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TaylorMade ATV Wedge - Everything You Would Want To Know

SuperStroke
Great feedback Jeff! I am hoping to hit these outside somewhere soon to see how they perform on turf.


I tapatalk better than I tapaputt.
 
runpuddrun said:
Great feedback Jeff! I am hoping to hit these outside somewhere soon to see how they perform on turf.


I tapatalk better than I tapaputt.
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I highly recommend giving these a stroke before you do anything with your wedges. The sole doesn't bother me. Sure, it looks ugly in pictures, but at set up, I had so much confidence, I just swung and the ball went, it seriously felt like I was on auto pilot with these in my hand. I wish I could have done more when it comes to the short game, but for full wedge shots, I loved them. I remember someone (Maybe JB) saying they would be a good wedge if you are a digger, and that is right. I have a tendency to dig with the wedges and I had no issues with these. Its down to two wedges with me, and these are one of them.
 
ATV's=Real Deal

TMAG finally a player in the wedge category?!?!?! Ummm...YES!


Tapping and crashing with the new updated/downgraded Tapatalk.
 
That's good stuff. Really want to try these out.
 
Great episode of ITR. Very informative, always good to hear the reasons behind the innovation. Tried one of these out at the range this weekend. Felt great to swing compared to the Callaway and Cleveland wedges I also tried out. Would love to try it out on different lies. Maybe next time I'm at the range I'll move around a bit to the rough, some bare dirt, etc.

~Rock
 
It soundsl like these ATV wedges are flat out birdie hunting tools :blob:
 
Sounds good can wait to see them here in the UK

Just tappin away
 
JeffReedMO said:
I highly recommend giving these a stroke before you do anything with your wedges. The sole doesn't bother me. Sure, it looks ugly in pictures, but at set up, I had so much confidence, I just swung and the ball went, it seriously felt like I was on auto pilot with these in my hand. I wish I could have done more when it comes to the short game, but for full wedge shots, I loved them. I remember someone (Maybe JB) saying they would be a good wedge if you are a digger, and that is right. I have a tendency to dig with the wedges and I had no issues with these. Its down to two wedges with me, and these are one of them.
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Awesome to hear this. I do wish the sole on them wasn't so ugly, but being ugly and getting the job done is better than being pretty and not...well, at least for golf clubs, and especially a part of the club I can't even see at address.
 
Im hoping that everyone that signs up for the ATV Forum Testing has listened to this show, very informative show about the design of the ATV and how this wedge came to be.
 
Great feedback Jeff. Think people really need to stop looking at the back of the club and need to try these, I know I want to.
 
Golf Ghost said:
Great feedback Jeff. Think people really need to stop looking at the back of the club and need to try these, I know I want to.
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A part of the radio show has stuck with me over the past few days, and it's the quote that most pro's arent too concerned with the club looks, only how it looks at address. I think often times, us amateurs are so focused on the look of a club, rather than the performance.
 
War Eagle said:
A part of the radio show has stuck with me over the past few days, and it's the quote that most pro's arent too concerned with the club looks, only how it looks at address. I think often times, us amateurs are so focused on the look of a club, rather than the performance.
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I completely agree. I think maybe saying the shape doesn't look right would be a legit argument, to me anyways, but to say the graphics or something else you don't see at address as a reason to hate a club is a little bit like short cutting yourself.
 
really great interview and radio show JB.... finally got a chance to listen. really enjoyed the stories.
 
Golf Ghost said:
I completely agree. I think maybe saying the shape doesn't look right would be a legit argument, to me anyways, but to say the graphics or something else you don't see at address as a reason to hate a club is a little bit like short cutting yourself.
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As soon as I set the club down, total non-issue, and to be quite honest, I really didn't inspect them much because I wanted to hit them with an open mind, instead of thinking, "oh, the sole is ugly, I should hate these". In the interview JB did with Mike, Mike essentially said, who cares what they look like, they perform, bottom line. I have a very hard time arguing with him on that.


Wandering the earth like Kane from Kung Fu, Tapatalking on an iPhone.
 
My local PGA SS had a 50* and 56* in the pre-owned section for $89.00 each. 25% off retail, which is about the normal savings on their rack for clubs in barely used condition, but considering you can pick these up on Father's Day deals for about $100, its not a great discount.

I didn't buy them. The best thing about PGA SS pre-owned is you have 30 days to bring them back for store credit. If I don't get selected for the testing, and if the 56* is still there, then I will pick it up and just join in on the testing anyway.
 
War Eagle said:
A part of the radio show has stuck with me over the past few days, and it's the quote that most pro's arent too concerned with the club looks, only how it looks at address. I think often times, us amateurs are so focused on the look of a club, rather than the performance.
Click to expand...

I personally think that amateurs look to get their confidence from somewhere, anywhere, in this case a club's looks. It can help to relax you and give you what you need to hit it with confidence if you love the look and the club. Pros dont need the extra confidence, they know they are awesome.
 
Golf Ghost said:
I completely agree. I think maybe saying the shape doesn't look right would be a legit argument, to me anyways, but to say the graphics or something else you don't see at address as a reason to hate a club is a little bit like short cutting yourself.
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Precisely. As long as the looks aren't distracting to you and/or your swing, they should be a non-issue. With that said, like you said, the only legitimate arguement could be the look at address...nothing else.
 
ripper said:
I personally think that amateurs look to get their confidence from somewhere, anywhere, in this case a club's looks. It can help to relax you and give you what you need to hit it with confidence if you love the look and the club. Pros dont need the extra confidence, they know they are awesome.
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but I would ask the question, does the confidence come from the looks of a part of the club you don't see or the address position?
 
anyone in the U.K. waiting for these should have a look at American golf, my local store had a few in today, they wont have a full release untill August over here. They only had 52 and 60
 
ripper said:
I personally think that amateurs look to get their confidence from somewhere, anywhere, in this case a club's looks. It can help to relax you and give you what you need to hit it with confidence if you love the look and the club. Pros dont need the extra confidence, they know they are awesome.
Click to expand...
I think too much stock goes into looks and aids in poor golf. A large number of ams want the shiny sleek look that is not best for their game. But it's this that keeps the OEMs happy, because new sticks are purchased all the time. 'that club just wasn't for me '
 
Picked up some clothes at PGA SS, and they had a 54* ATV wedge on the pre-owned rack for $80. Couldn't pass it up, especially since I can always return it within 30 days (KMOD -- this does not mean you should take me out of consideration to be an ATV tester; I really would like to try out a 56* long term and share my thoughts). Anyway, I went ahead and took it to the range with me for a little workout.

Range swings: On the driving range I used the wedge for full swings (regular swings as with an iron) and distance wedge swings (you might need to be a Pelz fan to fully understand, but basically 9:00 and 10:30 backswings, without building up lower body resistance like with a full swing). Contact felt great, and the ball flew the same distances as with my 54* Vokey (I was hitting it also). I could tell precisely where I was hitting the ball on the face, and I also think I was seeing more forgiveness out of this club than the Vokey: a couple of shots off the toe started right, but curled back towards the flag, whereas similar shots with the Vokey tend to go straight right. Ball flight was maybe a touch higher than I am used to but that could have just been today's swing. I caught a couple pretty fat -- which is my big miss with the wedges -- and the club just fought through the turf and still hit the ball very well. I lost a little distance with the fat shots, but it wasn't a disaster.

Bunker shots: I am not a good bunker player. I've really been working on bunker shots this year, and I am at least confident I will put the ball on the green, but my distance control is still pretty suspect. When I do miss, I tend to hit too far behind the ball, and either skull the ball over the green or hit it with so little power that I don't get it out of the bunker. When I first got in the bunker with the ATV, it was a disaster. The sand in the bunker was a little thin today, and the ATV wedge was bouncing off the hard layer and just sculling the ball. I hit a few shots with my 54* Vokey, and those shots were fine (of course, I've been practicing with that club for 6 months now). I grabbed the ATV and decided to really open the face up, like more than 60* open, to see if I could get the ball to pop up on an explosion shot, and that did the trick! The club just knifed through the thin layer of fluffy sand and the ball popped out with lots of backspin, picture perfect! With a little practice, I'm sure I could make that a reliable bunker club.

Chipping: I didn't have much time before I needed to return to the office, but I wanted to chip some with this club. One of the features of the ATV sole is a lower leading edge to assist with chip shots. I consider myself a very good chipper around the greens; I would rather chip than face a long putt. It took me a few weeks to get used to chipping with my Vokeys, because I could not generate the same spin I used to get with my box grooved Callaway X-forged wedges. I was getting too much rullout at first, but I eventually dialed the Vokeys in. (I should also mention that one reason I didn't like the SCOR wedges was an inability to develop any touch in chipping the ball).

I only had time for about a dozen chip shots with the ATV, but it was awesome. I hit half the balls from the fringe, and half from the light rough beyond the fringe. I was getting TONS of spin on the ball (range balls, at that). I had to hit the ball a lot farther than I do with the Vokeys, because it would just check up and only roll 3 or 4 yards after hitting the green. I could definitely get used to that, although if it spins the ball that much I would probably chip with a 50* more often than a 54 or 56*.

The 54* ATV is going into my bag for a few rounds.
 
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Nice review rusty! The sand stuff is what really intrigued me because on some shots I like to play the face square instead of open if the bunker is hard because my wedge still has a bit of meat on it even though I ground it down a bit. This really seems like TM put a lot of effort into trying to make a really solid wedge again. I thought their last wedges were too focused on the groove stuff to the point where they weren't bad clubs but with the interchanging faces it just never had the feel I am used to with wedges. I'll have to get to a store and try one of these.
 
Rusty said:
Picked up some clothes at PGA SS, and they had a 54* ATV wedge on the pre-owned rack for $80. Couldn't pass it up, especially since I can always return it within 30 days (KMOD -- this does not mean you should take me out of consideration to be an ATV tester; I really would like to try out a 56* long term and share my thoughts). Anyway, I went ahead and took it to the range with me for a little workout.

Range swings: On the driving range I used the wedge for full swings (regular swings as with an iron) and distance wedge swings (you might need to be a Pelz fan to fully understand, but basically 9:00 and 10:30 backswings, without building up lower body resistance like with a full swing). Contact felt great, and the ball flew the same distances as with my 54* Vokey (I was hitting it also). I could tell precisely where I was hitting the ball on the face, and I also think I was seeing more forgiveness out of this club than the Vokey: a couple of shots off the toe started right, but curled back towards the flag, whereas similar shots with the Vokey tend to go straight right. Ball flight was maybe a touch higher than I am used to but that could have just been today's swing. I caught a couple pretty fat -- which is my big miss with the wedges -- and the club just fought through the turf and still hit the ball very well. I lost a little distance with the fat shots, but it wasn't a disaster.

Bunker shots: I am not a good bunker player. I've really been working on bunker shots this year, and I am at least confident I will put the ball on the green, but my distance control is still pretty suspect. When I do miss, I tend to hit too far behind the ball, and either skull the ball over the green or hit it with so little power that I don't get it out of the bunker. When I first got in the bunker with the ATV, it was a disaster. The sand in the bunker was a little thin today, and the ATV wedge was bouncing off the hard layer and just sculling the ball. I hit a few shots with my 54* Vokey, and those shots were fine (of course, I've been practicing with that club for 6 months now). I grabbed the ATV and decided to really open the face up, like more than 60* open, to see if I could get the ball to pop up on an explosion shot, and that did the trick! The club just knifed through the thin layer of fluffy sand and the ball popped out with lots of backspin, picture perfect! With a little practice, I'm sure I could make that a reliable bunker club.

Chipping: I didn't have much time before I needed to return to the office, but I wanted to chip some with this club. One of the features of the ATV sole is a lower leading edge to assist with chip shots. I consider myself a very good chipper around the greens; I would rather chip than face a log putt. It took me a few weeks to get used to chipping with my Vokeys, because I could not generate the same spin I used to get with my box grooved Callaway X-forged wedges. I was getting too much rullout at first, but I eventually dialed the Vokeys in. (I should also mention that one reason I didn't like the SCOR wedges was an inability to develop in touch in chipping the ball).

I only had time for about a dozen chip shots with the ATV, but it was awesome. I hit half the balls from the fringe, and half from the light rough beyond the fringe. I was getting TONS of spin on the ball (range balls, at that). I had to hit the ball a lot farther than I do with the Vokeys, because it would just check up and only roll 3 or 4 yards after hitting the green. I could definitely get used to that, although if it spins the ball that much I would probably chip with a 50* more often than a 54 or 56*.

The 54* ATV is going into my bag for a few rounds.
Click to expand...

Great review, Rusty. I have been wanting to ask what kind of spin people were getting with these. I only got about 10 shots with a 56* and they were full shots. I would love to get some more hands on time to work with it around the green more. The reviews for these keep getting better and better.
 
Nice reviews...I want to try these out!
 
Rusty said:
Picked up some clothes at PGA SS, and they had a 54* ATV wedge on the pre-owned rack for $80. Couldn't pass it up, especially since I can always return it within 30 days (KMOD -- this does not mean you should take me out of consideration to be an ATV tester; I really would like to try out a 56* long term and share my thoughts). Anyway, I went ahead and took it to the range with me for a little workout.

Range swings: On the driving range I used the wedge for full swings (regular swings as with an iron) and distance wedge swings (you might need to be a Pelz fan to fully understand, but basically 9:00 and 10:30 backswings, without building up lower body resistance like with a full swing). Contact felt great, and the ball flew the same distances as with my 54* Vokey (I was hitting it also). I could tell precisely where I was hitting the ball on the face, and I also think I was seeing more forgiveness out of this club than the Vokey: a couple of shots off the toe started right, but curled back towards the flag, whereas similar shots with the Vokey tend to go straight right. Ball flight was maybe a touch higher than I am used to but that could have just been today's swing. I caught a couple pretty fat -- which is my big miss with the wedges -- and the club just fought through the turf and still hit the ball very well. I lost a little distance with the fat shots, but it wasn't a disaster.

Bunker shots: I am not a good bunker player. I've really been working on bunker shots this year, and I am at least confident I will put the ball on the green, but my distance control is still pretty suspect. When I do miss, I tend to hit too far behind the ball, and either skull the ball over the green or hit it with so little power that I don't get it out of the bunker. When I first got in the bunker with the ATV, it was a disaster. The sand in the bunker was a little thin today, and the ATV wedge was bouncing off the hard layer and just sculling the ball. I hit a few shots with my 54* Vokey, and those shots were fine (of course, I've been practicing with that club for 6 months now). I grabbed the ATV and decided to really open the face up, like more than 60* open, to see if I could get the ball to pop up on an explosion shot, and that did the trick! The club just knifed through the thin layer of fluffy sand and the ball popped out with lots of backspin, picture perfect! With a little practice, I'm sure I could make that a reliable bunker club.

Chipping: I didn't have much time before I needed to return to the office, but I wanted to chip some with this club. One of the features of the ATV sole is a lower leading edge to assist with chip shots. I consider myself a very good chipper around the greens; I would rather chip than face a log putt. It took me a few weeks to get used to chipping with my Vokeys, because I could not generate the same spin I used to get with my box grooved Callaway X-forged wedges. I was getting too much rullout at first, but I eventually dialed the Vokeys in. (I should also mention that one reason I didn't like the SCOR wedges was an inability to develop in touch in chipping the ball).

I only had time for about a dozen chip shots with the ATV, but it was awesome. I hit half the balls from the fringe, and half from the light rough beyond the fringe. I was getting TONS of spin on the ball (range balls, at that). I had to hit the ball a lot farther than I do with the Vokeys, because it would just check up and only roll 3 or 4 yards after hitting the green. I could definitely get used to that, although if it spins the ball that much I would probably chip with a 50* more often than a 54 or 56*.

The 54* ATV is going into my bag for a few rounds.
Click to expand...

Good stuff Rusty! Starting the reviews off early for us with your 54* ATV! Keep us up to date with your thoughts in it.
 
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