TEST: Titleist Vokey Spin Milled 5 Wedges

MODELS AND LOFTS PLAYED: Titleist Vokey Spin Milled 5 52° gap wedge, 56° sand wedge and 60° lob wedge.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: I own some SM4 wedges and these appear similar for look, shape and design. The SM4s are great clubs so I guess there’s no need to change much.

VERDICT: Firstly, I’ve become fonder of the black finish. They reduce glare but the point of impact is clearer on the clubface, which is good for self-diagnosing errors. The SM5s feel better compared to my SM4s. They are softer at impact and more responsive. I generated more spin (which could be down to my old grooves being worn), but the sense of feel was better and I hit the SM5s more confidently as I became used to them.

I used the 60° wedge most as I tend to lean on my lob wedge for most shots around the greens. I found the SM5 lob wedge gave better results from the rough, perhaps thanks to the extra bounce angle. Pitch shots popped up more and spinned more from the rough. Bunker shots also came out of the sand cleaner and with more ‘zip’. The overall weight of the wedges doesn’t seem to have changed but the SM5s seem easier to swing – almost like the weight distribution is better.

MODELS AND LOFTS PLAYED: Titleist Vokey Spin Milled 5 54° gap wedge and 60° lob wedge.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: The black head makes these clubs appear a little different, although I understand the idea behind the non-glare look. The clubheads feel quite heavy to me, certainly heavier than my wedges.

VERDICT: It took me several holes to get used to the SM5 wedges and to adjust to a heavier clubhead, which I grew to like as that weight enhances your sense of feel through impact. After the initial ‘settling in’ period, I found I was able to use both wedges in more versatile ways, particularly the gap wedge. I wanted to give it a good trial for testing purposes, but I repeatedly felt like it was the go-to club around the greens.

The lob wedge worked beautifully from numerous lies and generated a lot of spin. It’s amazing what fresh grooves can do! From bunkers it really helped pull the ball up when I nipped it nicely off the sand, and the results were similar on pitch and lob shots – plenty of spin. I liked every aspect of the SM5 wedges and would only become more comfortable with them with further practice.

I can see why they’re so popular.

FACTS & FIGURES

SUITABILITY: All golfers.

SHAFTS: Project X, Dynamic Gold or KBS Tour.

LOFTS: The pitching wedge is available in 46° and 48° lofts, the gap wedge in 50° and 52°, the sand wedge in 54° and 56° and the lob wedge in 58°, 60° and 62°. Within each loft is a variety of bounce and grind options.

LEFT-HANDED MODELS?: Yes, except in Gold Nickel.

HOW MUCH?: $179 per wedge.

TITLEIST SAYS: “Precisely designed and manufactured using proprietary Spin Milled technology, Vokey SM5 wedges provide a distinct performance advantage through new, deeper TX3 grooves, tour-driven shapes and the most extensive range of bounce and grind options.

“New TX3 grooves, with seven percent larger groove volume and two performance configurations, deliver maximum spin by channelling away grass and sand for improved contact between the ball and groove edge. Spin Milled technology also provides trajectory and distance control through precisely milled grooves and machined face texture. Every SM5 wedge is milled to the tightest tolerance in the industry, with each groove individually cut to the maximum dimensions allowed by the Rules of Golf and 100-percent inspected. A localised, high frequency face treatment provides increased groove durability for longer spin retention.

“Vokey SM5 wedges are available in 21 different loft/bounce/grind combinations and six Tour-inspired sole grinds, appropriately slotted into low, mid and high bounce categories. SM5 wedges are available in three finishes – Tour Chrome, Gold Nickel and Raw Black.”

Contact Titleist Australia on 1800 660 535 or visit www.titleist.com.au