Tour Edge Exotics 9* Driver review

[bdcrowe]

You, on the other hand, are doomed.

:horse:

Priceless....

Sib... If you decide to reshaft, go get on a launch monitor and get fitted for a shaft. They will look at launch angle, spin rates, etc... and turn it into an exact science, as opposed to a pay-and-pray ordeal.

With that said, hold off on doing it. Hit your driver and get used to it. Your current shaft may be just fine, despite someone else saying it was crap (for them, knowhattimean?). I can't tell you how many times I've had a club I struggle with, blamed everything from shaft to full moon, and 95% of the time, I find a glitch in my swing that cures it. Seriously. It is almost always the indian and not the arrow.

I am amazed at some people who buy driver, reshaft, reshaft, reshaft, buy driver, reshaft, reshaft... etc... Even if I had that kind of cash, I'd find better uses. Range balls are cheap. Lessons come in packages. It's better $$$ spent in the longrun.

Good luck.

 

[SiberianDVM]

Thanks, bd, I plan on playing the Exotics/HL-55 combo for a while before changing anything. Last night I decided to swing easy with every club to hit straighter shots. Hit high, straight, moderate distance (220) shots with the driver, and every other club straightened up. I'd love to have more distance, but this month I'm concentrating on hitting fairways and greens.

But just in case, I'm keeping my 983K close by.

 

[bdcrowe]

Funny you should mention the "swing easy". You may not be robbing yourself of distance by doing this.

TGC did a replay of Playing Lessons with David Faherty last night, and he mentioned this. Your easy, relaxed swing may actually produce more distance when you get used to it, since relaxed muscles move faster than tense ones, and since you are more proned to store up clubhead speed for impact as opposed to wasting speed up top and slowing down into impact.

I encourage you to keep the relaxed, easier swing and see what happens. If anything, think "fast" instead of think "hard". There is a diffrenece.

 

[SiberianDVM]

If anything, think "fast" instead of think "hard". There is a diffrenece

Yes, but I haven't figured out how to attain "fast" without swinging "hard". Freddy Couples can do it, why can't I? I'll keep trying.

 

[bdcrowe]

I hear you, brother...

Think of it this way: It's the difference between a bull-whip and an ax. It you are chopping down a tree, you are muscling the ax into the tree. You muscles are tensed up working the ax. This is swinging hard. A bull-whip is fast. Your body stays pretty relaxed, but the muscles are moving fast anyway. The end of the whip is moves steadily faster until the moment of impact, when the speed is used.

Also, similar is the difference between a shot-put and a baseball. You throw hard with a shot-put. You use a lot of energy to get it started and keep pushing through hard until it is gone. Conversely, when you throw a baseball, you stay fairly relaxed. Your arm starts the motion, arcs through, steadily getting faster until the proper moment when the stored energy snaps the baseball out of the hand.

In the golf swing: You can hit hard, pulling down hard from the top by tensing up your muscles and powering it down. This expends the energy early, and pulls the body mass back away from the ball in a cantelever action.

When you swing fast, you keep the arms relaxed, allowing the rotation of the trunk to start them moving. The relaxed arms begin moving faster in an arc while the trunk moves toward the target, getting your body weight into it. As the arms move down, centrigul force pulls the clubhead faster and faster until it releases into the ball automatically will all of that pent-up force-- saved for the proper moment.

I know this probably doesn't help, as it's as convoluted as any other description. Good luck.

 

[SiberianDVM]

Good stuff, bd. I'll try to remember and implement it.

 

[295yards]

It's what's in my bag! Not sure I like the soft playing NV-S. I wanna swap out my shaft for a VS protot X. That'd be long and never go left!

 

[SiberianDVM]

Old, old thread.

I've gone through 8 drivers since then!

 

[Augster]

Holy Necro Batman!

My Exotics is still my backup. It sees action from time to time.

Lately, I've been using it primarily as a running mate when trying new drivers. If the new drivers aren't nearly as long as the Exotics, they get flipped quick. If they are more forgiving, I give them a chance in the bag.

Since I wrote that first post in '06, I've only had 2 "gamers". I hurt my knee at the end of the '07 season. Tore part of the cartilage. In '08 my swing was fundamentally changed and I just wasn't consistent with the Exotics. Long still though.

So I played '08 with the Nike SUMO2. At the end of '08 I had knee surgery and rehabbed all winter.

Came out in the spring, and my swing had fundamentally changed again and was totally inconsistent with the Sumo.

Unfortunately, I was also crooked with the Exotics. Long though.

Currently I am gaming the Burner TP '08. This has worked with my new knee and new swing. And it is almost as long as the Exotics. :laugh:

I think it just has a higher MOI and is more forgiving when I put a bad swing on it.

 

[295yards]

Old thread. But do you know if I can fit a .350 tip shaft into this driver?
Bone headed move and purchased a .350 tip shaft and I think the tip diameter on this head is .335

 

[halifax_golfer]

These are going pretty cheap these days $90-100. Thinking about picking one up to replace my wifes ERC Fusion Driver. I'm not positive on what model you guys are talking about though, anyone have a pic?.

 

[MGP]

I have two, no wait... three of them :laugh:

Thanks Doc, btw...

You can see a picture of the Exotics driver here:

Exotics by Tour Edge : Exotics Driver

At address, I think it's probably the most beautiful driver I've ever had my hands on. I ho'd the aforementioned 10.5º Exotics from SiberianDVM and I just got the new shaft in for it so hopefully I'll have another solid driver in the stable soon.

 

[halifax_golfer]

Driver will have to wait. The alternator died in our car yesterday, ... I can't even get to a golf course for the next few days, and I'll have no money once I get it fixed. ....

I know which one to look for now though. Thanks. I'll let you know before I go and buy one, incase you wana sell.

 

[295yards]

I have two, no wait... three of them :laugh:

Thanks Doc, btw...

You can see a picture of the Exotics driver here:

Exotics by Tour Edge : Exotics Driver

At address, I think it's probably the most beautiful driver I've ever had my hands on. I ho'd the aforementioned 10.5º Exotics from SiberianDVM and I just got the new shaft in for it so hopefully I'll have another solid driver in the stable soon.

Sorry, are you looking to sell any of them?

 

[MGP]

Not right now. I have two 10.5º and a 12º. I just re-shafted one of the 10.5 heads with a YS-6+ that works great for me in another head. I'm hoping to make it my gamer. The other 10.5 has a SK Fiber Tour Trac 80 which I've been using as my backup driver.

So far I don't want to get rid of any of them yet. That could change though and I'd list them here first if I do.