Inside Golf, Australia. June 2014 | Page 36

technology A Quick-9 with: David Glod Tour Edge founder and president David Glod started the company in 1985 in his garage in Illinois. Since then his prowess has him leading his boutique hardware company into new and innovative club designs. The latest is their push with fairway woods that boast driver speeds. But the former golfing professional calls the constant challenge before him an adventure. Inside Golf had a chance to sit down to discuss this year’s line-up. Q: What is the big news for TourEdge in 2014? Our fairway woods. We have our best lineup ever. We’ve got three versions coming in at the same time. XCG7 is our high to mid handicap club, XCG7 Beta is our mid to low, and then our CB Pro is our low handicap. The CB Pro technology features a slip stream sole so it actually can pick up speed through the turf. When it hits the ground it slides. We call it shock-wave. It’s a premium head. It has a super ultra-premium shaft-- a speeder Fujikura 757 or 661. 78 grams and 65 grams for different players. It’s really a good player product. Q: How do you think up the speed slot? Actually it’s an old idea that’s been brought to life. There was a sole design called camelback sole which was a smooth version of that about 15 years ago. Now everybody’s trying to put slots in there, but it slows the clubhead down. So we went the opposite way. Q: Talk about that unique feel as it speeds up. The feel comes from the clubface technology, the titanium. So it has a unique sound. It’s a little higher pitched. Driver-like sound. Also it’s got driver-like ball speeds with our fairway woods which is why we are so excited about this year’s version. You have a smaller head with the CB Pro and then we’ve got the XCG7 line. The XCG7 is the largest but has the shallowest face so that gives it more forgiveness but it’s easy to hit because of the shallow face. The XCG7 Beta is right in between the two. It’s a medium-sized head, a little bit deeper face, and you’ve got to have a little bit more swing speed to get the power of the clubhead to work. So you’ve got to be 100 mph or above on the beta to really gain 36 June 2014 | www.insidegolf.com.au distance because that’s where you actually flex the face. Q: Since 1985, when you started Tour Edge, how has it been rewarding to you? I had to learn all sides of the business. I had to learn a bit of accounting, marketing. It’s not just making clubs. That’s been the fun part