SM9 Sand Wedge F or D grind

[odshot68]

Which do you recommend for sand wedge and why?

[Sean124]

I prefer the D grind because it sits better when you open the face. 

[Hawkeye77]

You really aren't going to learn much from anyone else's preference unless they pretty much swing just like you do, have the same short game shots they like to play and play the same conditions.  Bounce is the other variable and grinds aren't necessarily apples to apples across bounce angles for the same loft of wedge.

 

General grind info from Titleist/Vokey pretty much covers the general ideas but you really need to get on some grass around a short game area and try out different grind and bounce combinations. There are no short cuts!

[odshot68]

Any other thoughts 

[Jeff58]

If you know that the sand density will consistently be light to moderate over the full strike depth, a high bounce grind can make consistent extraction much easier. That’s not exactly a secret.

 

If your bunker conditions are a light dusting of sand over partially set concrete, and you brought your 14 degree grind… Well, hopefully you have a low bounce lob wedge.

 

Vokey is making a good number of rather extreme grinds on both sides of the bounce curve. They’re interesting, different, and pretty much never an optimal solution when inconsistent conditions exist. The M, D, and to some degree the S are better solutions for better players in what most would consider as average conditions.

[manima1]

D grind, it's automatic for me from the bunker. Plenty of bounce and easy to manipulate the face. Honestly been a game changer for me out of the bunker 

[the bishop]

On 5/13/2023 at 1:34 PM, Hawkeye77 said:

You really aren't going to learn much from anyone else's preference unless they pretty much swing just like you do, have the same short game shots they like to play and play the same conditions.  Bounce is the other variable and grinds aren't necessarily apples to apples across bounce angles for the same loft of wedge.

 

General grind info from Titleist/Vokey pretty much covers the general ideas but you really need to get on some grass around a short game area and try out different grind and bounce combinations. There are no short cuts!

This here.  Turf matters.  

[the_Danimal]

F is usually associated with a PW or Gap Wedge. Something you hit full shots with. Since youre asking about the sand wedge in particular, you should be concerned about your bunker play first. Then take into account turf conditions and hitting the SW from different lies/conditions. 

 

F grind is going to limit your shot in the bunker. It's not designed to be opened up or manipulated. The D grind allows that to some degree. My honest opinion, you should be comparing the S and D grinds. S is going to require more consistency but will offer more versatility. It's really going to come down to your swing's attack angle. If you come too steep, you're going to require the D grind

[MelloYello]

I use the 14^o F-grind on my 56^o, but that's mainly a club I pull out for grassy chips, longer pitches and full swings. 

 

If you're looking for a Sand Wedge explicitly to use for the short game, I'd probably go with something slightly more versatile like the D-grind. That's good thinking. 

 

For instance, I have a 10^o S-grind on my Lob Wedge. That's what I commonly use around the green and in the sand. A mega-bounce Lw would not work as well unless you were in extreme conditions or have a terribly steep AoA. 

[manima1]

53 minutes ago, the_Danimal said:

F is usually associated with a PW or Gap Wedge. Something you hit full shots with. Since youre asking about the sand wedge in particular, you should be concerned about your bunker play first. Then take into account turf conditions and hitting the SW from different lies/conditions. 

 

F grind is going to limit your shot in the bunker. It's not designed to be opened up or manipulated. The D grind allows that to some degree. My honest opinion, you should be comparing the S and D grinds. S is going to require more consistency but will offer more versatility. It's really going to come down to your swing's attack angle. If you come too steep, you're going to require the D grind

 

As both an S and D grind player I have to say that the D grind is much more versatile of the (2).  S plays really close to an F actually just has slightly more heel relief to allow some manipulation - even such, S is better for square face shots in my opinion.  D grind has a crescent sole and can be manipulated readily.  Open or close, it is extremely versatile

[grochol17]

On 5/13/2023 at 2:19 PM, odshot68 said:

Which do you recommend for sand wedge and why?

 

6 minutes ago, MelloYello said:

I use the 14^o F-grind on my 56^o, but that's mainly a club I pull out for grassy chips, longer pitches and full swings. 

 

If you're looking for a Sand Wedge explicitly to use for the short game, I'd probably go with something slightly more versatile like the D-grind. That's good thinking.

 

As MelloYello is getting at, it depends on what you're going to use it for.  I grew up on a course with very deep bunkers and as a result I use my 58* wedge for all but the longest of bunker shots.  I normally play bunker shots with the face open so the effective bounce ends up being quite high.  For my 58* I used to use an M grind for the lower bounce and heel relief which gave me a lot of options for shots around the green.  Since I'm now living in an area where we tend to have fairly soft conditions, I'm testing out a D grind for a bit of help so the club won't dig as much.  I'm not sure which way I'm going to go, but regardless, the sole grind gives me the option to open the face up and hit high soft shots around the green (the D seems to work fine on all but the hardest of ground).

 

The club that is technically a sand wedge is my 54* F grind.  I rarely use it from the bunker unless I have a long shot.  It is mostly a club for square faced shots of all kinds (full swing all the way down to pitches).  The high bounce is useful for my steep swing.  With as narrow as the sole is I find that I can open it up a bit if I need to without the club bouncing off the ground, but it isn't like I'm trying to hit flop shots with it. 

[jaffabell]

Loads of tour players use the F grind in the 56 so its a great option. Depends on what you use it for. It can still be opened up a bit but probably better for full shots, pitches, chip shots etc and a square faced bunker shot. Most pros have some sort of versatile grind on their 60 as thats the club they will usually use from bunkers, open up around the greens in the rough etc. If you want to use your 56 from bunkers, to flop with, to open up more etc the D is probably a good one.

 

JT goes 52F, 56F and 60T/K and others do the same. I would think about the turf and what you use the 56 for as a starting point. if you want an automatic club for longer shots, pitches and square faced chips shots the F grind is great.

[awtryau89]

3 hours ago, jaffabell said:

Loads of tour players use the F grind in the 56 so its a great option. Depends on what you use it for. It can still be opened up a bit but probably better for full shots, pitches, chip shots etc and a square faced bunker shot. Most pros have some sort of versatile grind on their 60 as thats the club they will usually use from bunkers, open up around the greens in the rough etc. If you want to use your 56 from bunkers, to flop with, to open up more etc the D is probably a good one.

 

JT goes 52F, 56F and 60T/K and others do the same. I would think about the turf and what you use the 56 for as a starting point. if you want an automatic club for longer shots, pitches and square faced chips shots the F grind is great.

I'll jump in here as well and say that what is said above is exactly what Titleist will tell you. I was fit for Vokeys at a Titleist event and the fitter raved about the F grind 14* for my 56* We bent it to 55 so it took a bit of bounce off of it but he said he fit the majority of players into that grind. Great fairway club for full shots, great out of bunkers for longer shots and he showed me not to discount opening it up in bunkers as well. It is more of a straight faced chipping club but that worked best for me as I use it for pitches and longer chips to lower the trajectory. My lob does all the specialized work around the greens. I also have a 52 F 12 that we delofted to take some bounce out too and a 60 LBK to round out the set.

[WilCox]

3 hours ago, jaffabell said:

I would think about the turf and what you use the 56 for as a starting point.

I play a rotation of about 10 courses with varying playing conditions. My 60 is my main bunker club. My 56 is primarily a pitching/chipping club and needs to be versatile so I prefer a 56S. The majority of bunkers I play have shallow coarse sand and firm bases so I like a low bounce wide sole bunker club for my 60. On the off chance I find myself in a bunker with new and deeper sand, the 56S gives me a bit more bounce if needed. 

If I played one course almost exclusively, I would tailor my wedges for that course. I very much like the F grind for courses with lush manicured fairways and deep soft bunkers. I put a 56F in the bag when I know that's what I'll encounter. I'll also carry the 56F for playing in wet condtions. It's all about the turf.