TourEdge SlipStream Sole Adds Distance

In golf distance is king, and hitting it long in the right spot is the ultimate goal. Televised tournaments are filled with sponsorships and advertisements, but are those clubs the best for your game?

Adding yardage through innovation, TourEdge has quietly been making a name for themselves with a resultant loyal following. And now, you can catch the next techno wave. Something that characterizes TourEdge is they take most clubs in their line and use the technology for combinations that are more forgiving and other combinations that are more precise for the better player.

The newest advantage across the line is called the “SlipStream Sole,” a wavy pattern on the bottom of the club. In testing, TourEdge found this design better at breaking up friction with the turf and increasing club head speed. Quite simply, the result is a longer shot. I was skeptical, but in hitting the clubs, this does work.

Another key component to TourEdge technology and application is picking the right combination head and geometry for precision versus distance. Just about everything in their lineup features this choice. If you are less than a 10 handicap, then pick the precision model. An 11 or greater, then the extra forgiveness will make those long shots go just as long when you don’t hit it precisely.

For example, their EX9 Tour Adjustable fairway wood ($299), gives loft options in 15, 15 and 17 combined with the new anti-friction sole. The smaller head designed for less spin and a boring ball flight. Add an adjustable hosel and sole-moveable weight for the player who wants to control trajectory. What was more surprising in hitting this club is how forgiving the smaller head is with off-center hits, something not found in other “tour” woods.

On the driver side, the EX9 is sized at 460cc and uses the SlipStream Sole combined with a hexagonal thickness pattern in the face for increased distance. The approach allows the golfer to pick from a 10 or 12 degree lofted driver, but then the hosel adjusts up or down one degree as well as providing fade or draw tendencies. Move over that company that worked with Boeing, TourEdge also has an aerodynamic sloping of the crown for less air friction and drag. Simply put, this is a fantastic technological package for just $299.

Where TourEdge actually claimed the fame on tour, was the number of tour players who used their hybrids. So, no wonder that the EX9 Hybrid gets a performance upgrade by combining the SlipStream sole with a maraging steel cup face. This club really zings it out of the grass. Like most TourEdge clubs, it is incredibly easy to get the ball in the air out of the fairway. At $159, this is a lot of performance that forgives the occasional swing flaw.