Vokeys for mid-handicapper

[bellken]

On 7/31/2023 at 1:02 PM, JPH said:

Question: Am I the only one who is very inconsistent with Vokey Wedges? I have three that are wonderful during practice but challenging during a round. I'm going to go back to my iron set gap and maybe return to the Cleveland cbx style soon. But honestly, have I bitten off more than I can chew? thanks.

If they are wonderful during practice, but, challenging during a round, it isn't the the golf club. You need to practice the shots you need on the golf course.  My Vokey wedges let me down on occasion, but, it isn't the golf clubs fault, it is usually user error on my part. 

[Kai Slater]

I would like to check out some Vokey wedges, but I always was under the impression that Titleist clubs were only for the best of the best talented golfers, tour players, and or scratch player at worse to be able to use those clubs.

[kthomas]

As a mid-capper myself, I appreciate the added forgiveness of the Ping Glide series of wedges over the Vokeys.

[philly2kuk]

1 hour ago, Kai Slater said:

I would like to check out some Vokey wedges, but I always was under the impression that Titleist clubs were only for the best of the best talented golfers, tour players, and or scratch player at worse to be able to use those clubs.

Once upon a time when I was younger they were. Now anyone could play t350/t300 irons. Bladed wedges aren’t for everyone though - my dad struggles with them whilst I’ve played them since I was 14.

[shart6]

After years of struggling with Vokey’s in desperation I turned to a Ping Zing Lob Wedge. With rusted shaft and a cracked grip, it was better than my Vokey’s. I traded in all my twentyish Vokey’s and kept three.

 

The Zing Lob wedge got a makeover at Ping and I a found a wedge with a G Loomis Tour shaft on eBay. Maybe it is just returning to a club I used successfully in my forties but building a similar Zing Sand wedge has been a complete bust. So, I’m back to a Nike Engage gap wedge with a Project X shaft.

 

The Nike wedge worked cold turkey with a slick grip and Dynamic Gold S440 shaft. It works better fitted with the same shaft as my irons.

[ChipNRun]

2 hours ago, Kai Slater said:

I would like to check out some Vokey wedges, but I always was under the impression that Titleist clubs were only for the best of the best talented golfers, tour players, and or scratch player at worse to be able to use those clubs.

 

Start out with these two basic  grinds. Also, see if you can find a local Titleist Thursday fitting. Ask to focus on wedges.

 

Edited August 2, 2023 by ChipNRun
Reset pictures.

[Kai Slater]

4 minutes ago, ChipNRun said:

 

Start out with these two basic  grinds. Also, see if you can find a local Titleist Thursday fitting. Ask to focus on wedges.

 

I would love to experience the fitting process.   Never done anything like that before

[Georgie Z]

48 minutes ago, ChipNRun said:

 

Start out with these two basic  grinds. Also, see if you can find a local Titleist Thursday fitting. Ask to focus on wedges.

 

Which do you prefer for full shots? What’s the benefit of an S grind?

[JohnnyCashForever]

On 8/1/2023 at 8:27 PM, ChipNRun said:

 

First, the news on Vokey.

• The good news: Vokey wedges have a lot to offer
• The bad news: Vokey wedges have a lot to offer, and finding what you need can be a challenge

Vokey offers lots of goodies: lofts from 46* to 64*, scattered across seven sole grinds:

 

 

Here are two more a basic of the seven wedge grinds for the SM9 model:

 

So, the challenge is to find the loft/grind mix that works best for you. If you can find a Titleist Thursday fitting and check out different loft and grind combos in the wild, your chances of finding what you need are better. Think twice about buying a Vokey wedge just because a fellow golfer in happy hour said a 58*/12 D.grind was the ultimate weapon.

 

And, don't forget your normal turf conditions.

 

If you play mainly square-face shots, the F or S grind may be what you need. For Lob Wedge, you need to check out other grinds.

 

Further, if you play mainly square-face shots without a lot of hand manipulation, iron set wedges may do you just as well as Vokeys or other specialty wedge models. 

 

Great post.  It's cool that Titleist went this technical, and the golfing public accepted and embraced it.  For me, the bounce/grind/loft matrix was enough to scare me away from Vokey for over a decade.  And I still cannot figure out what they're attempting to communicate with the blue shading in the pictures or why it's important.  But obviously, others can understand what is going on here.  More power to them.

 

 

 

 

[Flip4000]

I'd also consider looking at length. This ended up being a huge factor for me

[Jeff58]

4 hours ago, JohnnyCashForever said:

And I still cannot figure out what they're attempting to communicate with the blue shading in the pictures or why it's important.

The Blue area is where material has been removed. The confusing aspect (and correctly so) is that the F is essentially flat, giving the impression that pretty much nothing has been removed. What they are trying to convey IMO is that the entire sole area has been ground flat.

 

Vokeys are easier to understand if you consider that there are basically only 3 types. In this regard, they are actually less complicated than more “general” grinds, which try to optimize everything in a single model. For the first two types, you pick the one that corresponds to your attack angle and playing conditions -

 

Relief - L, M, D, T. Allows opening the club face and works well over a wider range on lies.
 

Flat - F, K. Full shots with normal face angles, or sand wedges where opening the face creates very high floatation

 

S - For manipulating loft with shaft lean.

[North Butte]

High flotation is a great term for it. That’s why nothing plays like a 54F out of bunkers. 

[Mascot]

22 hours ago, Georgie Z said:

Which do you prefer for full shots? What’s the benefit of an S grind?

As Jeff58 said above, F grind a traditionally shaped wedge that is best suited for full shots and normal face angles (i.e. less face manipulation and less manipulation with shaft lean)

 

S grind has relief on the back end of the sole what makes it easier to make good contact when manipulating loft with shaft lean

 

My 52 is in an F grind since I mostly use it for full shots, knock down shots and chipping where I don't need to manipulate the face (good lies where I have more room to work with on the green)

[bogieboy]

I find the wedge i grab the most these days is my oilcan vokey sm4, its a 48°, 8° of bounce (prior to the letter designations) and it is my favorite wether short bump and runs, or full shots from 90 yds... and i am a 20 hcp.... maybe get a wedge fitting and see what sole grinds suit your game on the course, not just in practice....

 

Also, i ised to struggle with wedge shots in a game, take an extra few seconds in the setup, i used to rush it, you think no boggie, step up and whack a 30 yd chip it wil be easy.... then blade it thru the backside of the green, top it back to the front side, and now we are pissed and chipping a 3rd shot for bogey....LOL slow down and be intentional... 

[LeoLeo99]

Vokeys do not work for me. Callaway wedges work better. I've added some CB wedges to the bag and I'm much more consistent.  

[DaveGoodrich]

On 8/1/2023 at 5:27 PM, ChipNRun said:

Think twice about buying a Vokey wedge just because a fellow golfer in happy hour said a 58*/12 D.grind was the ultimate weapon.

 

But the 58*/12D is the ultimate weapon.  Very versatile around the green, and forgiving on full shots ...and wouldja look at that...it's happy hour, too  

[North Butte]

It's always happy hour somewhere and somewhere there's always a guy with a 58.12D getting up and down from the trash. 

[AC168]

I’ve been fitted by Bob and took my Dad also who is 12ish handicap.  SW and LW need to be dialed in then Vokey’s are great.  GW has difference issues because of bigger swing.