Tour Edge Hot Launch C522 Driver
Geared more toward the competitive player, the Tour Edge Hot Launch C522 driver is still packed with technology and forgiveness at an incredible price point. Tour Edge also updated this year’s Hot Launch driver lineup with the same Diamond Face 2.0 technology used in their premium lineups for a hot feel and plenty of ball speed. For the money, this driver is pretty tough to beat.
The Looks
From address, the Tour Edge Hot Launch C522 driver has a fairly traditional 460cc footprint. The shape is a “capital D” with a slight point at the trailing edge. This slight elongation is due to the deep placement of center of gravity (CG) which we’ll cover more throughout the review. Flip the club over and the color scheme continues the black/blue/white Hot Launch theme from the 521 line. While I thought the Hot Launch clubs looked good last year, the overall aesthetic in the C522 is much more refined with a more premium feel. I personally would never guess this is only a $250 driver based on looks alone. It genuinely looks really good, especially behind the ball on the tee box.
How Does it Feel?
Tour Edge placed the CG low and deep in the Hot Launch C522’s head. When it comes to feel, this makes the driver feel more balanced and easier to control throughout the swing. A major reason for this balanced feel is because this CG placement raises the MOI in the club head. “What the heck is MOI?! I just want to hit the golf ball straight and far!” Fair question and fair statement, but MOI will help you with both. A higher MOI means the club head is resistant to twisting, especially at impact. So when the club face hits the ball at speed, it will stay “more square” (or is it “squarer”?) at impact meaning you’ll generally hit the ball straighter. In other words, the club is more forgiving.
As mentioned earlier, Tour Edge introduced Diamond Face 2.0 to the Hot Launch lineup. There are 42 diamond shapes of varying sizes behind the face that act as mini trampolines at impact. Working in tandem with the Diamond Face is the 360º Cup Face, which allows the whole face to flex more at impact. This makes the ball jump faster across more of the face. So when you hit one dead center, there’s a lot of heat, but there’s a lot of life on mishits as well.
How Does it Sound?
The Tour Edge Hot Launch C522 driver made a huge leap forward from its predecessor in the sound category via its Acoustic Resonance Channels (A.R.C.). A.R.C. delivers a premium tone by way of strategically bouncing/redirecting vibrations inside of the club head. The resulting sound is a tight snap at just the right volume that’s competitive with Tour Edge’s premium Exotics driver. At this price point, you won’t find many better sounding drivers, or even close to it for that matter.
On-Course Performance
| Club Speed | Ball Speed | Launch Angle | Spin | Carry (Yds) | Total (Yds) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 114.1 | 171.2 | 11.5º | 2237 | 280.4 | 309.9 |
In the Tour Edge Hot Launch lineup, the C series is designed for the player looking for a little more of a “competitive” spec while still benefiting from added forgiveness and ease of play. Players with more moderate tempos looking for a powerful flight and lower-ish spin will get along nicely with the C522 driver. The low and deep CG make it easy to get the ball in the air and carrying, but also super easy to control and keep in the fairway. The forgiveness on what would normally be flat out terrible shots for me was exceptionally notable. I was able to shape and flight the ball as necessary, but more importantly, it was easy to keep the ball in the grid.
Final Thoughts – Tour Edge Hot Launch C522 Driver
Serious bang for your buck. That’s the first thing that comes to mind when I think of the Tour Edge HL C522 driver. Throughout my testing, I found that I was establishing the same expectations as I had with “high-end” drivers because the C522 was genuinely performing at that level. I quickly forgot that this was supposed to be a so-called “value” driver. Though the C522 may not have some of the usual bells and whistles of top-dollar competitors, its simple performance is just as good as many premium drivers and certainly worth considering.
Stock Tour Edge Hot Launch C522 Driver Specs
| Loft | Length | Head Volume |
Stock Flex |
RH/LH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.5º | 45″ | 460cc | X, S, R, A, L | RH |
| 10.5º | 45″ | 460cc | X, S, R, A, L | RH |
| 12.5º | 45″ | 460cc | X, S, R, A, L | RH |
I have been seriously considering the C721 driver but at $400 I’m not quite ready to make the leap. At $250 for the C522 my interest is peaked. So what’s the difference between the C721 and the C522? For that matter, what’s the difference between those and the C521? Thanks for your feedback.
Like I alluded to, the gap between the C721 and HL C522 is narrowed, but the Exotics series still looks, feels, sounds, and performs better. At least that’s my opinion. The shaft options in the C721 are also more premium.
As far as the difference between last year’s 521 and this year’s 522, the 522 is generally better in all categories. The fit and finish is better, the sound and feel are quite a bit better. Overall, it’s a much better package at the pound for pound value the Hot Launch lineup is notorious for.
whatvleft hand driver is available by tour edge?
Went Tour Edge’s website and looks like the C721 in 10.5°.