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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Driver: Titleist TSR3 (9 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth Plus (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 8 X
Hybrid: Titleist TSR3 (19 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue HB 9 X
Irons: Titleist T200 (4, 5), Titleist 620 CB (6-9)
Shafts: Project X 6.0
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (46-10F, 50-12F, 54-12D, 60)
Shafts: Project X 6.0
Putter: Scotty Cameron P5 prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Check out more in-hand photos of Ben Kohles’ clubs in the forums.
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- Kris Kim what’s in the bag accurate as of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. More photos from the event here.
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees @7)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 60 TX
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour (15 degrees @13.5)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana WB 73 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P770 (2, 4), TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX (2), Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 120 X
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (50-09SB, 56-12SB, 60-11TW)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 WV 125
Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Check out more in-hand photos of Kris Kim’s equipment here.
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TaylorMade is continuing its UDI/DHY series with the successor to the Stealth UDI and DHY utility irons: PUDI and PDHY (which the company styles as P·UDI and P·DHY). TaylorMade is folding the designs in with its P Series of irons.
TaylorMade outlined the process of developing its new utilities this way. The company started with the data on utility iron usage. Not surprisingly, better players — i.e. those who generate more clubhead speed and strike the ball more precisely — were found to gravitate toward the UDI model. DHY usage, however, covered a wider swath than the company might have expected with six-to-18 handicappers found to be bagging the club.
TaylorMade also found that the majority of golfers playing UDI or DHY utilities were playing P Series irons at the top of their iron configurations.
Can you see where this is going?
Matt Bovee, Director of Product Creation, Iron and Wedge at TaylorMade: “As we look to the future, beyond the tech and the design language, we are excited about repositioning our utility irons into the P·Series family. P·UDI is an easy pair for players that currently play P·Series product and P·DHY is an extremely forgiving option for players of all skill levels. It is a natural fit to give these players the performance in this category that they are looking for.”
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TaylorMade PUDI
TaylorMade PUDI technology cutaway (via TaylorMade)
Crafted with tour player input, TaylorMade sought to develop a confidence-inspiring utility iron that blends with the rest of the P Series irons. Also of note: Interestingly, the PUDI has a more compact head than the P790.
In comparison to past UDI products, the PUDI has a more traditional iron shape, slimmer toplines, and less offset with a little of the backbar visible at address.
TaylorMade PDHY
TaylorMade PDHY tech cutaway (via TaylorMade).
Larger in profile than the PUDI, the PDHY seeks to position center of gravity (CG) lower in the club for ease of launch. The toe height is larger and the profile is larger at address — roughly five millimeters longer than PUDI — the sole of the club is wider for improved forgiveness.
Club Junkie’s take
Golfers who feel like they are missing something at the top of the bag could find the PUDI or PDHY a great option. The look of the PUDI should fit the most discerning eye with a more compact look, less offset, and a thinner topline. If you want a little more confidence looking down the P-DHY will be slightly larger while still being a good-looking utility iron.
For being small packages both models pack a pretty good punch with fast ball speeds, even off-center. The feel is soft and you get a solid feel of the ball compressing off the face when you strike it well. Your ears are greeted with a nice heavy thud as the ball and club come together. The PDHY will launch a little higher for players who need it while the PUDI offers a more penetrating ball flight. Both utility irons could be the cure for an open spot in the top end of the bag.
PUDI, PDHY, or Rescue?
TaylorMade offers the following notes to assist golfers in filling out their bags:
- PUDI has mid-CG right behind the center face to create a more penetrating mid-to-low ball flight
- PDHY has a lower center of gravity to produce an easier-to-launch mid-to-high ball flight.
- Both PUDI and PDHY are lower-flying than the company’s hybrid/Rescue clubs.
- PUDI is more forgiving than P790.
- PDHY is the most forgiving iron in the entire TaylorMade iron family
Pricing, specs, and availability
Price: $249.99
At retail: Now
Stock shafts: UST Mamiya’s Recoil DART (105 X, 90 S and 75 R – only in PDHY)
Stock grip: Golf Pride’s ZGrip (black/grey)
PUDI lofts: 2-17°, 3-20°, 4-22° in both left and right-handed
PDHY lofts: 2-18°, 3-20° and 4-22° in both left and right-handed
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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?