Tour Edge Exotics XCG5 Fairway Woods

From Golf Magazine ClubTest 2012 (May, 2012)

Category: Game-Improvement Fairway Woods
Price: $299

WE TESTED: 3 (15°), 4 (16.5°) with Graphite Design Tour  AD 40 graphite shaft; 3 (15°), 4 (16.5°) with Aldila RIP Sigma 70 graphite shaft; 3 (15°), 4 (16.5°) with Fujikura Exotics Blur 65 graphite shaft
KEY TECHNOLOGIES: The titanium body and beta titanium face insert with multiple thicknesses provide plenty of power. The club’s heavy tungsten sole plate boosts forgiveness. Four external and two internal weight cavities lower the club’s center of gravity.

OUR TESTERS SAY: One of the higher-rated woods. Scores well in feel, accuracy and distance.

PROS
PLAYABILITY: A few testers find it easy to move both ways; ball flight tends to be medium-high and mostly straight.
ACCURACY/FORGIVENESS: An accurate, go-to club off the tee—3- and 4-woods are point-and-shoot easy.
DISTANCE: Similar long distance to
previous XCG fairways; a few guys get 5 to 10 yards more than with other woods; 3-wood is silly long off the tee for a few testers; limits distance loss on mis-hits.
FEEL: Responsive face lets you know where you hit it; well-struck shots jump off the face and produce a crisp, very satisfying feel; delivers a crushing blow.
LOOK: Shallow face sets up easily and inspires confidence, even from uneven lies; white and black grip offers a color contrast to red, black and silver shaft.

CONS
A few testers prefer a bit more forgiveness on mis-hits from fairway lies; a small minority of guys finds that the busy-looking shaft doesn’t complement the no-nonsense head