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Tour Edge E722 and C722 Fairway Metals and Hybrids

Tuesday, 08 February 2022

The new Tour Edge 722 series features two fairway metal and two hybrid models. The E722 is for players seeking maximum forgiveness. The C722 is a compact, low-spin offering. Retail price is $229-$299 depending on model.

With the Exotics 722 fairway metals and hybrids, Tour Edge is sticking with its dichotomous “are you an E or a C?” query.

Put another way—when searching for fairway metals and hybrids, which pairing do you prefer? Shallow faces with more forgiveness or a compact footprint and adjustability? If it’s the former, Tour Edge will tell you to look at the E722 models. Conversely, the latter should lean toward the C722 offerings.

The tradeoffs are more nuanced than that but you get the gist. And I guess if you prefer to keep the analysis to a minimum, remember the “E” is for Extreme and “C” stands for Compact.

As members of the same family, the E722 and C722 fairway metals share several key pieces of technology. Likewise, each model features a couple of distinct attributes.

722 Fairway Metals’ Shared Technology

With fairway woods, sole design has an integral role in total performance. Think of the sole as something like a boat rudder that allows the club to glide through the turf. Additionally, the sole provides a large area where manufacturers can strategically position weight to impact the center of gravity location.

Tour Edge calls its dedicated sole design RyzerSole Technology. The sole on the E722 fairways includes a rail that runs from the leading edge to the trailing edge. This helps pull more weight low in the head to promote higher launch with less spin. On the C722, the RyzerSole includes 90 grams of weight, 80 of which is dedicated to a fixed tungsten weight. That leaves a 10-gram adjustable weight that golfers can swap out as needed.

A.R.C. Acoustic Engineering

The way a club sounds—or feels—is a focal point of any design process. And because sound and feel are inextricably linked, the goal is ultimately to eliminate bad frequencies while capturing the good ones.

Tour Edge utilizes A.R.C. (Acoustic Resonance Channels) to bounce sound inside the club to achieve what it believes is the optimal auditory impact experience.

While feel is subjective, golfers most often respond negatively to excessively high frequencies. That said, some vibration is necessary to create the intended sensation. In that sense, the A.R.C. works as a frequency colander, allowing only the desirable vibrations into the clubhead.

Yes, it’s like Kevin Nealon’s character (Potter) in Happy Gilmore opined: “Harness. Energy. Block. Bad.”

You remember the scene.

Diamond Face VFT

A good bit of modern face technology centers around performance on off-center strikes.

And, given the proclivity of amateur golfers to utilize much more than just the center of the face, that makes sense.

VFT—Variable Face Thickness—is the generic term. What it means simply is that manufacturers alter the face thickness in specific areas to impact ball speed and launch conditions.

Tour Edge uses a Diamond Face configuration with 61 diamond shapes generating an interwoven pattern of seven different thicknesses. Additionally, Tour Edge says the diamond shapes “act as mini-trampolines.” I guess the analogy makes sense so long as each trampoline has variable thickness mesh fabric. Right?

Exotics E722 Versus C722

The Exotics E722 fairway wood is a shallow-face design with a carbon-fiber crown and maraging steel face. An adjustable 10-gram weight sits on the trailing edge on the sole to pull the CG low/rear in the clubhead. Again, a low/rear CG location promotes more forgiveness and higher launch.

Conversely, the C722 features a deeper face and a more compact overall footprint. Some might feel it’s reminiscent of the hallowed CB1 and CB2 models. With the smaller shape also comes a more forward CG location that promotes lower launch and less spin than the E722.

In terms of materials, the C722 utilizes a 6-4 titanium body and face with a carbon crown. The chief benefit of titanium and carbon is that they are lighter materials that free up discretionary weight. In this case, Tour Edge used some of that weight on an adjustable hosel (+/- 1.5°). This is the first adjustable hosel in an Exotics fairway series since the EX9 Tour in 2016.

Exotics 722 Hybrids

With the Exotics E722 and C722 hybrids, the Herman’s Hermits line “second verse, same as the first” is apropos. As expected, the Exotics 722 hybrids carry over the notable technologies and aesthetics of the 722 fairway metals.

The E722 is larger, more forgiving and targets the golfer who can benefit from a high-launching hybrid. An adjustable 10-gram weight sits at the extreme trailing edge of the RyzerSole configuration to pull the CG low/rear.

On the other hand, the C722 hybrid is smaller with an adjustable (+/- 1.5°) hosel. It also has a deeper face and an adjustable 10-gram weight positioned closer to the face. It’s built for the higher-speed golfer looking for a direct long-iron replacement. In fact, Tour Edge calls it “the most iron-like hybrid on the market.” I’m not sure that’s entirely true but I also have no idea how one would refute it.

Moving on …

Both the E722 and C722 hybrids incorporate Diamond Face VFT and a maraging steel face. Instead of the 61 diamond shapes in the 722 fairways, Tour Edge uses 41 shapes inside a similar interwoven pattern. Same concept. Same trampoline analogy.

Exotics 722 Stock Shafts

For its 722 series fairway woods and hybrids, Tour Edge is sticking with its Speed Tested stock shafts. Basically, Tour Edge tested a variety of shafts using a robot to determine the best shaft for each swing speed. It’s a simple solution to a more complex process but at least it points golfers in the right direction.

E722 and C722 Fairway Metals

Less than 85 mph: Fujikura AirSpeeder Ladies (35g), Senior 40g – R2) and Regular (40g) 85-95 mph: Fujiura Ventus Red 4T 50R/ 60S 95-105 mph: Fujikura Ventus Blue 4T 60S/60X 105+ mph: Mitsubishi Tensei AV Raw Blue 65 S/X

As a reminder, the Ventus 4T models feature the same construction and profile as the Real VeloCore Ventus. The difference is that the 4T uses a 40-ton material instead of the premium pitch-70 fiber in the bias layer.

E722 and C722 Hybrids

Less than 85 mph: KBS TGI 60 Graphite 50L/60A/70R 85-95 mph: KBS TGI 70 Graphite 70R/80S 95+: Fujikura Ventus Blue 8S

My $0.05

Roughly five years ago, TaylorMade pulled the plug on Adams Golf. The collateral damage left an equipment void on PGA TOUR Champions where Adams previously dominated. Tour Edge capitalized on the opportunity and, well, here we are. Tour Edge now has six contracted players on the senior circuit. And I’m not sure I could name a single player on any other professional tour that uses Tour Edge equipment.

It’s a move that altered the strategy for Tour Edge and I wonder whether golfers perceive the brand differently based on the demographic of its tour staff. Once upon a time, Tour Edge Exotics was a brand beloved by hard-core gearheads for its top-shelf fairway woods and hybrids. Market dynamics change and kudos to Tour Edge for seizing an opportunity to grow its brand. That said, will golfers who didn’t experience the original Exotics fairway woods ever really understand just how good they were? Probably not.

I haven’t hit either model. Yet. However, as someone who bagged the original CB1 (and CB2 as well as the CB4), I’m intrigued to see if the C722 fairway lives up to the high standard many of us have for Tour Edge.