Tour Edge HL4 irons offer multiple options but same guiding principle: Forgiveness

The Tour Edge Hot Launch 4 (HL4) irons may come in multiple forms and configurations, but all fulfill the same fundamental requirement, said company founder and chief designer Dave Glod.

It’s all about making every club easier to hit through higher stability on off-center impacts or moment of inertia (MOI), Glod said.

“I think with what we’ve done with the HL line over the years is identify the golfer who needs to see the ball consistently go up in the air and give him what he needs, with the whole idea of being easier to hit,” he said. “On the HL4 irons we really tried to make them more like an iron-wood so we shallowed the face a little bit more and we’ve got a little bit wider sole with a little deeper undercut. It also flows better with the iron-wood because we’ve got higher MOI and that makes it a little bit easier to hit. There’s also a little more spin for these players because they need more spin.”

The HL4 irons come in three main customizable forms. That includes a full set of irons that runs from 4-iron to lob wedge. There also are multiple “combo” sets. The first features a full set of matching iron-wood lofts that can be inserted as a replacement for any iron in the bag. The second is the “Triple Combo” set first made popular with the Hot Launch 3 irons two years ago. With the HL4 Triple Combo, the 4- and 5-iron slots are filled with matching HL4 hybrids, the 6- and 7-iron are HL4 iron-woods and the 8- and 9-iron and pitching wedge are HL4 irons.

“I love the triple combo set,” Glod said. “It seamlessly combines hybrids, iron-woods and irons so that you’re holding the perfectly designed club for every shot you encounter."

Glod said he also injected a stronger aesthetic to the HL4 irons. “I think the irons are much prettier than they’ve been,” he said. “I really think we’ve accomplished our goals throughout this line with higher MOI and easier to hit, as well as a little bit beautified.”

The HL4 irons are cast from soft 431 stainless steel. The deeper undercut cavity design frees up additional weight that is distributed to the perimeter for a more forgiving head. A shallower (top-to-bottom) face with variable face thickness also helps to create a lower center of gravity to boost launch angle, while provide more initial ball speed through more face deflection at impact.

The HL4 irons, like the rest of the line, are designed to provide a 48-hour turnaround for all custom orders. Glod said there are over 750 custom fitting centers across the country that will feature the mobile HL4 custom fitting bag. The standard steel shaft will be the KBS Tour 90, while the stock graphite shaft is specially produced by UST Mamiya.

The standard seven-piece HL4 iron set and the entire HL4 lineup will focus on affordability. The standard irons are $420 (steel), $490 (graphite). The full seven-piece HL4 Iron-Wood set will retail for $530 and $600 in steel and graphite, respectively. The HL4 Triple Combo set will be offered in steel ($570) and graphite ($600).

The HL4 irons will be available at retail starting Aug. 1.