Equipment
Exotics unveils $700 XJ1 driver with SuperMetal
The more expensive the driver, the more likely its design targets high-swing-speed golfers willing to pay a premium for a Tour player-inspired club that’s tailored to their needs. But what about average golfers who don’t swing like PGA Tour players but still want premium equipment made specifically for them? It’s that group Tour Edge Exotics is addressing with its latest driver release.
Exotics’ new lightweight XJ1 driver will sell for $700 when it’s released November 1. It uses a combination of a 9-1-1 titanium chassis, which the company calls “SuperMetal,” as well as a Kevlar-Carbon crown and three tungsten sole weights to help players with moderate swing speeds generate maximum distance off the tee.
“Most technologies of the past decade have benefitted players with higher swing speeds, eliminating the majority of golfers,” said David Glod, president and founder of Tour Edge Golf. “We have been developing the XJ1 driver for over four years, working on each characteristic of the club, moving critical amounts of weight around for the best results, and waiting for the technology to catch up to our goal of bringing this extremely lightweight driver to the market which will benefit golfers with real swing speeds.”
According to Exotics, SuperMetal is 10 percent lighter than the 6A4v titanium the company previously used to create the body of its driver heads. The added strength of the material allowed company engineers to make the walls of its driver thinner and more flexible. The lighter Kevlar-Carbon crown also saves weight from the top of the driver head, and provides stiffness that is key to improving ball speeds on shots struck on the top of the club face. The club face itself is made from a SP-700 beta titanium face plate, which is thinner on the edges to improve mishit performance and is robotically laser welded to the driver body to reduce weight and add consistency to the design.
The combined weight savings allows the 460-cubic-centimeter head to include three tungsten weights, two of which are heel and toe stability bars that weigh 10 grams each. The third, a removable tungsten screw, is located in the heel section of the driver to increase swing weight and/or draw bias. Weights are available in 3, 6, 12 and 14 grams.
The XJ1 drivers (9, 10.5 and 12 degrees: RH only) achieve a light total club weight thanks to their ultra-lightweight stock shaft, Fujikura’s Air Speeder, which weighs 45 grams and is available in five flexes.
XJ1 Specs
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Equipment
Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (4/18/24): Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made.
From the seller: (@DLong72): “Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made. ?: $1150. ?? 100% milled collectors item from the limited releases commemorating when Ping putters won every major in 1988 (88 putters made). This was the model Seve Ballesteros used to win the 1988 Open Championship. Condition is brand new, never gamed, everything is in the original packaging as it came. Putter features the iconic sound slot.
Specs/ Additional Details
-100% Milled, Aluminum/Bronze Alloy (310g)
-Original Anser Design
-PING PP58 Grip
-Putter is built to standard specs.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made
This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules
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As you probably know by now, Collin Morikawa switched putters after the first round of The Masters, and he ultimately went on to finish T3.
The putter was far from the only change he made last week, however, and his bag is continuing to change this week at the 2024 RBC Heritage.
On the range of The Masters, Morikawa worked closely with Adrian Reitveld, TaylorMade’s Senior Manager of Tour at TaylorMade, to find the perfect driver and 3-wood setups.
Morikawa started off 2024 by switching into TaylorMade’s Qi10 Max driver, but since went back to his faithful TaylorMade SIM – yes, the original SIM from 2020. Somehow, some way, it seems Morikawa always ends up back in that driver, which he used to win the 2020 PGA Championship, and the 2021 Open Championship.
At The Masters, however, Rietveld said the duo found the driver head that allowed “zero compromise” on Morikawa’s preferred fade flight and spin. To match his preferences, they landed on a TaylorMade Qi10 LS 9-degree head, and the lie angle is a touch flatter than his former SIM.
“It’s faster than his gamer, and I think what we found is it fits his desired shot shape, with zero compromise” Rietveld told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the RBC Heritage.
Then, to replace his former SIM rocket 3-wood, Morikawa decided to switch into the TaylorMade Qi10 core model 13.5-degree rocket head, with an adjustable hosel.
“He likes the spin characteristics of that head,” Rietveld said. “Now he’s interesting because with Collin, you can turn up at a tournament, and you look at his 3-wood, and he’s changed the setting. One day there’s more loft on it, one day there’s less loft on it. He’s that type of guy. He’s not scared to use the adjustability of the club.
“And I think he felt our titanium head didn’t spin as low as his original SIM. So we did some work with the other head, just because he liked the feel of it. It was a little high launching, so we fit him into something with less loft. It’s a naughty little piece of equipment.”
In addition to the driver and fairway wood changes, Morikawa also debuted his new “MySymbol” jersey No. 5 TP5x golf ball at The Masters. Morikawa’s choice of symbols is likely tied to his love of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.
Not enough changes for you? There’s one more.
On Wednesday at the 2024 RBC Heritage, Morikawa was spotted with a new TaylorMade “Proto” 4-iron in the bag. If you recall, it’s the same model that Rory McIlroy debuted at the 2024 Valero Texas Open.
According to Morikawa, the new Proto 4-iron will replace his old P-770 hollow-bodied 4-iron.
“I used to hit my P-770 on a string, but sometimes the distance would be a little unpredictable,” Morikawa told GolfWRX.com. “This one launches a touch higher, and I feel I can predict the distance better. I know Rory replaced his P-760 with it. I’m liking it so far.”
See Morikawa’s full WITB from the 2024 RBC Heritage here.
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Equipment
Why Rory McIlroy will likely use the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper at the RBC Heritage
Although we spotted Rory McIlroy testing the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper last week during practice rounds at the Masters, he ultimately didn’t decide to use the club in competition.
It seems that will change this week at the 2024 RBC Heritage, played at the short-and-tight Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head.
When asked on Wednesday following his morning Pro-Am if he’d be using the new, nostalgic BRNR Copper this week, McIlroy said, “I think so.”
“I like it,” McIlroy told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday regarding the BRNR. “This would be a good week for it.”
View this post on Instagram
According to Adrian Rietveld, the Senior Manager of Tour at TaylorMade, the BRNR Mini Driver can help McIlroy position himself properly off the tee at the tight layout.
Here’s what Rietveld told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday:
“For someone like Rory, who’s that long at the top end of the bag, and then you put him on a course like Harbour Town, it’s tough off the tee. It’s tight into the greens, and you have to put yourself in position off the tee to have a shot into the green. It kind of reminds me of Valderrama in Spain, where you can be in the fairway and have no shot into the green.
“I’m caddying for Tommy [Fleetwood] this week, so I was walking the course last night and looking at a few things. There’s just such a small margin for error. You can be standing in the fairway at 300 yards and have a shot, but at 320 you don’t. So if you don’t hit a perfect shot, you could be stuck behind a tree. And then if you’re back at 280, it might be a really tough shot into the small greens.
“So for Rory [with the BRNR], it’s a nice course-specific golf club for him. He’s got both shots with it; he can move it right-to-left or left-to-right. And the main thing about this club has been the accuracy and the dispersion with it. I mean, it’s been amazing for Tommy.
“This was the first event Tommy used a BRNR last year, and I remember talking to him about it, and he said he couldn’t wait to play it at Augusta next year. And he just never took it out of the bag because he’s so comfortable with it, and hitting it off the deck.
“So you look at Rory, and you want to have the tools working to your advantage out here, and the driver could hand-cuff him a bit with all of the shots you’d have to manufacture.”
So, although McIlroy might not be making a permanent switch into the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper, he’s likely to switch into it this week.
His version is lofted at 13.5 degrees, and equipped with a Fujikura Ventus Black 7X shaft.
See more photos of Rory testing the BRNR Mini here
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Dunn2500
Sep 8, 2016 at 1:47 am
They have to thin the face, weights moved all around club head and lightweight drivers aren’t anything new……their cb pro 3 wood that sold for $500 didn’t do well, now it’s basic tech in their ex9…….Seen one for sale for $149 at dunns…….it’s simply supply and demand……….if they made a non conforming head with thinner face I think it would sell like hotcakes…..they don’t pay tour players and have lil presence on tour anyway……screw it, shave face down to .910 and use some crazy strong metal and sell it………guys hitting it 40yds farther would surely grab attn of other golfers…….how many people play in tournaments and of those how many play in tourneys that would even give a chit………you want distance shave the face!…….moving weights around has been pied out. …..I love exotics, their fwy woods are the insane…….. $700 would be tough for even titleist, for tour edge who isn’t known for drivers is gonna be very tough…….I may pick one up in used bin down the line for couple hundred though
Steve C
Sep 6, 2016 at 11:15 pm
I have had some success with a few of tour edges clubs. However, I wonder how exactly Tour Edge stays in business?
Jim
Sep 7, 2016 at 9:34 pm
‘Cause if your first one sucked – you wouldn’t have bought another – you kinda answered your own question. If THEY had Tiger Woods – with the quality the Glod brothers insisted on achieving for every premium product they produced, they wouldn’t have failed like Nike….Keep an eye out for some killer putters too…
Steve C
Sep 6, 2016 at 11:15 pm
success with a few of tour edges clubs. However, I wonder how exactly Tour Edge stays in business?
Matty
Sep 6, 2016 at 6:21 pm
$700 driver without an adjustable hosel?? SHANK!!!
Tom
Sep 6, 2016 at 7:46 pm
Aww Matty who needs an adjustable hosel. Not you according to you facebook page.
Jim
Sep 6, 2016 at 10:45 pm
I prefer the right loft to begin with and a deeper insert depth for less torque…After several years of high speed video at impact I can see the adjustable heads twist more (substantially more on close -but off center hits).
I don’t want to ‘open or close’ the face to achieve loft – I figure there’s a hook or a slice just waitin around the next corner if I – or my students try and shape it – or just go brain dead and try to just kill it.
Homna has a similar new bonded driver @ that price point as well. I hit that last spring and it was great!. Currently still using XG 7 w/heavy Black Tie set to 10.5 and letting the shaft control trajectory…
Shaft tech has exploded & way more stable @ lighter
weights….Can’t wait to to try it.
The Glod brothers are for real.
soberD
Sep 6, 2016 at 3:53 pm
Tour Edge has a captive audience in the Chicagoland private clubs that will eat this up in their quest for one-upmanship
Archie Bunker
Sep 6, 2016 at 3:33 pm
Getting old? Need more distance? Try a different shaft. This $700 head won’t do it.
Doug A
Sep 6, 2016 at 6:12 pm
You must not know what much about head weights and shaft weights….the shaft in this club is probably the lightest high quality shaft you could get
Archie Bunker
Sep 7, 2016 at 10:27 am
Saying “probably” shows that you don’t know much about this club either.
Jim
Sep 8, 2016 at 10:09 am
THE SHAFT is $450! Nothing better @<50 grams
Geoff
Sep 6, 2016 at 11:29 am
Interested in trying this one. I hope to see it at demo days. I’m old and this might help a little who knows.
peter collins
Sep 6, 2016 at 11:22 am
Tour Edge Exotics are a good company, and from what i can see, they didn’t rush the product to the market place.
I wish them well.
OH
Sep 6, 2016 at 10:25 am
I love my TEE hybrid and their woods are legit bombers. I didn’t care for the EX9 driver, as it was super loud. But, $700?! When you’re Titleist and have that kind of brand equity you can try these experiments and get away with them. Tour Edge…nope.
Jack
Sep 6, 2016 at 9:06 am
I had to check my calendar to make sure it isn’t April Fool’s Day. They won’t sell a dozen of those things.
Tom
Sep 6, 2016 at 7:48 pm
Just place an early order….. so did my buddy.
Jack
Sep 7, 2016 at 7:59 am
LOL, does your “buddy” also work for Tour Edge? Get lost, shill.
Tom
Sep 7, 2016 at 9:09 am
Lol ya cheap asz debbie downer. You can wait and pick one up on ebay.
Jim
Sep 7, 2016 at 9:26 pm
If they perform outdoors on Trackman for our clients as Tour Edge limited or special releases ALWAYS HAVE, we’ll sell the crap out of them. 700? – with THAT shaft? 8/10 buyers will have us PURE it too – an extra $45…
Next step on the ladder? Pay a big OEM’s MAP & put in same shaft – $900 pured and installed.
High end bonded drivers are making a steady come back. HONMA has one to break into that price range here in US too…(no platinum or 24k gold medallions) – just an awesome club & it rocks
In a previous WRX thread someone made a brilliant observation: “golf equipment only really becomes expensive when you keep buying the
wrong stuff”
Steve S
Sep 6, 2016 at 9:01 am
Yeah…no way. $700 to get me 3 more yards..not…
Double Mocha Man
Sep 7, 2016 at 10:48 am
That’s only $233.33 per extra yard. Wouldn’t you pay $11,666.67 for an extra 50 yards?
Jim
Sep 7, 2016 at 11:36 am
3? No…but what about 15?
Be serious….How many guys have purchased 3-4 drivers in 2-4 seasons? Maybe they fell for TM’s BS and bought the R1* @ MAP and turns out it wasn’t “the greatest driver ever made” so they try their buddy’s and hit it better (coulda just been that one swing – that’s all it would take for some) so they buy one on ebay – or Dick’s 199 and then next spring buy a “doorbuster” on Easter weekend for 159…
they never got FIT – think they did – IF the snapperhead @ the simulator or the standard POS ‘launch monitor’ GS used even just ‘taped up’ a different flex to try.
Most recreational golfers – that DO buy stuff – not the ones still carrying Bubble shaft woods & 20yr Gold DCI +’s with original grips HAVE spent the equivalent of ONE well fit higher-end driver they would have used for 2 or 3 seasons with better results
Steve S
Sep 7, 2016 at 1:05 pm
Every Feb. I go to the local shop and spend $30 to rent it. Then I hit my Rocketbalz (original) driver as a base line. Then I hit every driver and shaft combination that he has. All are within 5 yards of my gamer. I would buy a new one if I could get 10-15 more yards but in 3 years I haven’t found one. Even the guy in the shop admits that with my swing speed 93-97MPH I’m not going to see big differences since COR and MOI are limited. I have a friend who hits 115-120 and he does see more significant differences. But with his swing speed he’s more concerned with accuracy not distance. And shaft differences don’t seem to affect much accept for scatter and minor changes in launch for me.
Jim
Sep 7, 2016 at 1:45 pm
You are exactly who this should help. My best professional advice : try it vs yours on a good out door monitor and please write about the results.
Tom
Sep 6, 2016 at 8:48 am
kevlar can I wear it for protection in case a fight breaks out after the 18th?