The Spin's the thing: Vokey latest makes balls stop on a dime.
Ill admit it “ I havent played Vokey wedges for a few years, since someone lifted a 60 degree out of my bag at Angus Glen a couple of years ago and I replaced the set (I carry four wedges p-52-56-60) with three from TaylorMade. I never fell in love with the TaylorMade wedges “ perhaps because the Project X shafts made the wedges simply too light.
All of which led to a very open mind when Ted Manning, head honcho at Titleist Canada, suggested I go through a wedge fitting at the companys facility at Eagles Nest. I agreed.
What they say:
Titleist spins a nice line on the Spin-Milled wedges.
They always offered spin, the company says, but the new line offers more choices: a full range of lofts from 48° to 64°, low, mid, and full bounce sole options in many lofts, and three distinct non-glare finishes – to execute more shots from around the greens.
The profile for each wedge has been precisely created using CAD to perfectly blend the size, shape, topline thickness, and offset from loft to loft. Vokey Spin Milled wedges feature a CNC machine cut face and grooves. A special circular saw style cutting tool is used to create precise grooves with a steeper draft angle and a tighter edge radius for increased friction. Vokey Spin Milled wedges have 30% more groove volume than a conventional wedge. This provides more consistent and higher spin, particularly from grassy lies and wet conditions.
What we say:
The fitting I went through highlighted the variations in the line “ from the various grinds (this one was created for Ernie Els, I was told on one 60 degree model), to the various bounce options. I must admit it was an intriguing proposition to have so many options. One of the key issues is what youre going to use the wedges for. Do you chip with your 56 as I do? Where are you using your 56?
After spending some time on the launch monitor checking distances, we took a bucket of balls over to the chipping green, and worked through a variety of wedges hitting sand shots and flops from deep rough. The Els grind, BTW, didnt suit me “ I went for something a bit more conventional. Overall the whole process was quite fascinating, and I hoped the result would be better wedge play.
Conclusion:
Better wedge play is exactly what happened. The new wedges, coupled with a slight swing change that made me steeper with my shorter clubs, resulted in a penetrating ball flight and shots that stopped on a dime. I was immediately impressed by the 60 degree “ which I had been able to stop quickly even out of long rough during the fitting. This was the extraordinary piece for me — the ability to get the ball to stop even out of long rough. Quite simply amazing.
In fact, all three clubs have offered me a degree of versatility beyond what I had in my bag.
One thing of note “ Titleist really pitches these wedges as being heavy. They are, which works well for me. I like a really weighted club and find that I get more feel out of the Vokey wedges than the previous wedges I used with the Project X shafts. Take that with a grain of salt though “ it would depend on personal preferences, which is one of the reasons the fitting system is so important. Otherwise, there is no doubt in my mind that these are the most effective wedges I have ever played.
Terrific wedges…put the 52, 56 & 60 in my bag this spring. Only downside is the shoulders on the grooves are very sharp, so they will butcher the cover of the golf ball. However, when the clubface “grabs” the golf ball like these wedges do, the “evidence” left on the cover of the ball does confirm that the ball striker and the golf club are both doing their job with some efficiency. Unfortunately, many players might be compelled to believe the golf ball is a problem when the covered gets bruised so easily.
Hi Robert Thompson
i have like playing golf and also used Vokey wedges.it’s very nice.
I am impressed with your blog. Some nice information.
Nikhil