It seems like all too often, all we hear about is Callaway, TaylorMade Titleist, Nike, or Ping - the big boys in the industry. I'm not saying that's necessarily a bad thing, but some of the smaller guys deserve a look sometimes as well. They are possibly even more deserving of attention than the giants are because we all hear about it as soon as one of them brings us the latest in moveable weights, adjustable heads, etc. The marketing guys cleverly place ads with everything from Tiger to Trevor to a smooth talking baby in a high chair, sporting a certain visor and calling his buddy a shankapotamus.

What we don't always see are the products from companies such as those from Tour Edge. Though they make some pretty strong claims ("20 yards longer or your money back"), they also stand by another guarantee - one that says you can play their club for 30 days and if you're not completely satisfied, you're entitled to a full refund. That alone may make the latest in the Exotics line worth trying out. Continue on to see many other reasons to give the new XCG-3's a chance.

XCG-3 Hybrid
For starters, the new Exotics XCG-3 hybrid mixes the best of the older XCG hybrid with some new materials with a great end-result. So much of the emphasis on modern hybrids, fairway woods, and drivers is placed on the location of weighting, these being no different. The tungsten sole allows for the weight of the head to be low, deep, and well distributed along the outside edges. In fact, the tungsten sole in this hybrid is twice as heavy as steel, which helps to get the weight under the ball therefore improving launch. This low, deep concentration creates a center of gravity that assists in squaring the face, making the XCG-3 longer and more accurate than its predecessors.

The tungsten sole is mated to the maraging steel cup face via a weld-less process in which the two pieces are chemically treated, fused together and vacuum heat cured to create the permanent bond. That especially thin steel face works in conjunction with the low CG to bring the spin rate way down. Also hidden inside the clubhead are two weight pads, which not only helps locate that low CG, but also improves the sound of the hybrid.

Price, Options, & Availability
For $199, the XCG-3 hybrid comes with a Fujikura Motore 80-gram graphite shaft and the Golf Pride Exotics New Decade cord grip. 3H through 5H models are available, ranging from 16° up to 24°. Shafts are available from L-flex to X-Stiff, and the 3H and 4H have both right-handed and left handed options. They are available now at your favorite retailer.

XCG-3 Fairway Wood
Quite a number of design features are shared between all 3 clubs in the XCG-3 line. Like the hybrid, the woods employ a titanium cup face, crown, and body. The tungsten sole also returns in order to push the weight down and deep. In fact, the sole alone weighs 126 grams, and attributes to 63% of the overall load of the head. That low center of gravity produces a great deal of additional stability and forgiveness to help the golfer out on those not-so-perfect swings.

The face is improved thanks to a variable thickness, which is said to provide more flex and rebound across the entire face of the club. According to Tour Edge, this unique face combined with the previously mentioned low CG delivers drastically longer distances than any other competitor's product. Like the hybrid, the XCG-3 fairway wood is assembled using the same no-weld Combo-Brazing process.

Price, Options, & Availability
Again, the Fujikura Motore Exotics shaft is the stock shaft option, in a wide range of flex profiles. It is topped off with the Golf Pride Exotics New Decade cord grip. They are available now for $299 in a number of lofts ranging from a strong 3W (13°) up to a 7W (21°).

XCG-3 Driver
As expected, many of the same design features are shared between the hybrids, the fairway woods, and the driver. The 460cc driver consists of a heavy tungsten sole, an aerospace titanium body, and an amorphous carbon crown. The variable thickness cup face also has an X-contour technology that contributes to an explosive launch across the width of the face. In order to produce a larger sweet spot, an inner O-ring lines the outer edges of the face and allows the face to flex more.

A thinner, lighter crown is achieved by the use of amorphous carbon, which is essentially a more lightweight, yet stronger version of the carbon materials used in other clubs. The reason for this use of this lighter carbon is so that weight can be moved to the sole via the use of more tungsten. In fact, 28 grams of the material is used to take the CG lower than any previous Exotics driver ever made. Again, the benefit here is more stability through impact and a higher overall MOI.

Price, Options, & Availability
The stock shaft is once again, the proven Fujikura Motore Exotics, though if you choose the X-stiff flex you then step up to the Morore Exotics Tour 80 shaft, which is a lower launching shaft than the standard model. Three loft options are availabe - a 9.0°, and 10.5°, and a 12°, all of which are 45" long and maintain a square face angle. To maintain consistency with the other previously mentioned clubs, the Golf Pride New Decade corded grip tops off the club. Tour Edge has set the MSRP at $349.

Final Thoughts
Though the Tour Edge Exotics line may not be the first you evaluate when looking for a new wood, maybe they should be. It's obvious, the emphasis has been placed on forgiveness off the tee, which I know most of us can no doubt benefit from at times. The 20 yard guarantee may be a little played out, but far too often the engineers and designers get a bad rap because of the marketing department. Though I won't necessarily expect to hold them to that claim, I will definitely make an effort to at least try one of these new clubs because as I said, you never know until you try it.

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