WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Tour Edge’s Hot Launch C524 irons and wedges are designed for golfers who prefer a more classic cavity-back design. The E524 irons and wedges provide plenty of help by focusing on ease of getting the ball up in the air or, in the case of the wedges, out of the sand.
AVAILABILITY: The Hot Launch C524 irons and wedges and E523 irons and wedges will be at retail stores from March 1.
PRICES: C524 irons and wedges – $139 (steel), $149 (graphite); E524 irons – $189; E524 wedges – $179.95 (steel), $189.95 (graphite).
Tour Edge Hot Launch 524 drivers, fairway woods, hybrids: What you need to know
3 COOL THINGS
1. Feel is the deal
While generally a more traditional cavity-back design, the 431 stainless-steel C524’s wide sole helps on heavier hits while the 360-degree undercut in the cavity works with extra mass in the toe to enhance moment of inertia for better performance on off-centre strikes while promoting face flex.
The company also continued down the path of using its VIBRCOR high-grade thermoplastic urethane to enhance feel and promote a pleasing sound. The TPU – 10 percent more than in the C523 – is placed in the deep undercut pocket to boost perimeter weighting for forgiveness while bolstering speed and enhancing feel.
2. Ready for launch
The E524 hollow-body hybrid irons offer help in a different way, promoting higher launch and draw bias. The company has also taken an aggressive approach to turf interaction by using its “Houdini sole” employed in some of its fairway woods and hybrids to effectively cut through the ground. The raised mass at the rear of the clubhead also helps lower the CG, assisting launch.
The irons also employ a shallow face height to encourage higher launch while the hollow-body design takes that a step further by placing weight low. The offset design helps counter the slice to some degree, as well. All this comes in a new shape that is slightly longer front to back but with a thinner topline.
3. Wedges that work
The Hot Launch irons extend to C524 and E524 wedges. The C524 uses 20 percent more thermoplastic urethane in the undercut pocket to dampen unwanted vibrations. Extra weight in the toe portion of the club expands the sweet spot and assists shots struck high on the face. The wedges are available in lofts of 50 to 60 degrees in two-degree increments.
The E524 wedges feature a wide, Houdini sole designed to make bunker escape a breeze. The sole has been slightly slimmed with more camber added to make it less of a specialty wedge. The deep undercut in the cavity back design frees up the extra mass that’s moved low to provide a higher launch while full-face grooves provide plenty of grab on shots around the green. The wedges are available in lofts of 52, 56 and 60 degrees.
