Equipment

Tour Edge introduces new HL4 hybrid and iron-wood

Published

4 years ago

Jul 9, 2019

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: when it comes to technology and value Tour Edge is one of the absolute leaders in the golf industry. To complement the already announced HL4 Driver (WRX Spotted: Tour Edge HL4 Driver), Tour Edge is introducing the HL4 Hybrids and Iron-wood set. Both clubs will be available for order individually, but the Iron-wood will go all the way down to a 59-degree wedge – yes that’s NOT a typo, a 59-degree wedge, but we’ll get to that in a bit.

HL4 Hybrids

“Get ready for the ultimate launching experience.” —David Glod Tour Edge founder and lead designer.

The HL4 Hybrids when compared to previous models are designed with the more mass in the sole, and positioned to further away from the face to increase MOI (measurement of resistance to twisting = forgiveness) this newly positioned mass helps increase both launch & forgiveness numbers – who doesn’t want that from a hybrid? (go ahead I’ll wait)

The HL4 Hybrid also has a cup face designed with Variable Face Thickness technology to provide greater distance from more points on the face. This is important because as we know in golf – we can only make clubs go so fast/produce a certain ball speed before they become illegal under the rules. This point of maximum energy transfer is small but by repositioning mass and varying the thickness of the club face you can increase that area and help get more energy transfer on less than perfect strikes.

We can always talk about what’s under the hood, but there are some visual design features that offer just as many interesting points as COG. The HL4 Hybrid has a high-toe face design which improves the look from address and prevents the dreaded “this looks like it’s going left” observation. Even with the high toe design we still have a shallow face to help get the ball up from almost any lie and inspire confidence for those players that struggle with longer clubs.

HL4 Iron-wood

Yeah yeah I get it, “you” don’t need a hybrid 7 or 8-iron, but a LOT of golfers need all the help they can get, and that’s what the Hl4 Iron-woods are designed to do. Dating back almost 15 years the Tour Edge Iron-woods have been a game changer for a lot of recreational golfers looking for help with their iron game. I can recall the days of my time in golf retail and the HUGE number of original Tour Edge Bazooka J-Max iron-woods we would sell to regular golfers just looking for some assistance and to have fun.

As far as the design goes like many modern clubs built for speed there is a flexible “Power Channel” on the sole behind the face of the iron-wood. It’s wider and deeper compared to the hybrid for better weight distribution and increased flex = ball speed. Other tech features include:

Super-thin forged face allow for increase discretionary mass
Hollow hyper-steel body maximizes stability
Rear Inverted Crown lowers the CG for high launch
Progressing sole width, offset and top for playability throughout the set

Custom Fitting Promise

Here’s where it gets interesting: unlike a lot of “value” focused brands Tour Edge is 100% committed to custom fitting and building.

Once again, I’ll let Glod take it from here for a moment

“We see HL4 as being the best value available in the custom fitting market, which is why we created our 48-hour custom fitting delivery guarantee. Our message is Get Fit. Spend Less. Play Better. We want to open up custom fitting to thousands of new golfers who are looking for innovation and performance at logical prices.”

This is a mission statement I can get behind.

Availability

HL4 hybrid comes in 19, 22, 25 and 28 degree lofts. All lofts will be available in right and left-handed models. The HL4 hybrid will feature a retail price of $119.99.

The HL4 Iron-Wood is available in 18, 20, 23, 26, 29, 32, 36, 40, 44, 49, 54 and 59 degree lofts. All lofts will be available in right and left-handed models. The individual HL4 Iron-Wood will carry a price of $79.99 in KBS Tour 90 steel shafts and $89.99 in graphite.

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Equipment

Driver, shaft combinations of strokes gained: off-the-tee leaders

Published

18 hours ago

Dec 1, 2023

GolfWRX Staff

‘Tis the season for, well, looking back at the previous golf season. Hopefully, you’re still able to put a peg in the ground where you live.

However, if you find yourself stuck on the couch, staring longingly at your clubs in the corner as they begin their period of forced hibernation, we’re here to offer you an always enjoyable (we hope) diversion: a look at the equipment of some of the best golfers in the game this past season.

More specifically, we’re taking a look at the driver head and shaft combinations of the best drivers of the golf ball on the PGA Tour (as measured by their strokes gained: off-the-tee metric) for the 2022-2023 PGA Tour season.

Let’s get to it.

10. Hayden Buckley: 0.611

Driver: Titleist TSR3 (9 degrees)

Shaft: UST Mamiya Lin Q M40X Blue 6F5

9. Luke List

Driver: Titleist TSR3 (9 degrees)

Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana DF 70 TX

8. Viktor Hovland: 0.741

Driver: Ping G425 LST (9 degrees @8.4)

Shaft: Fujikura Speeder 661 TR X (45.75 inches, tipped 1 inch)

7. Keith Mitchell: 0.743

Driver: Mizuno ST-Z 230 (9.5 degrees)

Shaft: Project X HZRDUS T1100 75 6.5

6. Kevin Yu: 0.803

Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond

Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro White 80 TX

5. Brent Grant: 0.806

Driver: Srixon ZX7 Mk II (8.5 degrees)

Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Black 75 TX

4. Patrick Cantlay: 0.852

Driver: Titleist TS3 (9.5 @8.75 degrees)

Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana ZF 60 TX

3. Rory McIlroy: 0.907

Driver: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus (9 degrees @7.5)

Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6 X

*McIlroy switched into TaylorMade’s Qi10 LS driver at the DP World Tour Championship.

2. Ludvig Åberg: 0.982

Driver: Titleist TSR2 (9 degrees)

Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X

1. Scottie Scheffler: 1.021

Driver: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus (8 degrees)

Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X

*Scheffler switched into TaylorMade’s Qi10 LS driver at the Hero World Challenge.

There you have it, GolfWRXers. We’ll be back with more pieces of this nature as we X out the days in December.

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Equipment

Callaway Apex Pro, Apex CB, Apex MB combo irons – Club Junkie Reviews

Published

20 hours ago

Dec 1, 2023

Brian Knudson

When Callaway released the new Apex Pro, Apex CB, and Apex MB irons in August, better-skilled golfers were very excited to get them out on the course to try for themselves.

The Apex Pro packs a ton of technology into a small head size with reduced offset and a thinner topline. Callaway updated the new Apex CB with a new sole design for better turf interaction and shot consistency. The Apex MB is the blade for elite players who are looking for precise distance control and shot shaping.

Callaway knows some golfers like to mix and match clubs from different sets to optimize their performance, so I was very intrigued to see how the Apex Pro Series Triple Play iron set combined all three irons.

Callaway Apex Pro Long Irons (4, 5, 6)

When you set the new Apex Pro irons down, you will be pleased with the look of reduced offset and a compact shape. The irons aren’t so small that you get intimidated, I think Callaway picked a good size. Being slightly larger than the CB and MB gives you a little more confidence that you don’t need to strike it dead center in order to get a good shot out of them.

The Pros use multi-material construction to add distance and forgiveness while the forged face and body give you soft feel and distance control. Urethane Microspheres are also used to dampen vibration and give the Pro irons a soft and solid feel. Now the GolfWRXer in me wishes the Pro had a touch less offset, but I like the overall shape and think the more rounded toe gives them a softer look.

Out on the course, the 4, 5, and 6-irons are easy to hit and do offer you a little extra firepower for those longer shots. The feel is soft and muted, even on mishits, and the turf interaction from the Dynamic Sole design resists digging in soft conditions. The 4-iron is a real cannon off the tee on short par 4’s and long par 3’s, giving you the distance as well as added height to stop the ball on the green.

Off the turf, you can easily elevate the 5 and 6-iron shots into greens, but all of the Pro irons offer better forgiveness than you might expect. My miss is generally off the toe and those shots still get up in the air and carry. When you miss, you can still carry that bunker or get the ball to the front of the green.

Apex CB Mid Irons (7, 8, 9)

These might be my favorite looking out of the three iron sets in terms of size and shape. They blend some of the roundness from the Apex Pro with a slightly sharper toe and more compact size. The Apex CB have very little offset, and the transition from hosel to leading edge is done well and without too much curvature.

The soles are more narrow, but you can see more of the angles in the Dynamic Sole. The pre-worn leading edge and trailing-edge relief stand out more and work very well. I play in Michigan, and you rarely come across a firm and fast fairway, so turf interaction is very noticeable in these softer conditions. Much like the Apex Pro, the CB gets into the turf immediately and wants to shallow out and exit quickly.

Solidly struck shots feel so solid and soft with a heavy “thud” at impact. When it comes to feel, these irons will easily hold their own against other popular forged CBs. Shots hit thin or off the toe will bring more vibration to your hands and produce a clickier sound.

Distance control with the Apex CB irons is very, very good. Well-struck shots seem to fly exactly the same distance and height every time. The launch is a little lower than the Apex Pro but you still can elevate them off the turf or tee. These irons also seem to spin a bit more as you notice shots having a little more curvature to them. Into the wind, you can see a touch of rise in the shot. You will notice a little more of a dropoff in carry when you miss the center of the face, but directionally the ball stays online well.

Callaway added MIM weights in the toe, and as much as they perfect the balance of each iron, they seem to add some forgiveness as well. Skilled players will love the shotmaking ability of the CB: You can hit them high, low, left, or right, and in any combination of the aforementioned.

Apex MB Short Irons (10, 11)

First, just having irons with a “10” and an “11” on the sole is flat-out cool. That little difference is fun to see and they always get comments from other golfers. While all of the new Apex irons blend well together, these have the most distinctive look to my eye. They are the edgiest look with a sharper toe and straight leading edge. There is a lack of softness and roundness to the me, but again, they blend in well with the set.

I only have the pitching and gap wedge in the set, but that is about where my skill tops out! The MB will demand your attention as they obviously are the least forgiving in the set. While well-struck shots will reward you with impeccably soft feel and a solid “thud” sound, off-center will be a little more harsh on your hands and ears. My misses tend to be the most dramatic and you will see a big drop off in distance when you hit it out on the toe. Where the Apex Pro will get you on the green, the MB can keep you just off depending on the miss.

For being such high-lofted clubs, they do keep a lower ball flight that carries a lot of spin into the green. You can easily fire at tight pins with confidence that the trajectory and spin will keep the ball close to its landing spot. And since they are MBs, you can flight those shots any way you would like with ease.

Turf interaction is good, but these will dig the most out of the set. But even with the deeper divot, the irons get through the turf very quickly.

Matching the gap wedge to the set is something I have liked in this set. There is just a feeling of consistency on full, or close-to-full shots that you don’t get with a sand wedge-style head. Those full shots kind of feel like you are just hitting a pitching wedge but at a shorter distance. The “11-iron” still works around the green, and you can hit little pitch and chip shots with plenty of spin, even with an open face.

Overall, Callaway’s Triple Play offers a little bit of everything for players who need a little help in the long irons but want consistency in the scoring clubs. Feel, distance, and forgiveness are all added to the mix in good amounts in order to balance out the set. If you are a single-digit handicap who wants a players look from address but needs a little help, Callaway’s Apex Pro Series combo sets are well worth trying out.

More Club Junkie Reviews

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Whats in the Bag

Tony Finau WITB 2023 (December)

Published

21 hours ago

Dec 1, 2023

GolfWRX Staff

Tony Finau’s what’s in the bag accurate as of the Hero World Challenge.

Driver: Ping G430 LST (9 degrees @7) Buy.
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 70 TX

3-wood: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond T (14 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX

Irons: Nike Vapor Fly Pro (3) Buy here, Ping Blueprint (4-PW) Buy here.
Shafts: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 105 Hybrid X (3), Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 120 TX

Wedges: Ping Glide 4.0 (50-12S, 56-12S) Buy here, Titleist Vokey Design WedgeWorks Proto (60-T) Buy here.
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 125 Wedge S