Equipment

Tour Edge EXS Pro driver: “From the Tour Van”

Published

4 years ago

May 19, 2020

Building on the success of the popular EXS 220 driver, Tour Edge is launching a limited-edition Tour Edge EXS Pro driver to offer golfers more adjustability, tour tuned acoustics, and greater workability.

The EXS Pro was originally designed specifically as a tour prototype to combine all of the Tour Edge’s technological innovations into one premium design for its staff players, but after seeing huge success with the driver as a secondary fitting option, it was decided that this club could offer a tangible benefit for the consumer looking for a premium product at a less-than-premium price.

“At first, we were just designing prototypes for the pro tours, but along the way, we realized that the market has a need for these tour-inspired designs as a limited edition series,” said Tour Edge President and Master Club Designer David Glod

“The EXS Pro line is designed to bring the level up with the more traditional player with a faster swing speed who is looking for anti-left clubs with extremely low spin and penetrating ball flights.”

Tour Edge EXS Pro Driver: EXS Pro technology

Packed into the tour-inspired head shape is a low and forward center of gravity to offer more workability and up to 400 less RPM of spin compared to the standard Tour Edge EXS 220 driver. In addition, the EXS Pro offers a greater ability to fine-tune ball flight thanks to a sliding weight around the rear skirt of the clubhead (FlightTrack). This gives players the ability to quickly and easily adjust the driver to be more draw or fade biased depending on shot shape preference or correction.

The stock weight in the FlightTrack is 6g but a separate weight kit will be available that includes 3, 9, and 15-gram weights to offer more adjustability and to help players fine-tune feel depending on the final playing length of the driver, which comes in at 44.5″ stock.

The head shape

Geometry is still the biggest factor when manipulating club head CG, and the EXS Pro has a deeper face, more compact heel-to-toe length, and is also smaller front to back to offer an ideal shape for better players. The crown slopes aggressively towards the back of the head to achieve the low and forward CG and to lower overall spin for golfers with faster clubhead speeds.

To help aid in further weight savings the crown and toe portion of the head is constructed of lightweight carbon fiber to once again allow designers to push the envelope of the driver’s mass properties and get launch conditions where they will be the most beneficial.

What’s inside…

Like the Standard EXS 220, the EXS Pro utilizes a lot of technology to maximize performance including a Beta-Titanium Diamond Face insert that features 33 different diamond shapes of varying thickness behind the hitting area. This feature was designed with the help of finite element analysis to simulate energy transfer and helps the driver produce faster and more consistent ball speeds on off-center hits by placing mass where it’s needed and removing it from places around the face where you don’t.

The last piece of the head construction puzzle is acoustic tuning. The EXS pro uses the same sound diffusion bars as the EXS 220 inside the head to improve impact sound. Engineers continuously walk a fine line between “hot” and “solid” sounding and venturing too far in either direction with have golfers reaching for earplugs or saying a driver sounds “dead.” The soundbars don’t dampen the club’s overall tone but help produce a driver that sounds both hot off the face and extremely solid.

Club specs, pricing, and availability

“The fact is, these ultra-premium tour clubs have a price that is still well under that of the other clubs seen out on tour, and we have perfectly followed our niche of providing the best pound for pound performing and innovative clubs in their class.” –David Glod

Lofts: The ESX Pro comes in right-hand only with two standard loft options: 9.5°, 10.5°. Thanks to the adjustability, the total loft range is from 7.5° up the 12.5°.

Stock shafts: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Orange: 60g (R,S,X) 70 g (S,X), and Project X HZRDUS Smoke Yellow: 60g (5.5 R, 6.0 S, 6.5 X)

Stock grip: GolfPride Tour 360

The price for the EXS Pro Driver is $399.99, and it will be available at select Tour Edge retailers starting June 1.

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Equipment

A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic

Published

18 hours ago

Apr 25, 2024

Andrew Tursky

Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.

Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.

We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.

Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).

See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here

Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge

Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.

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A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.

See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here

Turning Back the clock

Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.

But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.

For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.

Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.

The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.

The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.

Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter

Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.

Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.

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It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.

If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.

Brilliant.

See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here

Stricker’s unrecognizable putter

Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.

Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.

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Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates

Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.

Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.

It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.

Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines

Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.

Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.

FitzMagic teams back up

Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.

See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here

And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.

We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!

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