Equipment
Exotics new CBX Fairway Woods, a “Spin Killer”
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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- Kevin Tway what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX
5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 90 TX
Irons: Wilson Staff Utility (2), Titleist T100 (4-9)
Shafts: Mitsubishi MMT 100 TX (2), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F @51, 56-14F), SM7 (60-10S)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (48-56), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (60)
Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: Scotty Cameron Black Baby T
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Plus4
More photos of Kevin Tway’s WITB in the forums.
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Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
The timing of Lowry’s putter changeup was curious: Was he just using a Spider putter because he was paired with McIlroy, who’s been using a Spider Tour X head throughout 2024? Was Lowry just being festive because it’s the Zurich Classic, and he wanted to match his teammate? Did McIlroy let Lowry try his putter, and he liked it so much he actually switched into it?
Well, as it turns out, McIlroy’s only influence was inspiring Lowry to make more putts.
When asked if McIlroy had an influence on the putter switch, Lowry had this to say: “No, it’s actually a different putter than what he uses. Maybe there was more pressure there because I needed to hole some more putts if we wanted to win,” he said with a laugh.
To Lowry’s point, McIlroy plays the Tour X model, whereas Lowry switched into the Tour Z model, which has a sleeker shape in comparison, and the two sole weights of the club are more towards the face.
Lowry’s Spider Tour Z has a white True Path Alignment channel on the crown of his putter, which is reminiscent of Lowry’s former 2-ball designs, thus helping to provide a comfort factor despite the departure from his norm. Instead of a double-bend hosel, which Lowry used in his 2-ball putters, his new Spider Tour Z is designed with a short slant neck.
“I’ve been struggling on the greens, and I just needed something with a fresh look,” Lowry told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship. “It has a different neck on it, as well, so it moves a bit differently, but it’s similar. It has a white line on the back of it [like my 2-ball], and it’s a mallet style. So it’s not too drastic of a change.
“I just picked it up on the putting green and I liked the look of it, so I was like, ‘Let’s give it a go.’”
Read the rest of the piece over at PGATour.com.
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Equipment
Webb Simpson equipment Q&A: Titleist’s new 2-wood, 680 blade irons, and switching to a broomstick Jailbird
With seven career wins on the PGA Tour, including a U.S. Open victory, Webb Simpson is a certified veteran on the course. But he’s also a certified veteran in the equipment world, too. He’s a gearhead who truly knows his stuff, and he’s even worked closely with Titleist on making his own custom 682.WS irons.
On Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship, I caught up with Simpson to hear about his experience with Titleist’s new prototype 2-wood, how Titleist’s 680 Forged irons from 2003 ended up back in his bag, and why he’s switching into an Odyssey Ai-One Jailbird Cruiser broomstick putter this week for the first time.
Click here to read our full story about Simpson’s putter switch on PGATOUR.com’s Equipment Report, or continue reading below for my full Q&A with Simpson at Quail Hollow Club on Wednesday.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
GolfWRX: It seems like you’ve been a little all over the place with your irons in the past six months or so, and now going back to the 680’s. Is that just a comfort thing? What’s been going on with the irons?
Webb Simpson: Titleist has been so great at working with me, and R&D, on trying to get an iron that kind of modernizes the 680. And so the 682.WS took the T100 grooves, but kinda took the look and the bulk and the build of the 680’s into one club. They’re beautiful, and awesome looking. I just never hit them that well for a consistent period of time. It was probably me, but then I went to T100’s and loved them. I loved the spin, the trajectory, the yardage, but again, I never went on good runs. Going through the ground, I couldn’t feel the club as well as with the blade. So last week, I’m like, ‘Alright. I’m gonna go back more for…comfort, and see if I can get on a nice little run of ball striking.’
So that’s why I went back.
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OK, that makes sense. I know you had done some 2-wood testing recently. Is that in the bag right now?
It’s like day-by-day. I used it at Hilton Head every day. Valero, I used it one round. And this week, me and my caddie will do the book every morning, and if it’s a day where we think we need it, we’ll just put it in and take the 3-wood out. I love it because it’s a super simple swap. Like, it doesn’t really change much.
Yeah, can you tell me about that club? I mean, we don’t really know anything about it yet. You know? I haven’t hit it or anything, obviously.
It has grooves like a 3-wood. Spin is perfect. And it’s honestly, like, everything is in the middle of a 3-wood and driver number. Trajectory, spin, carry, all of it. So, a Hilton Head golf course is almost too easy to talk about because, you know, there, so many holes are driver 3-wood.
Valero, our thinking was we had two par-5’s into the wind, and we knew that it would take two great shots to get there in two. So instead of hitting driver-driver, we just put it in. And I used it on those holes.
Hilton was a little easier because it was off-the-tee kind of questions. But Colonial will be a golf course where, you know, there’s a lot of driver or 3-woods. It’s kind of like a backup putter or driver for me now. I’ll bring it to every tournament.
So it’s, like, in your locker right now, probably?
Well, it would be. It’s in my house [because Webb lives near by Quail Hollow Club, and is a member at the course.] It’s in the garage.
Oh, yeah, that’s right. Do you know what holes you might use it out here if it goes in play?
Potentially 15, depending on the wind. Second shot on 10. Could be 14 off the tee. The chances here are pretty low (that he’ll use the 2-wood). But, like, Greensboro would be an awesome club all day. I’m trying to think of any other golf courses.
There’s plenty that it’ll be a nice weapon to have.
It’s interesting, the wave of 2-woods and mini drivers. Like, it’s just really taken off on Tour, and all the companies have seemed to embrace it.
Yeah. The thing I had to learn, it took me, like, at least a week to learn about it is you gotta tee it up lower than you think. I kept teeing it up too high. You need it low, like barely higher than a 3-wood. And that was where I got optimal spin and carry. If you tee it up too high, you just don’t get as much spin and lose distance, I don’t know if that’s just a mini driver thing.
And you obviously have a Jailbird putter this week. What spurred that on?
Inconsistent putting. I’m stubborn in a lot of ways when it comes to my equipment, but I have to be open minded – I just hadn’t putted consistently well in a while. And I’m like, ‘Man, I feel my ball-striking coming along. Like I feel better; for real, better.’
If I can just get something in my hands that I’m consistent with. Being on Tour, you see it every year, guys get on little runs. I can put together four to five tournaments where I’m all the sudden back in the majors, or in the FedExCup Playoffs. You can turn things around quick out here. I’m like, ‘Man, whatever’s going to get me there, great.’
My caddie, David Cook, caddied for Akshay at the Houston Open and he putted beautifully. Then, I watched Akshay on TV at Valero, and he putted beautifully. And, I’m like, ‘I’m just going to try it.’
I’ve never tried it for more than a putt or two, and I just ordered what Akshay uses. It was pretty awkward at first, but the more I used it, the more I’m like, ‘Man, it’s pretty easy.’ And a buddy of mine who’s a rep out here, John Tyler Griffin, he helped me with some setup stuff. And he said at Hilton Head, he wasn’t putting well, then tried it, and now he makes everything. He was very confident. So I’m like, ‘Alright, I’ll try it.’”
And you’re going with it this week?
Hundred percent.
Alright, I love it. Thank you, I always love talking gear with you. Play well this week.
Thanks, man.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
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Shawn
Sep 12, 2017 at 12:10 pm
Still gaming my MP Titanium 3 and 5 woods…Best feeling clubs I’ve ever hit.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Wizardofflatstickmountain
Aug 23, 2017 at 11:05 am
If you quit telling people you’re a +4, you’d probably win more matches.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Steve
Aug 21, 2017 at 3:23 pm
Cheers! to that……….wait a year they will be 75 bucks…..
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.
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.
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.
Heich
Aug 22, 2017 at 11:35 am
Yeah. Bring down the Government, John. That would be the start.
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.
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.
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.
Doug A
Aug 21, 2017 at 10:47 am
Looks great! Great shaft options also
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.
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….