Is a wedge just a wedge?

McLovin

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I feel like there is so much room for innovation in golf clubs. But the club that I feel has the least innovation is often the wedge. Yet it's a grouping in our bags that we all hit probably more than any other except putter.

Releases like the PM Grind, Sure Out and CBX come to mind as companies looking to innovate in this category. But across the spectrum, it feels like most wedges look the same and generally perform the same, it's mostly about technique.

Do you feel wedges are under-innovated? What makes a "traditional" wedge good, or even better than its competition?
 
I feel like there is so much room for innovation in golf clubs. But the club that I feel has the least innovation is often the wedge. Yet it's a grouping in our bags that we all hit probably more than any other except putter.

Releases like the PM Grind, Sure Out and CBX come to mind as companies looking to innovate in this category. But across the spectrum, it feels like most wedges look the same and generally perform the same, it's mostly about technique.

Do you feel wedges are under-innovated? What makes a "traditional" wedge good, or even better than its competition?

You bring up a few options that have had some serious innovation, but the technology in the grooves, the spacing of the grooves, center of gravity being altered (both left/right and up/down) the sole designs, cavity back options, I think there is more tech in wedges than we think about.
 
Leading edge and shape are also MASSIVE factors for a lot of people which really differentiates wedges and how they perform for some.
 
Kind of like bladed irons for me, a fully forged club can only do so much.
 
Bounce and shape are the biggest factors that are determined by the type of sand I play in the most. I spend a lot of time there so it's very important to me!!
 
It's a tough area to innovate - nobody is looking for higher ball speed, longer distance. It is all about the feel. Yes, some of the partial CB and CB styles that have come out add a bit more forgiveness, but as a feel club I don't think anybody is looking for a hot-faced GI Iron at a wedge loft.

I will say the variety of the loft/bounce/grind combinations available now seems to have really surged in the last 10 years a manufacturers are going for that custom stock experience.
 
Kind of like bladed irons for me, a fully forged club can only do so much.

that's my thought too. what triggered my question was in the overlook thread, a couple people mentioned who a certain oem's wedges are overlooked but they're so good. i'm thinking those wedges look like every other wedge, what makes them so good? maybe they're all good because they're all designed so similarly.

It's a tough area to innovate - nobody is looking for higher ball speed, longer distance. It is all about the feel. Yes, some of the partial CB and CB styles that have come out add a bit more forgiveness, but as a feel club I don't think anybody is looking for a hot-faced GI Iron at a wedge loft.

I will say the variety of the loft/bounce/grind combinations available now seems to have really surged in the last 10 years a manufacturers are going for that custom stock experience.

you're right that feel is important. but how often do you get to test that feel before buying? isn't the first real experience with feel on the course after you've taken the plastic off? and i agree with you on the bounce options. it has definitely added complexity, but i love the options. although admittedly i still have no idea what's best for my game.
 
I don't think they are under innovative. Some things that come to mind over the past few years.

Bounce options
Grind options
Face inserts
Cbx wedge
Sure out
Pm wedge with the high face
Atv
V sole
Movement of mass higher/lower depending on loft
Cavity back wedges
Sole width
Pings CTP
Set wedges
Grooves
Face milling
 
I think I turn a blind eye to wedge innovation, as I simply have no idea what works for me and what doesn’t. I have a general idea what shape, sole (bounce/grind) and weighting I like, but I honestly have no idea if it actually is working for me or not.

And for someone who doesn’t take a whole lot of full swings with his wedges, I don’t have much motivation to seek out innovation as I’m really only concerned with what I mentioned above (and how awesome they look).
 
Grinds too. I didn't realize how important grinds are until I tried all of them. Some will work with my game, some will just not.
 
you're right that feel is important. but how often do you get to test that feel before buying? isn't the first real experience with feel on the course after you've taken the plastic off? and i agree with you on the bounce options. it has definitely added complexity, but i love the options. although admittedly i still have no idea what's best for my game.

It is really tough to try a wedge; they are never in the demo bag at the big box hitting bays, and even then it's off a mat giving unrealistic feedback. Me personally, I only experience the feel (ball off the face/turf interaction) by hitting a playing partner's wedge out on the course. that is exactly how i added my first Mizuno wedge to my bag just recently.
 
It's been touched on, but I think most of the innovation in wedges is going to come from educating the consumer about what the available options are and how they help. I still don't understand how the different grinds help in different situations.
 
I really, really do overlook tech in wedges. Other than bounce, I just look for something that's appealing to my eye and learn how to hit it. I always get low bounce wedges because of the hard packed sand at the courses I frequent. It's what I'm accustomed to and what works for me.

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I do think there are lot of options that could be considered "tech" in wedges, but I don't think there is much room left for innovation as so much has been done.

I think the bottom line for performance comes down to the individual and what works best for them/their swing (bounce, grind, etc.).
 
A wedge is a wedge? Heresy ... :)

1. Moving the COG from the heel to the center, and then moving the grooves out towards the toe was an Edel move.
2. Sharpening and Thinning the hosel so it acts like a blade to cut through rough, and removing weight from hosel is a more recent innovation (Edel has done that, as have some others)
3. Groove tech - most makers, but notably, Mizuno (and some others) vary the grooves based on loft.
4. COG tech moving it higher, too and bringing down height of shot, and varying it depending on loft.
5. Grinds - a wide array of heel, toe, trailing edge relief and bounce, camber, etc. which choices can only be resolved by fitting and hitting, with the grind varying depending on what one wants to create with a variety of shots.
 
but how often do you get to test that feel before buying? isn't the first real experience with feel on the course after you've taken the plastic off? and i agree with you on the bounce options. it has definitely added complexity, but i love the options. although admittedly i still have no idea what's best for my game.

I hit them at demo days or from my fitters demo sets before buying. Then again I do the same with all my clubs. Been more than a year since I did a blind buy on anything other than a putter.
 
I hit them at demo days or from my fitters demo sets before buying. Then again I do the same with all my clubs. Been more than a year since I did a blind buy on anything other than a putter.

I did the same thing with my wedges. I spent 90 minutes hitting Vokey SM6, RTX 3.0, MD3, and Ping Glide from grass in as many variations as I could get my hands on. I hit a variety of shots with each, and the Pings gave the consistently best results, but it was close. And had Callaway had a certain grind in a 54, I might be playing them today instead. While I think I could have bought a set from any of them and done well, I saw small differences among the brands, but larger differences among grinds within a supplier's club. With the clubs, a few lessons, and some practice, my short game has gone from a liability to a relative strength., I look forward to those shots now.

After reading the posts in this thread, I'm really glad I did it the way I did when I bought my wedges.
 
"A wedge is a wedge" is definitely true for me. I'm certain that in qualified hands there are significant differences, but I can't seem to figure out how to use any of them with even a reasonable amount of success. The same can be said for drivers.
 
Not anymore I think. I play the Sure Out Wedge in 64 deg and I find it has changed my bunker play dramatically for the better.

I also changed my 56deg sand wedge to a Vokey M grind which gives me a bit more utility value around the green.

There are a lot of choices but I think you really have to invest some time in practicing wedge shots to get value from the offerings available
 
To me my wedges are my most important clubs. Until I can get my irons sorted out, my wedges keep me in play especially from 80 yards in. Leading edge and if I can open it up has a lot to do with my choices.
 
Has anyone tried the Bombtech wedges? They had a 3 clubs for $79 deal. I don’t need any but wanted to see if people liked them or not.


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