Equipment
Exotics unveils $700 XJ1 driver with SuperMetal
The more expensive the driver, the more likely its design targets high-swing-speed golfers willing to pay a premium for a Tour player-inspired club that’s tailored to their needs. But what about average golfers who don’t swing like PGA Tour players but still want premium equipment made specifically for them? It’s that group Tour Edge Exotics is addressing with its latest driver release.
Exotics’ new lightweight XJ1 driver will sell for $700 when it’s released November 1. It uses a combination of a 9-1-1 titanium chassis, which the company calls “SuperMetal,” as well as a Kevlar-Carbon crown and three tungsten sole weights to help players with moderate swing speeds generate maximum distance off the tee.
“Most technologies of the past decade have benefitted players with higher swing speeds, eliminating the majority of golfers,” said David Glod, president and founder of Tour Edge Golf. “We have been developing the XJ1 driver for over four years, working on each characteristic of the club, moving critical amounts of weight around for the best results, and waiting for the technology to catch up to our goal of bringing this extremely lightweight driver to the market which will benefit golfers with real swing speeds.”
According to Exotics, SuperMetal is 10 percent lighter than the 6A4v titanium the company previously used to create the body of its driver heads. The added strength of the material allowed company engineers to make the walls of its driver thinner and more flexible. The lighter Kevlar-Carbon crown also saves weight from the top of the driver head, and provides stiffness that is key to improving ball speeds on shots struck on the top of the club face. The club face itself is made from a SP-700 beta titanium face plate, which is thinner on the edges to improve mishit performance and is robotically laser welded to the driver body to reduce weight and add consistency to the design.
The combined weight savings allows the 460-cubic-centimeter head to include three tungsten weights, two of which are heel and toe stability bars that weigh 10 grams each. The third, a removable tungsten screw, is located in the heel section of the driver to increase swing weight and/or draw bias. Weights are available in 3, 6, 12 and 14 grams.
The XJ1 drivers (9, 10.5 and 12 degrees: RH only) achieve a light total club weight thanks to their ultra-lightweight stock shaft, Fujikura’s Air Speeder, which weighs 45 grams and is available in five flexes.
XJ1 Specs
Cameron Young’s WITB from his win at the 2025 Wyndham Championship. Cameron is a Titleist staff player but his bag is definitely filled with some unique clubs. Here are the clubs he used to secure his first PGA Tour win!
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus HB Black VeloCore+ 10 X
Irons: Titleist T200 (4), Titleist T100 (5), Titleist 631.CY Prototype (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F @57), WedgeWorks (60-K* @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom 9.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Prototype
- Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (10 degrees, C2 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Project X Denali Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 7 X
7-wood: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 8 X
Irons: Titleist T150 (4, 5), Titleist T100 (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper AMT Tour White X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F, 56-08M @57, 60-04T @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Fastback 1.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Yellow
We’re proud to once again partner with 2nd Swing Golf to bring you GolfWRX Members Choice 2025! 2nd Swing has more than 150,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.
What is the best driver in 2025? At GolfWRX, we take great pride in our online community and the cumulative knowledge and experience of our members. When it comes to the best driver of 2025, we want to know what our forum faithful think.
Since our founding in 2005, the bedrock of GolfWRX.com has been the community of passionate and knowledgeable golfers in our forums, and we put endless trust in the opinions of our GolfWRX members — the most knowledgeable community of golfers on the internet. No other group of golfers in the world tests golf clubs as frequently or as extensively, nor is armed with such in-depth information about the latest technology.
Below are the results of GolfWRX member voting for the 2025 best driver, along with the vote percentage for each club.
Best driver of 2025: The top 5
5. Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond: 6.02%
Callaway’s pitch: “For golfers looking for a fast, forgiving, yet workable driver, the Elyte Triple Diamond features a tour-inspired shape and is the preferred model by most Callaway tour players.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond here.
4. Ping G440 Max: 6.86%
Ping’s pitch: “The most forgiving G440 model, MAX has a hotter face to generate speed and distance, and a lighter overall system weight with a longer shaft (46″) for faster clubhead speed, higher launch and longer carries. The Free Hosel and Carbonfly Wrap crown save weight to create our lowest CG ever and increase forgiveness while contributing to a more muted, pleasing sound.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 Max here.
3. Ping G440 LST: 9.53%
Ping’s pitch: “LST is an especially good fit for faster swings, offering less spin and more control with a penetrating trajectory. A hotter face, lighter overall system weight and longer shaft (46″) deliver more speed and distance while maintaining tight dispersion.”
@phizzy30: “Not a fan of Ping drivers in general, but 440 LST takes the cake. It’s super forgiving across the face for a low spin head, looks and sounds good and the ability to make it play neutral or slightly fade biased through the hosel settings is very appealing.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 LST here.
2. Titleist GT3: 16.55%
Titleist’s pitch: “The GT3 Driver offers Titleist’s boldest combination of power and personalization through adjustable performance. Dial in the CG Track to your frequent contact location to make your biggest drives even bigger while taking total control over flight and shaping.”
@mrmikeac: “I’ve been Anti-Titleist for years and years and years (outside of Vokey, of course). With that being said, HOLY BEGEEZUS the GT3 driver is an absolute NUCLEAR MONSTER! This thing blew my G430 10K Max out of the water in every single category. Forgiveness is the biggest thing that stands out of me, the 3 model has always been one of the less forgiving models in the past but this GT3 can take bad shot after bad shot and still end up in the fairway, I think a ton of that has to do with the adjustability, it’s actually effective. Feel and sound is perfect, that solid crack is so addicting to hear and when you hit it out the screws this thing can absolutely bomb it. Titleist, I’m sorry for doubting you. You have converted me.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT3 here.
1. Titleist GT2: 22.91%
Titleist’s pitch: “Delivering impressive distance from any impact point, the Titleist GT2 Driver extracts maximum performance through a forgiving design. Get the stability and added confidence of a high-MOI driver without sacrificing speed.”
@DTorres: “The Titleist GT2 has proven to be the best driver of the year. Packaged in a classic profile, GT2 perfectly balances performance and forgiveness while consistently being a high performer across all categories.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT2 here.
Other drivers receiving >2% of the vote
| Driver | Vote percentage (%) |
|---|---|
| Cobra DS Adapt Max K | 4.85% |
| Ping G430 Max 10K | 3.85% |
| Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond | 3.68% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 | 3.51% |
| Callaway Elyte | 3.18% |
| Cobra DS Adapt X | 2.34% |
| Cobra DS Adapt LS | 2.17% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 LS | 2.17% |
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Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
Dunn2500
Sep 8, 2016 at 1:47 am
They have to thin the face, weights moved all around club head and lightweight drivers aren’t anything new……their cb pro 3 wood that sold for $500 didn’t do well, now it’s basic tech in their ex9…….Seen one for sale for $149 at dunns…….it’s simply supply and demand……….if they made a non conforming head with thinner face I think it would sell like hotcakes…..they don’t pay tour players and have lil presence on tour anyway……screw it, shave face down to .910 and use some crazy strong metal and sell it………guys hitting it 40yds farther would surely grab attn of other golfers…….how many people play in tournaments and of those how many play in tourneys that would even give a chit………you want distance shave the face!…….moving weights around has been pied out. …..I love exotics, their fwy woods are the insane…….. $700 would be tough for even titleist, for tour edge who isn’t known for drivers is gonna be very tough…….I may pick one up in used bin down the line for couple hundred though
Steve C
Sep 6, 2016 at 11:15 pm
I have had some success with a few of tour edges clubs. However, I wonder how exactly Tour Edge stays in business?
Jim
Sep 7, 2016 at 9:34 pm
‘Cause if your first one sucked – you wouldn’t have bought another – you kinda answered your own question. If THEY had Tiger Woods – with the quality the Glod brothers insisted on achieving for every premium product they produced, they wouldn’t have failed like Nike….Keep an eye out for some killer putters too…
Steve C
Sep 6, 2016 at 11:15 pm
success with a few of tour edges clubs. However, I wonder how exactly Tour Edge stays in business?
Matty
Sep 6, 2016 at 6:21 pm
$700 driver without an adjustable hosel?? SHANK!!!
Tom
Sep 6, 2016 at 7:46 pm
Aww Matty who needs an adjustable hosel. Not you according to you facebook page.
Jim
Sep 6, 2016 at 10:45 pm
I prefer the right loft to begin with and a deeper insert depth for less torque…After several years of high speed video at impact I can see the adjustable heads twist more (substantially more on close -but off center hits).
I don’t want to ‘open or close’ the face to achieve loft – I figure there’s a hook or a slice just waitin around the next corner if I – or my students try and shape it – or just go brain dead and try to just kill it.
Homna has a similar new bonded driver @ that price point as well. I hit that last spring and it was great!. Currently still using XG 7 w/heavy Black Tie set to 10.5 and letting the shaft control trajectory…
Shaft tech has exploded & way more stable @ lighter
weights….Can’t wait to to try it.
The Glod brothers are for real.
soberD
Sep 6, 2016 at 3:53 pm
Tour Edge has a captive audience in the Chicagoland private clubs that will eat this up in their quest for one-upmanship
Archie Bunker
Sep 6, 2016 at 3:33 pm
Getting old? Need more distance? Try a different shaft. This $700 head won’t do it.
Doug A
Sep 6, 2016 at 6:12 pm
You must not know what much about head weights and shaft weights….the shaft in this club is probably the lightest high quality shaft you could get
Archie Bunker
Sep 7, 2016 at 10:27 am
Saying “probably” shows that you don’t know much about this club either.
Jim
Sep 8, 2016 at 10:09 am
THE SHAFT is $450! Nothing better @<50 grams
Geoff
Sep 6, 2016 at 11:29 am
Interested in trying this one. I hope to see it at demo days. I’m old and this might help a little who knows.
peter collins
Sep 6, 2016 at 11:22 am
Tour Edge Exotics are a good company, and from what i can see, they didn’t rush the product to the market place.
I wish them well.
OH
Sep 6, 2016 at 10:25 am
I love my TEE hybrid and their woods are legit bombers. I didn’t care for the EX9 driver, as it was super loud. But, $700?! When you’re Titleist and have that kind of brand equity you can try these experiments and get away with them. Tour Edge…nope.
Jack
Sep 6, 2016 at 9:06 am
I had to check my calendar to make sure it isn’t April Fool’s Day. They won’t sell a dozen of those things.
Tom
Sep 6, 2016 at 7:48 pm
Just place an early order….. so did my buddy.
Jack
Sep 7, 2016 at 7:59 am
LOL, does your “buddy” also work for Tour Edge? Get lost, shill.
Tom
Sep 7, 2016 at 9:09 am
Lol ya cheap asz debbie downer. You can wait and pick one up on ebay.
Jim
Sep 7, 2016 at 9:26 pm
If they perform outdoors on Trackman for our clients as Tour Edge limited or special releases ALWAYS HAVE, we’ll sell the crap out of them. 700? – with THAT shaft? 8/10 buyers will have us PURE it too – an extra $45…
Next step on the ladder? Pay a big OEM’s MAP & put in same shaft – $900 pured and installed.
High end bonded drivers are making a steady come back. HONMA has one to break into that price range here in US too…(no platinum or 24k gold medallions) – just an awesome club & it rocks
In a previous WRX thread someone made a brilliant observation: “golf equipment only really becomes expensive when you keep buying the
wrong stuff”
Steve S
Sep 6, 2016 at 9:01 am
Yeah…no way. $700 to get me 3 more yards..not…
Double Mocha Man
Sep 7, 2016 at 10:48 am
That’s only $233.33 per extra yard. Wouldn’t you pay $11,666.67 for an extra 50 yards?
Jim
Sep 7, 2016 at 11:36 am
3? No…but what about 15?
Be serious….How many guys have purchased 3-4 drivers in 2-4 seasons? Maybe they fell for TM’s BS and bought the R1* @ MAP and turns out it wasn’t “the greatest driver ever made” so they try their buddy’s and hit it better (coulda just been that one swing – that’s all it would take for some) so they buy one on ebay – or Dick’s 199 and then next spring buy a “doorbuster” on Easter weekend for 159…
they never got FIT – think they did – IF the snapperhead @ the simulator or the standard POS ‘launch monitor’ GS used even just ‘taped up’ a different flex to try.
Most recreational golfers – that DO buy stuff – not the ones still carrying Bubble shaft woods & 20yr Gold DCI +’s with original grips HAVE spent the equivalent of ONE well fit higher-end driver they would have used for 2 or 3 seasons with better results
Steve S
Sep 7, 2016 at 1:05 pm
Every Feb. I go to the local shop and spend $30 to rent it. Then I hit my Rocketbalz (original) driver as a base line. Then I hit every driver and shaft combination that he has. All are within 5 yards of my gamer. I would buy a new one if I could get 10-15 more yards but in 3 years I haven’t found one. Even the guy in the shop admits that with my swing speed 93-97MPH I’m not going to see big differences since COR and MOI are limited. I have a friend who hits 115-120 and he does see more significant differences. But with his swing speed he’s more concerned with accuracy not distance. And shaft differences don’t seem to affect much accept for scatter and minor changes in launch for me.
Jim
Sep 7, 2016 at 1:45 pm
You are exactly who this should help. My best professional advice : try it vs yours on a good out door monitor and please write about the results.
Tom
Sep 6, 2016 at 8:48 am
kevlar can I wear it for protection in case a fight breaks out after the 18th?