Tour Edge Exotics Driver Review

After 20 years in the golf business, Tour Edge finally has a big stick to compete with the big boys.

TourEdge Exotics DriverTour Edge Golf is celebrating 20 years in the golf biz this year – and the company is also celebrating its recent move from the value segment of the industry to the thick of the performance segment. After several successful years of selling solid products at a price below the big names, Tour Edge introduced its Exotics line of high-performance, premium-priced equipment last year. The first product was a line of fairway woods that garnered good reviews and a vocal group of fans.

New for this year is the Exotics driver. Does it live up to the promise of the Exotics fairway woods? Read on to find out.

Tour Edge has long had a well-deserved reputation as a hidden gem in the golf club market. The company has always made good equipment at reasonable prices, and in recent years Tour Edge has been tinkering with some cutting edge technology.

Golf Talk [Episode 021]

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Woods family, but the show must go on. And so it does.

PodcastThis week saw the passing of Tiger Woods’ father Earl, and it’s a main discussion topic this week in the Golf Talk Podcast. Also this week, Wie in the U.S. Open, Chris Couch wins the Zurich Classic, John Daly losing $60 million gambling, the fall of Annika Sorenstam, and a whole lot more.

You can subscribe to the RSS feed for our podcasts here or download Episode 021 as an MP4 file. For those who want to subscribe to us in iTunes, click here.

For this week’s Show Notes – links to articles we discuss in the show and additional information – just read on.

TaylorMade RAC MB TP Irons Review

TaylorMade updates the “TP” irons with what’s best described as “tradition meets technology.” The RAC MB TPs are a winner.

Taylormade RAC MB TP PromoWe’ve all seen the commercials. And they’re true: TaylorMade, for all intents and purposes, “owns the tee box.” Having established a dominant position in drivers with the r5 and then the r7, TaylorMade is making believers out of even the staunchest of opponents. Dave Koster, who has used Titleist drivers much of his life, recently put the r7 460 in his bag after reviewing it.

Leveraging the success TaylorMade has had with drivers, the Carlsbad, CA company is seeking to “own” other product categories as well. They make great hybrids (their “Rescue” clubs) and are widely regarded as the leader in that category. They recently introduced “TP” golf balls to compete with Titleist, Callaway, and Nike. Even their putters and apparel (via Adidas) have gotten a fair amount of acclaim.

Lost in the shuffle a bit have been TaylorMade’s irons. Despite tremendous retail success with the higher-handicapper irons (see our RAC LT review), the company’s better irons have fought an uphill battle against the likes of Titleist and Mizuno for the attention of lower handicappers. With the 2006 revision to their high-end model, TaylorMade’s RAC MB TP irons what may be the best irons they’ve ever produced for better players.

The Short Game

Just about all types of golfers will have over 50% of their shots from on or near the green. So why don’t most of us practice that way?

The Numbers GameOver the past year, we’ve seen how hitting greens is the best predictor for success on the PGA Tour and, ostensibly, in general. The problem is that most of us amateurs don’t have the luxury of being so accurate with our irons. So what are we to do?

Accept it. If you play a lot of golf and work on your game, it will get better. The great equalizer is a great short game. You will find numerous players that don’t hit it long and may not hit a lot of greens, but can get up and down from a bucket. This week in The Numbers Game, I’ll show you just how important the short game is and it may change your approach to how you practice.

Wachovia Championship Preview

Tiger Woods will be missed this week but with 10 of the top 11 players in the world playing this weekend, you shouldn’t be disappointed.

Wachovia ChampionshipWe’ve talked several times in the forum and in our Podcasts about whether or not one player choked or the other won but in last year’s Wachovia we definately saw Sergio choke. Holding a six stroke lead going into the final round, Jim Furyk who was paired with Sergio in the final round and ended up T-2 with Sergio, had this to say about Sergio:

“He’s lapping the field right now,” Furyk said. “The golf tournament is in his hands; he’s going to determine who the winner is. He goes out and shoots 70, you can hand him the trophy.”

Nevermind the 70, a 71 could have won but Sergio shot a 72 and eventually lost in a playoff to Vijay to finish T-2 with Jim Furyk.

Early Ryder Cup Talk

The 36th Ryder Cup is still four months from now, but that doesn’t stop me from thinking about it.

Thrash TalkMy wife and I are going through our second move in about seven months, so bear with me this week. I definitely don’t suggest buying two houses in the same year. We have learned our lesson, but we can’t pass on a good opportunity.

The month of April has come and gone, and the PGA Tour has made its way into May. I was looking at a couple golf websites this past week and realized The Ryder Cup is less than five months away. It’s never too early to start talking about the best event in golf. There is no other event in the sport that displays so much passion and winning desire. I’m not sure I can wait until September for the 36th playing of the Ryder Cup.

Before You Rip It, You’ve Got to Grip It

Grips are becoming as diverse and specialized as golf shafts. Do yourself a favor and scout out the grip that’s truly best for you and your game.

Bag DropThe golf grip industry has come a long way since the days of the venerable black and green rubber Victory grips that were standard issue on just about every club sold in America in the 70s and 80s. Whole new materials and technologies have emerged to deliver a dizzying array of choices for golfers. Now you can pick from colors, sizes, weights, and feel that suit your eye, your hands, and your touch. Here’s a look at some of the industry leaders, plus a couple of specialty makers, and their latest and most popular offerings…

Volume Fifty-Seven

Useful gadgets that may or may no be very useful after all dominate this week’s edition of Hittin’ the Links.

Hittin' The LinksThis week’s edition of Hittin’ The Links is centered on gadgets. Regardless of whether these tools help you maintain your clubs, enjoy your round more, or help you swing better, they’re guaranteed to be useful for at least something