Tour Edge Exotics EXS Ti-Utility Iron

Man, Tour Edge is on a HEATER in 2020! From innovative technology to streamlined designs, 2020 has easily produced some of the best gear in Tour Edge’s long history. I’ve been singing the praises of the EXS 220 fairway wood and EXS Pro hybrid all season long as some of the best golf clubs I’ve ever hit. Another club in their lineup might just be equally as impressive. I’m talking about the Tour Edge Exotics EXS 220 Ti-Utility iron. And I rarely even really like utility irons at all! There are really a lot of great things to say about the EXS Ti-Utility, so if you’re looking for extreme forgiveness and long distance in a utility iron, continue reading.

The Looks

In terms of utility irons, the Tour Edge Exotics EXS 220 Ti-Utility has a fairly compact shape. The topline is more medium, but in line with what you should expect in a utility iron. More importantly, at address you don’t see a bulbous sole and cavity sticking out. Though the sole may not be as thin as your nice new EXS Pro Blade irons, the Ti-Utility has a narrower sole that helps set the club up nicely at address, but also glides through the turf better. More on that later.

Of course we have to address finish options! The EXS 220 Ti-Utility comes in the Black Pearl you see here, as well as a traditional silver finish. Having seen both in person, you really can’t go wrong. So far, the Black Pearl has held up nicely, as has Tommy’s Black Pearl CBX Iron-Wood from last year. Point is, the Black Pearl has proven durable amongst the DRH team so far.

How Does it Feel?

Feel was a major focus for Tour Edge with the EXS 220 Ti-Utility iron. First, they went with a hollow-body design which lightens up the club head and allows them control the CG placement and perimeter weighting better. This also makes the face softer and hotter as it creates more flex. That said, Tour Edge utilized combo brazing to fuse a strong titanium face to a steel body. This keeps the face strong while it flexes for more jump in the ball. Speaking of that titanium face, Tour Edge calls it an “L-Cup” face. It wraps around the leading edge acting as a hinge and improving speeds across the whole face. All of these elements combine to make one of the hottest faces I’ve ever felt in a utility iron.

Not only does the EXS 220 Ti-Utility feel hot, but it’s forgiving and clean. Like I said, Tour Edge was able to really control the weighting of this club. The CG is low in the face making it feel easier to launch. A nice perimeter weighting in the head gives the Ti-Utility a really smooth and balanced feel. The hybrid-inspired round sole and the rounded leading edge of the L-Cup face really help the club cleanly cut through the turf. I really can’t say enough for how easy the Ti-Utility just feels to hit which is something I find extremely rare in utility irons.

How Does it Sound?

The hollow body and titanium face are the major determining factors of sound for the Tour Edge Exotics EXS 220 Ti-Utility. Titanium faces typically come with a somewhat metallic tone, but the hollow body with resin injected in it helps temper that. Instead the sound is somewhere between an energetic “thwack” and a “slap”. Due to the design and forgiveness of this club, the sound is pretty consistent across the face. The rounded sole is smooth, yet firmly crisp, in terms of sound through lighter turf. A thicker will have a heaver “swoosh” sound.

On-Course Performance

I said earlier that I historically don’t really like utility irons. For whatever reason, I’ve never gotten along with them and just can’t consistently hit them well. True, there have been a couple over the years that were the exception, but as a rule, we just don’t mix. Then I got my hands on the Tour Edge Exotics EXS 220 Ti-Utility iron. I don’t know what it is about this club, but man, I hit it so well. Not only do I hit it well, but I’m consistent with it. Between the forgiving face and sole, I find it effortless to just rip a laser a long way and dead on a line.

But you didn’t come here just to hear me say “I’m not a utility iron guy, but holy crap, this thing is awesome!” The forgiveness and ease of making great contact with the Ti-Utility couldn’t be ignored. But there’s more… What I like about the Ti-Utility is that it pretty naturally keeps the ball down with a penetrating flight. I tested it with the Tensei AV Silver shaft, which has typically been a higher launching shaft for me in other clubs, but the ball stayed at a medium piercing trajectory with a medium spin. Low runners are plenty doable making it a great “under tree” escape club, especially when you need some extra distance on those duck-hooked tee shots pesky par 5s.

Final Thoughts – Tour Edge Exotics EXS Ti-Utility Iron

I sat for awhile and thought how I wanted to conclude this review. There are so many thoughts circling around my brain about how good the Tour Edge Exotics EXS 220 Ti-Utility that I didn’t expect. It’s just so good for so many situations. Jon Claffey, VP of Marketing at Tour Edge, once said to me that the EXS Ti-Utility is “an off-the-tee savior when nothing else is working.” While this has proven true on a few occasions for me, it really applies to anything longer than a 5 iron for me whether off the tee, under a tree, or just a long way out from the green. That fact is, the EXS Ti-Utility produces an extremely controllable shot with tremendous feel and strong distance. In terms of current utility irons on the market, this one is definitely going to be tough to beat.

Stock Tour Edge Exotics EXS Ti-Utility Iron Specs