Equipment

Exotics new CBX Fairway Woods, a “Spin Killer”

Published

7 years ago

Aug 21, 2017

For golfers seeking a low-spinning, long-hitting fairway wood, there is officially a new product on the market to consider. While it may seem that every manufacturer claims to have to longest fairway wood on the market, an independent Iron Byron test showed the new Exotics CBX fairway woods to be the lowest-spinning and longest — by 16 yards — when compared to three of the most popular fairway woods today.

Self-labeled “Golf’s Most Solid Investment,” Tour Edge takes advantage of experienced designers and smaller production runs to create quality products. Its products sell under the brands of Exotics, Bazooka, and Hot Launch. The CBX line is the company’s most recent creation.

We first spotted the CBX fairway woods at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

The CBX boasts a plethora of design improvements to help maximize performance. To achieve absolutely precise weighting, a super-thin beta titanium cup face is combo-brazed to the hyper steel body of the head. The club face also has variable face thickness, which helps preserve distance on off-center strikes.

The most notable aspect of the club is the center of gravity location. A carbon sole unit helps move the CG forward, and the unique shape (longer toe-to-heel and shorter front-to-back) positions the CG in the optimal location to maximize distance. The club was playfully nicknamed the “spin killer” in production at Tour Edge.

Finally, the Speed Ramp Sole helps maintain speed and contact through impact and turf interaction. This sole was based off the extremely popular Slipstream “Waves” Soles on previous Exotics fairway wood models. The club looks simple at address, with a sleek, all-black crown and no alignment aids.

The CBX fairway woods ($349.99 each) will be in stores Sept. 5 in lofts of 13.5, 15, 16.5, and 18. Premium shaft options include the HZRDUS line by Project X, Aldila Rogue Silver and Black, Exotics Fujikura Pro, Mitsubishi Rayon Kuro Kage Silver Dual Core, Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana, and Mitsubishi Rayon Tensei CK Blue Series.

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Learn more about Exotics CBX hybrids and Iron Woods

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Malcolm Herbert

Malcolm is an incoming freshman at Tufts University, and he recently graduated from Boston College High School in Massachusetts.

25 Comments

Shawn

Sep 12, 2017 at 12:10 pm

Still gaming my MP Titanium 3 and 5 woods…Best feeling clubs I’ve ever hit.

Reply Report comment
Chuck

Sep 11, 2017 at 6:26 pm

What is so curious to me about the CBX line is that it is introduced just a few months after the EX10 Beta, right? And by “a few months,” I mean only about six or seven months, right? Even Taylormade never rotated a line that quickly.

Is there an explanation for this? Maybe there is something I am not getting, and if so I’d sure like to know about it. Is it possible that they came up with such a good design in the CBX they decided they couldn’t wait to get it out?

I have hit a lot of really nice TEE fairways. I really want to try the CBX.

Reply Report comment
Philip

Aug 22, 2017 at 2:18 pm

Do you know what the definition of “plethora” actually is? Regardless, nothing mentioned in the article related to this club is actually anything new, let alone ground-breaking. Besides, testing results can be so slanted before they even start … so it is 16 yards longer than the current competition, yet one of those was 10-16 yards longer than all the others, of which some in that group where 10-20 yards longer than all of the competition … yet no one on the golf is realizing all this amazing yardage for the most part. Heck, I can take an XXX stiff shaft 48 inches long and have the prized iron byron pound the ball out there … where is the context of these 16 yards, what was the clubhead speed, was iron byron coming OTT … if not for most the results are useless.

Reply Report comment
elgordo

Aug 22, 2017 at 11:48 am

Looks a lot like the CB4 from several years ago. Prob spins a little less. You can get a CB4 on ebay for $50.

Reply Report comment
Steve

Aug 22, 2017 at 4:34 am

The best thing about golf, buying new equipment and making the tee time….playing it is a distant third.

Reply Report comment
Wizardofflatstickmountain

Aug 21, 2017 at 9:33 pm

The newest club I have is a Callaway mini driver I bought used.

Driver: ping i25 driver bought in the plastic for $100.

Irons: ping i20 custom fit for a song.

Putter: ping wolverine $85.

Woods: Callaway steelhead plus w/ Aldila NV shafts. Heads were $20 on eBay. Shafts were $45.

The only ‘extravagance’ in my bag is a Bettinardi wedge I got for $80 at a show.

I’m a 10 and I don’t practice.

I’d much rather see a guy with all brand new everything across the tee box than someone w the rogues gallery I’ve got.

Reply Report comment
- elgordo
  
  Aug 22, 2017 at 11:46 am
  
  Love this post. I hear so many people say golf is too expensive. It isn’t if you just look around a bit. IMO clubs really haven’t changed that much. And they certainly don’t change much from year to year.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Travis
  
  Aug 22, 2017 at 3:10 pm
  
  I buy clubs way too often and I’m a +4. I could easily stomp you with my “brand new clubs”. Shouldn’t make generalizations.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Wizardofflatstickmountain
    
    Aug 23, 2017 at 11:05 am
    
    If you quit telling people you’re a +4, you’d probably win more matches.
    
    Reply Report comment
DukeOH

Aug 21, 2017 at 7:28 pm

I love TEE’s CB line of fairways. Compact head (<160cc), Ti face, nice stock shafts.

I know that their continued use of Titanium keeps their costs high, but if they want to charge $350, at least hire someone that's not blind from naked eye eclipse viewing to design better looking sole graphics. The worst!

Reply Report comment
JustinR

Aug 21, 2017 at 5:27 pm

The OEM business model for golf equipment has drastically changed because golf participation is plummeting, particularly among the middle classes who can’t afford the game any more.
The club market has shifted to the upper classes who don’t care about the cost and can buy whatever they desire. They can afford to buy the newest and most improved clubs.
Of course one may wonder if the rich have more money than brains when it comes to golf equipment, and they are the new gearhead class. Those on the forum who decry the insanity have had enough and probably cannot justify the newest club models and reject the disingenuous promises that never stop.

Reply Report comment
JOHN JAROSKY

Aug 21, 2017 at 1:03 pm

When is a company going to be created that makes really quality goods and will undercut these escalating prices from these major manufactures? Lets band together guys and girls and stop the madness. I can see the companies who shell out millions for advertising and huge player contracts charging what they do but would love to see a company come into the market that makes a great product at a fair price without all the other outside expenses the larger companies have that’s passed on to the consumer.

Reply Report comment
- Simms
  
  Aug 21, 2017 at 2:57 pm
  
  It has been tried and has failed to many times, when a little guy trys something the big boys come in buy them out (if lucky) or put a law suit on them (they could win or not) that will drag on taking out every penny they have to fight….right now I think everyone should be looking at the Costco /Titlest battle…how long before Costco just pulls out on this one….remember when Callaway bought Top Flight the battle they had with Titlest over pattern infringement, that case was on books for a long time before settling out of court.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Tcann32
    
    Aug 22, 2017 at 8:50 am
    
    You’re right about most of it.
    When people talk about the Titleist / Costco deal, everyone seems to think that Titleist (Acushnet) is some mega giant company. They are huge in golf, but Costco is actually a much larger “company” than Acushnet as a whole, let alone Titleist itself. Costco’s yearly net profits match that of Acushnets net sales.
    
    The other part that isn’t mentioned is that these larger companies are losing money, and if they aren’t losing money, they aren’t really growing by much, outside of a couple of the companies. Titleist hasn’t grown and is losing more market share and TM is going down the path of Adams, the company they purchased to avoid patent infringements.
    
    The rest of it is dead on. Miura has been purchased, Toulon was purchased by Callaway (Although they Toulon is still his own entity), and the rest of the botique brands don’t generate enough interest to be bought, besides maybe one particular brand who’s owner has the capital to do whatever he really wants.
    
    Reply Report comment
- Steve
  
  Aug 21, 2017 at 3:23 pm
  
  Cheers! to that……….wait a year they will be 75 bucks…..
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Caroline
    
    Aug 21, 2017 at 4:33 pm
    
    But the club companies are going to put a spin on how last years model is obsolete and you are going to feel like your still not playing the best….for fun find a couple golf digests or golf magazines from 7 or 8 years ago and read the club and ball ads…it will have you wanting those clubs and balls until you re-check the date of the magazine.
    
    Reply Report comment
    - LF-Colton
      
      Aug 30, 2017 at 5:14 pm
      
      Golf is one of the sports where its okay to be a year or two behind the newest model. I think you’re onto something here with your last sentence. Don’t buy into the hype too much and just buy for your price range.
      
      Reply Report comment
- TheCityGame
  
  Aug 22, 2017 at 8:58 am
  
  They all already make quality goods. I’m playing equipment from 2009. It’s YOUR FAULT if you get suckered into the marketing every cycle.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Heich
  
  Aug 22, 2017 at 11:35 am
  
  Yeah. Bring down the Government, John. That would be the start.
  
  Reply Report comment
Geoff

Aug 21, 2017 at 12:28 pm

Love TEE, but I don’t know how they stay in business. Wait a year and these will be $120 brand new on ebay.

Reply Report comment
- Simms
  
  Aug 21, 2017 at 2:59 pm
  
  Agree, you can barley get the tags off the shaft and they have a new and better model out there.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Boyo
  
  Aug 27, 2018 at 5:54 am
  
  It has been a year and they are still holding their value. Let me know when you find a brand new one for $120 anywhere.
  
  Reply Report comment
Doug A

Aug 21, 2017 at 10:47 am

Looks great! Great shaft options also

Reply Report comment
TheCityGame

Aug 21, 2017 at 10:13 am

“Golf’s Most Solid Investment”.

You know what seems like a pretty solid investment. . .the Callaway Diablo Octane Tour. You can get one for about 50 bucks and go win on the PGA tour with it as your driver and your 3W.

Reply Report comment
- Caroline
  
  Aug 21, 2017 at 4:13 pm
  
  If we all could just play what works for us a few years with being mind challenged by the club and ball manufactures….what is it about 80% will buy 3 yards off the tee no matter what the cost…but take a $65 (or more) lesson and gain 10 yards NEVER….
  
  Reply Report comment

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Equipment

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

Published

2 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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