Review - Tour Edge Exotics EXi Irons

Nestled away in Batavia, Illinois lays a company in the golf industry that has a different sort of following when it comes to golfers. In a way it's almost like a "cult" because those that like the products that this company makes... really like them. Tour Edge Exotics the brand that is the brainchild of President and Founder David Glod. I remember the first time I saw a product with the Tour Edge Exotics name on it back in 2005 (approximately). I was new to the game, enjoying golf and really liking the sport so I went to the Toronto Golf and Travel Show if for no other reason it was a day out. But on this day I took part in my first what I would consider Demo Day. I made swings with a variety of clubs and included in the proverbial buffet was the original Tour Edge Exotics driver and 3 wood. To this day I remember the sound and feel of those two sticks and I remember the four ports on the trailing edge of the driver and the fairway wood that year was much talked and every now and then you still hear about them. What I don't remember from back then were irons. Well I am pleased to say that much has changed for Tour Edge and there are most definitely irons to be talked about.

This past January I made a point of "swinging" by the Tour Edge booth at both the Demo Day at Orange County National and at the PGA Show just to see what Tour Edge was up to. This would be the first time visiting their booth after walking away not blown away by their products in 2013. I'm glad that I returned to their booth and discovered the Tour Edge Exotics EXi irons. The EX1 irons fall into the category of being somewhere in between a Player's Club and a Game Improvement iron. I only say this because the head shape and size of these irons is more traditional and closer to what can be described as compact. Tour Edge boasts that the EXi irons offers golfers "traditional playability, feel and control combined with having built-in distance technology". Notice that the term "forgiveness" has not been mentioned yet? More on that in a bit. The EXi irons feature less offset than their stablemate (EXd) but feature a dual undercut cavity which places the CoG (Centre of Gravity) deeper in the design of the head. This deeper CoG combined with Tour Edge's "Power Grid" technology (which was first introduced a few years ago) combines to make the sole very thin behind the face. Furthermore, Tour Edge introduced an insert in the cavity which provides golfers a softer feel at impact. The EXi irons also features "Variable Face Technology" and a very thin face that allows the design of the face to have more trampoline effect which helps with higher ball speeds upon launch and solid contact on those swings that would be considered less than optimal. The EXi irons are cast from 431 Stainless. The lofts of the EXi irons are slightly stronger (45*) than what is considered to be "the norm" as far as lofts nowadays for this particular category (47*). So it sounds like the EXi irons have a fair amount going for them. How did they perform?

I actually would make swings with the EXi irons on two occasions. The first time was in Orlando during Demo Day at the PGA Show and the second was about a month later at the Toronto Golf and Travel Show. When I made swings with the EXi irons I was initially impressed with the feel at contact. I loved the feel and even though they are a cast offering the "TPE encased insert" was effective in making the strikes feel softer as opposed to "clicky". Good strikes were rewarded with an "authoritative thwack" and the ball would jettison off of the face. The results... flights that were pleasing to watch. I would make swings with both of their stock shaft offerings which are the UST Mamiya Recoil 670 F4 (graphite) and the KBS Tour 90 (steel). Both shafts offer a profile that leans toward a mid-trajectory and the combination of the shaft profile and heads of the EXi irons lived up to their billing. One thing that I should report on adding to the performance of the EXi irons is the fact that there is a slot on the sole of the club. Similar to technology seen in other brands it is just that much different. The slot on the EXi irons actually extends out past the toe of the head and curls upwards toward the top line. This definitely is part of the "distance technology" that Tour Edge built into these irons. But what about the ever important "F Word"? Forgiveness is there on the mishits. I must forewarn my readers with a disclaimer at this point. For one reason or another my striking did not falter a whole lot with the EXi irons. My swing was for the better part "off" at Demo Day but then my swing came around nicely with these irons in my hands. Confidence inspiring? Perhaps. But I do recollect two swings that were in that...ahem... less than optimal category. Those strikes stayed on-line without losing a horrible amount of distance. So again, the EXi irons lived up to their advertising. These irons were easy and I mean easy to work in either direction and flighting the ball was a breeze. The EXi irons are irons that are very easy to control. When I would swing them a month later back in Toronto I achieved the same results. Solid striking. Simply put the EXi irons and I get along and that could be attested by my friend Randy who was present.

The EXi irons from Tour Edge currently retail for $599.99 and $799.99 USD in steel and graphite respectively. When compared to the other brands out there with similar products the EXi irons could very well be several hundred dollars less than irons comparable. I would classify them as "The Biggest Bang For Your Buck" as far as irons go in 2016. If you're a Low to Mid-Handicapper they are definitely worth a look... if you can find them. Where I sit geographically I am unaware of any "local" Tour Edge dealers so in my base the inability to locate them could be a negative. But the Pro's far outweigh the Con.. I am aware that is singular. There is a ton of performance and a lot to like about the EXi irons. Workability, control, and a soft feel at impact. All in all the EXi irons are an iron that has everything that I look for. I would put these in my bag tomorrow. Check them out at www.touredge.com they are worth your time.

*** Special Thanks to Tour Edge PR Director Joanne Miller for providing me a USB drive with the above images.