Equipment
Tour Edge Exotics E8 and E8 Beta Fairway Woods
Our 2014 Gear Trials: Best Fairway Woods list included all the names you’d expect: Adams, Callaway, Cobra, Ping, TaylorMade and Titleist.
On our 2014 list with those industry behemoths was also a much smaller company, however. It was Illinois-based Tour Edge Exotics, which earned a spot in our Distance-First category thanks to big distance we saw golfers create with its XCG7 and XCG7 Beta fairway woods.
Exotics’ new E8 and E8 Beta are the direct replacements for the XCG7 and XCG7 Beta. The E8 has been improved with a lighter, stronger 475 carpenter steel cup face, while the E8 Beta has a forged titanium cup face. Both club faces are combo brazed to hyper-steel bodies to improve ball speed. They also have a slightly more forward center of gravity (CG).
Coupled with the right launch conditions, these faster, lower lower-spinning fairway woods have the potential to unlock even more distance gains for golfers.
Like the XCG7, the E8 has a low-profile head design that helps golfers hit fairway woods shots from the turf. The E8 Beta is tailored to golfers with higher clubhead speeds, with a deeper face that creates a lower launch and less spin. That also makes it a good choice for golfers who primarily use their fairway woods from the tee.
To improve forgiveness, the E8 and E8 Beta also have an updated “Power Grid,” which is an accordion-like structure located on the front of its sole. It now stretches farther from heel-to-toe on the fairway woods, improving spring-like effect in those areas to increase ball speeds on off-center hits. On the E8 Beta, the Power Grid is made thinner to allow more weight to be placed closer to the face, which makes the fairway wood even lower spinning.
Moving the CG forward generally lowers a club’s forgiveness, or moment of inertia (MOI), but Exotics countered with cut-away steps on the heel and toe of the clubs that improve MOI.
To please the pickiest of golfers, the E8 and E8 Beta have a removable sole weight that allows golfers to adjust the fairway woods’ swing weight. They come stock with a 9-gram weight, but golfers can order a three-piece weight kit that includes 6-gram, 11-gram and 14-gram weights for $49.99. Individual weight kits are available for $19.99.
The E8 ($249) and E8 Beta ($299) are expected in stores in early October.
E8 Lofts: 13, 15, 16.5, 18 and 21 degrees
Stock Shafts: Fujikura Pro, Fujikura Pro Tour, Mitsubishi Bassara E-Series
E8 Beta Lofts: 12, 13, 15, 16.5 and 18 degrees
Stock Shafts: Aldila Rogue Silver, Aldila Rogue Black
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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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Equipment
Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (5/3/24): Scotty Cameron Champions Choice 2.5+ putter
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a Scotty Cameron Champions Choice 2.5+ putter
From the seller: (@wwcl): “Has been gamed as pics show. 33.5 includes original h/c and grip. $575 includes shipping and PP fees.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: Scotty Cameron Champions Choice 2.5+ putter
This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules
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Craig
Sep 10, 2014 at 1:40 pm
It really cracks me up when I hear or read about people not liking the graphics on the sole of the club. Who gives a fat rat’s ass what is printed on the sole? Besides taking off and putting on the head cover, when else are you going to see it? Now to that end, why do we need to see three photos from different angles of the sole? One pic from the address position would be nice so it would give me a better perspective of how the club will look while trying to play it. I guess if I ever have to hit my 3 wood left handed I would have a different opinion. Just sayin’…
Danny
Sep 10, 2014 at 10:53 am
I got a Beta 7 this year and swear by it. I’ve never could hit a 3 wood off the deck with consistency. Tried the 910F, 913f, RBZ Tour, SLDR, and X 2Hot – I was thinking about scrapping the fairway wood all together because it was costing me strokes when I pulled it from the bag.
I tried the TEE Beta at PGA Superstore one day and couldn’t believe how good it felt, and how easy it was to lift. I thought the simulator was off. I went home that day and couldn’t stop lusting after it so I bought it, 4 wood to be exact because the 3 wood went as far as my driver.
I’ve had it now for 2 months and can tell you it’s the real deal. It’s so easy to hit off the deck that I often hit it off the deck off tee boxes. They make GREAT clubs
Dane
Nov 11, 2014 at 12:58 am
Which store did you buy from? I work at the palm desert pga tour superstore and just got my E8 beta today and can’t wait to hit it. These guys might not be a Goliath but they play the David role so well. I CRUSH these fairways!
Don
Sep 10, 2014 at 10:20 am
I have never tried a tour exotics product. Based on what I hear about their performance, maybe I should. I just can’t, however, just can’t get over how toyish their sticks look. These woods look like playstation controllers.
Dale Doback
Sep 10, 2014 at 12:01 pm
I currently game the XGC6 driver 3wood and a 3hybrid. I tested everything and from my rocketballz 3wood with the TEE I picked up 10 mph of ballspeed. The ballspeed margin has shrunk to about 4mph with the x2hot and 6mph with the SLDR. The feel on the drivers and fairways are really good. The XGC6 fairway looks similar to a titleist FD but is hotter and much more forgiving although the new 915s are supposed to longer than the 913s. Even though the tour edge fairways produced the highest ballspeeds consistently and it holds true for the xgc7 betas as well, they are tied for the longest distance so you have to be smart in what you are looking for a fairway to do. The Callaway X2hots are actually just as long maybe even a little longer and with lower ball speed because they spin a lot less. My xgc6 spins around 3200 rpm but the X2hot was around 2500. I went with the TEE because I still use it off the fairway and with super low spin with the X2hot or SLDR at 2200 rpm I couldn’t hold a green. If I were looking for a fairway wood to use primarily off the tee It would be hard to pass up the x2hot. Also TEE shafts are very light and while good aftermarkets for sub100mph swing speeds they did not work for me at all. I picked up the xgc6 because it performed better than anything else on the market and at $150 on sale I put my money in finding the right shaft combo for the club. I can’t say enough good things about one of the new woods TEE is making and if you aren’t at least comparing them when making a possible purchase you are doing yourself a disservice.
Gonzo God
Sep 10, 2014 at 12:27 am
Let the watered down Rogues flood the market!
ams165
Sep 10, 2014 at 1:58 pm
Just like the Speeders they put in the CB Pro…..
Real watered down….
Chuck
Sep 11, 2014 at 12:08 am
That one was a real deal only because they charged 499 for it