Many don’t realize that Tour Edge has been around for 35 years in golf, and in that time there have been some significant successes and a whole lot of industry firsts in terms of technology and designs. For most, however, it is the last few years that have more than likely brought the brand to attention, and that hinges around their PGA Tour Champions presence, yes, but also the fact that they are making clubs from top to bottom that flat our perform.
Last year was a big one for Tour Edge and the Exotics line where the company saw sales successes the likes of which the company hadn’t seen before, particularly when it comes to driver. THP reviewed both the EXS 220 and EXS Pro drivers and honestly I believed we had seen the formula of design the company would follow for the foreseeable future. Boy was I wrong.
The C721 driver turns all of that on its ear. A unique from the ground up design to follow impressively successful predecessors, and yes, it very much works.
Quick Take
No evolution here, the C721 is yet another revolution for Tour Edge and their Exotics line. This is one of the absolute lowest spinning drivers on the market for 2021, but with a playability that is unheard of for the low RPM’s it pumps out. This driver has outside the box looks, but all of the sound, feel, forgiveness, and sheer firepower we have come to expect from the Exotics lineup. This is a must try.
From the Ground Up
I’ll be honest, I really don’t believe that David Glod and Tour Edge get enough credit for their ability to design and innovate. Yes, there are multiple layers to Tour Edge as a company with options across the spectrum, but the Exotics lineup in particular has always been one that is unafraid of being different for the sake of chasing performance. That is the C721 driver in a nutshell.
The only true design carryover from the EXS 220 line is the 2.0 version of Diamond Face. With this evolution there are 7 different thicknesses and 43 diamonds on the backside of the face which create variable thickness. Worth noting is that the first version had only 3 thicknesses. Even more impressive is through material and design changes, Diamond Face 2.0 has actually reduced the perimeter thickness by 20% according to Tour Edge. Reduced thickness means more ball speed potential, and also more forgiveness particularly at the extremes of the face.
The C721 is also utilizing an Adjustable Rear Backweight which optimizes the CG to promote an easier launch and increased stability by way of an increased M.O.I. The weights will be available in 5g, 10g, 15g, and 18g options with 10g being standard in the driver.
Tour Edge is also taking carbon fiber to the limit through what the company is calling their Ridgeback Technologyand Dual Carbon Wings. Ridgeback is a titanium spine that goes down the middle of the club connecting behind the top center of the face and running all the way around the head. This is Tour Edge’s answer to creating stiffness in the right places to increase ball speed in the middle of the face while allowing the heel and toe sections to flex and maintain more power there as well. Wrapping around Ridgeback are the Dual Carbon Wings which help shift the weight internally to optimize that low/back CG for launch and stability.
Tour Edge Exotics C721 Driver
So, on to performance, yeah? I’ll put it this way, as impressed as I was by the EXS 220 and EXS Pro last year, and as shocked as I was that Tour Edge was essentially scrapping those designs, this is about as well rounded as a driver can get.
Obviously, the looks are getting the biggest share of discussion, and I was one who was admittedly pessimistic when I first got to see the release images. Even then, the same old story reigns true, it looks better in the in-hand pictures than the release images, and then when actually in-hand it’s even better. Is it different and a little abstract? Absolutely. But before the internet gets up in arms about it, think about the fact that Tour Edge is adamant that on both the PGA and PGA Tour Champions circuits who are made up of the pickiest players on earth, that the feedback on the looks has been good. I know for me, the way that the Dual Carbon Wings wrap around in hand is what stuck out as utterly unique.
Where the overall footprint goes, it’s not a small driver and it does fill out its 460cc. However, it still keeps a nice flow and curve to the rear of the head, not at all angular or pancake like. The face depth is, to my eye, quite close to the EXS 220 which is a good thing. Ironically, the sole is what took the most getting used to for me as I was so accustomed to the different iterations of the slip-stream sole that has now been retired by the company. Its on the plain side now, but it’s also clean and lets the rest of the aesthetic package do the talking.
With so much carbon fiber I was curious if we would end up with a sound more on the composite side of the spectrum, but instead it’s a pretty satisfying melding of composite and titanium with the Ridgeback design. Tour Edge has clearly continued their commitment to sound/feel and the materials combined with the use of Sound Diffusion Panels internally have created something pretty unique. The best way I can describe it is solid but crisp and while sound preference is personal, I just don’t see many coming away anything but impressed with the C721 in that department.
On the course, impressive might be selling this one short for me. The forgiveness of the Diamond Face 2.0 melded with the way the company has manipulated the CG and MOI of the head turned into a surprising level of playability. The head itself for me is very neutral overall and with that the ball flight took on the nature of the swing I put onto it without any concern. The fact that I was able to move such a forgiving head either way when I wanted to is something that I honestly didn’t expect. All that said, when I got the C721 on the Foresight GC2 things became even more interesting.
As you can see above, there is a lot to digest. First, I will put out there that the data session shown was recorded in some very cold temperatures, so while the environment for maximizing compression wasn’t at its most optimal, it does a great job of telling the story. Paired with a Project X HZRDUS RDX Black, this is one of the lowest spin drivers I have reviewed. Ever. Even outdueling the EXS Pro in that regard. One thing to mention there is that the C721 is astoundingly consistent in its spin rates with misses high and low, not jumping or dipping too far outside of solidly struck shots.
Combine the low spin with the fact that even in the 9.5° head I tested I was able to achieve solid launch angles at good ball speeds, and there is ample distance potential here. While peak speeds have not been quite where I was with the EXS Pro, it makes sense given this isn’t the same low/forward design as that head. If anything, the low/back CG nature of this design makes it that much more impressive from a distance and forgiveness blend.
Bottom line, this might be the most forgiving and easy launching low spin head on the entire market in 2021. This is a driver that wants to stay as stable and square as possible regardless of strike location on the face, which is another nod to Diamond Face and what Tour Edge has accomplished with that technology. Something in all that to keep in mind, however, is that with a head that spins as low as this is capable of, fit is going to be even more important to take advantage of it. All in all, Tour Edge has somehow managed to take the Exotics lineup to an even more impressive performance level, one that truly stands on its own against anything else out there.
Have you hit the C721 driver yet? Plan on it? Jump into the discussion below as well as on the THP community thread where golfers just like you are putting it through its paces as part of TEEm Tour Edge!
The Details
Price: $399.99
Lofts: 9.5°, 10.5°, 12°
Shafts: Fujikura Air Speeder, Fujikura Ventus Red 4T Core, Project X HZRDUS Smoke Blue RDX, Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX
That’s awesome.
I did end up falling In love with the sound of this thing. Way better than the Xtreme.
Personally for me I launch it shaft with RDX blue high than my previous drivers.
Yes, the C721 sound was a lot better than the Xtreme to my ears.
Curious which shaft you played in each because I had the opposite. Xtreme with the Smoke yellow launched lower for me than the C721 with the RDX smoke blue.
I have the smoke yellow in the SZ and the ventus red in the 721.
Weird, right?
Sometimes it’s just where your swing is at the time too. I was playing the Xtreme end of last year, and the C721 this spring which might have an affect too.
Mine was the SIM max and yes, the C721 has not left my bag since the second round. I carried both for the first round and then the second Round the SIM was in the Truck in the [parking lot. It has been in the office until this last weekend and it is now in the bag of someone else…..THe launch angle of the C721 is somewhat lower, i can flight it up if i want to by ball position and tee height. But the straight-ness and roll out is so much better
Were they both measured on same launch monitor? Or are you talking flight vs launch?
Yes, sorry, I’m talking visual flight. I haven’t had either on a launch monitor.
Yeah, this is about 100 times more forgiving than the M6….and lower spin….and more consistent….and more fun…..and better
Great Choice, so much forgiveness in the C721. I never played the R7Quad, I Did play the R7425 for Years and actually had 3 different ones, before finally moving to the SLDR. then M5 then SIM and the C721 has moved that right out of the bag….THe Launch, the spin and THE DISTANCE on my off center hits is phenomenal.
I try to work thru different shots and clubs instead of just banging out driver after driver in the sim. In my opinion it makes my practice more productive. The 721 is such low spinning forgiving beast. Love the confidence I have in this driver for both accuracy and distance.
I was kind of referring to the Fitting Bay, not a sim bay. You don’t want to waste a lot of time fiddling with other clubs in the relatively limited time available in a driver fitting. When I range with it, it’s usually 4-5 at a time, then move around to other situational shots, then go back, and so on. Then might ‘play in my head’ a few holes that I know well enough.
Curious, but what are you hoping the Kinetixx brings to the table when paired with the C721?
Look forward to your thoughts. But you can take it easy on total rounds played for a week or so longer. I’m laid up for another couple weeks.
What Kinetixx is designed to do, maximizing energy transfer while not sacrificing dispersion. They’re truly special.
I may have to try one of these….
Might be something to look at. Like the idea of max energy transfer. Some of us could benefit from that.
Some of us, or all of us
It’s just not as completely composite sounding as that one was, it’s the unique composite and titanium blend
Ding ding ding
I have a EF Blue with a tour edge adapter. I am going to go hit it with that shaft.
I really like the EF blue in the EXS DRIVER.
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Just remember, veeeeeeery different head profiles.
I’d love to get onto a launch monitor, dig into my numbers, and really optimize my driver shaft. It’s a weakness of mine, understanding my swing, my numbers, and making sound judgements based on that. I know what I want to see as far as flight, but usually just trial and error until I find my sweet spot. And even then, I’m sure it’s not maximized. I need a fitting, but easier said than done I’m afraid.
I say that because I’d love to plug in some shafts into the C721 to see if I can squeak out some more distance, or tighter dispersion. And I say this from a place where the C721 is giving me both, but sometimes I wonder what I’m leaving on the table. The head is fun, what I’m wondering if I can make it more fun!
You should be able to do that without a launch monitor. Generally speaking, loft and ball will influence actual ball flight more than shaft. Shaft will influence how you deliver the club head to the ball.
Dare I say we should all go for that fitting. Would be so much cheaper than tinkering with experiments. However as internet golfers are we not required to tinker and spend cash in hopes of that tour club performance.
By .5 of a yard!!! But I watched it thinking “He’s having trouble keeping the Ping online” it seemed all over the shop (relatively). Then they commented it took 20 shots with the Ping to get the 8 or so they use. It only took 3 extra to get the #’s off the C721. I liked the idea of adding the “feel” element, by penalizing a club that takes extra swings to get the #’s. If they used it, the C721 would have totally dominated.
If you use figures and dialogue appears the 721 was easily to victor. We don’t get those extra 10 or 15 swings to pick ball we like on course.
It’s like I know things.
It seems to be the result of the day, whatever day, day after day
Don’t forget easier to hit and more carry.
https://www.thehackersparadise.com/tour-edge-exotics-c721-driver-review-2/
Higher launch with almost identical spin numbers
And more accurate.
And better sounding.
And just……better.
Haha, and here I thought you were a Ping driver guy!
I’m a what’s the best performer out there guy! It’s why this one and the Mizuno have turned my driver plans upside down this year ???
There’s a good chance we’ll have a Mizuno vs Tour Edge final in the TXG bracket.