50 Words or Less
The Tour Edge Hot Launch C524 fairway wood offers strong all-around performance at a price almost anyone can afford. The Tour Edge Hot Launch E524 fairway wood cranks up the launch and draw bias to be one of the easiest-to-hit FWs on the market.
Introduction
You don’t need to spend much time in our comments section to know that a lot of golfers are upset about the price of new clubs. As usual, Tour Edge – a brand that claims to be “Golf’s Most Solid Investment” – has come to the rescue with their new Hot Launch line.
Designed for both the accomplished player with Hot Launch C524 and the recreational golfer with Hot Launch E524, this is a family of fairway woods that has something for everyone.
Looks
In the address position, you can see that both the Tour Edge Hot Launch C524 fairway wood and the Hot Launch E524 fairway wood borrow technology from their upscale Tour Edge Exotics brothers. Most obvious is the Ridgeback Technology which splits the carbon fiber crown to improve alignment as well as sound and feel. The C524 (left) has a more traditional appearance, though it does have a larger footprint. The Hot Launch E524 FW is smaller front to back, but it has significant offset to help battle the slice and get the ball airborne.
Both models offer a substantially different look than the C523 and E523 fairway woods [review HERE]. Most obviously, the red has been traded for blue, but the sole design is the bigger and better change. To me, the new Hot Launch 524 fairway woods have a much cleaner, more premium look in the bag.
Sound & Feel
Both of the Tour Edge Hot Launch 524 fairway woods have a similar sound and feel at impact. They produce a quick “snap” on center with slightly above average volume. This pairs with a feel that’s more quick than solid but is closer to the middle of that spectrum than either extreme.
Both clubs communicate mishits loudly and clearly. There’s as much sound change across the face of these clubs as any in recent memory. Thin strikes sound a bit dead, losing the crispness of pure strikes. Moving to the heel or toe changes the sound to a slightly unpleasant “clack.” You can feel the impact location as well, but your ears will be the first to let you know when you missed the center of the face.
Performance
Fairway woods occupy a funny place in the bag of newer players. On one hand, these are some of the toughest clubs to hit consistently. However, newer players need them more as they’re typically further from the green for their approach. The Tour Edge Hot Launch E524 fairway wood responds to this situation by being incredibly easy to hit.
Thanks to an extra degree of loft and a bit of offset, the E524 FW is designed to get the ball airborne. This club launches high and consistently, two things that almost all golfers need in their fairway woods. Additionally, Tour Edge specs out the E524 FW a half inch shorter than standard which should help most players make better contact.
Like all the clubs on the E side of the Hot Launch line, the E524 fairway wood has a strong draw bias. Tour Edge makes that visible by putting the weight all the way in the heel. As someone who tends to hit a draw, I had to work to hit the E524 FW straight. This club really wants to go left which will make it a great fit for golfers who fight a slice.
Finally, the Hot Launch E524 fairway wood features Tour Edge’s Houdini Sole. This triangular shape is part of how they get the center of gravity so low, and it also helps the club slide easily through the turf. From the sole up – literally – this club is built to help the recreational golfer get the ball in the air with some speed, and it does a great job.
While the Tour Edge Hot Launch C524 fairway wood has less loft and no offset, it still gets the ball up in the air with ease. In fact, if it weren’t for its brother, I would say this is the highest launching fairway wood I’ve tested in a while. This is in part due to the C524’s own special sole design – Ryzersole. It’s not as dramatic looking as Houdini, and it doesn’t glide through the turf quite the same way, but it does a similar job in terms of lowering the CG for higher, easier launch.
The two other major differences between the E524 and C524 are the draw bias and the face size. While I still found the Hot Launch C524 fairway wood to be easier to draw than cut, it’s not nearly as draw biased as the E524. Additionally, the C524 has a deeper face which makes it more inviting to hit off a tee.
Both Hot Launch fairway woods use Tour Edge’s Diamond Face VFT to provide strong ball speed from heel to toe. My ball speed with these clubs was not as high as other FWs, in large part due to the shaft not being a great fit, but the speed was consistent across the face. Both the E524 and C524 do a good job turning mishits into playable results.
Finally, my testing showed both the C524 and E524 fairway woods to be fairly high spin. In spite of what most dumbed down golf media will tell you, spin is not your enemy. Players with less ball speed need more spin to maximize their distance, and all players need spin to keep the ball on the green. As always, fitting is the key to finding your optimal fit for distance and control.
Conclusion
Tour Edge continues to offer golfers more bang for the buck than other any OEM. The Hot Launch E524 fairway wood is exactly what recreational golfers need: a slice-buster that gets virtually every shot up in the air. The Hot Launch C524 fairway wood has great forgiveness but also more versatility for the better player. Whichever one you choose, get fit for the right shaft and loft to get the most out of it.
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Tour Edge Hot Launch C524 Fairway Wood Specs
Tour Edge Hot Launch E524 Fairway Wood Specs
He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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2 Comments
I’ve never been able to hit a FW solid. Just purchased a set of C524 irons with a custom fitting from Brooks Golf in Jonesboro Arkansas and I’m very satisfied with those. Im just curious on feel compared to other FW’s?
Clay,
I don’t think there’s anything so unique about the feel of the Hot Launch FWs that it would change your relationship with this type of club.
Best,
Matt