Tour pros & their Vokeys

[SMAC43]

Any tour players without club contracts that don't have Vokeys in the bag? Even some with contracts seem to stray when it comes to their wedges. Brooks, Fleetwood, Reed, Kisner, Vegas, Munoz, Morikawa, Chez, Woodland, Casey, Schauffle, Leish, Sneds... pretty crazy list. Are they really that superior a wedge? Or just what they've always played so thats what they're used to...

 

 

[noodle3872]

Vokey wedges tick a lot of boxes for a lot of players. Loft options, different sole grinds and various finishes. What more can you ask for?

[bladehunter]

Fleetwood used callaway forever in a wedge with no contract. May still do.

 

Loads of players with pm grind lob wedges ( kuchar , woodland , to name a few ) and woodland now to a high toe at least circa us open. Vokey is fine. But plenty of players use a mix of other stuff.

[starsail85]

It’s gotta be a feel thing, I think they feel terrible , but I’m used to something else

[Downtown_Brown_41]

I think it has a lot to do with Aaron Dill. He’s able to take feedback from the players and custom grind anything they could ever want

[Krt22]

> @Downtown_Brown_41 said:

> I think it has a lot to do with Aaron Dill. He’s able to take feedback from the players and custom grind anything they could ever want

 

Word, his instagram is very fascinating seeing all the stuff they do for staffers and non-staffers a like.

[straightshot7]

Vokey is probably what most of them played with as a junior and in college. Some guys don't like to tinker with their short game equipment. Vokey is tried and true.

[MidwestGolfBum]

> @Downtown_Brown_41 said:

> I think it has a lot to do with Aaron Dill. He’s able to take feedback from the players and custom grind anything they could ever want

 

This can happen for basically any brand with the staff they have, though I think for many it's the comfort of what they know from their early days in golf.

[Soloman1]

 

Vokey wedges for consumers in the US are cast.

 

Tour players are usually using Vokey heads from Japan, which are forged.

[Krt22]

> @Soloman1 said:

>

> Vokey wedges for consumers in the US are cast.

>

> Tour players are usually using Vokey heads from Japan, which are forged.

 

Source?

[Soloman1]

Vokey wedges in Japan have always been forged.

 

 

Source? How about 25 years of living in Japan and in the golf business?

 

 

 

https://www.titleist.co.jp/golf-clubs/wedges/forged_wedge/

[Krt22]

That does not back up the claim that the tour vans use those heads exclusively.

[musclefront]

> @noodle3872 said:

> Vokey wedges tick a lot of boxes for a lot of players. Loft options, different sole grinds and various finishes. What more can you ask for?

 

Forged?

[Soloman1]

> @Krt22 said:

> That does not back up the claim that the tour vans use those heads exclusively.

 

 

 

Oh, OK. So, can you prove your claim that tour vans are using Vokey heads they buy from PGA Superstores near tour stops?

[dlygrisse]

> @Krt22 said:

> > @Downtown_Brown_41 said:

> > I think it has a lot to do with Aaron Dill. He’s able to take feedback from the players and custom grind anything they could ever want

>

> Word, his instagram is very fascinating seeing all the stuff they do for staffers and non-staffers a like.

 

You could say it's all marketing, but Bob Vokey himself being out on tour working with the players to get them exactly what they wanted is what drove the brand to begin with. Prior to Vokey Titleist wedges were not big deal, they were just a ball company for the most part. Scotty Cameron did the same thing in the beginning. Now they are brand name unto themselves. And of course, if the tour players use it in mass quantity then the consumer latches onto it as well. Plus it's a good product with plenty of options in terms of style, finish, loft, grind and bounce.

[Krt22]

> @Soloman1 said:

> > @Krt22 said:

> > That does not back up the claim that the tour vans use those heads exclusively.

>

>

>

> Oh, OK. So, can you prove your claim that tour vans are using Vokey heads they buy from PGA Superstores near tour stops?

 

You made the statement, I was asking for proof. If you don't have anything to back up your claim, then that is all it is, a claim.

 

As for the tour heads, no, they would likely not come from the PGA Superstores given they are almost exclusively raw in finish, but they all appear to be much closer in appearance to the US spec heads. Vokey procurring forged blanks that look like US heads while being slightly different in material doesn't make a lot of sense to me (ie why not just forge all US heads when people have been asking for those forever). But I won't make a profound claim either way since I don't have viable proof.

 

 

[Soloman1]

Hey, I was just mimicking your gross rewrite of what I said. Do you think I was serious about PGA Superstores?

 

Again, you have completely misunderstood about the heads.

 

"Vokey procuring[sic] forged blanks..." Are you drunk?

 

And I'm done. I'm not being sucked into this black hole where nonsense is so strong that sanity can't escape.

[Krt22]

> @Soloman1 said:

> Hey, I was just mimicking your gross rewrite of what I said. Do you think I was serious about PGA Superstores?

>

> Again, you have completely misunderstood about the heads.

>

> "Vokey procuring[sic] forged blanks..." Are you drunk?

>

> And I'm done. I'm not being sucked into this black hole where nonsense is so strong that sanity can't escape.

 

 

Triggered much lol, Do you really expect someone to just assume something someone writes on the internet as verifiable fact, just because they said they are "in the industry" without mentioning any credentials or producing anything to support their statements? And I responded to the PGA superstore comment just to show you I understood how absurd such a statement was. Get over yourself.

[CStephenson17]

> @Soloman1 said:

> Hey, I was just mimicking your gross rewrite of what I said. Do you think I was serious about PGA Superstores?

>

> Again, you have completely misunderstood about the heads.

>

> "Vokey procuring[sic] forged blanks..." Are you drunk?

>

> And I'm done. I'm not being sucked into this black hole where nonsense is so strong that sanity can't escape.

 

r/iamverysmart

[BIG STU]

> @Soloman1 said:

> Hey, I was just mimicking your gross rewrite of what I said. Do you think I was serious about PGA Superstores?

>

> Again, you have completely misunderstood about the heads.

>

> "Vokey procuring[sic] forged blanks..." Are you drunk?

>

> And I'm done. I'm not being sucked into this black hole where nonsense is so strong that sanity can't escape.

 

Solly you are smart enough to know you can not argue with some people---- But I did give you 2 likes-- Older read non conforming 252s and 256s were forged and I can feel the difference hitting them. Guess that is why I keep a few around

[Krt22]

From an interview with Vokey.

 

**Many people would be surprised to learn that Vokeys are cast and not forged. What difference do you think this makes to feel and performance?**

 

There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about cast vs. forged out there. Casting and forging are just processes. The feel of the wedge is determined by the metal used, not by the process. We cast the softest metal available, 8620 mild carbon steel. People think we cast our wedges because it’s cheaper. That’s not the case. It’s because of the number of grinds, lofts, bounces that we have available. We start with the Tour and when we find a shape or grind we really like, we’re able to make a tool for it quickly. The casting process is able to replicate the grind much closer than if we forged it. Think about this: 80 percent of the wedges on Tour are cast. I’ve never had a player come up to me and say, “Voke, this wedge doesn’t feel good. I really wish it was forged.” These are the best players in the world. And that’s my R&D department

 

Who knows if this was really from Voke, perhaps he lied right through his teeth in order market his shoddy cast wedges

[SMAC43]

lots of good (mostly) positive feedback here. thank u. friend of mine got hooked up with a wedge fitting with BV himself...think it was a few grand for the fitting. no mention of forged heads...just custom grinds and stamping. FWIW i like my 54 and 58 SM7. i sometimes struggle with my 50F though.the shape doesnt suit my eye as much. As a 4.0 index i find it pretty unforgiving especially towards the heel which is my miss with wedges. a 120yd club can turn into 110yds pretty quickly. i guess thats part of the reason why i end up trying other brands and tour guys dont. they dont any need forgiveness in a gap wedge. i will say on the other end of the spectrum i've tried the CB style gap wedges (cleveland) but the experiment never lasts more then a round or so.

[Mitchell]

> @Soloman1 said:

>

> Vokey wedges for consumers in the US are cast.

>

> Tour players are usually using Vokey heads from Japan, which are forged.

 

Players on tour are not using Vokey forged heads from Japan, they are using cast parts that are often slightly over target weight to allow grinding, polishing, etc. Have been on tour vans on PGA tour and Nationwide/Web.com/Korn Ferry tours and been fortunate enough to have Aaron Dill make me several wedges over the years, I would consider him a pretty reliable source?

[Krt22]

> @Mitchell said:

> > @Soloman1 said:

> >

> > Vokey wedges for consumers in the US are cast.

> >

> > Tour players are usually using Vokey heads from Japan, which are forged.

>

> Players on tour are not using Vokey forged heads from Japan, they are using cast parts that are often slightly over target weight to allow grinding, polishing, etc. Have been on tour vans on PGA tour and Nationwide/Web.com/Korn Ferry tours and been fortunate enough to have Aaron Dill make me several wedges over the years, I would consider him a pretty reliable source?

 

Didn't you get the memo? He has lived in Japan for 25 years and is in the golf industry.

[musclefront]

Pettiness ain’t pretty like a forged wedge

[Mitchell]

> @"BIG STU" said:

> > @Soloman1 said:

> > Hey, I was just mimicking your gross rewrite of what I said. Do you think I was serious about PGA Superstores?

> >

> > Again, you have completely misunderstood about the heads.

> >

> > "Vokey procuring[sic] forged blanks..." Are you drunk?

> >

> > And I'm done. I'm not being sucked into this black hole where nonsense is so strong that sanity can't escape.

>

> Solly you are smart enough to know you can not argue with some people---- But I did give you 2 likes-- Older read non conforming 252s and 256s were forged and I can feel the difference hitting them. Guess that is why I keep a few around

 

Stu,

The wedges you mention were also cast out of 8620, yet had a slightly different heat treating process, or rather lack thereof, and chrome layer finish process, especially differing in the satin tour chrome finish ones- those factors led to different sound/feel, not forging vs cast.

[MattyO1984]

Vokey’s definitely seem to be the most popular wedge out there and they have been for some time. The grind options and the guys that Titleist have working for them are definitely a big part of that. Interesting to see them cropping up in bags of guys that are on staff with other companies.

[Valtiel]

> @Krt22 said:

> > @Mitchell said:

> > > @Soloman1 said:

> > >

> > > Vokey wedges for consumers in the US are cast.

> > >

> > > Tour players are usually using Vokey heads from Japan, which are forged.

> >

> > Players on tour are not using Vokey forged heads from Japan, they are using cast parts that are often slightly over target weight to allow grinding, polishing, etc. Have been on tour vans on PGA tour and Nationwide/Web.com/Korn Ferry tours and been fortunate enough to have Aaron Dill make me several wedges over the years, I would consider him a pretty reliable source?

>

> Didn't you get the memo? He has lived in Japan for 25 years and is in the golf industry.

 

Definitely laughed, hah.

 

But seriously @Soloman1, whoever you are, you can't just ruck up to a thread, drop a PRETTY big claim like that with no evidence other than you live in Japan(?) and then claim that everyone else has to prove you wrong, that ain't how it works.

[mocokid]

Scratch wedges are better.

[SNIPERBBB]

> @mocokid said:

> Scratch wedges are better.

 

We're better unless you still have extras. Wore mine out just after they went under unfortunately