Tour Edge Exotics EX10 Fairway Wood Review

Traditional profile meets technology which meets functionality.  It is clearly a primary focus of Tour Edge’s club construction and strategy when producing the EX series of woods.  They have found ways to improve on what was enjoyed with their previous offering, while maintaining a consistency that should be expected, and this review will discuss the elements of change golfers can experience with the EX10 Fairway.

1 (400x225)

The first change is one that is not noticeable when grabbing the Tour Edge EX10 fairway. They managed to produce a thinner face than any of their previous offerings, which benefits COR without reducing the overall integrity of the cup face.  Often times the alteration of metal can dramatically change the sound of a golf club, but it was pleasing to find out that the EX10 fairway offers a sound relatively similar to its predecessor, which will be discussed later.  Tour Edge notes the high-density steel cup face is constructed out of “HT 980”, which is a departure from the 475 carpenter steel construction of the EX9.

During testing, it was apparent that the cup face profile provides the golfer with the freedom to roam accidentally around the face without suffering major distance losses or reductions in accuracy, especially towards the toe section.  In fact, while other fairway woods offer a significant alteration to contact/sound quality on shots that extend towards the toe, the Tour Edge EX10 makes it somewhat difficult to ‘feel’ the variation on contact.  Rather, it requires analysis of the face to see where contact was made, which is an impressive accomplishment.

2 (800x450)

The toe location is by far the best place to stray on the EX10 fairway, with shots lower, higher, and in the heel of the club providing ample feedback of error, but not producing egregious distance gaps.  Like any club of this size and shape, there can only be so much tolerance across the face before loss of quality (distance and shape) occur.  Regardless, golfers who primarily miss on the toe will start to think they aren’t missing at all.

Moving to the sole of the EX10 Fairway, there was some alteration to the SlipStream sole, where the depth of the rails has been reduced, as well as a reduction in the overall footprint of the SlipStream, which was intended to improve turf interaction, and with that, retained speed.  The execution seems to have been positive, as the sole continues to engage the turf in a satisfactory way off of fairway lies, collecting a small amount of grass at times while sliding through the contact area without any troublesome turf grabbing. 

3 (800x450)

Unlike the power grid in the EX9 fairway, the EX10 boasts a Speed Channel that wraps around the sole of the club in a backwards “C” shape.  This seemingly allows for better weight allocation, and a reduction in the perimeter material driving along the turf as the head flows into and through the contact area.  During the testing period, it was really impressive to watch the head drive atop the turf of the fairway lies to generate great center-club contact without real fear of driving the head into the ground. 

Unlike the EX9, where the weight was back and towards the heel of the sole, the Tour Edge EX10 fairway has the weight centered in the back to produce the lowest and deepest CG possible.  The weight in combination with the seating is 21 grams, but the actual 9 gram weight can be interchanged for 6, 11, and 14 gram weights which are sold separately as a kit.  While the weight of the EX9 may have contributed to a slightly draw biased fairway, the EX10 seemed to be quite neutral during the testing process, with golfers hitting the ball both ways depending on swing path and face angle.

4 (800x450)

The overall shape of the EX10 fairway wood produces quite a lot of confidence off the tee that solid contact will be made, thanks largely to the overall shape, alignment aid, and appearance of depth of the face.  While there was some reduced expectation of crisp fairway experiences as it relates to contact feeling low on the face, it came at great surprise to suggest that the EX10 fairway is actually very strong in that type of lie, producing a great range of shot shapes depending on what the golfer is seeking.  The confidence grew notably over a series of rounds, to the point where it could be pulled to hit a low draw or a high fade into the wind on a par 5.  The versatility is absolutely there.

To the sound, Tour Edge took a product that had an excellent audible feedback and improved on it without introducing any strange manufactured sounds that changing materials can sometimes do.  If a golfer is looking for a fairway that lets the shot do the talking, and not the head itself, this somewhat traditional sound profile will be a great fit, and a welcome change.

Tour Edge has once again provided golfers with a fairway wood that offers the complete package of quality, from construction, to sound, to shape/profile, and effectiveness on various golf course lies.  With five total lofts, and three distinct shafts offered in various flex points and weights, golfers are bound to align their game with Tour Edge and the EX10 Fairway Wood.  For more information, visit www.TourEdge.com, and to purchase this club you can visit www.budgetgolf.com.

Follow, Like & Share
Instagram
Twitter
Visit Us
Follow Me
YouTube
YouTube
LinkedIn
Share

Dan E.
Dan Edwards is a THP staff writer that currently resides in southern Ohio. He is a low index player that has a long-held love for taking in and sharing knowledge about golf equipment.
There are no products