Equipment
Tour Edge unveils new Hot Launch 524 Series of golf clubs
Tour Edge has today unveiled its new Hot Launch 524 Series of golf clubs that will be available at retail starting March 1.
The 524 series offers two distinct ranges, the E524 and C524. They are designed to cover both ends of the game-improvement and super-game-improvement club categories in separate driver, fairway, hybrid, iron, and wedge designs.
Both the Extreme (E) and Competition (C) ranges are designed to produce different playing characteristics targeting a specific player looking for game-enhancing qualities.
- The E range are Extreme Spec Super-Game-Improvement clubs that boast an extremely low Center of Gravity (CG), super-shallow faces, and offsetdesigns designed to get the ball launching in the air with ease.
- The C range features premium Competition Spec Game-Improvement designs with a higher Moment of Inertia (MOI) in classically shaped clubs that sit square at address, while providing the ability to launch the ball with added forgiveness and power.
“This is by far the most tech we have put into the Hot Launch line up and almost all of it comes directly from our ultra-premium Exotics designs. Our goal is to bring Hot Launch to the highest possible level in game improvement and extreme improvement designs. They feature the specs and the playing characteristics that the vast majority of golfers are going to benefit the most from.” – Tour Edge founder and President David Glod
Hot Launch C524 Driver
This Competition Spec Hot Launch C524 Driver features a more traditional design and setup that aims to deliver maximum ball speed for medium to fast swing speeds. The driver comes in lofts of 9, 10.5 and 12-degrees.
Key Technologies:
- Ridgeback Technology – TE engineers have brought the Ridgeback Tech concept from Exotics to Hot Launch with the addition of a Ridgeback rail on the crown of the clubhead. The Ridgeback rail provides increased structural properties that help produce more power across the entire face, including the extreme perimeters. The Ridgeback activation is also utilized as a unique alignment aid at address.
- MOI-Boosting Rear Sole Weight – A back weight is strategically placed to the extreme rear of the clubhead to place more mass at the extreme trailing edge of the clubhead. The back weight creates an extremely high MOI rating, a 5% increase over the previous iteration, and surpassing 5,000 grams per cubic centimeter squared for top in-line stability. This weighting dramatically affects a lower and deeper CG positioning of the club for ease of launch and more forgiveness off the face at impact.
- Diamond Face VFT – Diamond Face VFT technology is a breakthrough in face technology that features 37 different thick and thin diamond shapes or “mini- trampolines” behind the face. Diamond Face VFT produces a hotter face with faster ball speeds and better performance on off-center hits, as well as reduced spin.
- RyzerSole Rail Design – A new RyzerSole rail design featured on all of the C524 metals extends from leading edge to trailing edge. The new sole rail design produces a super-low CG for high-launching shots with optimized spin rates and maximum ball speed off the face. The rail design lowered the CG by 8% compared to the C523, making it easier to achieve greater power and increased forgiveness.
- 360-degree Cup Face Design –The premium 6-4 Titanium head features a deep 360-degree Cup Face design. Cup Face construction increases the amount of face flexing on off-center hits to achieve higher ball speeds and creates a more solid feel.
Price: $249.99
Hot Launch C524 Fairway Metals
This 17-4 stainless steel Competition Spec Hot Launch C524 Fairway Metal features a classic design and setup for the player seeking optimal launch and spin rates, while still enjoying the benefits of extreme forgiveness.
The fairway metals feature all of the technology found in the C524 drivers. In addition, the metals feature more compact profile and deeper
face of the C524 Fairway compared to its predecessors was inspired by the Exotics C722 series and was designed with the competitive player in mind.
The C524 Fairway design sits square and has a more pear-shaped traditional design that players look for at address. The metals come in the following lofts: 15-degree 3-Wood, 17-degree 4-wood, a 19-degree 5- wood and a 22-degree 7-wood.
Price: $169.99
Hot Launch C524 Hybrid
With its extremely high Moment of Inertia (MOI) designed to tighten dispersion and increases overall accuracy in a compact design, the new hybrids feature all the technology found in the C524 driver and fairway metals from the brand.
The hybrids come in the following lofts: #3/19-degree, #4/22-degree, #5/25-degree and #6/28-degree.
Price: $149.99
Hot Launch C524 Irons
Hot Launch C524 irons aim to combine maximum distance and forgiveness in a traditional cavity back design. The C524 Irons are made from extremely soft 431 stainless steel in a bid to combine excellent feel with performance.
Ket Technologies:
- VIBRCOR Technology –10% more VIBRCOR high-grade TPU strategically placed in the deep undercut pocket to create a speed-inducing and feel enhancing internal technology. VIBRCOR creates a distinct feel of the clubhead at impact that dampens sound and shock, while also creating perimeter weighting around the entire clubhead for maximum forgiveness and power and ball speed enhancement off the face.
- New Filled Cavity Exotics Inspired Shaping – A new filled-in cavity look and feel due to the additional VIBRCOR added to the C iron. The C524 Iron combines the best of form and function with added feel and performance benefits that places it squarely in the ‘players’ game-improvement iron’ category that is emerging in the marketplace.
- Wide Sole / 360-degree Undercut Cavity – The wide sole of the C524 Iron and its deep 360-degree undercut cavity is optimized for playability, turf interaction and ease of launch. The wider sole of the C524 offers superior bounce and increases launch for cleaner, highflying shots. The wider sole design leads to cleaner turf interaction for more consistent shot making. The 360-degree undercut cavity creates more face flexing and faster ball speed across the entire face.
- Toe Weighted Design – Advanced toe weighting has been strategically increased and made more visible in the new C524 Iron design. This added toe weighting maximizes stability on impact and provides better off center hit distance from the face. It also elongates the sweet spot and creates a pure feel off the face of the irons.
- Power Lofted Setup – The lower and deeper CG allowed the C524 irons to be power lofted to create an extreme distance iron. Power lofting in this forgiving iron design promotes both distance & optimized height that achieves maximum distance without sacrificing the peak apex trajectory.
The irons come in the available lofts: Right-Handed #4/20-degree, #5/23-degree, #6/26-degree, #7/29- degree, #8/33-degree, #9/38-degree, P/43-degree, A/48-degree; Left-Handed: #4/20-degree, #5/23-degree, #6/26-degree, #7/29- degree, #8/33-degree, #9/38-degree, P/43-degree, A/48-degree.
Price: $79.99 per club
Hot Launch C524 VIBRCOR Wedge
The new Hot Launch C524 VibrCor wedge aims to offer an extremely forgiving wedge with enhanced feel for every level of golfer looking for more control in their short game. This cavity back wedge features VIBRCOR technology that is designed to provide a soft feel at impact with great feedback so you can better control your wedge shots around the green.
Key Technologies:
- Larger Area of VIBRCOR TPU – 20% more VIBRCOR high-grade TPU strategically placed in the deep undercut pocket to create a speed-inducing and feel-enhancing internal technology. VIBRCOR creates a distinct feel of the clubhead at impact that dampens sound and shock, while also creating perimeter weighing around the entire clubhead for maximum forgiveness, power, and ball speed enhancement off the face.
- High Toe Pad Design – Extra weight concentrated in the toe portion of the face. The added weight in the upper toe of the face expands the sweet spot vertically so shots struck higher on the face maintain exceptional control and feel.
- Beveled Leading Edge & Rounded Cambered Sole – The wedge’s beveled leading edge creates an exceptionally versatile design for every type of wedge shot. A cambered sole, curved and more rounded, will glide more smoothly across the turf without digging. The C524 wedge features a beveled leading edge that reduces digging, while rounded cambered sole creates smoother turf interaction. A more rounded sole will help every level of player get out of tough lies and bunkers. Golfers who swing more steeply may benefit from this camber in the sole of the C524 Wedge.
- Maximum Allowed CNC Milled Grooves – Computer-milled grooves (CNC) that are at the maximum depths allowed by the USGA. These maxed out CNC milled grooves provide perfect control and spin around the greens for every level of golfer from pro to beginner.
Available lofts: Right-Handed 50-degree, 52-degree, 54-degree, 56-degree, 58-degree, 60-degree. Left-handed 52-degree, 56-degree, 60-degree.
Price: $79.99
Hot Launch E524 Driver
Per Tour Edge, the Extreme Game Improvement Hot Launch E524 Driver is designed to be the easiest driver to hit in the market for slower to medium swing speeds.
Every aspect of the E524 is focused on improving launch and accuracy. The 460cc Titanium driver is incredibly stable at impact thanks to its extreme Moment of Inertia (MOI) properties.
Key Technologies:
- Houdini Sole Technology – The Houdini Sole includes an area of mass concentrated on the trailing edge of the sole of the clubhead, as well as a curved leading edge under the face. This unique and patented design creates more area to put extra mass, allowing Tour Edge engineers to precisely position weight in the head for an ultralow and deep Center of Gravity, optimizing launch conditions and greatly improving stability.
- Ridgeback Technology – TE engineers have brought the Ridgeback Tech concept from Exotics to Hot Launch with the addition of a Ridgeback rail on the crown of the clubhead. The Ridgeback rail provides increased structural properties that help produce more power across the entire face, including the extreme perimeters. The Ridgeback activation is also utilized as a unique alignment aid at address.
- High Moment of Inertia – The weight of the Houdini Sole is strategically placed to the extreme rear of the clubhead to place more mass at the extreme trailing edge of the clubhead. The back weight creates an extremely high MOI rating that surpasses 5,000 grams per cubic centimeter squared for top in-line stability. This weighting dramatically affects a lower and deeper CG positioning of the club for ease of launch and more forgiveness off the face at impact.
- Diamond Face VFT – Diamond Face VFT technology is a breakthrough in face technology that features 36 different thick and thin diamond shapes or “mini- trampolines” behind the face. Diamond Face VFT produces a hotter face with faster ball speeds and better performance on off-center hits, as well as reduced spin.
- Heel Weighted Slice-Fighting Offset Design – Offset designs are combined with a heel sole weight to provide the ultimate in slice fighting technology. The offset design of the E524 Driver added with a heel sole weight allows the face to square up at impact for straighter ball flight. The strategically placed heel draw-bias weighting of the E Series offset designs are engineered to help golfers avoid the right side of the course and to increase launch.
Available Lofts: Right-Handed 10.5, 12, HL/15-degrees; Left-Handed 10.5-degrees.
Price: $249.99
Hot Launch E524 Fairway Metals
The E524 fairway metals feature the same technologies as the drivers, and are designed to produce higher-flying shots.
In addition, the clubs boast a super-shallow face with an 11% percent larger hitting area in the Hot Launch E metals. The extremely shallow face with the larger hitting area aims to produce higher launch angles and extreme ease of launch with extreme forgiveness.
Available lofts: 16° 3-wood, 20° 5-wood, 23° 7-wood, 25° 9- wood, 27° 11-wood; Left-handed: 16° 3-wood, 20° 5-wood, 23° 7-wood.
Price: $169.99
Hot Launch E524 Hybrid
The Extreme Game Improvement E524 Hybrid includes the patented Houdini Sole along with a super-shallow face, slice-fighting offset designs and heel weighting for added draw bias.
Available lofts: Right-Handed #3/19-degree, #4/22-degree, #5/25-degree and #6/28-degree; Left-Handed: #3/19-degree, #4/22-degree, #5/25-degree and #6/28-degree.
Price: $149.99
Hot Launch E524 Iron
These hollow iron-wood designs put a major emphasis on ease of launch, playability and correcting miss-hits and slices to go straighter for the ultimate ease of use. The improved hollow-body design of the Hot Launch E524 Iron features the Houdini Sole in conjunction with a super-shallow face, slice-fighting offset designs and heel weighting for added draw bias.
Key Technologies:
- Houdini Sole Technology – The Houdini Sole is a raised steel mass area at the rear of the clubhead, as well as a curved leading edge under the face. The patented Houdini Sole reduces the amount of sole area to reduce drag and turf interaction by 35% and is instrumental in significantly altering the CG placement of the E524 Iron, making it one the highest launching and easiest to hit irons ever produced.
- Hollow-Body Perimeter Weighting – Hollow-body perimeter weighting produces distance properties of a metalwood in an ironlike design. Hollow-body perimeter weighting produces maximum ball speed off an iron. The hollow body design makes for an extremely low and back CG, helping to create a very forgiving and powerful face.
- Shallow Face / Offset Design – The super-shallow face coupled with an offset design are designed for extreme playability and high-flying launch characteristics. The offset design acts as built-in slice fighting technology, squaring the clubhead at impact to produce anti-slice ball flights. The extremely shallow face produces higher launch angles and extreme ease of launch with extreme forgiveness.
- New 524 Shaping – New shaping on the 524 Iron includes a wider front to back length, a thinner top line and more weight located lower in the clubhead. What does it do? The lower Center of Gravity in the 524 design leads to a higher MOI that brings more forgiveness and stability to the clubhead, and also increases launch characteristics to make it easier to get the ball in the air.
Available lofts: #3/20-degree, #4/23-degree, #5/26-degree, #6/29- degree, #7/32-degree, #8/36-degree, #9/40-degree, P/44-degree, A/49-
degree; Left-handed: #3/20-degree, #4/23-degree, #5/26-degree, #6/29- degree, #7/32-degree, #8/36-degree, #9/40-degree, P/44-degree, A/49-degree.
Price: $99.99
Hot Launch E524 Wedge
The Extreme Game Improvement Hot Launch E524 wedge features the Houdini sole that is designed to maks it extremely easy to get the ball out of the sand or tough lies and helps eliminate flubs or thins.
Key Technologies:
- Patented Houdini Sole – The Houdini Sole is a raised steel mass area at the rear of the clubhead, as well as a curved leading edge under the face. The patented Houdini Sole reduces the amount of sole area to reduce drag and turf interaction by 35% and is instrumental in significantly altering the CG placement of the E524 wedge, making it one the highest launching and easiest to hit wedge ever produced.
- Condensed Wide Sole Design/ Added Camber – The wide sole of this super game improvement wedge has been condensed in the 524 Series while still providing all the providing benefits of a wide sole design wedge. Extra camber has also been added to the sole of the clubhead. The wide sole and heavier head weight of the E524 Wedge provide superior contact through the turf and help eliminate flubs, while the additional camber reduces digging.
- Deep Undercut Cavity – This extremely deep undercut cavity dramatically lowers the CG for the ultimate in wedge forgiveness. It redistributes mass for enhanced flight control and to create a higher launch with increased spin for extreme playability from the sand and rough.
- Extra Large Face featuring a Rounded Leading Edge – An oversized face design on the E Series wedge provides more striking area for players seeking an extreme game improvement wedge. The E524 wedge design enhances consistency and accuracy. It also raises the Moment of Inertia for enhanced precision around greens and better playability from the sand and rough.
- Full-Face Maximized Grooves – The full-face coverage grooves of the E524 Wedge are maximized to USGA depth and sharpness. They provide exceptional spin and control across the entire face of the wedge.
Available lofts: Right-Handed GW/52-degree, SW/56-degree, LW/60-degree; Left-handed GW/52-degree, SW/56-degree, LW/60-degree.
Price: $99.99
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Equipment
Aretera Golf: A visionary shaftmaker strikes out on his own (with a little help from his friends)
Plugged-in gearheads have heard the whispers: Alex Dee, of Fujikura fame, the Ventusmaker, has left the company and hung a shingle of his own. Some may have seen our photos of the new company’s wares from the PGA Show’s Demo Day and wondered “What’s going on here?” Beyond this, however, we haven’t had much to report on the newly formed Aretera Golf.
That is, until now. Dee and company gave us a quick peek behind the curtain as they gear up for their first release.
Highlights from our conversation below, presented in a sort of F.A.Q. format, answering the most common questions we’re hearing from GolfWRXers.
What is Aretera Golf?
A graphite shaft company. But let’s start with the name: Aretera (ah-reh-tay-ra). The root is derived from the Greek word for excellence and an individual’s fulfillment of purpose. It’s no stretch to say that for the “dream team” at Aretera (Alex Dee’s words), all accomplished industry veterans, this effort represents a point of career culmination. All were at a point in their careers where they wanted to take the plunge, try something new, build something from the ground up, and produce a product that sacrifices nothing in the pursuit of quality and performance.
Who are the key players at Aretera?
Alex Dee: 25-year Fujikura engineering veteran, his credits include the Vista Pro, Axiom, Pro, Speeder Pro, Motore, Blur, Ventus, and Ventus TR lines of shafts and developing the company’s Enso motion capture system, as well as revolutionizing the company’s in-house testing systems.
Bill Stiles: From initial product concepts to production across a global supply chain, Stiles has done it all in his 25-plus years in the industry, working with every major OEM and aftermarket shaft maker.
Michel de Fontaine: The “operations guy,” de Fontaine has worked as an executive in the consumer products and sports sectors over the past 20 years with experience in both startup and high-growth companies.
How is Aretera making golf shafts differently?
Technology: Dee told us that extending the concept of a full-length pitch material further, literally, Aretera is utilizing a high-end multi-ply material throughout the shaft to a degree that would never be cost-effective for a major shaft company selling to OEMs. “We’re hungry and we can pull this off,” Dee said.
While we don’t have full details of the technology Aretera is leveraging, we do know it is a high-end carbon fiber that’s thin, light, and super stiff, and it is used throughout the entirety of the shaft. Additionally, it is configured “off-axis” throughout the shaft, that is, at 45 degrees, to reduce twisting, and as it is a woven material, it’s capable of absorbing load in four directions for greater stability.
“I like to think that you’re using more of the shaft’s length to store power and release it and to store different loading on the shaft and distribute it,” Dee said. “There’s stability in that. There’s integration in that. You’ll feel it. There’s connectiveness in that.”
He added, “A lot of shafts have had to sacrifice feel to get stability. We’ve found ways to get it back. And it’s not a compromise.”
Graphics: In keeping with Aretera’s strategy of allowing “the fitter to be the hero,” the company has taken an interesting approach to its shaft graphics. In addition to doing away with flex designations, each shaft features three rectangles that are shaded to indicate the relative firmness or flex of the butt, middle, and tip of the shaft. This serves as a handy reference for both fitter and player in communicating how the shaft functions throughout the golf swing. Additionally, graphics for an “active” tip shaft are blue and charcoal for a firmer tip.
Flex: …is a four-letter word, for the company. Acknowledging that fitter education will be a key component of the company’s early strategy, and while not the first in the industry to do it, Aretera is fully committed to banishing “flex” from the discourse around shafts, calling it a “relative” and “nonstandard” term that harms more than it helps fitters (and players). In place of standard R, S, and X flexes, the company is using numbers 3, 4, and 5, with an indicator of weight coming first. For example: a 65-gram “S” flex shaft is indicated by 65-4.
Distribution: Aretera shafts will be available via fitters (appearing in a major national club fitter soon), on tour, and at select pro shops. The company does not plan to sell via OEMs.
What’s next for Aretera?
After a soft launch of its first shaft at the PGA Show, the company is ramping up production for distribution via top fitters and courses.
Expect to see an Aretera shaft in play on the PGA Tour soon as the company has a rep who will be active throughout the PGA Tour’s West Coast swing.
Stay tuned to GolfWRX for official launch details around the initial product offering.
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Equipment
Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (2/6/24): Super Rare Ping JAS Anser putter
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a Super Rare Ping JAS Anser putter.
From the seller: (@makerofputts): “Super Rare Ping JAS Anser with TI -. These were the first putter to be released retail at $699. This putter is mint – never gamed. Trorched head – the hues are amazing in sunlight – with a torched shaft – baby blue superstroke GT1.0. 34.5″/345G. Comes with Rare blue tour cover. $350 shipped.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: Super Rare Ping JAS Anser putter
This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules
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Whats in the Bag
Gary Woodland WITB 2024 (February)
- Gary Woodland what’s in the bag accurate as of the Farmers Insurance Open. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Cobra Darkspeed LS (9 degrees @7)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana WB 73 TX (44 5/8 inches, tipped 1/2 inch)
3-wood: Cobra Darkspeed LS (14.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana WB 83 TX
5-wood: Cobra King LTDx LS
Shaft: UST Mamiya Lin-Q M40X White 8F5
Irons: Cobra King MB (4-PW)
Shafts: Project X 125 6.5
Wedges: Cobra SB (48), Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (52-08F, 56-14F), Cobra King (60)
Shafts: Project X 125 6.5, KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 125 S
Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 3.0P
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
- See more in-hand photos of Gary Woodland’s WITB in the forums.
- Note: Woodland was testing two builds of both driver and 3-wood.
More Gary Woodland WITBs
- Gary Woodland WITB 2023 (February)
- Gary Woodland WITB 2022 (November)
- Gary Woodland WITB 2022 (February)
- Gary Woodland WITB 2020
- Gary Woodland WITB 2018
- Gary Woodland WITB 2017
- Gary Woodland WITB 2016
- Gary Woodland WITB 2015
- Gary Woodland WITB 2014
- Gary Woodland Winning WITB: 2019 U.S. Open
- Gary Woodland Winning WITB: 2018 WM Phoenix Open
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