Tour Edge Hot Launch E522 Driver

Tour Edge is back in 2021 with an update to one of the best values in golf, the super popular Hot Launch series. Following the success of last year’s 521 lineup, the new Hot launch 522 lineup has better looks, feel, more technology, and performance at the same great price point. Kicking off our series of reviews is the extreme game improvement (GI) Hot Launch E522 driver, which is easily one of the most forgiving drivers I’ve ever hit.

The Looks

Throughout Tour Edge’s entire Hot Launch 522 lineup, appearance is the first noticeable improvement from last year. The Hot Launch E522 driver has a much more appealing rounded shape with a moderate footprint even though it still comes in at 460cc. This driver as an extreme GI club has significant offset, but Tour Edge did a fantastic job blending it for a cleaner look at address. Don’t get me wrong, it’s certainly noticeable but it doesn’t look nearly as extreme as you’d typically expect for a driver in this category.

How Does it Feel?

The very first rip of the ball highlighted the next major improvement from last year. Tour Edge gave the Hot Launch E522 driver the same Diamond Face 2.0 technology that they use in their premium drivers. Diamond Face creates a hotter and more forgiving face via a series of 42 mini diamond shapes of varying thicknesses across the back of the face. These diamonds create a “trampoline effect” resulting in faster ball speeds for more distance. As such, you feel a lot of jump off of a majority of the face.

Worth pointing out in this section is the Fubuki-HL shaft in the Hot Launch 522 woods. The Fubuki has a pleasantly clean feel with a smooth, yet controlled flex profile. At a shorter stock length of 44.5″ (can be custom ordered to other lengths), the club felt well balanced and easy to control.

How Does it Sound?

Like the feel, the Tour Edge HL E522 driver’s sound is pretty hot! Players with faster swing speeds (let’s call it 100+ mph) may find the E522 driver to fall on the louder side. Players with more moderate swing speeds, which are the more likely audience for this club, will experience a solid “whap” at impact giving them a confident reassurance that they just smacked the ball down the fairway.

On-Course Performance

By design, the Tour Edge Hot Launch E522 driver is meant to launch the ball higher and spin a bit more. The Houdini Sole moves more mass low and deep in the head which helps get the ball in the air and spinning. Of course, Tour Edge wants this to be easy to achieve with the E522 driver and it certainly is. I was able to swing pretty effortlessly with my “usual swing” and achieve a higher launch angle. I typically produce around 12º of launch with my gamer setup, but my stock swing with the E522 lingered in the 15-16º range. Though this is a bit high for me with my swing speed, the design certainly works as intended, especially for players who need help getting the ball in the air with enough spin to hold it there for more carry.

As I said earlier, I definitely didn’t have my A-Game on the TrackMan. I could just tell at impact, I hit some terrible shots. The TrackMan’s measured smash factor often supported those assumptions, but I was floored by how good these misses were ending up. Shots that I assumed would be dead and unplayable were staying within the grid with plenty of distance. “That’s a miss I can CERTAINLY live with” was a regular statement for the day. I’m talking to the point, that it didn’t seem fair. The Hot Launch E522 driver’s forgiveness is very real and extremely impressive. If that doesn’t sound good for players seeking extreme game improvement, I don’t know what does!

Final Thoughts – Tour Edge Hot Launch E522 Driver

Tour Edge bills the Hot Launch 522 series as “the easiest clubs you’ll ever hit” and I have a pretty hard time disagreeing, especially with the E522 lineup. I absolutely did not “have my swing” for most of the testing and the E522 driver continually bailed me out. Not just bailed me out, but still delivered perfectly good results that, frankly, I didn’t deserve. The Hot Launch E522 driver was incredibly forgiving and easy to keep in play. There were multiple jokes about the E522 knocking out my current gamer, but as testing went on, I’m not sure how much of a joke it was anymore. And at only $249, the barrier to entry is beyond reasonable and the automatic control is a cheat code for players that will take all the help they can get.

Stock Tour Edge Hot Launch E522 Driver Specs

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