Tour Edge EXS Pro Forged Irons
In the beginning of September I tested and posted my review of the Tour Edge Exotics EXS Pro Blade irons. Between the classic looks, great feel, and shotmaker’s performance, they were extremely impressive. Well, right around that time I also tested the Tour Edge Exotics EXS Pro Forged irons. With a classic player’s look, soft feel, and cavity back forgiveness, the EXS Pro Forged is a ball striking weapon. Simply put, I believe the EXS Pro Forged is easily the crown jewel of the Tour Edge iron family. Like the rest of the EXS Pro clubs, these irons are “straight from the Tour van” and limited to only 250 sets.
The Looks
From address, the Tour Edge Exotics EXS Pro Forged irons have a nice compact profile with minimal offset. I would say the topline has a thickness that’s more on the medium side, but not overwhelmingly so. This is a common look for the modern “player’s distance” irons that are popular in today’s market. The cavity has good contrast with the chrome finish and black insert, which we’ll cover later. Overall, the EXS Pro Forged looks excellent behind the ball and is a sharp contemporary iron.
How Does it Feel?
The club’s feel might be what makes the EXS Pro Forged the crown jewel of Tour Edge irons. They just feel so smooth at impact with a generous sweet spot and pinpoint precision in feedback. A quick glance through the EXS Pro Forged product page should make this no surprise as it’s very clear Tour Edge put a lot of effort into dialing in the feel of these irons. Let’s start with the material. Each iron is “triple forged” (meaning it’s pressed three times) out of S25 carbon steel. Carbon steel inherently has a softer feel in an iron, but by forging the head three times, this tightens the grain and essentially gives you that precise feel I mentioned earlier.
Tour Edge also utilized CNC milling on the head to get precise grooves and weighting while staying USGA compliant. By milling out the cavity via computer milling, Tour Edge was able to maximize the MOI and increase forgiveness without sacrificing feel and performance. As such you have a deeper cavity, but still the feel of a forged iron. Another trick they used for the MOI/forgiveness was inserting a tungsten weight into the toe of the 3 to 6 irons. This draws the weight further out on the face essentially making the sweet spot bigger.
Then there’s the “electro-formed” insert which I referred to earlier. This insert combines steel, an ABS polymer, and a dampening gel in the cavity to optimize the sound and feel of the club. As such, the EXS Pro Forged irons feel a little softer and smoother across the entire face while still giving you good response in your hands.
How Does it Sound?
The Tour Edge Exotics EXS Pro Forged irons have a really nice “snap” to them at impact. Combining a tight forging of a soft carbon with the aforementioned insert keeps the volume down, but still firm like you want to hear from a forged iron. The nice part is that the sound is pretty consistent across the face so even when you don’t catch one square in the sweet spot, you aren’t punished. That also holds true in shot performance which we’ll discuss in the next section.
On-Course Performance
The lower center of gravity (CG) and the higher MOI from the cavity back make a big difference in the forgiveness of the Tour Edge EXS Pro Forged irons, however, the addition of the tungsten weight in the toe is the real difference maker. A quick lesson in iron design and construction: the weight of the hosel meeting the heel of the club head typically draws the CG closer to the heel rather than the center of the face. Of course, there are various design choices that can reduce that, but by adding tungsten to the toe, the EXS Pro Forged now draws the CG away from the heel. Add that to cavity weighting of this iron, and the face is much more forgiving overall and flat out easier to hit.
While I was a big fan of the muscle back EXS Pro Blade, I had to be extremely precise with my ball striking. Especially compared to these EXS Pro Forged irons where finding the sweet spot was far from difficult and slightly off-center strikes maintained full speed and distance. Don’t get me wrong, your far toe and heel strikes will get what they deserve, but you certainly aren’t being punished for missing a pea-sized spot on the face.
While the forgiveness and feel of the EXS Pro Forged irons are great, let’s not forget distance and control. This style of iron is designed for a player that wants the forgiveness, but also wants to hit it a little longer and still be able to manipulate their shots. What I found was the EXS Pro Forged irons were effortlessly long and easy to get flying in the air. Yes, the lofts are stronger, but that is pretty standard in this class of irons these days. That said, if you’re a shot shaper, the EXS Pro Forged can do it all. It was easy to flight the ball up and down, as was shaping shots either direction.
Final Thoughts – Tour Edge EXS Pro Forged Irons
There was quite a bit of technical talk in this review, which I know I am so renowned for, but I’ll sum up my Tour Edge Exotics EXS Pro Forged irons experience in a pretty easy-to-follow conclusion. These irons were easy to hit well right out of the gate and made an immediate impression on me in terms of how good they were. There is clear player’s performance packed into a sleek look with generous forgiveness and easier distance. Honestly, as an above average player, the EXS Pro Forged irons were a lot of fun to hit and definitely put themselves on my radar as a future option for my bag. I believe that out of the top-end iron lineup at Tour Edge, the EXS Pro Forged is easily their best set of irons.
Stock Tour Edge EXS Pro Forged Irons Specs
| Club # | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | PW | AW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loft º | 20º | 22º | 25º | 28º | 32º | 37º | 41º | 46º | 50º |
| Lie º | 60º | 60.5º | 61º | 61.5º | 62º | 62.5º | 63º | 63º | 63.5º |
| Length | 38.75″ | 38.25″ | 37.75″ | 37.25″ | 36.75″ | 36.25″ | 35.75″ | 35.25″ | 35.25″ |
I’m a senior played on the sunbelt senior tour would like to be fitted for the c721
If you go to Tour Edge’s website (linked in the review), they have a dealer locator that should guide you to a fitter in your area.
Bill
Hey Bill,
I have loved your reviews and they have helped me pull the trigger on a number clubs that have played extremely well in my bag this year (i.e. TEE C721 metal woods). I have a question about irons. Earlier this year I bought a set of New Level 902 forged irons, but did not get along with them (feel was what I was looking for but the sole width (17/18″) didn’t fit my swing, very shallow, hardly take a divot). I had exchanged another set of irons for a nice set of used Titleist 712 CB irons and I seem to be getting along with these much better. My only issue is I have lost a bit of distance, although I’ve gained control. The sole width on these irons is 13/18″ (much more narrow, then the New Levels and much more consistent contact)
Thus my question is; Is the sole width of the TEE EXS Pro or any of the Sub 70 forged irons closer to that of the Titleist 712CB? I feel like I am loosing a bit of the tech advantages of current clubs with the Titleist 712CBs.
Also in regard to wedges, would you recommend TEE blade or Sub 70. I play my wedges pretty straightforward, except for my 60 I sometimes open it up around the green/ bunkers only. I prefer a straighter leading edge on my wedges.
Thank You So Much for any/all advice you may be able to provide!
In terms of irons, I can’t really help much there. It’s been roughly ten years since I’ve seen a 712 CB in person, let alone hit one. I also don’t know my sole measurements all that precisely beyond narrow/thin, medium, and thick. When you start getting into player’s blades, you aren’t really missing out any technology. The only thing that’s really evolved is arguably placement of CG. But even that seems to fluctuate with time. For all of the models you’re comparing, you aren’t looking for distance help, it’s all about feel and control. Now, in terms of the irons in this review, they are less blade and more player’s distance ala the Callaway Apex, Titleist AP2 (or whatever they’re calling it now), etc. That’s a different discussion in terms of distance and whatnot, but we’re still not talking about a ton of technology advancements. You’re looking more at lofting and CG differences.
Your wedge question, that’s also a tough one. I haven’t spent much time, if any, with the Sub 70 286 and the JB and Tour Edge are very different. I think there are a lot of variables to consider aside from the information you provided. Swing path, turf interaction, flight, etc. Blind wedge fitting/suggesting is REALLY tough and I try to stay away from it as someone who has personally struggled in that area of the game and finding the right fit and sticking to the shots I’m able to play.
I just bought me a set of the Pro Forged EXS irons. I went to the range tonight and I loved the ball flight. I turned 55 this year and I lost a club of distance when I turned 53. I have been through 5 sets of clubs. I think I found the ball flight I had been missing with my Adams Pro Black Blades that I have been playing for the last 6 years.