Not everyone can drive the ball 300 yards, or consistently flush irons close to the hole. But everyone can own a good short game, and with the skills learnt in Golf Australia, the wedges featured here will help that cause.
TAYLORMADE MG3
TaylorMade’s third generation Milled Grind wedges feature a CNC milled leading edge and sole for consistency and raw faces
that will rust over time to increase friction at impact.
‘Raised Micro-Ribs’ lie between the grooves for more spin, while the ‘Thick-Thin’ head design and progressive hosel lengths optimally place the CG in each wedge.
Offered in three standard, and a custom Tiger Woods, grinds, golfers can find the best match for their technique and regular playing conditions.
TAYLORMADE
HI-TOE 3
Another of the expanded toe designs with a full face of grooves, TaylorMade’s Hi-Toe 3 delivers great versatility, forgiveness and very high levels of spin.
Perfect out of bunkers and for flop shots, the Hi-Toe uses Raised Micro-Ribs and a raw face for spin creation in an antique copper finish.
TITLEIST VOKEY DESIGN SM9
Bob Vokey has long been a legend of wedge making, and his latest offering, the Vokey Design SM9, only adds to that status.
Titleist’s most complete offering of loft, grind and bounce options, there are more than 23 different SM9 wedges in lofts from 46° to 62°, six Tour proven grinds and four finishes.
‘Progressive Centre of Gravity’ sets the CG hovering in front of the face to help it square at impact and improve feel, the CG moving higher thanks to more density towards the topline form the tapered toe pad.
A new version of the ‘Spin Milled’ groove cutting process increases maximum spin and consistency, with tighter tolerances and 100 percent inspection on every wedge, ‘Micro-Grooves’ producing even more friction on partial shots with the wedges that are heat treated for versatility.
TOUR EDGE HOT LAUNCH E523
Looking for an extremely forgiving wedge? This might be the one for you.
An undercut cavity, larger face and full face grooves are part of that equation, but it is the ‘Houdini Sole’ that does the heavy lifting.
A raised steel mass area at the rear of the clubhead, as well as a curved leading edge under the face make up the Houdini sole, which lessens the amount of sole to reduce drag and turf interaction by 35 percent and shifts CG.
TOUR EDGE EXOTICS EXS PRO BLADE
Forged from Japanese carbon steel these are built for maximum spin and versatility.
The centre of the head is milled out to move the CG higher for more control and improved flight, while the flared toe design further optimises weight placement.
The EXS sole features relief in the heel and toe to make it more playable from all lies, while the grooves are loft specific to offer optimal performance on every wedge shot.
YURURI WEDGES
No one does forging like Japan, and these wedges are some of the best examples of that craft perfected over many years.
A forged wedge offers unrivalled feel and Yururi wedges are forged in the Kyoei Factory in Japan and offered in a variety of soles, as well as some options with more offset than most wedges to help square the face and hit your best approach and chip shots.
Featuring a raw finish to maximise spin, aggressive grooves place plenty of zip on the ball at impact with these quality wedges that are more than just a pretty face.
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WHAT THE WEDGE WIZARDS SAY
If you’re looking for new wedges, who better to consult than Bob Vokey and Roger Cleveland, the two standout designers in the field ever.
Talking with both the Titleist and Callaway master wedge makers will reveal one commonality when looking at your wedge setup, fitting matters.
“We do have within the line with each model and each loft, we have the versatility for the average player like a pro,” Vokey told Golf Australia. “He may not be able to hit say the M Grind but he sure as heck could hit the D Grind or the K Grind. It’s there for them, they just have to be fit for the right sole for their particular technique, course they play, greens they play, bunkers they play from, what are his strength and weaknesses, we can fit the player.
“And that is where it is so very important. I hate to see a player run into the pro shop and buy a club just because it looks good.”
Cleveland also believes in the art of fitting, and when approaching that task looks at lofts and goes from there to get an ideal setup.
“I like to start with the highest loft and work down,” Cleveland told this publication. “To me your highest lofted wedge is the most critical. The gapping through that from the pitching wedge on up is typically a wedge where you hit like a gap wedge, you’re hitting most shots golf ball first.
“When you get to higher loft, you start to expose your technique and that’s where your technique really comes into play.
“I would start with loft, and if the person knows what they want, terrific, if not, you question. You might want to talk people out of certain things.”
THE WEDGE HALL OF FAME
These are the latest and greatest wedges on the market, and many take design leads from some of the greatest wedges in the history of the game.
The PING Eye2 irons were more than just wedges, but the sand wedge of the set was something special due to its sole design that offered improved performance from all lies, while the high toe design has been recreated by many wedges here.
In the modern game, Titleist’s Vokey wedges and Cleveland models, with some personal preferences for which one, have the place as game changers and any list of wedge GOATs (greatest of all time) would be incomplete without them, so too the one that started it all. See our equipment guru’s top-five below.
• Gene Sarazen’s original sand wedge
• PING Eye2
• Cleveland 588
• Titleist Vokey Design 200 Series
• COBRA Phil Rodgers ‘Trusty Rusty’
MOISTURE MATTERS
You might have noticed mentions of wet weather performance amongst plenty of the wedges featured over these pages. There’s a good reason for that.
Nothing kills spin like moisture on the face, it causes the ball to slide up the face and not engage the grooves in the same way they work in dry conditions. All of which stops the ball spinning in a consistent manner and at the highest possible revolutions per minutes (RPM).
Average golfers don’t have the access to a caddie armed with a towel to remove any dampness at the last minute, so wedge design plays an important role.
Many new models now incorporate smaller micro grooves that help raise friction no matter the conditions, while some finishes channel water away.
But like the caddies, remember to use your towel in the rain and dewy conditions to make sure your wedges are performing at maximum capacity. And replace your wedges more often.
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