Tour Edge Hot Launch 521 Driver

The Tour Edge Hot Launch line has easily been one of the best pound-for-pound values in golf clubs over the past few years. With each new Hot Launch release, the fit and finish as well as all-around performance only gets better. Frankly, the gap between “value” and “premium” has gotten impressively narrow across the board with Tour Edge’s latest Hot Launch 521 series. In this review, we’ll cover the Hot Launch 521 driver family which consists of the C521 driver for the “more competitive player” and the E521 driver for the player looking for maximum forgiveness in an “extreme game improvement” design. Oh, and both drivers come in at an insanely low price of only $229.99! Whichever driver you prefer, you’ll realize how much of a steal that is as soon you hit one.

The Looks

With both Tour Edge Hot Launch 521 drivers being aimed at different golfers, the looks differ quite a bit between the two models. Both drivers have a smooth black, blue, and white color scheme with a black metal flake crown. Also, if you look closely at the alignment aid, you will notice the introduction of a new Tour Edge logo! Coming in at 460cc, each model is designed to invoke confidence with a larger profile behind the ball.

The E521 driver is fairly long from face to trailing edge which helps keep the MOI (think forgiveness) high. This is because the center of gravity (CG) is low and back in the head as a result of the Houdini Sole design which will help launch with a little more spin to keep the ball in the air. The E521 driver, by design, has noticeable offset to help golfers fight the slice and keep their ball in play. Trust me, it really works. We’ll cover that more later.

The Hot Launch C521 driver (above) has a look more familiar to the competitive golfer. There is no offset and the head is closer to a more traditional round shape. Tour Edge also wanted to maximize MOI in this model as much as they could so there is a little length front to back, but it’s not overwhelming. Honestly, if you like the shape of the EXS 220 driver, they’re almost identical.

How Does it Feel?

This is the first area where it’s really apparent that Tour Edge is closing the gap between their premium gear and their “value” clubs. Man, I can’t express to you enough how impressive the feel was for both of the Hot Launch 521 drivers. With the higher MOI, both drivers feel extremely balanced throughout the swing. That said, there are some variances in feel between the two drivers.

The C521 driver contains a familiar Tour Edge technology called Diamond Face. There are 39 diamond-shaped cells behind the face which essentially act as little trampolines. This makes the club more forgiving across the face, but also adds speed to the ball at impact which also leads to more distance. I felt like the ball really cracked off the C521’s face with a lot of jump and responsiveness. It felt great.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect much from the E521 driver’s feel, however I was proven wrong. It still had really good jump at impact and was impressively forgiving across the face. Having hit offset “value drivers” before, I’ve generally found them to lack a little bit of the feedback/awareness I’d want in a driver. This can be even trickier with an offset head. This is definitely not the case with the E521. I once again had my expectations greatly exceeded. The E521’s feel was extremely precise with excellent club awareness throughout the entire swing making me confident with the club in my hands.

How Does it Sound?

When we initially tested the Tour Edge Hot Launch 521 drivers, I can’t tell you how many times we said out loud “I can’t believe this is a $230 driver…” based on sound alone. The C521 driver specifically sounds great. In addition to the Diamond tech, Tour Edge gave the C521 a titanium cup face, which also adds more speed at impact. To fully optimize the sound, Tour Edge also added internal Acoustic Ribbing Channels. The end result is a firm and tight “crack” at impact. The E521 has a good “crack” to it as well, but it’s a little more metallic and open. Both drivers sound well above their price point, that’s for sure.

On-Course Performance

Both of the Tour Edge Hot Launch 521 drivers have a lot in common, but are generally geared toward two different types of players. I would also emphatically confirm that each driver delivers exactly as designed.

Honestly, there isn’t much for me to say about the C521 driver geared toward the more competitive golfer. There’s a lot of legitimate tech in such an affordable package. It’s legitimately really good and keeps up with drivers twice as expensive. Between the Power Channel and the Diamond Face, the ball really popped off the face hard. With the CG placed low and back, it’s easier to launch and there’s just enough helpful spin to hold the ball in the air. I could play any shot I wanted with it and feel perfectly confident in the club.

The “extreme game improvement” E521 driver design is very different. The Houdini Sole and shallower face are designed to make it easier to get the ball launched in the air. My experience is that the launch isn’t exceptionally high, it’s just easier to get it flying. Tour Edge also made the E521’s an inch shorter at 44 inches which should help you find the center of the face more often. This will ultimately give you better control and accuracy.

Most impressive, however, is the E521’s anti-slice design. First, there is a sole weight in the heel of the driver. This encourages the toe to come around faster to help prevent dragging an open face through the ball. To go with the sole weight, the E521 has an offset head which also helps square the face at impact. Together, these elements really help keep the ball from slicing. In my testing, a smooth draw was automatic and it was legitimately difficult to hit a slice.

Final Thoughts – Tour Edge Hot Launch 521 Driver

Look, both of the Tour Edge Hot Launch 521 drivers are really good and easily their best Hot Launch drivers to date. I think you’ll be hard-pressed to find better quality and performance at this price point. It’s as simple as that. As legitimately impressive as I found both drivers, the E521 is the show stealer. It’s just SO easy to hit and keep in play. Frankly, it’s a no-brainer recommendation for anyone struggling to keep the ball in play off the tee. And listen, I’m not the only one making these claims. You are going see similar comments no matter where you find reviews of these clubs. The Tour Edge Hot Launch 521 drivers are a tremendous value and easily one of the best deals in golf equipment right now.

Stock Tour Edge Hot Launch 521 Driver Specs

Hot Launch C521

Aldila Rogue shaft

Hot Launch E521

Fubuki HD shaft

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