap-around Dual Carbon Wings that allowed for a precise and strategically placed Tour-level CG location, moving as much weight as possible to a low-forward position that produces the lowest possible amount of spin for faster swing speeds.

Diamond Face 2.0 Technology – The Pro 721 Driver utilizes Diamond Face 2.0 technology on its high-strength Beta Titanium face. This major breakthrough in face technology features 43 different thick and thin diamond shapes or “mini-trampolines” behind the face, producing full-face forgiveness with faster ball speeds and better performance on off-center hits.

Diamond Face also contributes to the reduction of spin in the driver head, with the 721 Pro Driver spinning less than the Exotics C721 Driver by 400 RPM’s on average.

Sound Diffusion Panels – Five different Sound Diffusion Panels placed strategically inside the club head vastly improves the acoustic properties of the clubhead.

Adjustable Hosel – An adjustable hosel allows adjusting the loft Plus/Minus 2 degrees.

Stock Shaft Options

The stock shaft for the Exotics Pro 721 Driver is the TENSEI AV RAW series from Mitsubishi.

All three RAW versions feature a RAW finish that reveals the Aluminum Vapor (AV) Coated Weave in the butt section, a visible look at the added stability this unique weave provides.
- TENSEI™ AV RAW Blue features the softest mid-section and the most action of the three RAW shafts, leading to a smooth feel without a big hinge and kick.
- The TENSEI™ AV RAW Orange is a Counter-Balanced shaft with more weight placed near the grip and hands for greater stability and control and is a slightly softer offering than the RAW White in the mid/tip section.
- The TENSEI™ AV RAW White features the stiffest tip section and lowest spin of the trio of RAW shaft offerings, while still offering smooth action that doesn’t feel boardy.
Exotics Pro 721 Fairway

The “straight from the tour van” Exotics Pro 721 Fairway is a Limited-Edition small batch production of three 3-Wood lofts that is being offered to the public in only 1000 total pieces.

The Pro 721 was designed to be a low-spinning rocket for faster swingers seeking a more compact head with a deeper face.

The Exotics Pro 721 Fairway features tour-inspired shape with a tour-prototype look and feel that features a new matte finish Ridgeback support system on the crown.

Exotics clubs have been in play by over 120 different PGA TOUR players with over 1,600 Exotics clubs in play on the three PGA Tours over the past few seasons.

The Pro 721 metals were designed with the feedback from those PGA TOUR professionals.

Tour-Inspired Shape – The deeper face, shorter heel to toe and compact front to back is the ideal shape for the best players in the world. Designed for maximum workability, the Pro 721 Fairway features a slightly smaller 155cc tour preferred head size on the three lofts of 3-Wood offered. The compact head ensures a low spin, penetrating ball flight.

Extreme Heel and Toe Flight Tuning System – The clubhead features a Flight Tuning System (F.T.S.) adjustable heel (3 grams) and toe (15 grams) weights on the sole. Adjusting the F.T.S. dual weights in these ports that are placed to the extreme heel and toe of the clubhead can drastically affect ball flight and shaping shots in this compact, low-spin design.

Ridgeback Support System and Dual Carbon Wings – The Ridgeback spine within the Carbon Fiber crown acts as a brace to produce more power on center hit and allows for greater face flex in the heel and toe, meaning off-center hits achieve greater power and ball speed.

Ridgeback replaces extra titanium from the crown and sole with wrap-around Dual Carbon Wings that allowed for a precise and strategically placed Tour-level CG location, moving as much weight as possible to a low-forward position that produces the lowest possible amount of spin for faster swing speeds.

Diamond Face 2.0 Technology – The Pro 721 Fairway utilizes Diamond Face 2.0 technology, a major breakthrough in face technology that features 43 different thick and thin diamond shapes or “mini-trampolines” behind the face. This produces full-face forgiveness with faster ball speeds on off-center hits. Diamond Face also contributes to the reduction of spin in the club head.

Sound Diffusion Panels – Sound Diffusion Panels are placed strategically inside the club head vastly improves the acoustic engineering of the entire new Pro 721 metalwood line up.

Stock Shaft Options

The stock shaft for the Exotics Pro 721 Fairway is the TENSEI AV RAW series from Mitsubishi.

All three RAW versions feature a RAW finish that reveals the Aluminum Vapor (AV) Coated Weave in the butt section, a visible look at the added stability this unique weave provides.
- TENSEI™ AV RAW Blue features the softest mid-section and the most action of the three RAW shafts, leading to a smooth feel without a big hinge and kick.
- The TENSEI™ AV RAW Orange is a Counter-Balanced shaft with more weight placed near the grip and hands for greater stability and control and is a slightly softer offering than the RAW White in the mid/tip section.
- The TENSEI™ AV RAW White features the stiffest tip section and lowest spin of the trio of RAW shaft offerings, while still offering smooth action that doesn’t feel boardy.
Exotics Pro 721 Hybrid

The “straight from the tour van” Exotics Pro 721 Hybrid is a Limited-Edition small batch production that is being offered to the public in only 1000 total pieces.

The Exotics Pro 721 Hybrid ultra-compact shape was designed to be the most iron-like hybrid on the market. It features tour-inspired shape with a tour-prototype look and feel that features a new matte finish on the crown.

Exotics clubs have been in play by over 120 different PGA TOUR players with over 1,600 Exotics clubs in play on the three PGA Tours over the past few seasons.

The Pro 721 hybrid was designed with the feedback from those PGA TOUR professionals

Tour-Inspired Shape – The limited-edition Pro 721 Hybrid features tour-inspired ultra-compact shape with a deeper square-face. Ball strikers with faster swing speeds tend to gravitate towards smaller, more compact hybrid designs that they can swing with an iron-like swing.

Extreme Heel and Toe Flight Tuning System – The clubhead features a Flight Tuning System (F.T.S.) adjustable heel (3 grams) and toe (15 grams) weights on the sole. Adjusting the F.T.S. dual weights in these ports that are placed to the extreme heel and toe of the clubhead can drastically affect ball flight and shaping shots in this compact design.

Diamond Face 2.0 Technology – Different diamond shapes of variable face thickness behind the face act as mini-trampolines to create faster ball speeds and expand the sweet spot to outer areas of the face. There are a total of 41 total Diamond shapes featured on Diamond Face 2.0 on the Pro 721 Hybrid.

Sound Diffusion Panels – Sound Diffusion Panels are placed strategically inside the club head vastly improves the acoustic engineering of the entire new Pro 721 metalwood line up.

TrueLoft System – A TrueLoft System ensures extra quality control in the bending process of unfinished Pro 721 hybrid heads and includes an extensive triple-check on loft and lie in the final stages of the manufacturing process. This commitment to making sure that each club head fits the exact intended loft helps players expertly dial in their preferred distances.

The Tour Edge R&D team expects an average of six to eight yards in between each loft, giving the Pro 721 a 24–36-yard distance gap from 17-degree to 20-degree.

Stock Shaft Options

The stock shaft for the Exotics Pro 721 Hybrid is the TENSEI AV RAW hybrid series from Mitsubishi.

Both of these RAW hybrid shafts feature a RAW finish that reveals the Aluminum Vapor (AV) Coated Weave in the butt section, a visible look at the added stability this unique weave provides.
- TENSEI™ AV RAW Blue hybrid shaft provides Mid-Launch, Mid-Spin properties.
- TENSEI™ AV RAW White hybrid shaft is the heavier option of the two and provides Low-Spin and Low-Launch.
July 19, 2021
First Look: Tour Edge Exotics EXS 220 Woods & Hybrids
Tour Edge, a little golf company from Chicago, had a great year in 2019. Their EXS and CBX 219 lines sold like hotcakes, they signed several prominent players on the PGA Tour Champions, and they rode that momentum into 2020.

This year’s EXS 220 clubs are the end result of that momentum. Tour Edge President David Glod’s strength is R&D and he has poured all of his knowledge of golf and advanced materials into the new clubs.
- Diamond Face Tech: Produces a hotter face with more ball speeds, less spin and more forgiveness.
- Sound Diffusion Bar: Using finite element analysis software, they added strategically placed material to alter the acoustic properties of the club. In other words – It sounds better!
- Max MOI: A new elongated shape and adjustable 9g back weight increases MOI (moment of inertia) for greater forgiveness. The 5440g per cubic meter is a 20% increase from the prior generation.
- Titanium Face: Using 8-1-1 ultra-premium titanium in the face allows Tour Edge to better distribute weight, as it is lighter than normal titanium.
- Triple Carbon Tech: Carbon fiber placed on the crown, heel and toe of the sole provides extreme weight savings and allows for repositioning of weight to increase forgiveness
- Adjustable Hosel: Loft can be adjusted +/- 2 degrees, creating a range of loft options between 7.5 and 14 in three heads.
I’ve fitted my EXS 220 driver with one of KBS Shafts’ new TD line of driver shafts. The KBS TD Driver shaft is new for 2020. This mid-launch, low spin shaft is ideal for stronger players. In fact, the Category 5 flex (Tour-X) that I have is even a bit too stiff for my 114-118 swing speeds. Still, this driver is an absolute missile launcher.

With a street price of $349, the Tour Edge Exotics EXS 220 driver is the best value of 2020. You simply can’t get a better performing driver for the price. This clubs outperforms many drivers costing $499 or more. It’s true what Tour Edge says: “Pound for pound, nothing else comes close.”

The EXS 220 three-wood and hybrid are in the hands of a club tester and based on his comments, I’m afraid I may not get them back!

Once I get some more data from the awesome little Flightscope Mevo launch monitor, I’ll post the data and compare with a few other drivers, fairways & hybrids I’ve tested for comparison. For now – Enjoy the photos and find a local demo day to try them out! You won’t regret it.
March 25, 2020
Father’s Day 2019 Gift Guide

Father’s day 2019 is less than 2 weeks away, and in case you feel inspired to shower dear ‘ol dad in golf gifts, we have some great ideas for you! Happy shopping!

Bombas Socks – Yes, get your dad some socks! Socks are very underrated, and a way better gift than ties. Bombas’ Performance Golf Ankle Socks look great, perform great and Bombas donates a pair for every pair sold!

Callaway Apparel Big & Tall – You know Callaway best for drivers that hit bombs, top selling irons and colorful golf balls, but their classy and timeless apparel collection can’t be overlooked. Their big & tall choices are diverse, and for larger men like me, that’s a big bonus because it’s tough to find good looking golf clothes in larger sizes.

Stamina Pro Patches – Let’s face it, dad isn’t getting any younger. Give dad a little help getting those joints moving so he can play his best. These “active recovery” patches contain no drugs or synthetic chemicals, come in three different sizes and last 24 hours. The patches reduce inflammation, promote recovery, and optimize performance according to the company. Used on tour by Justin Rose, Tony Finau and others.

Enveed Golf CBD Blends – CBD/Cannabidiol products are all the rage these days, but not without controversy. Enveed Golf’s CBD blend is non-psychoactive and does NOT contain THC, so it will NOT get you high. Instead their full spectrum hemp extract is said to organically help alleviate pain, improve focus and help you relax in those anxious golf moments. CBD products are being used with increasing frequency on tour by players like Bubba Watson and Phil Mickelson. I’ve been using their tinctures for a few days and it seems to be helping!

Bushnell Pro XE Rangefinder – Our 2019 PGA Show best rangefinder is a range topping technological marvel for golfers. In slope mode, the Pro XE uses temperature and barometric pressure to more accurately adjust distances. It is the only 7x magnification rangefinder on the market and can hit a reflective flag at up to 500 yards. Plus it has magnets built in so it’ll stick to the roof posts on that golf cart to be at arm’s reach anytime you need it.

SkyCaddie SX500 – Not the rangefinder type? Get the best golf GPS device on the market – The SkyCaddie SX500. It has a huge, bright and responsive touch screen display, impressive battery life and a huge database of courses with detail info on hazards, bunkers and even green contours on select courses. The only place you’ll get more information about a course than the SX500 is in tour player’s yardage books.

Indi Golf Stingray Wedges – Indi Golf makes high-spinning wedges for all kinds of players. Their Stingray TT wedges offer 2 grind options, 2 finish options and they look & perform great. Things get really interesting when you pick up the USGA non-conforming Stingray wedge with huge box grooves. The spin you can produce around the greens is hilarious, and addicting!

Revo Eyewear – It’s time to ditch the old aviators. Instead, get dad a cool pair of sunglasses from Revo! They make modern, technologically advanced polarized sunglasses that are great for golfers, boaters and everyday wear. Check out their many styles and lens options here.

Exotic EXS Driver – Everybody wants a new driver, right? Why pay the premium for a big name brand when you can get the same or better performance from a driver that costs $100 less? Tour Edge Golf’s Exotics EXS is packed with technology and advanced materials, and sells for $399. Most of the competition sell their new drivers for $449, $499 and even $549. The Exotics EXS driver is simply the best bang for the buck in golf right now.

June 4, 2019
Phillis Meti Hits World Record 413 Yard Drive with Exotic EXS Driver

In case you missed it, World Long Drive held their first event of the season the other day. The Ak-Chin Smash in the Sun was held near Phoenix, Arizona and televised on the Golf Channel.

In the women’s final, the three-time and defending WLD World Champion Phillis Meti broke her own world record of 406 yards by hitting a drive 408 yards, then followed it up with a ridiculous 413-yard blast using her Tour Edge Exotics EXS driver. Meti has won two of the last three world titles with an Exotics driver in play.

If you’ve ever used a launch monitor to track your drives, you’ll no doubt be impressed with the 127 MPH club head speed and 182 MPH ball speed she recorded on the record setting drive.

“It hasn’t really even sunk in,” said Meti. “I didn’t even think that was possible. That’s probably the fastest I’ve ever swung it to be honest. Hopefully, I can stay on this path and keep riding the roller coaster for the rest of the season.”

Meti’s Driver – Exotics EXS

“The EXS driver is a $299 driver that has now won numerous awards and that has been put into play on the PGA Tours, but this takes the cake,” said Tour Edge President David Glod. “For Phillis to hit 408 and 413 and produce those kinds of ball speed numbers means that she is an extremely great long driver and that the EXS driver is the perfect fit and the perfect driver for her quest to become the world’s greatest.”

The new Exotics EXS driver represents one of the best values in golf by combining many of the same technologies you’ll find in drivers that cost $500 or more, yet they sell for only $299. Not only that, but all Exotics clubs are hand built in the United States in Batavia, Illinois and every Tour Edge club comes with a Lifetime Warranty and a 30-day play guarantee.

For more information on Phillis Meti and World Long Drive:

https://www.worldlongdrive.com

For more information about Tour Edge and Exotics golf clubs, visit:

https://www.touredge.com/index.asp

I Wanna Do That!

Interested in getting into the sport of long drive? You don’t have to turn pro and compete with the big boys and girls on the WLD – Start at the grassroots level by joining ALD – Amateur Long Drive!

The Amateur Long Drive Championship Series has local tours starting up all around the country and regional events all leading to the ALD World Championships in Myrtle Beach.

What separates ALD from the rest? ALD has 14 divisions to compete in! There are Boys & Girls Youth (13 & under), Junior (13 – 17) and Men’s and Women’s Open (17+), Senior (45-60), Super Senior (60+), Veteran and Adaptive divisions.

Long drive is fun, fast paced and growing quick all around the country! For more information, rules and to sign up for an ALD event near you, visit www.amateurlongdrive.com

April 18, 2019
True Spec Golf: Next Level Club Fitting

Most people are familiar with the concept of club fitting, and most golfers have probably been through some kind of fitting for their clubs at one point or another. As equipment has evolved, fitting has evolved with it. Adjustable drivers and interchangeable shafts have greatly benefitted club fitting professionals, allowing them to tune the clubs for each golfer. With the amount of technology available in the modern game, club fitting has become even more precise and important to get the best possible performance out of your clubs.

The Technology

Like many companies, True Spec Golf is taking advantage of technology to provide advanced club fitting for golfers of every ability. Unlike manufacturer specific fitting carts at those big box stores, True Spec Golf is brand-agnostic. Because of that, their fitting matrix stocks more than 30,000 combinations of club heads and shafts from all the leading equipment manufacturers. They combine that amazing selection with high performance launch monitors from industry leaders TrackMan and Foresight, and they use advanced tools like their patented Club-Connex adapter system to fit any shaft to any head, and the SST Pure Shaft Alignment System to ensure you get the best performance from your shafts.

The Mission

I visited True Spec’s fitting studio at Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter, Florida to get fitted for a three-wood. For years, finding a three-wood that performs the way I want has been like finding my personal golf unicorn. I primarily use a three-wood off the tee, so want one that has low spin and mid-low ball flight for distance, but I also want the club to perform well from the fairway if I want to go for a long par five in two from 250+ yards. Finding the perfect combo has been tough. I came very close last year with the Exotics CB Pro and have had some success with my newest gamer (an Exotics EX10 beta), but after several months of testing both clubs are just too spinny for me.

The fitting process takes place in a clean, modern fitting studio that opens into the driving range at Trump National. No indoor hitting bays here! I want to see the actual ball flight, not a computer simulation. My fitter Matthew welcomed me and let me hit some warm-up shots with my own clubs to get loose while he watched and gathered some swing and ball flight data from the Trackman. Watching my swing and Trackman data while I warmed up helped him select a few shafts and heads to get the fitting process started with.

The Process & Results

Even though the True Spec fitting studio has over 30,000 possible shaft/head combinations available, an experienced fitting professional like Matt can use that Trackman data to quickly eliminate the shafts he knows won’t work for me, streamlining the process and saving time. Using True Spec’s Club-Connex system, Matt set up a trio of three-woods for me to hit, each with a different shaft & head combo. I would hit 4 or 5 shots with each and switch back and forth between clubs while he made loft/lie adjustments or changed out shafts and kept handing me different combos to try. All told, I hit fairway woods from Ping, Exotics, Taylor Made, Titleist, PXG, Callaway and a few others.

After hitting about 50 shots, we started to zero in on the best performing head and shaft combinations. When you are using a top of the line TrackMan launch monitor you can be certain that the data you get will be accurate. In my case, the numbers don’t lie. Compared to my gamer three-wood, (Exotics EX10 beta with 13 degrees of loft fitted to a Graphite Design G70x shaft) the club Matt put together for me (Ping G400 14.5, turned down to 13.9 degrees fitted with Fujikura ATMOS Tour Spec Red 80x) was giving me 8.6 yards more carry distance and 10.3 more yards total distance. That’s a huge increase for me!

How’d He Do It?

How did Matt help me gain 10 yards with a new three-wood? Again, it’s all about the numbers. By selecting a club head (Ping G400) with a hot face and low spin, we were able to decrease my spin rate by an average of 678 RPMs! Because of the lower spin, we needed to increase my launch angle to maximize carry distance. By selecting a Fujikira ATMOS Red shaft with a slightly lower kickpoint, he was able to bring my launch angle up from from 9.3 degrees to 11. High launch – Low spin. That, my friends, is the recipe for greater distance.

As I mentioned in another recent article, finding the right shaft & head combination for you can pay off big, with more distance and consistency. In that post I mated a Ping G400 driver with the new shaft from TPT golf to gain 9 yards off the tee over my previous gamer – the Ping G. Was it purely by chance that the G400 three-wood also happened to be the best performing fairway wood for me?

I’m mildly shocked but very pleased about gaining 9+ yards with both my new Ping driver and three-woods, considering both clubs were fitted for me independently of each other. What that says to me is the Ping’s G400 line are very good clubs, especially when fitted with the right shaft by an expert club fitter. Even better, I finally found my golf unicorn – a versatile, consistent performing three-wood!

You Probably Need A Fitting

What is it worth to you to gain distance throughout the bag, while improving the feel and consistency of all your clubs? True Spec’s fitting process works, and it’s guaranteed. For more information, visit https://www.truespecgolf.com/ I’ve been preaching the benefits of club fitting for years, and I’ll continue to champion the cause. It really does make a difference in your game, no matter what your handicap.

February 27, 2018
WITB – June 2017

My very first WITB post was written in September of 2015 before I left for the WAGT National Championship in Pennsylvania. Since then a lot has changed. In fact, nothing from that bag remains in play for me today, including the bag itself! All fourteen clubs have changed, I got a new staff bag from the WAGT and I’ve even switched golf balls.

I love to tinker with equipment, but being a low handicap golfer with a self-taught swing means that in order to play my best I need custom fit clubs. This makes testing new clubs a bit of a challenge. Variations in a shaft’s weight, kickpoint and flex can send shots way offline if not fit properly. I’ve worked hard with my amazing club builder to get every club in my bag set up perfectly for my game, and I can’t tell you how important it is for your game to have your clubs properly tuned and fitted by a competent club fitter.

Now – Let’s dive into my golf bag(s) and talk about my clubs, and how they’re set up as well as my favorite gadgets and gizmos that help me play golf.

My Golf Bags, Accessories & Favorite Gadgets

While I would prefer to walk, I play golf using a motorized cart most of the time since it is mandatory at many Florida golf courses, and most of my golf buddies are too lazy to walk with me at the courses that allow it. For that reason, I alternate between a custom 10.5″ Burton USA staff bag I got when I qualified to represent Team USA at the World Amateur Golfer’s Championship in 2015 and a new Sun Mountain 4.5 LS carry bag.

I’ve only had the Sun Mountain 4.5 LS carry bag for a few months, but I’m a big fan of the innovative design and efficient use of space. It’s the heaviest of Sun Mountain’s carry options, but also adapts well to life on a golf cart and holds everything I need to bring with me with ease. My Burton “Team USA” staff bag is huge and heavy, but I can pack it with everything I’ll need for tournament golf like some snacks, 32oz sports drinks, extra towels, rain gear and more. Despite the large size, I can shoehorn it nicely into my Club Glove Last Bag travel case and go anywhere in the world with it easily. So far I’ve logged over 20,000 miles of international travel on in without incident.

I like to have as much information as possible when playing, so I frequently combine the use of a GPS distance device with a laser rangefinder to get accurate yardage information and help plotting my way around the course. To that end, my distance measuring devices of choice are the SkyCaddie TOUCH and the Leupold GX-5i³ laser rangefinder. Both devices are one of the best available in each category, and function flawlessly. Adding Frogger Golf’s Latch-It rangefinder strap makes using the rangefinder that much easier, and the Latch-It ecosystem is my favorite new golf gadget in years. While I haven’t posted a round with it in a while, GAME GOLF is still a fun and easy way to track stats and help you improve. Since most of my clubs have changed, I plan to start using GAME GOLF again this summer to see how the newer clubs perform compared to the older ones.

Driver – Ping G LS-TEC 9°

Ping gave us one of the best drivers in the game a few years ago when they introduced the G30 and G30 LS-TEC drivers. I was fortunate to see amazing accuracy gains of 30% with it while still getting more distance over my old driver. Also fortunate for me, Ping later introduced the G LS-TEC driver that I now use. It is fitted with the Ping Tour 80 shaft in X-Flex, which is a custom option. They updated the head and made it sound a little different, but I haven’t gotten enough data to know if it’s really longer and straighter as they claim. Either way, I hit it great and recommend it for anyone that wants the best blend of distance with accuracy and forgiveness.

Fairway Woods – Tour Edge Exotics EX10 Beta

My recent struggle to find the perfect three-wood has been well documented, but when Tour Edge came out with the Exotics CB Pro f2 last year thought I had found my new fairway howitzer. It is a very high performance, versatile three wood that averages almost 260 yards and I couldn’t be happier with it. But – Tour Edge being one of the leading golf club companies when it comes to technology, they took some of the best design features from previous fairway wood designs and combined them using new a manufacturing process and created the Exotics EX10 and EX10 beta fairways. I immediately ordered the EX10 beta in 13 degrees with the new Project X HZRDUS Black shaft. I had my club fitter tweak it to my specs with a spine-alignment and swing weight adjustment, re-gripped it with my preferred Golf Pride MCC Plus4 grips and it is now ready for prime time. It’s very new and I’ve only played 18 holes with it so far, but the results have been impressive and I’ve already hit some tee shots with it to places I’ve never seen before. I can’t wait to try it out on the launch monitor.

Hybrids/Long Irons – Srixon Z H45 & U45

I got my Srixon Z H45 hybrid and Z U45 utility irons back in 2015 and from the first ball I knew I had something special in my hands. Even though it is marked with a number two, the Z H45 hybrid has 16 degrees of loft which makes it more of a one iron. As a result, it hits low, piercing bullets which makes it great for use off the tee, but not very versatile for approach shots. Depending on the course, this club may be swapped for a 50 degree gap wedge. It is fitted with an amazingly consistent Aerotech hls880 hybrid shaft.

I have two Srixon Z U45 long irons in the bag – The 20º and 23º models, which are my three iron and four iron. I absolutely love hitting these clubs. Forget about traditional long irons, these utilities are amazingly easy to hit while being more versatile and just as forgiving as a hybrid. My only regret is not replacing my old long irons with utilities like these much sooner.

Irons – Srixon Z745 (5-PW)

My irons are the 2015 model year Srixon Z745 cavity back forged irons. They replaced my Cleveland CG16 Tour Concept irons from 2010. The Srixon irons have a little less offset than the Cleveland irons which took a wee bit of adjustment for me, but I adapted to the new clubs quickly. I’ve been playing Aerotech Steelfiber shafts in my irons for over 5 years and I saw no reason to change with these clubs. I fitted them with the Steelfiber i110 constant weight shafts. There’s nothing like the feel you get from a forged iron with a graphite shaft, and with Aerotech you get that awesome graphite feel with the consistency and control of steel. I keep saying it over and over, but Aerotech really does make the best shafts in golf.

Wedges – Hopkins CJ1 (54 & 60)

When Greg Hopkins left Cleveland Golf in 2012, took one of Cleveland’s lead designers with him and formed Hopkins Golf, I became an instant fan. What Hopkins was doing essentially was selling a Cleveland look-alike wedge cast from soft 8620 steel direct to the customer that you could customize with various grind options and plenty of paint fill and stamping choices. I got a raw lob wedge with the channel grind and fell in love instantly. Sadly, Hopkins Golf seems to have shut down operations since mid 2016, so I took to the interwebs to find some and discovered a website that had the discontinued wedges I wanted in stock, so I ordered two for $60 each.

The other change I made in my wedges was going to a softer shaft. After consulting with my club fitter, we decided it would be best for me to switch from a Dynamic Gold X100 to the softer S400 that is so popular on tour. After a half-dozen rounds with the new wedges I’m glad I did and a little peeved that I didn’t so it years ago. At least now I have a three-wedge setup that works well for most situations. I still swap the 2 hybrid or 3 iron out for a SCOR 50º gap wedge on occasion if the course demands it, and will be replacing the SCOR 50º with a Hopkins 50º soon for a matching set.

Putter – Scotty Cameron Select Newport 2 Notchback Dual Balance

The most important club in my bag is the putter. It is also the club I struggle with the most, and as a result it becomes the club that changes most often. I have a bad habit of changing putters whenever I have a bad day on the greens, and these frequent putter changes only compound the problem by hurting consistency. I suppose that’s one of the drawbacks of being a golf blogger and having a couple dozen putters in the garage, all fighting for my attention.

When I really think about it, I’m being unnecessarily hard on myself because my putting statistics are very good compared to other players of my ability, but that’s the point – I’m trying to improve, not be average. Using a tool like GAME GOLF has shown me that I need to make more putts in the 5-15 foot scoring range. I think just sticking with one putter will help, so that’s my goal.

GAME GOLF Putting Stats

The putter I’ll be sticking with is a good one, even if the name is way too long and complicated – In my bag is the Scotty Cameron Select Newport 2 Notchback Dual Balance. It is like the standard Newport 2 Notchback but measures 38 inches long, has a 50 gram back-weight in the handle and features a larger head with an additional 50 grams of weight – hence the name Dual Balance. The idea with all the extra weight is to help slow down your stroke and eliminate the small muscles that tend to sabotage putting strokes. I love the heft and balance of this putter and if it’s a Scotty you know it rolls the ball well. My only gripe with Scotty Cameron is that they tend to have more loft (3.5º) than I like in a putter.

The Golf Ball

Last but certainly not least, since our last WITB post I have a new golf ball. In 2000 Titleist introduced the legendary Pro V1 golf ball and killed my beloved Titleist Tour Prestige and Tour Professional, effectively ending the wound golf ball era. In the coming years I struggled mightily adjusting to the new solid core golf balls. Eventually I found the Srixon Z-UR balls in 2005 and most recently played with the Srixon Z-Star & Z-Star XV until early 2016.

In early 2016 at the PGA Show in Orlando I met with the folks from Bridgestone to talk about their new B330 line and came away impressed. After a few rounds of testing the new B330, I switched. I ordered a case of the B330 balls with my logo, and an additional ten dozen without a logo so I’m set with enough golf balls to last me several years. The B33o is very similar to the Z-Star XV I used to play, but spins a bit more around the greens and flies a bit straighter in the wind. It’s very durable for a “tour” ball and I’ve been very happy with it so far.

June 13, 2017
2017 PGA Show – 6 Standout Products

For the golf industry, the biggest day of the new year arrived on Wednesday, January 25th with the opening of the 2017 PGA Merchandise Show. We walked around the massive Orange County Convention Center yesterday and took in all the sights and sounds. As one of my friends who was attending for the first time said as we walked into the main hall – “I’m in sensory overload right now!”

There are over 1000 exhibiting companies and over 40,000 attendees from 90 countries so it’s nearly impossible to see everything, but here are a few of the products and companies that got our attention and are making a buzz this year.

Tour Edge Exotics XJ1

Originally intended for the Japanese market, Tour Edge decided to bring their “Super metal” driver and fairways to the US market after the overwhelmingly positive feedback from testers. With a body made from lighter and more flexible 9-1-1 Titanium bonded to an amorphous Kevlar-carbon crown and paired with a 45 gram Fujikura Air Speeder shaft, the XJ1 driver is designed to perform best for golfers who swing under 100 mph, delivering higher ball speeds and more distance for slower swingers. I attended a private Tour Edge media event on Monday and the club is living up to the hype. The fairway woods may be even better. The heavy tungsten sole represents two thirds the weight of the club, placing the center of gravity very low and making them very easy to hit. Technology and performance come at a price however – The XJ1’s MSRP is $599 and the fairways retail for $449. Given Exotics’ reputation for making awesome clubs, they are going to be worth the price. Just ask anyone who has an Exotics driver or fairway wood in their bag.

Single Length Irons

If you haven’t heard about single length irons yet, you probably will this year, starting right here. The idea is simple. By making all your irons the same length (usually between 37.5 to 38.5″ long, or the length of a 6 or 7 iron) you will be more consistent because the setup position will be identical for every club. The concept was brought to national prominence by NCAA and US Amateur Champ and Bryson Dechambeau and he’s continued to use the single length irons on the PGA Tour after signing an endorsement deal with Cobra/Puma Golf. Naturally, Cobra is now marketing a set of single length irons, and so is the company Bryson’s original irons were made by – Edel Golf.

The concept is interesting and has its merits, but there are also a few drawbacks. Because the length and lie angle of every iron are identical, with only the loft changing, distance variation or gapping between clubs will shrink. If every club is the length of a six iron, that means you’ll hit your long irons shorter than normal and your short irons further than normal. I personally feel that transitioning from a 38.5″ pitching wedge to a 35″ sand wedge will prove challenging for many, but I’m hoping to have a chance to test the concept this season and report on the findings here!

Ouul Bags

Pronounced OWL, this new company produces light-weight golf bags and luggage with striking colors, patterns and designs. A particular favorite of mine is the Ouul Python Collection stand bags. They are super light weight but very sturdy, with handles around the top that make handling the bag so much easier when walking the course. The bags only weigh 2.7 pounds and come in ten different colors.

Honma

Honma is a Japanese manufacturer that has been around for over 50 years. While they’ve been well known in Japan for decades, they are just starting to make waves in North America. They made worldwide news recently when Japanese PM Shinzo Abe gave US President-elect Donald Trump a $3700 gold-colored Honma driver as a gift.

While speaking to him yesterday, Marketing, Media & Public Relations Manager Keith Patterson pointed out that Honma Golf enjoys 100% market share in the “over $50,000 golf clubs” segment. While this is funny, it’s also true. Honma makes a set that sells for $50,000 and includes graphite shafts infused with gold flakes, gold plated club heads and hand stitched golf bag.

While a $50,000 set of gold clubs makes for an interesting story, it’s important to note that Honma makes clubs for serious players also, and they are very, very good. I’ve been disappointed with Honma in the past, but the company culture has changed. With several new faces in the management team, a can-do attitude and contagious energy, they are entering the US market with a vengeance and the PGA Show floor is buzzing with excitement about their clubs. We’ll be bringing some in depth coverage to this brand in 2017, so keep an eye out!

Ecco Cage Pro SPYDR-GRIP

Ecco makes golf shoes that I think have the best combination of fit, durability, comfort and performance on the market. They continue to innovate and bring to market some of the best looking and best performing golf shoes in the world. For 2017, they have a new model called the ECCO CAGE PRO featuring a new SPYDA-GRIP sole with naturally placed pivot points for better traction and grip.

Hickies

For people like me that are lazy and hate tying shoes, you’ll want to take a look at the Hickies lacing system. Replacing your laces with the memory-fit elastomer Hickies lacing system turns any shoe into a slip-on. The stretchable Hickies help customize the fit of your shoes without much effort and they look cool too. Multiple color options allow you to customize the look of your golf shoes also. Hickies burst on the golf scene in 2016 when Danny Willett won the Masters wearing shoes laced with Hickies.

January 26, 2017
The Search for the Perfect 3-Wood

My golf buddies are well aware of my struggle. I’ve had a love-hate relationship with my three wood for a long time. For whatever reason – and there have been many – I have had a terrible time trying to find the right combination of loft, club head and shaft to make a three wood that is good enough for me to count on. For me, a three wood has to be versatile. I need to hit it well off the tee and off the fairway. It has to be forgiving but workable, and the ball flight cannot be too high or too low. Because of my very specific needs for this club, (bordering on obsessive compulsive) it has taken me the better part of a decade to find the perfect three wood, but I think the search is finally over.

My first three wood was a Spalding Executive with a ladies flex steel shaft. I actually hit it further than my driver, as many beginners often do. Soon after titanium drivers took the market by storm, my old Taylor Made Original One 12 degree driver became my (strong) three wood. For the last decade I have relied on an Adams Golf RPM LP Tour Prototype three wood with 13 degrees of loft and a Fujikura Rombax shaft. I got the club from a player that was on the Senior PGA Tour back in 2005 (Now called PGA Tour Champions) and it has stayed in the bag for over 10 years. When the rest of my golf game went to crap, I could always count on my three wood to produce good shots for me.

I’ve tested and played with countless fairway woods in the ten years since I got my Adams RPM, and until this summer I wasn’t able to find a three wood that performed well enough to replace the “gamer” Adams. A few came very close, but ultimately were rejected. The first was the Ping Rapture. With 13 degrees of loft, a larger club head and 43.5 inch shaft, the Rapture is more of a “2-wood” or “fairway driver,” and while I hit it a mile, it wasn’t versatile enough. The next candidate was the new Tour Edge Exotics CB Pro F2. After testing various Exotics clubs in the past like the CB3 & CB4 Tour, XCG7, EX9 and E8, I was excited to try the flagship model CB Pro F2. This club has an amazing blend of technology packed into a compact but classic looking club head, but the stock Mitsubishi Rayon KURO KAGE Silver Tini Series shaft wasn’t quite right for me. Keeping that in mind, a search for the right shaft to pair with the CB Pro F2 was underway.

When I arrived at the 2016 PGA Demo Day in Orlando, I wandered by the Aerotech Golf booth and stopped in to see owner Chris Hilleary and catch up. I have been playing the amazing Aerotech Steelfiber graphite shafts in my irons for over 5 years and discovered that he had now developed a new Steelfiber fairway wood shaft. After hitting his demo club fitted with the new Steelfiber SS85 shaft, I knew I had found the perfect match for the Exotics CB Pro.

I immediately ordered an Aerotech Steelfiber SS85 shaft and when the CB Pro F2 three wood arrived. I dropped everything off with my club maker. When I got the finished club back, I went out to test it. The results were as expected, and very exciting. The face of the CB Pro F2 is very hot and the Steelfiber SS85 shaft produces a mid launch without ballooning. The shaft is amazingly consistent as usual for the Steelfiber line, and it never feels boardy or unplayable. Going from a three wood with 13 degrees of loft to one with 14.5 degrees will obviously affect the ball flight. One would expect that increasing loft would result in a corresponding drop-off in distance, but so far in early testing with Game Golf the CB Pro F2 is actually averaging 4 yards more from all lies (255 yards vs. 251 yards) than my old Adams RPM. This very likely has to do with the advance in technology and materials since 2005 when the Adams was released to market. The Adams is made of steel, while the Exotics has a steel body and a beta titanium cup face with a much higher “spring” effect, or coefficient of restitution.

It is still early as I’ve only had it in the bag for a month or so, but so far the Exotics CB Pro F2 (14.5 loft) fitted with an Aerotech Steelfiber SS85 shaft is a big winner. This three wood can hit all the shots and has just the right amount of forgiveness, power and control. It looks awesome, sounds solid and produces consistent shots from the tee or the fairway. I’ve finally found a fairway wood worthy of replacing my old gamer for good. The CB Pro F2 is so good in fact, that I’ll be looking into getting the 17.5 degree five wood to match it!

While the Exotics CB Pro F2 may not be for everyone, Tour Edge’s Exotics line has something for everyone and I consider them some of the best performing fairways on the market. Even if you prefer another company’s fairway woods, if you are looking for the consistency of steel and the power of graphite in moderately weighted fairway wood shafts, I highly suggest looking at Aerotech’s Steelfiber SS offerings in 65, 75, and 85 gram weights. They are an amazing compliment to their game-changing iron and hybrid shafts.

Thanks to Tour Edge and Aerotech, after almost a decade of searching for and trying hundreds of fairway woods, I think I have finally found the closest thing possible to the perfect three wood.

November 2, 2016
WITB – November 2015

Back in September I posted my first “What’s In The Bag” segment that detailed the clubs I play with. WITB posts are pretty popular on other sites when they post pictures of PGA Tour players and their preferred equipment. It’s always interesting to see what the best players in the world play with, and the market for “tour van” or hard to find equipment – especially putters – is huge. Forget that most people couldn’t possibly hit the clubs that tour players use, they still want them for the exclusivity and cool factor. I’ll admit, I’m one of those people that love being unique and having things that nobody else has.

It’s for good reason that people are curious about the golf bags of PGA Tour players, but not many people care about what a lowly golf blogger plays with. It’s a shame too, because I think my fellow bloggers and golf media people are in a much better position to help others when it comes to getting the right equipment.

While the average touring pro is well paid to endorse a company’s golf clubs, golf writers and bloggers aren’t. That’s not to say we don’t get our share of sweetheart deals or eek out a tiny profit from online affiliate sales, but nobody I know that runs a golf blog is making much more than enough to keep the site going and pay for the occasional round of golf.

Golf writers and bloggers do however have access to and get to play with a ton of different clubs, and the ones that go in our golf bags as “gamers” have cut through the marketing hype and passed the test. Just like my buddy Tony from hookedongolfblog.com, in my golf bag on any given weekend sits a who’s who of golf manufacturers you may or may not have heard of. If we’re playing them, you can be pretty confident that they are a good buy.

Since the end of September all but 3 of the clubs in my bag have changed. No less than 6 different golf equipment companies are represented in my bag.

What’s in the bag?

Driver: Ping G30 LS-TEC (9° w/ Ping Tour 80x)
Fairway: Tour Edge Exotics E8 Tour (14° w/ Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana S+ 70x)
Hybrid: Srixon Z H45 (16° w/ Aerotech hls880 x-flex)
Utility Irons: Srixon Z U45 (20° & 23° w/ Aerotech Steelfiber i110cw x-flex)
Irons: Srixon Z745 5-PW (w/ Aerotech Steelfiber i110cw x-flex)
Wedges: Ben Hogan TK15 50° & 54° (w/ KBS Tour-V 120X)
Lob Wedge: Hopkins Golf CJ-1 60° (Custom channel grind w/ Dynamic Gold X-100)
Putter: Cure RX3F Putter
Ball: Srixon Z-Star XV

What’s New?

The clubs that didn’t change? My Tour Edge Exotics E8 Tour three wood, which gets a fresh new grip, my trusty Hopkins Golf CJ-1 60° wedge and the ugly-duckling-but-impossible-to-mis-hit Cure RX3F putter.

The biggest changes are the replacement of my aging Cleveland CG16 Tour Concept irons with the fantastic new Srixon Z745 irons. These irons are currently in play by most of Cleveland/Srixon’s tour staff including Graeme McDowell, Keegan Bradley, Russell Knox and many others. I also replaced the 3 and 4 irons with the Srixon ZU45 utility clubs which are much easier to hit, and the old Cleveland hybrid is replaced by a new Srixon ZH45 hybrid. All the new clubs get Aerotech Steelfiber shafts. The Srixon irons and utilities are made of forged 1020 steel and look as good as they perform.

I changed drivers this month also. I switched out the Ping G30 driver for the Ping G30 LS-TEC. There’s not much difference between the two as they look identical, but the LS-TEC spins a little less according to Ping.

I also have some new wedges in the bag. Gone (but not forgotten) are the SCOR 50° and 54° wedges I was so fond of. Fortunately they’ve been upgraded to Ben Hogan TK15 wedges. For those who aren’t familiar with SCOR and Ben Hogan, they are run by the same brilliant golf mind – Terry Koehler. SCOR Golf became Ben Hogan when he resurrected the iconic Ben Hogan brand from the ashes of golf equipment history. His amazing v-sole wedges live on in the Ban Hogan brand however. The new TK15 wedges perform the same as the older SCOR wedges and look fantastic in the new Hogan design. They are also a perfect match for the Hogan Fort Worth 15 irons, which players can customize to their liking. The Ben Hogan TK15 wedges are available from 48° to 63° and every loft in between. The HoganFit fitting process is designed to customize a set of wedges that will compliment your current irons and offer consistent distance gaps to help you score better inside 125 yards, where almost 65% of shots are taken.

Finally, new in my golf bag this month is the golf bag itself! My special WAGT “Team USA” golf bag recently arrived from Burton and it looks fantastic. The amazing Last Bag travel bag I got from Club Glove is going to be protecting my clubs while traveling. I’m one of the few fortunate souls to be proudly representing the US in the World Amateur Golfers Championship in December in Antalya, Turkey.

Antalya is one of the ten most frequented tourist destinations in the world, and is in the southwestern part of Turkey in a region called the Turkish Riviera. We’ll be at the all-inclusive Gloria Golf Resort competing over 54 holes in a team format with 40 other countries. I’ll be posting photos and updates on the event when we get there!

November 17, 2015
Tour Edge Launches New Exotics EX9 Drivers
Tour Edge Golf is one of those club companies that tends to fly under the radar, but really shouldn’t. Their Exotics brand has been one of the best fairway woods in golf for years, and they have a strong following on tour even if they don’t pay anyone to endorse their stuff. My Exotics E8 Tour 3-wood is the best I’ve hit in years, and found a spot in my bag after just a few swings on the range.

Tour Edge continues to innovate and push the envelope with their Exotics branded clubs, and because they don’t spend millions in marketing and TV advertising, they can devote more resources to R&D. That’s one of the reasons why their clubs frequently outperform their competition. The new Exotics EX9 drivers should be no exception.

There will be two new models available when this driver starts shipping on November 15 – The EX9 and EX9 Tour. The EX9 driver has a 460cc draw-enhancing club head available in 10° and 12° designed to deliver forgiving, high-flying drives. The Tour model is a pear-shaped, 430cc head with a deeper face (in 9° and 10° lofts) to deliver low-spin and faster ball speeds. Both models feature an adjustable hosel to help fitting and alter ball flight with eight different settings including the ability to add or subtract loft.
“On the new EX9 models we moved the center of gravity much deeper in the head for super high MOI numbers,” said David Glod, president and founder of Tour Edge Golf. “This translates into our lowest spinning drivers to date and a greatly increased sweet zone for longer drives from all areas on the face.”

Several technological features like Full-Speed Impact design help create more club head sped by sloping the crown of the club to reduce drag. The narrow slot behind the face called the power grid allows the club face to flex on impact for more ball speed and added forgiveness. Also adding a another degree of customization is the interchangeable sole weight. The weight port is located in the heel on the EX9 for draw enhancement while the EX9 Tour driver has the post in the extreme rear of the club for spin and trajectory changes. 3, 9 and 11 gram weights are available separately.

Suggested retail:

$299 for the EX9

$399 for the EX9 Tour

Shaft offerings:

EX9 − Mitsubishi Bassara E-Series, Fujikura Exotics PRO and PRO Tour, Matrix Exotics White, Red, and Black Tie

EX9 Tour − Aldila Rogue Silver 60 and 70, Mitsubishi Diamana S+, M+, and D+

Every Tour Edge club comes with a lifetime warranty and a 30-day play guarantee. For more information, call (800) 515- 3343 or visit www.touredge.com.
October 7, 2015
10 Club Companies That Fly Under The Radar

Here in the US, spring is approaching and some of us will be out to buy new clubs. Considering the beating the golf industry has been taking in a down economy, the major brands are still spending millions in advertising to get your business. Everybody knows about the big boys like TaylorMade, Callaway, Titleist, Cleveland and a few others who dominate the market, but there are many more companies out there that make great golf clubs that you won’t see in the pages of Golf Magazine or on the Golf Channel. Here are just ten club companies that tend to fly under the radar.

1. Piretti Putters – Founded in 2008 by Mike Johnson, Piretti makes top notch milled putters. His designs are a little different, in that they tend to use more weight (15-45 grams more) in their putters and less loft than most for a smooth, consistent roll. As a result, their putters are some of the best feeling flat sticks I’ve ever used, and the Cortino LN model is a personal favorite of mine.

2. James Patrick Golf – Having studied under some of the finest club builders and grinders in the world, James Patrick started grinding his own wedges a few years later and the rest is history. His wedges are forged by Kyoei in Japan, one of the finest forge houses in the world. Building custom, hand ground wedges isn’t cheap, but the finished product is more than a golf club. For serious golfers, his wedges are works of art. Update 2017: James left for a job at Titleist/Acushnet for a number of years and his website went away, but he’s back and partnered with Titleist to continue pushing the envelope and making awesome scoring clubs.

3. Royal Collection – While virtually unknown in the USA, Royal Collection has been ranked #1 in the fairway woods and hybrids category for 7 consecutive years, according to the Darrel Survey. Once known outside Japan as Sonartec, they’ve since dropped the brand. Known mostly for their fairway woods, they offer a full line of premium quality clubs, including the popular and gorgeous looking Tour VS forged irons. Editors Note – June 2017: This article was written in 2012 and from what I can tell, Royal Collection has pulled out of the US market to concentrate their efforts on the Japanese golf market.

4. Feel Golf – Having designed and built clubs for PGA Tour winners for years, Dr. Lee Miller has created some interesting clubs over the years. The most popular club in their lineup is the 73 degree wedge. Feel Golf is maybe the only company out there to reject the latest USGA groove rule and is still designing and selling square-grooved irons and wedges. Since the average golfer won’t have to switch until 2024, why not? Editors Note – June 2017: Feel Golf is no longer in business. My efforts to reach Dr. Miller were unsuccessful and I can’t find any presence on the web for his clubs.

5. Tour Edge Golf – Many readers will be familiar with Tour Edge, but I feel that they probably don’t get the credit they deserve. Their premium Exotics CB4 and XCG5 line of clubs are as good or better than any on the market, especially the fairway woods. Priced at $499, the Exotics CU irons are probably the best “bang for the buck” iron set in golf.

6. Henry Griffitts – Since the 1980s, Henry-Griffitts has been a pioneer in custom club fitting, and those who have played with their clubs tend to remain loyal for many years. Available only at select golf clubs, each player is fit for his set by a certified club fitting professional. Their new T12 forged blades are sure to appeal to the purists and low handicappers out there.

7. Byron Morgan Putters – Another small putter maker, Byron Morgan has built a cult following on golf websites such as The Putter Place and Puttertalk.com. Byron’s putters are all made one at a time to the exact specifications of the buyer. If you’ve always wanted a putter made just for you, Byron Morgan is one of the few people out there that can make it happen.

8. SCOR Golf – President Terry Koehler has come up with a short game scoring system that is unlike anything in the golf industry. His system replaces your short irons with his, which are precisely fit for your swing and set makeup. They offer every loft available from 41 to 61 degrees to come up with the best-matched set of scoring clubs available. There’s too much info to go over here, but check out their website for more info, and look for a full review of SCOR very soon! Editors Note – June 2017: Terry Koehler joined forces with Ben Hogan golf to revive that brand with his designs, which were an evolution of SCOR. While the company’s clubs were very well received, sales sputtered. While the Ben Hogan brand is still limping along during a restructuring, Mr Koehler has long since moved on to other opportunities.

9. Carnahan Golf – Carnahan is a boutique golf brand, available only in select golf course pro shops around the US. Carnahan’s wedges are as good as any major OEM’s offerings. In fact, my good buddy Tony from hookedongolfblog.com swears by them. Using heavier head weights and a longer shaft for versatility, these wedges are great scoring clubs. If you get a chance to try these clubs, don’t miss out!

10. Fourteen Golf – Another Japanese brand, Fourteen is picking up momentum in the competitive US golf market. Having signed PGA Tour players Ryuji Imada and Arjun Atwal to endorsement contracts, their awesome new RM-11 wedges are being played by many other touring pros without an endorsement. I’m also playing the RM-11 wedge, and I try dozens of different wedges every year. Fourteen’s wedges really are that good.

Well there you have it. Just ten of the golf industry’s lesser known brands. I’m sure I left off some good companies. There is also the accessories, apparel, golf balls and more. Maybe we’ll cover those next time. What company did I leave off? Which do you think belong or don’t belong on this list? Let me know what you think!

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March 27, 2012
Premium 3 Wood Shootout
For a while I’ve been searching for a replacement for my current 3-wood, which is an Adams RPM LP Tour Prototype with 13 degrees of loft, fitted with the awesome Fujikura Rombax 7W06 shaft. It is over five years old, but I have yet to find a club that can beat it. I put it in play at a US Open Qualifier 3 years ago and haven’t even thought about changing it until this year. Considering I picked it up for only $40 on eBay, I would say I got my money’s worth. I set out to test three new fairway wood models designed for better players in an effort to find the successor to the 3-wood throne in my golf bag. After several rounds and hundreds of range balls, I think I finally have a winner.

Over the summer, I traded in a hybrid I won at a tournament for a Taylor Made R11 TP 3-wood, intending to sell it. When the buyer backed out I decided to give it a shot. It has 14 degrees loft and a Fujikura Motore F3 80x shaft. For the testing, it was set up neutral on the FCT adjustable hosel. I recently received the Tour Edge Exotics CB4 Tour 3-wood (15 degrees, Aldila RIP Sigma X-Flex) for review, and Nike Golf sent me their new VR Pro Limited Edition 3-wood (also 15 degrees, Diamana ‘Ahina, X-Flex) at the same time, so I decided to test the Exotics and Nike head-to-head with the Taylor Made. As a control, I used my trusty old Adams.

All 3 clubs are fitted with high quality shafts, and all 3 are very solid feeling clubs. I didn't notice any measurable distance advantage with any club, but I would need to use a launch monitor to be sure. My Adams went the furthest, but that's because it has less loft than the others and I'm more familiar with it, having it in my bag for over 3 years. The Nike VR Pro Limited edition ($229 street price) and Exotics CB4 Tour ($299 street price) produced a mid-level ball flight that balloons just a tiny bit, but it’s predictable. The Taylor Made R11 TP ($299 street price) flew a bit lower with no ballooning (likely due to a stronger shaft and slightly lower loft). All 3 clubs are workable both ways, and they work well from a variety of lies. The Taylor Made tends to dig a bit and take a small divot, where the others glide over the turf. That is undesirable, and sometimes leads to fat shots and pop-ups. Both the Exotics and Nike look great, with no extraneous marks or graphics, but the Taylor Made is a bit distracting with the white paint, logo and pin stripes on the crown of the club. I’m not a big fan of the White clubs, but if they perform I can overlook it. For the most part, adjustable clubs seem like a marketing gimmick to me, but I really like the ability to adjust the club open or closed with the sole plate of the Taylor Made without having to remove the shaft. The adjustable FCT hosel has settings for lower or higher loft, but this is misleading. (See my note below for an explination) The Nike looks very clean and sharp, and the graphics and sole design are attractive. The all black head and shaft of the Exotics is very cool. I think if Darth Vader played golf, he would probably have this club in the bag. All three clubs sound great at impact but the Nike’s metallic click sounds the most like my gamer, so it wins the acoustic battle in my mind. However, some may prefer the CB4 Tour’s titanium click sound, which is a little higher pitched than the metal heads of the others. NOTE: Adjustable TaylorMade Woods & Dynamic Loft The TaylorMade R11 TP 3-wood features an adjustable design, allowing a player to adjust the club for lower, standard or higher loft. You can also adjust the sole plate to alter the face angle of the club. In theory this means the R11 can play at 13, 14 or 15 degrees of loft, but the way they achieve this is a bit confusing. Allow me to explain - When setting the R11's FCT hosel to the "lower" setting you think you are reducing the loft of the club from 14 to 13 degrees, but really what you are doing is simply opening the face angle of the club 2 degrees. Using an oft misunderstood concept called dynamic loft, when you open the face of a driver or fairway wood by two degrees and the club returns to the ball square, the resulting loft at impact will be about one degree lower, thus theoretically producing a lower ball flight. Conversely, if I set the club to the "higher" setting all I'm really doing is setting the clubface two degrees closed. When I make a swing and return the clubface back to the ball with a square face angle, the result is a higher dynamic loft of one degree and a higher ball flight. This is one reason why those closed faced, offset, slice-fighting drivers always seem to hit the ball so high. Since the sole plate of the R11 TP can also adjust the face angle of the club at address, you can create a paradox. For example - If you set the hosel on "lower" (open face) and set the sole plate to closed, the club will sit perfectly square, exactly the same as the neutral position. I can also set the sole plate to open, and the FCT hosel to "higher" (closed) and it is the same as the previous two settings. Perfectly square. The two adjustable features can cancel each other out, not affecting ball flight at all. Are you confused yet?
Conclusions
On the range and over the course of several rounds, I found every one of these clubs worthy of going in the bag, but in the end the Exotics beats the Nike by a slim margin. If price is a big factor for you, you may want to consider the Nike. The Taylor Made is a good club and performs well, but it was third in this test. A representative from Taylor Made told me their Superfast fairways would have fared better, so we'll revisit when I can test the Superfast. Don't feel too sorry for TaylorMade just yet, because the R11 (and R11 TP) Driver is one of the best on the market, and worth a hit for anybody. Here are my final notes:
- The Exotics CB4 Tour has an edge in forgiveness over the Nike and Taylor Made, making it appealing to a broader range of players.
- The Nike is the cheapest by $70, but the loft options are limited to 15 or 19 in the Limited Edition. You’ll have to buy the regular VR Pro to get the 13 or 17 degree lofts.
- The Taylor Made is ugly. I like a clean, simple look. The the color, graphics and FCT hosel of the R11 TP makes this the ugly duckling of fairways.
- With the option of all three clubs in my bag on the range, more people reached for the Exotics CB4 Tour first. Nuff said.
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December 11, 2011