Sweet Stuff
Tour Edge, the Batavia, Illinois company that has earned a reputation over the past 32 years for cutting edge game improvement golf clubs, recently introduced its latest line of user-friendly metal woods in the form of the Exotics EXS driver, fairways and hybrids that offer some exiting new features.
Futuristic technologies have been a trademark of Tour Edge President and Master Club Designer David Glod, and his latest creations not only feel and look good but perform at an extremely high level that translates into more distance and accuracy for players at all levels.
Take the new Exotics EXS driver, the flagship of the new lineup, that features the company’s Flight Tuning System (FTS), that includes 9-gram and 3-gram interchangeable weights, an adjustable hosel that allows for plus two or minus two degrees in loft, RollFace Technology for an expanded sweet spot, Dual Carbon Fiber placement for ideal weight distribution and a new and improved SlipStream™ Sole for faster clubhead speed.
“The EXS driver is absolutely loaded with technology,” said Glod. “This is the most technology we’ve ever been able to fit into a design and each one works in concert with one another to provide the best performing driver possible. The shapes are beautiful, and we utilized only the finest in materials and components. I believe that at the aggressive price point that we are offering, the EXS driver will have its highest impact on the driver market over any other previous Exotics release.”
This is a driver with a nice light feel that helps produce a smooth swing and has a solid feel at impact. It also produces a noticeably higher swing speed than many other of the top-rated drivers on the market.
The EXS 460cc head features premium Japanese exotic metals; TSP 910 Beta Titanium face plate featuring Variable Face Thickness Technology and an 8-1-1 Titanium chassis. The TSP 910 Beta Titanium face has been made even thinner and lighter in the EXS over previous Exotics driver models to produce a greater spring-like effect.
Tour Edge R&D paired the superior TSP 910 Beta Titanium face plate with the exceptionally light Carbon Fiber Crown and with additional Carbon Fiber located on the toe of clubhead, allowing weight to be strategically repositioned lower and deeper in the head for optimal spin and creating an extremely high MOI. The Dual Carbon Fiber Technology also helped Tour Edge engineers to significantly improve the acoustics of the driver and enabled them to account for the gram weight of the FTS weights and the adjustable hosel.
The Flight Tuning System allows adjustable sole weights to be moved to two alternate settings; a 9-gram weight in the heel, 3-gram weight in the rear for lower spin, slice-reducing shape and a medium launch and then the 3-gram weight in the heel and 9-gram weight in the rear for medium spin, neutral shape and a higher launch. Additional weight screws can also be purchased as a kit.
The adjustable hosel allows the 9.5-degree EXS driver to go from 7.5 degrees to 11.5 degrees, while the 10.5-degree EXS driver will adjust from 8.5 degrees to 12.5 degrees. The adjustable hosel also features three upright lie angle settings, giving the EXS driver 16 different settings between the two FTS weights and the eight different loft and lie settings.
A new RollFace Technology incorporates modified bulge and roll on the toe to create straighter shots for shots hit off the toe, which is where most miss-hits with a driver are made. In conjunction with the sweet-spot enhancing Variable Face Thickness technology, the RollFace makes this the most forgiving driver face ever produced by Tour Edge.
The aerodynamics in the EXS driver are greatly enhanced by a more sloping crown and wider speed channels on the sole. The new, more tapered head profile also reduces aerodynamic drag. New wider speed channels on the SlipStream sole create an even faster clubhead speed and enhance the aerodynamics of the clubhead.
An ultra-premium Tensei CK Blue 2G shaft series by Mitsubishi Chemical is the stock shaft for the EXS driver. Extremely light yet extremely stable throughout, the Tensei Blue CK features advanced materials like Carbon Fiber and Kevlar mixed with other lightweight materials that weigh in the 50-70-gram range, depending on flex.
The EXS fairway metals are loaded with the same technology, including
11-gram and 3-gram interchangeable weights, Cup Face Technology with Variable Face Thickness (VFT Technology) for an expanded sweet spot, multi-material usage of Carbon Fiber for ideal weight distribution and a new and improved SlipStream™ Sole for faster clubhead speed through the turf. These fairway metals are even longer than previous Tour Edge fairways and offer a nice boring trajectory—yet the ability to get the ball out of higher grass with ease. The CG location is positioned closer to the face for less spin, creating a trajectory that fights wind and increases roll.
“The EXS fairway metal is a beautiful and traditional pear shape that we’ve been able to combine with five different integrated technologies,” added Glod. “In fact, in the independent tests we’ve conducted, it’s going to provide a ton of distance gain and less dispersion to a wider variety of skill levels than ever before.”
The Tensei CK Blue 2G shaft series by Mitsubishi Chemical is the chosen stock shaft for the EXS fairway metal, and they are available in five different lofts; 13, 15 and 17 degree 3-woods, an 18 degree 5-wood and a 21 degree 7-wood. The 15 degree 3-wood is available
in left handed.
The Exotics EXS hybrid also features an interchangeable sole weight, expanded sweet spot and a design to be more effective in the wind with less spin, which has made it a popular choice on the pro tours. The EXS hybrids became the fastest growing hybrid on the U.S. professional tours in 2018 and were in the bag for four victories on the PGA Tour Champions. Exotics staff players Bart Bryant, Tom Lehman and Scott McCarron all won with an Exotics hybrid in the bag in 2018. Over 250 Exotics clubs were put into play on the PGA Tours in 2018, according to the Darrell Survey.
For more information on the new Tour Edge EXS metals: www.touredge.com
OLive View Plus
ne of the better golf practice tools is now much improved as the LiveView Golf Digital Swing Mirror (DSM™) now comes with a faster camera and more features that greatly enhance this teaching and practice tool that has become very popular over the past couple of years.
In the all-new LiveView-PLUS, the biggest advancement is the introduction of an improved camera that is noticeably faster and clearer than the original model. With 60 frame per-second video capture on the new camera, users can capture three times more frames for slow motion swing analysis over the LVG Classic edition. LiveView-PLUS integrates the latest WiFi technology using 802.11 BGN to reduce frame errors and ensure that more of your swing data is captured. This means more swing detail can be seen and analyzed during practice.
Company Founder Shane Yang and his team managed to add all these extra frames without reducing real-time performance as the video still maintains video delays under 0.5 seconds to ensure that what you see, and feel is real. Another great feature of the LiveView-PLUS is the built-in wideangle optics that has reduced the minimum imaging distance to 9-feet in order capture 6.5-feet of vertical swing space, making it easier to use indoors or on the range in a hitting bay. With the optional wideangle lens adapter, that distance can be reduced even further to less than 7-feet.
The LiveView-PLUS is also very handy like the original version to carry in your golf bag or pocket and sets up anywhere— at home, in a hotel room or on the range. It checks in at a small 3.8” high, 2.72” wide and 1.2” deep and comes with its own carrying case. It also works well with the optional LivPod flexible tripod stand that is equally small and can be used to mount the camera on a golf bag, a door handle or even on top of a chair. The camera also has a bracket so that it can be mounted on an alignment stake punched in the ground, if desired.
The new LiveView-PLUS app that can be downloaded to IOS devices and Android also has some nice new features with instant replay of every swing that is automatic, making this training tool even more intuitive with its improved software.
The app also lets you do all kinds of nice swing analysis functions and transfer them back into the live video feed, with the ability to create templates to help with swing improvement. The app also has Live Swing Guides that allow the player to draw plane lines or stationary posts that can be used in the live feed as precise reference for the intended swing.
LiveView-PLUS Digital Swing Mirror is really an old concept utilizing new technology. Mirrors have been used by teachers and golf students for many years, as have video cameras. But mirrors are bulky and don’t record anything by themselves and aren’t something you are going to lug around in a golf bag. Video is available on your smartphone these days, but it has its limitations and doesn’t match what the software can do. The beauty of this system is that you can practice your swing while watching yourself (just like in a mirror) from any angle, record your swings (and even email them to an instructor) and watch your swing frame-by-frame.
Because the feedback in this digital mirror is instantaneous, players can verify the real club position against their internal swing feel and make very fine distinctions as to what the intended swing position really feels like. This “real” feeling is what enables elite players to strike a ball correctly and consistently in actual play.
To learn more visit: www.liveviewgolf. com
State Apparel
Arelative newcomer to the golf apparel scene, San Francisco-based company State Apparel has taken a definite unique twist to producing clothing for golf by treating it as equipment for players.
The company likes to say that they are “Reinventing Golfwear” by transforming golf clothing into golf equipment by incorporating intuitive wiping layers into their golf pants and shirts. These are special towel-like fabrics for cleaning a golfer’s hands, clubs and golf balls, thus providing
an efficient solution so golfers no longer need to step away from a shot to grab a towel.
State Apparel’s name is distilled from the Golden State of California. The founders grew up there and deeply appreciate the vast amount of natural beauty, resources, and diversity, as well as the innovation, individuality and opportunity it represents.
Staying true to the owner’s belief in locally-made products, they manufacture their creations from start to finish in San Francisco and take pride in contributing to a thriving local economy.
State Apparel offers a nice range of attire from shirts, bottoms, hats, outer wear and accessories, but one of their signature pieces is the Green Collar Shirt, made of recycled performance fabric and honors the Green Collar workers who’s sustainably and responsibly nurture the green spaces on which the game is played. Fashioned with a button-down collar for a polished Sunday look, the shirt sports a contrast collar, placket, and logo pocket for strong and subtle style. It is made of 79% Recycled Polyester, 21% Spandex, light weight, soft and smooth fabric with an athletic cut
The perfect summer shirt from the beach to the dessert, it is also available in Charcoal, and Powder Blue.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of State Apparel products are donated to the Audubon International’s Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf, which is an award winning education and certification program that helps golf courses protect the environment and preserve the natural heritage of the game of golf.
More information is available at: https://stateapparel.com
Cuddle Clones
Probably no group of sporting aficionados is as fervent about expressing their individuality as golfers—be it in the clothing that they wear or their equipment and the bags and protective covering for their clubs.
Innovative and designer headcovers for woods have evolved over the years, but a relative new company out of Louisville, Kentucky, called Cuddle Clones has taken golf club covers to a new level with their custom-made, exact replicas that are skillfully produced by the company. These life-like clones are a one-of-a-kind cover for your driver or three-wood and are sure to be the talk of your foursome. The pet’s name is even sown into the inside of the cover.
The covers are hand-made from the finest plush materials and crafted to look just like your pet—and we mean just like it! The detail and craftmanship is remarkable as the company will utilize eight or nine photos of your furry companion for their artists to create a life-like headcover model (which is sent for final approval) and then fashioned into the finished product with lifelike features and fur. The only thing it doesn’t do is bark.
Cuddle Clones captures all the physical details and personality traits of a pet in stuffed-animal form, and the company takes extreme care in making their products life-like and capturing your pet’s unique look. In addition to golf head covers, which are sure to turn heads on the range or at the course, the company also makes an entire gamut of life-like custom replicas such as custom tee shirts, blankets, phone cases, coffee mugs, holiday stockings and even slippers! These make great holiday gifts—or gifts for any occasion. Orders take about five weeks.
Cuddle Clones also donates 10% of all profits to organizations that help animals in need—so all purchases go to help a worthy cause.
To learn more visit: