Exotics EX-3 irons from Tour Edge

The EX-3 irons are the fruit of Exotics engineering know-how in turning advanced technology into the finest performing golf clubs. Featuring the very first, patented inner-cup face design, the EX-3 produces an astonishing .83 rebound rate. This dynamic performance is the result of a heady mix of unique features that mark the EX-3 out from the crowd.


According to David Glod, president, founder and chief designer, "The EX-3 is unlike any iron we've ever created. I am thrilled with the performance of our break through technology!" It features a forged 6A4V titanium cup face encased in a hollow, stainless steel body and complimented with a Thermal Plastic Elastomer (TPE) vibration-dampening insert. The cupped face gives the EX-3 solidity and robustness that allows more weight to be shifted to the iron's sole. This design creates a super-high moment of inertia (the club's ability to resist twisting) and a lower center of gravity.

Enhancing performance, the cup's perimeter rim is milled to remove material from the edge of the face, insuring a maximum rebound rate of .83 on every iron and a softer, livelier feel at impact. The steel body magnifies the spring effect by restricting and directing the rebound out and away from the face. Furthermore, the face is only 2.2mm thick as compared to many of today's irons that measure 2.7mm. The thin face and the milled cup deliver exceptionally long irons shots. Glod states, "The EX-3 is the only iron with an encased titanium cup face. The club's design and face will help golfers gain an extra 10 yards per club."

The club's 304 stainless steel hollow body moves excess weight to the outer edges of the club head.



The movement of this weight allows for extreme perimeter weighting and a super-wide sole that gets shots up quick, lands shots softer, and offers more control.

Unlike any iron you've ever hit, the EX-3 delivers the distance you dream about and the pinpoint control you desire. SGR $999.99 - Graphite Design X-Quad graphite shaft; $799.99 - Nippon NS Pro 950GH steel.

Located in Batavia, IL, Exotics is both a brand of golf clubs and a manufacturing division of Tour Edge Golf Manufacturing. Exotics golf clubs are for those who demand the finest performing golf clubs in the world. With experienced designers and smaller production runs, Exotics by Tour Edge can bring futuristic technologies to the marketplace months, even years, ahead of its time. Exotics' manufactures the finest quality, high-technology golf clubs and hand-assembles them one set at a time. The company's clubs are distributed throughout the United States and the world. Availability ranges from some of the finest green-grass locations in the country to the largest discount golf shops.

Thanks for this info. It is something I consider worth checking out; however, I am getting a little wise (finally) to the 'add 10 yards per club' claim.

The cup face technology reminds me of MacGregor GI clubs. The idea seems solid and the company makes some nice stuff. I already have clubs that are supposed to be in the same category so I'm really, really curious on how they feel and perform compared to my current sticks.

Very interesting. I demoed the EX-3 and EX-1 6 irons recently when the Tour Edge rep was at the PGA Tour Superstore in Frisco/Plano, Texas. Ironically I was almost 7-10 yards longer for carry on every strike with the EX-1 compared with the EX-3 per the monitors. This was consistent with both stiff and regular flex shafts, as well as steel and graphite. Moreover, the shaft and feeling at impact was infinitely better in the EX-1 compared with the EX-3 on both the steel and graphite shafts. Please note, this was all done on the inside off mats and using monitors. No actual experience out on the course or on the range with real grass. Just my experience. Your's may vary!

here are some in hand Pics fromthe PGA show I took...

Bump, does anyone else have a detailed review on these irons? Are they actually 10 yards longer per iron?

Nobody has any feedback on these babies?

How many degrees strong are they for that 10 yards?

Not entirely sure I understand the facination in hitting your irons further. Surely, if your 9i doesnt reach your target, you just take an 8 next time, not go and buy another set that goes 10 yards further so you can still hit 9?

How many degrees strong are they for that 10 yards?

Not entirely sure I understand the facination in hitting your irons further. Surely, if your 9i doesnt reach your target, you just take an 8 next time, not go and buy another set that goes 10 yards further so you can still hit 9?

I am a interested in the Ti face on these irons and the .830 COR. I have seen what a Ti face produces in drivers and fws and want the same out of a set of irons.

Any more hands on reviews of the EX-3? How's the offset and the OEM shafts?

How many degrees strong are they for that 10 yards?

Not entirely sure I understand the facination in hitting your irons further. Surely, if your 9i doesnt reach your target, you just take an 8 next time, not go and buy another set that goes 10 yards further so you can still hit 9?

The lofts are not really jacked up to much. They are the same as the Cally, TM and Ping GI offerings. The Ti Cup face is where you are suppose to gain the extra distance from. Can anyone comment on the distance advantage you can get from a Ti face iron?

Nobody has any feedback on these babies?

Same as when you hit these. No feedback. Nothing to tell you if you hit it solid or not. If your intent is to move the ball down the course, they may work. If your intent is to work the ball at all, or learn to improve your swing, forget it.

I suppose Irons like these and the Cobra S9/UFI, TM CGB, Cally Big Bertha, and on are the way of the world. On one hand if this is what it takes to get more people into golf. ON the other hand this is like allowing jeans on the course. Good for the masses maybe, bad for the intent of golf (IMO).

If you want a long hitting, good looking club, that still gives a little feedback, look at the MacGregor MT Mid an MT OS. In a recent Todays Golfer test the MT OS was the longest club. The Numbers:

MacGregor MT OS: Received Four Stars and Bronze award.

173 yards, dispersion 10 yds, ball speed 119.8, Launch 18*, backspin 3198 rpm, shot height 88 yds.

TourEdge EX-3: Received two and a half stars. 156 yards, dispersion 10 yds, ball speed 116.4, Launch 17.9*, backspin 4080 rpm, shot height 83 yds.

MacGregor MT OS Review:299 = british pounds

"The MT OS irons are MacGregor's longest and most forgiving irons, and feature a deep undercut cavity and the lowest, deepest centre of gravity in the new MT line. Our testers loved the attractive styling, and the oversized head produced impressively powerful, solid-feeling and sounding shots.

In fact the MT OS was our longest iron on test, and the heavier head gave a feeling of real power and confidence at address. It's great to see MacGregor back with a bang, and these irons are a terrific choice at a very keen price for mid and high handicappers." 6 Iron is 28*

Tour Edge EX 3 Review: 522 steel 632 graphite = british pounds

"These feature TourEdge's new inner-cup face technology, which creates a higher spring effect to deliver .083 COR and is supposed to create distance. The lightweight inner titanium face moves more weight back, to produce a high MOI and great forgiveness on off-centre hits.

The testers weren't huge fans of the design and found the feel at impact a little harsh. Results were okay and the higher trajectory ticks boxes for aspiring golfers. Top-quality shafts and grips mean these aren't the cheapest available." 6 Iron is 29*

So if distance is what you seek, and looks matter, you may want to check out the MT OS or look elsewhere. The Ping G10 received five Stars and Gold and the TaylorMade Tour Burner received four and half Stars and Silver. The Cobra S9 (3 1/2 stars) was second longest at 170 yds and the TaylorMade XD (4 stars) third at 168 yds.

Tour Edge makes great Fairways, o.k. Hybrids and Drivers, but they leave much to be desired when it comes to Irons. (IMO and in others opinions)

Not entirely sure I understand the facination in hitting your irons further. Surely, if your 9i doesnt reach your target, you just take an 8 next time, not go and buy another set that goes 10 yards further so you can still hit 9?

I perfectly second and third the post above.

I must say though that this morning I received a TEE CB2, I brought it to the range and it does go for miles, also perfectly straight, astonishing 3 wood

the tour edge press stuff sounds gimmicky, but from my experience, their equipment delivers!

Thanks for the iron review. Looks like I will pass on these irons.

Thanks for the iron review. Looks like I will pass on these irons.

I disagree with 18th Legion's post above. I think they are great irons. My honeymoon was exactly 2 rounds, and I shot about 4-5 shots better than my usual score. Since then, I have played 22 posted rounds with them (I checked from point of purchase) and I can tell, from feel, if I hit a solid shot. To me, it feels the same as if I pure one with my blades (not exactly, but almost) ...the sound, the feel, etc.

Are they longer than my Nike blades...well, yes. Are they any longer than the i10's, x20's, r7's....no. I believe you gain yardage more so from the loft of the club, not from some magic material they made the club out of. Most modern day irons' lofts are a tad strong so you can feel like a pro when you hit a 200 yard 7 iron (see:sarcasm).

Forgiveness....this is where this club gets an A+. I have never hit any GI club so badly and so good at the same time. Thin shot...goes a tad short...Fat...still goes straight, and shorter than the thin shot. example; today I hit a thin 6 iron to an elevated green guarded by bunkers in front of the green. As soon as I hit it, knew it (feedback), picked up my tee and said, that's in the bunker, before the persons I was playing with left the tee box. If I were to hit the same identical tee shot with x20's, it would have been well short and maybe, left, right, who knows. Point being, the predictability factor of mishits and bad shots is great....I know it's going to stay straight and not totally penalize me from a bad golf shot.

Workability...uhhhh, yeah. This is a simple one. Do you know how to draw a club? ok, then you can draw this one, You know how to fade a club? ok, you can fade this one. I have found it takes a little bit more exagerration of the swing to coerce it a bit more, but it's still easy. but yeah, for the most part it goes straight (it is afterall a GI club, isn't that what they are supposed to do).

Launch...Mine go high, to me. Could also be the Nippon 950GH shaft (lightweight steel). For a tour player I would think the ball flight is optimum for them. If you seen pros up close on the course, man do their shots go high. I thought I hit it high til I followed some tour pros around the course. anywho, high for me, and typically lands with a good amount of spin rate to take one or two hops and settle. today, 7 iron, downhill a tad, very firm green, two hops, stops.

The thing I really like about these clubs is the FT like offset. Not players club, not totally hook city-ish (think x20), nice gradual 'tweener offset. At the time I bought these I was playing Nike blades but wanted something more point and shoot to mess with and experiment with a good amount of forgiveness. Had the CB2 fairway wood first, loved it so much, I thought I'd give the irons a try, then, the hybrid, then the XCG. Still play everything 'cept the driver. These are sweet sticks and it's fun to have more great golf shots again and have some fun. The confidence these irons give me are probably why I hit them so well (after re-reading everything, this is the most key point of hitting any of your clubs well; confidence). as with the blades, bad shot=terrible shot=horrible outcome, and that's the thought process. Some guys I play with call them cheater clubs, but hey it's ok, from all the money they give me in clubhouse after our round they have just about paid for themselves. They can keep hitting their mp57s, 23s, 67s, 755s, 695s, blades, tp mbs, cobra cbs, and all of their other traditional irons, but these are working for me at the current moment, and the last 22 rounds. I am just having too much fun with them. so before you 86 these clubs from your consideration, go to a demo day. if you were in SoCal, I'd play a round with you and you could hit these clubs back to back with yours, but I ain't playing golf for a couple weeks until after I recover.

good luck in whatever you may choose.

TM CGB irons are the longest I have tracked on Trackman...interesting.

you should check the lofts.....forget it, I did it.

r7 CGB max:

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 PW AW SW LW

19° 21° 23° 26° 30° 34° 39° 44° 49° 54° 59°

Exotics EX-3:

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 PW AW SW

19° 21° 23.5° 26° 29° 33° 37° 41° 46° 50° 55°

I believe you gain yardage more so from the loft of the club, not from some magic material they made the club out of. Most modern day irons' lofts are a tad strong so you can feel like a pro when you hit a 200 yard 7 iron (see:sarcasm).

Thanks for the iron review. Looks like I will pass on these irons.

 

I disagree with 18th Legion's post above. I think they are great irons. My honeymoon was exactly 2 rounds, and I shot about 4-5 shots better than my usual score. Since then, I have played 22 posted rounds with them (I checked from point of purchase) and I can tell, from feel, if I hit a solid shot. To me, it feels the same as if I pure one with my blades (not exactly, but almost) ...the sound, the feel, etc.

 

Are they longer than my Nike blades...well, yes. Are they any longer than the i10's, x20's, r7's....no. I believe you gain yardage more so from the loft of the club, not from some magic material they made the club out of. Most modern day irons' lofts are a tad strong so you can feel like a pro when you hit a 200 yard 7 iron (see:sarcasm).

 

Forgiveness....this is where this club gets an A+. I have never hit any GI club so badly and so good at the same time. Thin shot...goes a tad short...Fat...still goes straight, and shorter than the thin shot. example; today I hit a thin 6 iron to an elevated green guarded by bunkers in front of the green. As soon as I hit it, knew it (feedback), picked up my tee and said, that's in the bunker, before the persons I was playing with left the tee box. If I were to hit the same identical tee shot with x20's, it would have been well short and maybe, left, right, who knows. Point being, the predictability factor of mishits and bad shots is great....I know it's going to stay straight and not totally penalize me from a bad golf shot.

 

Workability...uhhhh, yeah. This is a simple one. Do you know how to draw a club? ok, then you can draw this one, You know how to fade a club? ok, you can fade this one. I have found it takes a little bit more exagerration of the swing to coerce it a bit more, but it's still easy. but yeah, for the most part it goes straight (it is afterall a GI club, isn't that what they are supposed to do).

 

Launch...Mine go high, to me. Could also be the Nippon 950GH shaft (lightweight steel). For a tour player I would think the ball flight is optimum for them. If you seen pros up close on the course, man do their shots go high. I thought I hit it high til I followed some tour pros around the course. anywho, high for me, and typically lands with a good amount of spin rate to take one or two hops and settle. today, 7 iron, downhill a tad, very firm green, two hops, stops.

 

The thing I really like about these clubs is the FT like offset. Not players club, not totally hook city-ish (think x20), nice gradual 'tweener offset. At the time I bought these I was playing Nike blades but wanted something more point and shoot to mess with and experiment with a good amount of forgiveness. Had the CB2 fairway wood first, loved it so much, I thought I'd give the irons a try, then, the hybrid, then the XCG. Still play everything 'cept the driver. These are sweet sticks and it's fun to have more great golf shots again and have some fun. The confidence these irons give me are probably why I hit them so well (after re-reading everything, this is the most key point of hitting any of your clubs well; confidence). as with the blades, bad shot=terrible shot=horrible outcome, and that's the thought process. Some guys I play with call them cheater clubs, but hey it's ok, from all the money they give me in clubhouse after our round they have just about paid for themselves. They can keep hitting their mp57s, 23s, 67s, 755s, 695s, blades, tp mbs, cobra cbs, and all of their other traditional irons, but these are working for me at the current moment, and the last 22 rounds. I am just having too much fun with them. so before you 86 these clubs from your consideration, go to a demo day. if you were in SoCal, I'd play a round with you and you could hit these clubs back to back with yours, but I ain't playing golf for a couple weeks until after I recover.

 

good luck in whatever you may choose.

Great post! I think that there is a demo day next month at a course near by. I am going to hit these and see if they are right for me. I like the concept but do not want to be out a lot of $$$ if I do not like them. Thanks for all your info.

Are these the type of irons that you can swing out of your shoes and still go long and straight?

I have found when I do that it still goes straight, but higher, and if I really step on it then I get a little more draw than anticipated, i.e. hook.

Do you think the .830 COR and Ti cup face in these irons are just hype?

no, I don't think they are hype. They are a little longer then most other GI irons I have played. Not trying to contradict what I said a few posts earlier about how all modern day are about the same in length, the EX-3's allow me to put a more controlled, smoother 75-80% swing to get the same distance as, let's say g10's or x20's. in real world example, I've hit a few 180 yard (from the fairway) 7 iron shots with them that I would normally never get out of another club....for me that's a pretty long 7 iron.

Would the xcg hybrids fit well in this set to replace the 3 and 4 irons?

I've never tried the XCG hybrids so I wouldn't know how they are. I love the CB2 hybrid, but the shaft in my 19 just seems to fit me pretty good but I really prefer the Proto by You in my 23. I believe hybrids are more of a preference and feel like woods and drivers.

I've never tried the XCG hybrids so I wouldn't know how they are. I love the CB2 hybrid, but the shaft in my 19 just seems to fit me pretty good but I really prefer the Proto by You in my 23. I believe hybrids are more of a preference and feel like woods and drivers.

How are the Nippon shafts on these? Are they light shafts? I head they help increase your swingspeed. Is they any validity to that?

Yeah they are lightweight shafts. From Nippon website:

N.S.PRO 950GH Steel shafts for irons (Ultra-lightweight type) No surprises, no detours. Now, hit what you're aiming at.

 

Ever since its release, this top-selling model has been a favorite among golfers of all levels looking to take points off their scores. It features exceptional weight balance and control, with ultra-lightweight design — comparable to graphite — that makes it easier than ever to swing. And the use of new NSGS8665V alloy — co-developed and patented with Nisshin Steel — has helped create a revolutionary combination of strength and weight balance.

weight for stiff is 98g and up as opposed to TTDGS300 are 121g and up.

I don't think they increase your swing speed, imo at least. I've always played my irons at the same swing weight so I've never really noticed much of a difference.

How are the resale value on TEE products?

I've had the EX-3s in play for about 20 rounds. I bought them after demoing the Callaway FTs, the Cobra S9s and the Taylor Made CGB Max. I bought the EX-3s for two reasons one the FTs and CGBs were several hundred dollars more, and I like the Tour Edge brand. I started with the CB2 fairway woods and my bag is now now completely Tour Edge except for my FT-5 driver which nothing over the last 2 years has been able to beat and my Rife putter. The CB2s are everything they are cracked up to be and the XCG hybrids are the best kept secret in golf.

The EX-3s are longer than most players irons. I switched over from Mizuno mp 60s. With the Mizunos I carried my eight iron about 150 my EX-3 8 iron goes about 160. Some of this distance is from the difference in loft but there are two notable differences. The EX-3s have a high tragectory, very high. To the point it is hard to keep the ball down in the wind which fortunately is not a big concern here in FL. The EX-3s are infinately more forgiving. Anything not hit flush with my MP 60s had considerable distance loss. The EX-3's provide me with a much larger margin for error as would be expected form a GI iron. Toe shots and slightly thin shots hold their line pretty well and distance loss is marginal. When I switched from my MP 60s one of my regular playing partners asked me why. After hitting a thin 8 iron on a par 3 that found the green I told him with the MP 60 that one would never have gotten there. I would say I'm a solid B+ iron player but these clubs have given me much more confidence. I know my 8 iron is going 160 and I don't have to hit it pure every time.

The two biggest complaints I've read about these irons (mostly from people who have never hit them) are: 1 lack of feed back and 2 lack of workability. I think these are general misconceptions. The feed back is different than with a players iron, especially a forged blade like the MP 60s. But I know instantly if I hit it high on the club face or out on the toe or thin or any other mishit. In my last round I was hitting 7 iron to a peninsula green. I was in the first cut and as soon as I hit the ball I told my playing partner I caught a flier. True to form the ball hit the back of the green and one hopped off, which tells me I'm pretty aware of where the ball is hitting the club face. I don't need to feel like I hit a telephone pole with an aluminum baseball bat to know it was a mishit.

As far as workability I always find this funny. Guys can take a 460 cc driver, the equivalent of a grapefruit on a stick and work the ball left and right yet they don't think they can work the ball because an iron is a half an inch bigger. Anyway draws are easy to hit with the EX-3s due to the offset. Fades are achievable as well. If you can hit one with a players iron I guarantee you can hit one with these.

I've also heard some complaints that the EX-3s do not perform well out of the rough. This has not been my experience. I average about 280 with my driver and I can carry it over 300 when my swing is really grooving. Consequently I find the rough frequently as I try to cut corners of doglegs and generally shorten a course. The EX-3s play well out of the rough. The high MOI and low CG help your shots even from bad lies.

I've been very happy with these clubs. I've dropped my handicap from a 13 to and 11 in my last 20 rounds and my GIR average has increased by 2 as well. Not jaw dropping numbers but impressive to me since I've really had almost no time to practice since getting these clubs.

The con's of these clubs are they are hard to hit low unless you are adept at hitting a low spinning punch shot, a skill I have not yet mastered. I'm not a big fan of the feel around the green but I mostly use a forged SW for green side use anyway. On longer pitches when I've been forced to use my PW it has performed better than I expected. If I had more time to practice I could probably develope a better comfort level with the EX-3 but since I haven't I generally revert back to my comfort club which is my SW.

If you are looking for a GI iron I think it is definately worth your time to hit these clubs. Tour Edge might be best known for the fairway woods but they have a stable full of good equipment.

Gawd thats a horrible top line

I've been playing the excellent EX-1's for the past year or so, but have struggled to hit the 6 and 5 irons, so I demo-ed an EX-3 6 iron the other day. I was very impressed. Love the high trajectory! Was hitting it on the practise fairway, so it wasn't ideal to see exactly how far it went compared to my EX-1, but I wouldn't be surprised if it went a little further. It was certainly easier to hit consistently well, though and very straight and it definately went higher. I'm strongly considering getting the EX-3's in the 6 and 7 and maybe the new XCG irons in the 8 and 9 (I have a Mizuno MP T 2008 PW, which is awesome). If the EX-3's had as little offset as the EX-1's I'd get a couple for sure. May get the Tour Edge J Max QL 5 hybrid, which I also demoed the same day. Performed very similarly to the EX-3 and both went a similar high height. Seemed a fraction easier to hit than the EX-3 and was cheaper. I also recently bought an XCG 7 wood, which is fantastic. Tour Edge are certainly the "real deal", to anyone who has any doubts. They make sensational clubs (although they'd want to, at those prices!)