Kevin Na 60.06K w grind - expert explanation

[1lovesputters]

Looking for some guidance from wedge grind wedge expert.  Nah has a low balance K with what looks like a T grind.

 

Can someone help explain the adjustment he’s made to his low balance K grind and would benefit it would give him/playing characteristic would change?   
 

my apologies if this question has been asked but I did a search and couldn’t find it. 
 

thanks

robert

[MPAndreassi]

I’m having trouble locating a picture of it. However if I had to make a blind guess at it, he probably has some heel, and trailing edge relief and maybe some out on the toe. The low bounce K, I play one also, has quite a large sole. The grind I described above would increase its overall playability by making the leading edge sit closer to the ground and giving him the option to manipulate the face a bit more and lay it open to add more loft if need be without the leading edge being too far off the ground. 

[Wardonation]

My LB K with heel relief

[wely324]

From the pictures I've seen posted by Vokey Wedge Rep on social media of Kevin Na's K grind, he has a leading pre worn grind and trailing edge grind added to the Low bounce K.

 

The leading edge grind reduces the bounce and sharpens the edge. It will allow the club to sit a little closer to the ground and cut through the turf easier. 

The trailing edge relief brings some versatility to the K grind for when opening the club face around the green. It makes the bounce less effective. 

 

I feel the additional grinds to the K makes the clubmore versatile and an option for firmer, tight conditions, but still keeps the benefit of a wide sole for when playing out of greenside bunkers.  

Edited February 22, 2021 by wely324

[cardoustie]

Great looking wedge

[sailfishchris]

One part of me says good gosh that's gorgeous. The realist in me says the world doesn't need another ditch digger! LOL!

[MPAndreassi]

1 hour ago, wely324 said:

From the pictures I've seen posted by Vokey Wedge Rep on social media of Kevin Na's K grind, he has a leading pre worn grind and trailing edge grind added to the Low bounce K.

 

The leading edge grind reduces the bounce and sharpens the edge. It will allow the club to sit a little closer to the ground and cut through the turf easier. 

The trailing edge relief brings some versatility to the K grind for when opening the club face around the green. It makes the bounce less effective. 

 

I feel the additional grinds to the K makes the clubmore versatile and an option for firmer, tight conditions, but still keeps the benefit of a wide sole for when playing out of greenside bunkers.  

 

 

That looks great, first time I've seen a picture of it up close, thanks for the picture. I'm surprised there isn't more heel relief, but if he doesn't open it all that much he doesn't need it. 

[cw1209]

15 hours ago, wely324 said:

From the pictures I've seen posted by Vokey Wedge Rep on social media of Kevin Na's K grind, he has a leading pre worn grind and trailing edge grind added to the Low bounce K.

 

The leading edge grind reduces the bounce and sharpens the edge. It will allow the club to sit a little closer to the ground and cut through the turf easier. 

The trailing edge relief brings some versatility to the K grind for when opening the club face around the green. It makes the bounce less effective. 

 

I feel the additional grinds to the K makes the clubmore versatile and an option for firmer, tight conditions, but still keeps the benefit of a wide sole for when playing out of greenside bunkers.  

 

The end result looks very close to a T grind, which seems to be enjoying a lot of tour use right now

 

[wely324]

5 minutes ago, cw1209 said:

 

The end result looks very close to a T grind, which seems to be enjoying a lot of tour use right now

 

 

Ya, I'd assume they would play very similar, probably a tour pro could tell the difference. I think the T grind would be playing with a tad more forward bounce, and then allowing the club to sit closer to the ground when opened up with the heel, toe, and trailing edge grind. To me the K NA grind, is a K grind that will play with even less forgiveness on square face shots for someone who is great at clipping the ball off the turf, some forgiveness on open face shots on tight lies, and great out of the bunker.

[dmbrill719]

Maybe it's just the pic being deceiving...but how is that leading edge grind reducing bounce and sharpening the leading edge?  It seems it's raising the leading edge and adding bounce at that portion of the sole?  Kind of like a Srixon iron leading edge.

[MPAndreassi]

14 minutes ago, dmbrill719 said:

Maybe it's just the pic being deceiving...but how is that leading edge grind reducing bounce and sharpening the leading edge?  It seems it's raising the leading edge and adding bounce at that portion of the sole?  Kind of like a Srixon iron leading edge.

 

I think the picture is deceiving. The sole of the K grind is very round. I looks like the leading edge is flattened and the peak of the camber is that mid section. 

[Sub_Roc]

This grind has peaked my interest.

Some touch-up work I'd do to this would be to straighten out the leading edge just a tad while making it slightly more blunt for some of the course we have around here (especially damp morning conditions).  It's got enough loft to be able to defloft to get the leading edge low on shallow lies. 

 

In addition, my preference would be to "smother" the grind transitions.  Perhaps not perceivable for turf interaction, but like to see them blended together.

 

If anyone can find some pictures of this wedge at address position, I would truly appreciate it.

 

 

[paulman21]

Reviving this as I'm looking at tinkering with an old wedge in a similar fashion. What's the difference between doing this and taking an M grind at 8* bounce and adding leading edge relief? I imagine the sole would be similar but the LBK would be a few degrees less bounce since it starts at 6* and M grind at 8*?

 

[hammergolf]

59 minutes ago, paulman21 said:

Reviving this as I'm looking at tinkering with an old wedge in a similar fashion. What's the difference between doing this and taking an M grind at 8* bounce and adding leading edge relief? I imagine the sole would be similar but the LBK would be a few degrees less bounce since it starts at 6* and M grind at 8*?

 

The K grind has a much wider sole. 

[paulman21]

13 hours ago, hammergolf said:

The K grind has a much wider sole. 

Stock M vs Stock LBK/K I would definitely agree. Here's my M grind and my LBK with trailing edge relief. It looks like, leading edge to traling edge, the soles are pretty similar widths...almost like you could take a K grind, add toe, heel, and trailing edge relief and get the same thing as an M grind (bounce angle would obviously be a bit different). Is that not the case?

[Wardonation]

50 minutes ago, paulman21 said:

Stock M vs Stock LBK/K I would definitely agree. Here's my M grind and my LBK with trailing edge relief. It looks like, leading edge to traling edge, the soles are pretty similar widths...almost like you could take a K grind, add toe, heel, and trailing edge relief and get the same thing as an M grind (bounce angle would obviously be a bit different). Is that not the case?

I believe the "M". has more camber than the "K"...

[WristySwing]

For those interested in the above experiment...the Callaway Z-grind would be close to this, a wide(r) sole, leading edge and back relief with a soft C-grind.

[paulman21]

29 minutes ago, Wardonation said:

I believe the "M". has more camber than the "K"...

Ah that was one thing I didn't consider. Thanks

 

10 minutes ago, WristySwing said:

For those interested in the above experiment...the Callaway Z-grind would be close to this, a wide(r) sole, leading edge and back relief with a soft C-grind.

 

Have you tried the z-grind? I considered trying it for exactly this purpose but wasn't sure how the 8* bounce would compare to a 6* LBK with additional relief

[WristySwing]

7 hours ago, paulman21 said:

Ah that was one thing I didn't consider. Thanks

 

 

Have you tried the z-grind? I considered trying it for exactly this purpose but wasn't sure how the 8* bounce would compare to a 6* LBK with additional relief

 

I have, but not the LBK.  I really liked the Jaws launches this year, they were #2 on my list.  The Cleveland's I have now just gave me about 1/2 a club more yardage and almost 1000 RPMs more spin.  It was a clear homerun but the Raws were a nice runner up compared to MG3 and Glide 4.0 that were tied for 3rd place.  I came from SM8 D and M and found the Z to be most similar to the M (not shockingly).  I wouldn't suspect that the 2* more bounce would be that big of a deal.  I guess if push comes to shove you could always get a 60* and bend to 59* to make it closer.

[AC168]

Kevin has a relatively unique short game methodology.  I think some of the tweaks vs a normal LBK may be for that.  

[paulman21]

14 hours ago, AC168 said:

Kevin has a relatively unique short game methodology.  I think some of the tweaks vs a normal LBK may be for that.  

That's what I thought when this was originally posted but it's become quite popular. JT, Kitayama, Schauffele, and some others all use or rotate an LBK with this relief too. I don't know much about Na's short game methodology. Could you explain?