Tour Edge Exotics C723 Driver Review

[Browndog]

My swing with driver recently has been giving me a fade which is not the shot shape I normally have had.

So I decided to try a few tweaks. First go around with the hosel setting at + and the rear weight about halfway between neutral and draw.

Next go around with the hosel setting at neutral and upright with the rear weight also halfway between neutral and draw.

Both worked to reduce the fade. The + setting definitely increased height also and maybe added some spin because I lost some total distance but had a straighter ball flight.

Going to keep tinkering a bit and see what happens.

 

[MH]

I’m excited to see this driver in person and see how it stacks up against my Ping g430 lst and Titleist tsr4.

 

[Browndog]

I’m excited to see this driver in person and see how it stacks up against my Ping g430 lst and Titleist tsr4.

Please share your thoughts and results here afterwards.

 

[MH]

this question is for the 2023 Teem Tour Edge testers, do you see yourself playing this driver long term after the commitment period is over? I'm super curious to see what this driver is like and how it compares to my other 2 current drivers

 

[willplaysgolf]

this question is for the 2023 Teem Tour Edge testers, do you see yourself playing this driver long term after the commitment period is over? I'm super curious to see what this driver is like and how it compares to my other 2 current drivers

I've been pondering this a bit, both in how I have the C723 setup weight wise and against other drivers I've played/could play.

Here are my 2023 Shot Scope stats for the C723, my 300 Mini Driver, and my 2022 stats for the Cobra LTDx LS I played:




I feel REALLY comfortable with the 300 Mini as my second longest club, so that's been kind of a reference point as I compare the 2 clubs.

Compared to the LTDx LS, I find the C723 to be much easier to setup for a neutral/draw flight, which I believe is reflected in my numbers. The LTDx LS was setup with the draw weights and the draw sleeve setting and I still had a right miss bias. My 300 Mini is a nearly automatic draw which is kind of what I've been chasing with the C723...but I'm starting to question that a little bit. Despite hitting more fairways and producing more of a draw flight with the C723, my strokes gained numbers aren't up, which I would have expected if you had told me I was hitting more fairways with the C723 and had a more consistent draw ballflight.

Somewhat anecdotally, as the Shot Scope data doesn't 100% confirm this, but compared to the LTDx LS/AeroJet LS I find the C723 is a little spinnier off-center, which makes it a little more accurate but not quite as long. I also experience the C723 as a little more forgiving heel side vs toe side which was the opposite for the LTDx LS. I swapped notes with @Browndog who played/tested the same drivers last year and this year and he had a similar experience on the toe side/heel side forgiveness. I tend to miss on the toe a little more than the heel, which is maybe the driver behind the larger avg. fairway miss distance.

So, I'm pondering if I have my "setup the driver so it always produces a draw, like your 300 Mini" philosophy wrong, and should have the C723 setup more fade biased to neutralize the draw vs. leaning into it. Or, is the perceived benefit of having a low spinning head I can turn over not really a benefit, and I should be playing something more inherently fade biased like the LS. I had bought an AeroJet LS but only took it out a couple times since I had already received the C723 when the courses opened here. Small sample size disclaimers aside, I remember thinking the AJ was sooo much harder to turn over but I had a higher P-Avg and strokes gained and the course was very soft at this time.



FWIW, if/when I do move on from the C723, the biggest feature I will miss is the Ridgeback alignment on the crown. I expected to slightly dislike it or be indifferent to it, but I really think it helps my alignment a lot.

 

[kiwichris]

this question is for the 2023 Teem Tour Edge testers, do you see yourself playing this driver long term after the commitment period is over? I'm super curious to see what this driver is like and how it compares to my other 2 current drivers

Seeing as I was floating between drivers before getting selected (one of which being a C721) l, getting the C723 in the bag and setup means it will be a keeper.
The distance, forgiveness and ease of hitting this coupled with the much improved crown and diamond face keeps me from dropping it out.

What setup did you go with for the C723?

 

[MH]

Seeing as I was floating between drivers before getting selected (one of which being a C721) l, getting the C723 in the bag and setup means it will be a keeper.
The distance, forgiveness and ease of hitting this coupled with the much improved crown and diamond face keeps me from dropping it out.

What setup did you go with for the C723?

I picked the hzrdus black gen 4 with a 9* head

 

[Browndog]

this question is for the 2023 Teem Tour Edge testers, do you see yourself playing this driver long term after the commitment period is over? I'm super curious to see what this driver is like and how it compares to my other 2 current drivers

Have about 100 rounds in with the C723 driver so far. As of right now I don’t see me changing away from it anytime soon.

I agree with @willplaysgolf comment about its forgiveness level and also that the heel miss seems more forgiving than the toe miss. The heel miss for me results in a cut and the toe miss is more of a push. Previous drivers would draw or hook when I toed one.

In an earlier post I compared it to my previous two drivers the Cobra LTDx LS and the Ping G410 LST. For me it kind of sits in between those as far as looks, feel, sound, forgiveness and distance.

Still playing it with the stock Mitsubishi Tensei AV Blue 65S shaft. One thing that I’ve considered is trying to optimize it a bit more with a different shaft, but it has been good enough that I’ve not really felt the need to tinker with it like I did the two previous drivers.

No doubt I’m anxious to see what Tour Edge comes out with for next year in the driver line up.

 

[willplaysgolf]

I've been tinkering going with a shorter shaft in the C723, around 44.75". I swapped the 5g front weight for a 10g one to compensate for shortening the driver. Haven't been on the sim consistently enough to know if I'm giving up any ball speed, but I do seem to be finding the center a little more, and I'm seeing a little lower spin than I'm used to. That could be a combination of more consistent strikes or the little extra weight in the front. I also moved the rear 15g weight to the full fade setting once again. I've been swapping between my most-of-the time gamer Smoke Blue and Velocity, and think I can/should loft those up on click based on the reduced spin.

 

[MH]

I am looking forward to getting this one in hand and see how it stacks up against the g430 lst and tsr4. Also curious if I will find the Ridgeback visual distracting or not?

 

[willplaysgolf]

I am looking forward to getting this one in hand and see how it stacks up against the g430 lst and tsr4. Also curious if I will find the Ridgeback visual distracting or not?

I thought I'd dislike it or be indifferent but I really like it

 

[MH]

I’ll definitely share my thoughts when I receive the clubs. I really hoping they show up in time to get a round in outside. If not it will be sim rounds until spring which is ok as well

 

[Browndog]

Played with a group of club Pros today in a practice round for the GA Sr. PGA event being held at my home course tomorrow and Tuesday.

One of the Pros noticed my C723 8 degree driver and was curious about it and asked if he could take a look. I encouraged him to hit it and give me his thoughts on the looks, feel, sound and performance. His current driver is a Callaway Paradym.

He hit his tee shot with his driver and then hit another with mine. Afterwards he said, “It looks good, it feels good, and sounds good to me.” When we got up to the balls they were side by side in the fairway. He looked at me and said, “I could play that driver. The only thing I would change is adding a little loft to it.”

 

[kiwichris]

I am looking forward to getting this one in hand and see how it stacks up against the g430 lst and tsr4. Also curious if I will find the Ridgeback visual distracting or not?

I think I dropped a side by side crown between 721 & 723 earlier in this thread, 721 ridgeback was super hard to look at in comparison to the 723.

I think you'll be pretty impressed with the look down.

 

[Browndog]

Spent some time practicing yesterday and focused on hitting the C723 Driver at the range.

Was experimenting a bit with lead tape on the sole of the club.

Not sure if it is the swing speed training I’ve done this year or an inadvertent change in my swing but for whatever reason lately I’ve been having a hard time feeling where the driver head is during my swing. Also have felt like on my downswing my weight is shifting too much towards the toes of my left foot.

I’ve also started to see a more frequent low heel strike causing a fade or even a slice miss which is unusual for me as my miss typically has tended to be left.

Started with two strips of High Density lead tape equaling 4 grams. Could definitely feel the weight difference.

Half way during my practice, one of the strips of lead tape fell off. Down to 2 grams but still had a better sense of where the head was in my swing.

Was hitting the ball well so I rewarded myself with some swings with the C723 3 wood and the E723 7 wood. Those clubs are just so much fun to hit.

I’ve got a shaft coming soon to try in the C723 driver that should be similar to the shaft that is working so well for me in the C723 3 wood.

 

[rlb4]

Spent some time practicing yesterday and focused on hitting the C723 Driver at the range.

Was experimenting a bit with lead tape on the sole of the club.

Not sure if it is the swing speed training I’ve done this year or an inadvertent change in my swing but for whatever reason lately I’ve been having a hard time feeling where the driver head is during my swing. Also have felt like on my downswing my weight is shifting too much towards the toes of my left foot.

I’ve also started to see a more frequent low heel strike causing a fade or even a slice miss which is unusual for me as my miss typically has tended to be left.

Started with two strips of High Density lead tape equaling 4 grams. Could definitely feel the weight difference.

Half way during my practice, one of the strips of lead tape fell off. Down to 2 grams but still had a better sense of where the head was in my swing.

Was hitting the ball well so I rewarded myself with some swings with the C723 3 wood and the E723 7 wood. Those clubs are just so much fun to hit.

I’ve got a shaft coming soon to try in the C723 driver that should be similar to the shaft that is working so well for me in the C723 3 wood.

Where on the head did you put the lead tape?

 

[Browndog]

Where on the head did you put the lead tape?

I put a strip of packing tape on the sole first and then put two 2 inch long by 1/2 inch wide strips of High Density lead tape side by side directly down the middle, front to back, of the club head between the two weight ports on the sole.

My intent was to have this be temporary and that is why I used the packing tape first as it makes removal of the lead tape easier.

For a permanent fix I will add some hot melt to the head or purchase heavier sole weights from Tour Edge.