Tour Edge’s New Exotics EXS 220 and Hot Launch HL4 Named to 2020 Golf Digest Hot List
Tour Edge announces that five of their new products were honored with a 2020 Golf Digest Hot List award.
The Hot List, the annual golf equipment awards going on 17 straight years, was revealed in the March issue of Golf Digest currently on newsstands.
The 2020 Hot List is the result of months of evaluations by players of all abilities testing almost 250 different golf clubs, including a two-week testing session in Mesquite, Nev.
The Golf Digest judges gather insight from three independent panels to advise on every factor under the following weighting: 45% Performance, 30% Innovation, 20% Look/Sound/Feel and 5% Demand.
With the five new products winning a Hot List award, Tour Edge has earned 17 Golf Digest Hot List awards over the past three seasons. The big winner for Tour Edge in 2020 is their new Exotics EXS 220 line with four separate Hot List awards.
#1 2020 Hot List Winner – Exotics EXS 220 Fairway Metal
Winning a Gold medal in the 2020 Hot List was the new Exotics EXS Fairway Metal that features Tour Edge’s breakthrough Diamond Face technology.
The new EXS 220 Fairway Metals are made with a new Hyper-Steel that is 14% lighter than the previous EXS fairway metal, allowing for more weight to be positioned in the center of the sole and the rear of the clubhead to produce a unique combination of ease of launch and low spin.
The verdict on the gold–winning club in Golf Digest read: “What makes a face work is the technology inside. The backside of this face is cross-hatched with rows of diamond- shape thick-and-thin sections. Think of it as 44 mini-trampolines. This design allows for better flexing on off-center locations and reduces the weight of the face by 14 percent. Carbon-fiber panels in the heel and toe of the sole help push weight to the rear for higher stability and better speed on mis-hits.”
The player comments from the Hot List test on the Exotics EXS 220 Fairway Metals were as follows:
“Simple but beautiful crown—glossy and reflective. The sole rails help: My fat shots aren’t punished.” – High-Handicapper
“It was easy to hit, with a medium ball flight, whether from the tee or the grass. Surprisingly easy to hit from the grass. The sole tech seems to be incredibly effective.” – Mid-Handicapper
“Sits nice on the turf. You can get it off the tee or fairway easily. What you hear and feel is what you see.” – Low-Handicapper
#2 2020 Hot List Winner – Exotics EXS 220 Hybrid
The larger footprint Exotics EXS 220 hybrid was also named a Hot List hybrid winner for 2020.
The EXS 220 Hybrid was designed to bring the power of a fairway metal to a hybrid. This amped-up hybrid utilizes a lighter 450-Hyper-Steel/360-degree Cup Face design that features new Diamond Face technology that features 44 different thick and thin diamond shapes behind the face of the hybrid.
Golf Digest described the EXS 220 hybrid by saying: “Tour Edge reminds us that we need hybrids because we frequently mis-hit longer-shafted, lower-lofted clubs that we play off the ground. So our hybrids should be forgiving first. The longer front-to-back size coupled with a rear weight make this Tour Edge’s most stable hybrid ever. We also need forgiveness through the turf, so wider channels line the bottom of this club. Those combine with heel and toe indents for an easier move through any lie.”
The player comments on the Exotics EXS 220 hybrid were as follows:
“The proportions on top were like the golden ratio, and the rails let me hit baby draws from anywhere.” – High Handicapper
“Like the traditional look, lower on the face, sits well on the ground, and you don’t feel like you have to help it.” – Mid-Handicapper
“Simple, no funny business look. I like the hint of sparkle. You can see the heel when you put it down, which I also like. The hit sounds like you’re striking a match. Shots hit and rolled out.” – Low Handicapper
#3 2020 Hot List Winner – Exotics EXS 220 Iron Set
In the game improvement iron category, the Exotics EXS 220 Iron Set was named to the Hot List, citing its innovation, advanced forgiveness and extreme distance properties.
The EXS 220 iron set is a split set featuring both hollow body and deep undercut designs, making for an extremely advanced multi-material game improvement set in a Platinum Chrome PVD finish that plays as one of the longest iron sets in golf.
Here’s the verdict from the pages of Golf Digest on the EXS 220 Iron Set: “When distance is your priority, there’s no reason to disguise it. The EXS 220 irons don’t even try. A hollow-cavity construction is used in the 4- through 7-irons. Those irons also use a forged cup face with a web-shape, variable-thickness design that enhances the sweet spot in every direction from the center of the face”
The player comments from the Hot List test on the Exotics EXS 220 Iron Set were as follows:
“The middle irons had a mid-ball flight, and shorter irons were an appropriate high trajectory.” – Mid-Handicapper
“I was amazed at the shots I hit with these. I hit one low and on the heel and it came out straight and went fine. The sweet spot is the whole face.” – Low Handicapper
“Real muscular appearance, like it’s a real force. You could feel the mass in the center of the sole powering through at impact.” – High Handicapper
#4 2020 Hot List Winner – Hot Launch HL4 Triple Combo Set
The HL4 Triple Combo set won a Gold medal in the Super Game-Improvement iron category.
The HL4 Triple Combo set includes three different HL4 products to make up one extreme performance set. The blended set consists of HL4 Hybrids, HL4 Iron-Woods and HL4 Irons, making it one of the moist efficient and versatile sets available on the market.
The verdict on the gold–winning clubs in Golf Digest read: Golfers using irons in this category often have a single requirement: Get the ball in the air. Tour Edge’s Triple Combo set addresses that need. The set starts with the 4- and 5-iron slots filled with matching HL4 hybrids, the 6- and 7-iron are HL4 iron-woods and the 8-iron through pitching wedge are cavity-back HL4 irons.
The player comments from the Hot List test on the HL4 Triple Combo set were as follows:
“The distinct different designs through the set get you the right amount of help for the job.” – High Handicapper
“It was excellent. It jumped off the face. Piercing and nice trajectory. – High Handicapper
“Big but it looks smaller because of the design. A lot of help is hidden.” – High Handicapper
#5 2020 Hot List Winner – Exotics EXS 220h Iron Set
Tour Edge’s second 2020 Hot List winning Super Game-Improvement iron went to the Exotics EXS 220h Iron Set.
The EXS 220h iron set is a completely hollow-body iron super game improvement set with a Brushed Black Satin PVD finish. The ‘h’ in ‘220h’ designates a hybrid iron set designed with a wider sole than the EXS 220 Iron set to provide greater ease of launch and greater forgiveness on the scoring irons.
Golf Digest described the EXS 220h set by saying: “Hybrid-like iron sets are Tour Edge’s specialty, and the company plays to its strengths here. The completely hollow-body-construction set is made from 17-4 steel. It’s built for max forgiveness with a high moment of inertia and low, deep center of gravity thanks to significant perimeter weighting and a wide sole that also helps improve turf interaction. It’s a set that can turn a super chopper into a serviceable member-member partner.”
The player comments on the EXS 220h set were as follows:
“Looks and performs like a beast. Long, straight and easy to hit. The sound is like a low growl.” – High Handicapper
“It has that sweet piercing sound and really jumps off the face. Love the rails on the sole.” – High Handicapper
“Lots of support through impact. A penetrating trajectory. A heavier feel so you knew where the head was—like you’re delivering a heavier blow.” – High Handicapper
Contact:
Jon Claffey
Vice President of Marketing
Tour Edge Golf Mfg., Inc
800.515.3343 EXT: 110
www.TourEdge.com
