Why port a wedge?

[reg1900]

Haven't found too much detail about why someone would port a wedge. Is it a swing weight thing? Change COG for a lower flight? Any other reason???

 

How do you know where to drill so you don't create a draw/fade bias?

[jewofgolf]

It's quite difficult to create a draw/fade bias in a wedge. The reason is to raise the COG when you put lead tape back on the club at a higher spot than the ported holes.

[Howard_Jones]

NomadWRX have a line up of wedges ported. They say its for moving COG higher, and by that lower ball curve.
I wound not use the word lie, but removing 1,5 - 2 gram from a club head of 300+ grams does not make an influence on the ball curve.Look at adjustable drivers. Moving a weigh of 2 grams does not change anything, and a driver club head is about 200 grams.(1% is moving).You need at least 6-8 grams on a driver head of 200 to notice anything at all, and that means about 12 grams or more on a wedge head.

My first grinding project on wedges needed about 22 grams of weight replacement, and i cant tell that they changed a lot from before this weight was added. Maybe a bit more spin only, and higher swingweight of cause (D5-6 on the LW)

Here is a link to NomadWRX (Nice wedges, I restored a set of those, so i have tried them.)
[url="http://www.nomadgolfwrx.com/"]http://www.nomadgolfwrx.com/[/url]

And here is my extreme grinding and weight replacement job
[url="http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/340408-home-grinding/page__hl__home+grinding"]http://www.golfwrx.c...__home+grinding[/url]

[reg1900]

[quote name='Howard Jones' timestamp='1288959581' post='2775666']
NomadWRX have a line up of wedges ported. They say its for moving COG higher, and by that lower ball curve.
I wound not use the word lie, but removing 1,5 - 2 gram from a club head of 300+ grams does not make an influence on the ball curve.Look at adjustable drivers. Moving a weigh of 2 grams does not change anything, and a driver club head is about 200 grams.(1% is moving).You need at least 6-8 grams on a driver head of 200 to notice anything at all, and that means about 12 grams or more on a wedge head.

My first grinding project on wedges needed about 22 grams of weight replacement, and i cant tell that they changed a lot from before this weight was added. Maybe a bit more spin only, and higher swingweight of cause (D5-6 on the LW)

Here is a link to NomadWRX (Nice wedges, I restored a set of those, so i have tried them.)
[url="http://www.nomadgolfwrx.com/"]http://www.nomadgolfwrx.com/[/url]

And here is my extreme grinding and weight replacement job
[url="http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/340408-home-grinding/page__hl__home+grinding"]http://www.golfwrx.c...__home+grinding[/url]
[/quote]


Thanks, nice grinding job, really like how you added the weight and shaped it to match the club.

I'd seen the nomad site and read about the cog change, I always thought of porting as a swingweight thing, I agree I don't think taking a few grams out of a 300g clubhead will do much for changing ball flight.

Forgot to ask in my original post about the difference in ball flight. I'm thinking of doing it in my 51 mp-t, its 5 points heavier than my PW. I'll give it a try on an old head first.

[Howard_Jones]

if you are asking if porting changes ball flight, i say no it does not. Porting might be a way to reduce head weight/SW if needed, and it looks cool to, but nothing else.
Look at James Patrics porting job with tungsten. if porting/removing weight means a higher COG, James Patrics wedges should shoot sky high, since he is adding tungsten at the same level Nomad is removing weight. http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/298427-introduction-to-a-wedge-master-welcome-james-patrick/

[reg1900]

[quote name='Howard Jones' timestamp='1288962688' post='2775721']
if you are asking if porting changes ball flight, i say no it does not. Porting might be a way to reduce head weight/SW if needed, and it looks cool to, but nothing else.
Look at James Patrics porting job with tungsten. if porting/removing weight means a higher COG, James Patrics wedges should shoot sky high, since he is adding tungsten at the same level Nomad is removing weight. [url="http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/298427-introduction-to-a-wedge-master-welcome-james-patrick/"]http://www.golfwrx.c...-james-patrick/[/url]
[/quote]


Wow, thanks for the link, some crazy work on those wedges, has he filled those 5-6 ports with tungsten for swingweight after the grind?

My plan would be to port to get the head a bit lighter, thinking of doing the ports either side of the "mizuno"

[Howard_Jones]

Go ahead, but be care full with depth. A good advice is to put a tape around the drill, as a mark for maximum bore depth.
Make a small diameter bore first, then a bigger one. Check weight as you go forward.

About Tungsten plugs. Tungsten got 2.5 times the weight of carbon steel at the same volume. Drilling out 1 gram, makes it possible to put in 2.5 gram tungsten, and in sum, gain 1.5 gram, and that's what's done to a few of JP's wedges (very nice job he does. He should have been a gold smith, not a golf smith)

[albatrosser]

maybe I'm completely off base here, but I don't believe so.

Porting a wedge raises the COG creating a LOWER more penetrating ball flight. No?

[Howard_Jones]

[quote name='albatrosser' timestamp='1288964641' post='2775778']
maybe I'm completely off base here, but I don't believe so.

Porting a wedge raises the COG creating a LOWER more penetrating ball flight. No?
[/quote]

You are not of base;-)
We already made the conclusion that porting won't change anything but SW and looks ;-)

[dpark]

I had my Scratch wedges ported for swingweight reason. My clubs are +1/2" so the swingweight was up to D8 and I had them ported to bring it back down to D5. As others have stated, no difference in flight trajectory compared to non-ported Scratch wedges.

[Buzzkill]

[quote name='reg1900' timestamp='1288952991' post='2775617']
Haven't found too much detail about why someone would port a wedge. Is it a swing weight thing? Change COG for a lower flight? Any other reason???

How do you know where to drill so you don't create a draw/fade bias?
[/quote]

It's a cool factor thing.

[mat562]

One of three reasons:

To lighten a clubhead. Often, in cases where irons are somewhat overlength, achieving a manageable, finished swingweight can be a problem.

To add weight to a clubhead. Filling the ports with denser material such as lead or tungsten is a common tactic, generally employed where clubs have been heavily ground and have lost a substantial amount of material and head weight as a result. 

For posing. Porting looks [i]'Tour.' [/i]

[jaskanski]

Porting is not quite as de rigeur as it used to be though. Faldo with an uber ported wedge in his early days with Wilson is a photo that still makes me laugh.

[attachment=679643:3275190.jpg]

[mat562]

Blimey.

It's a wonder the ball even got airborne with that sand wedge of Faldo's. If just [i]bruising [/i][i]the surface of the metal [/i]with a drill bit, like NomadWRX do, is apparently enough to markedly alter the centre of gravity of the club, increase the spin and lower the flight, then imagine what that one must play like with such a meaningful amount of metal removed. 

[reg1900]

[quote name='dpark' timestamp='1288982902' post='2776218']
I had my Scratch wedges ported for swingweight reason. My clubs are +1/2" so the swingweight was up to D8 and I had them ported to bring it back down to D5. As others have stated, no difference in flight trajectory compared to non-ported Scratch wedges.
[/quote]

I'm the same, play +3/4 longer and my 51* is at E1, surprised you needed 2 big craters to go from d8 to d5. Will the ports rust if you don't paint fill them?

How is the spin increased by porting?

[dpark]

[quote name='reg1900' timestamp='1288997900' post='2776614']
[quote name='dpark' timestamp='1288982902' post='2776218']
I had my Scratch wedges ported for swingweight reason. My clubs are +1/2" so the swingweight was up to D8 and I had them ported to bring it back down to D5. As others have stated, no difference in flight trajectory compared to non-ported Scratch wedges.
[/quote]

I'm the same, play +3/4 longer and my 51* is at E1, surprised you needed 2 big craters to go from d8 to d5. Will the ports rust if you don't paint fill them?

How is the spin increased by porting?
[/quote]

Well, that is what the Scratch guys did to get them back to D5. The stock swingweight is D5 and if you add 0.5" that should add 3 swingweight points. All I know (and care about) is that they are D5 now

The ports have rusted (I live in the Northwest and it does rain a lot...) but I couldn't care less, they are just tools to me. Not like I am going to be playing them for forever. The grooves will be gone long before the rust compromises the integrity of the head.

[MizunoPlayer68]

I ported an older set of Vokeys that I had just to work on my club fitting skills and see if there was a difference. From my experience, not hard to do but must go slow and keep weighing out. The difference, nothing at all in terms of ball flight. Totally understand the theory with extended clubs and SW

[TomWishon]

[quote name='reg1900' timestamp='1288952991' post='2775617']
Haven't found too much detail about why someone would port a wedge. Is it a swing weight thing? Change COG for a lower flight? Any other reason???

How do you know where to drill so you don't create a draw/fade bias?
[/quote]

Simply to be able to add some headweight to increase swingweight and help get the headweight feel more matched to the golfer's sense of feel for achieving better timing and rhythm on the shots.

But it really is a lot more work than simply putting lead tape on the back of the wedge. Plus you would be drilling out steel with a density of 7.8 g-cc to put in lead with a density of 11.3 g-cc so the actual weight increase per hole size drilled in the head is very small. Much easier with lead tape to get the headweight up there. Now if you can find tungsten weights of the same size as the holes drilled in the head, you can more significantly increase the headweight because the density of tungsten weights is around 13 g-cc depending on how much nickel is sintered in with the tungsten when the weights are made. But tungsten weights are $$$ compared to lead tape and they have to be epoxied into the holes.

And in no way can you create a draw or fade bias with a wedge. Nada. Wedges have way too much loft for any form of draw or fade bias to ever happen no matter how many holes you drill and pack with lead. CG effect would be very, very minimal too because once you have that much loft, any Cg change is heavily overshadowed. You'd get the headweight WAY too heavy to play with before you would ever see any shot change from a CG movement from adding weight to the head.

So in the end porting is done for two reasons - 1) as a royal pain in the neck method to add a small amount of headweight to help with headweight feel for better timing; 2) to make other golfers OOOH and AHHH and think the owner of the ported wedge must be a very knowledgeable player.

[snapier]

[quote name='reg1900' timestamp='1288952991' post='2775617']
Haven't found too much detail about why someone would port a wedge. Any other reason???
[/quote]

Porting wedges is for 12 handicaps trying to appear as scratch players.

[Fore_Putt]

[quote name='snapier' timestamp='1412903993' post='10263365'][quote name='reg1900' timestamp='1288952991' post='2775617']
Haven't found too much detail about why someone would port a wedge. Any other reason???
[/quote]

Porting wedges is for 12 handicaps trying to appear as scratch players.[/quote]

LOL

[aswo3332]

I play my irons/wedges at +1 inch. If my math is correct a D5 lob wedge at standard length is going to come out around E2 SW after being extended. Wouldn't my only option for reducing SW be to have the wedge ported? Just wondering because I saw vokey offers it on wedgeworks.

PS..just had my 54 SW checked because I've been struggling with it and it came out to E3.

[Cwebb]

[quote name='aswo3332' timestamp='1414881814' post='10384413']
I play my irons/wedges at +1 inch. If my math is correct a D5 lob wedge at standard length is going to come out around E2 SW after being extended. Wouldn't my only option for reducing SW be to have the wedge ported? Just wondering because I saw vokey offers it on wedgeworks.

PS..just had my 54 SW checked because I've been struggling with it and it came out to E3.
[/quote]

Not the only option. The first option I use, is to "deep bore" several grams out of the bottom of the hosel. Most wedges have quite a bit of material that can be drilled out below the bottom of the bore in the hosel

[aswo3332]

[quote name='Cwebb' timestamp='1414899334' post='10385613'][quote name='aswo3332' timestamp='1414881814' post='10384413']
I play my irons/wedges at +1 inch. If my math is correct a D5 lob wedge at standard length is going to come out around E2 SW after being extended. Wouldn't my only option for reducing SW be to have the wedge ported? Just wondering because I saw vokey offers it on wedgeworks.

PS..just had my 54 SW checked because I've been struggling with it and it came out to E3.
[/quote]

Not the only option. The first option I use, is to "deep bore" several grams out of the bottom of the hosel. Most wedges have quite a bit of material that can be drilled out below the bottom of the bore in the hosel[/quote]

How difficult is that to do? I really only have one local store near me and I doubt that's something they offer.

[starsail85]

If you can raise the cog by porting wouldn't you increase the gear effect on shots low on the grooves(most wedge shots off tight lies) and increase spin?

[Kingcat990]

You should port all of your golf clubs. Use a 1/2" drill bit. Don't be alarmed if you punch all the way through, just put a little lead tape on the face. It dropped my handicap 9 strokes.

[aswo3332]

[quote name='Kingcat990' timestamp='1414956646' post='10387479']You should port all of your golf clubs. Use a 1/2" drill bit. Don't be alarmed if you punch all the way through, just put a little lead tape on the face. It dropped my handicap 9 strokes.[/quote]

Huh? Reducing the SW dropped your cap 9 strokes?

[Cwebb]

[quote name='mizunostaffer' timestamp='1414945780' post='10386893']
If you can raise the cog by porting wouldn't you increase the gear effect on shots low on the grooves(most wedge shots off tight lies) and increase spin?
[/quote]

No gear effect on wedges. COG is too close to the face

[Cwebb]

[quote name='aswo3332' timestamp='1414942695' post='10386747']
[quote name='Cwebb' timestamp='1414899334' post='10385613'][quote name='aswo3332' timestamp='1414881814' post='10384413']
I play my irons/wedges at +1 inch. If my math is correct a D5 lob wedge at standard length is going to come out around E2 SW after being extended. Wouldn't my only option for reducing SW be to have the wedge ported? Just wondering because I saw vokey offers it on wedgeworks.

PS..just had my 54 SW checked because I've been struggling with it and it came out to E3.
[/quote]

Not the only option. The first option I use, is to "deep bore" several grams out of the bottom of the hosel. Most wedges have quite a bit of material that can be drilled out below the bottom of the bore in the hosel[/quote]

How difficult is that to do? I really only have one local store near me and I doubt that's something they offer.
[/quote]

Fairly simple with a drill press and the right clamp,....but do need to be careful not to drill too deep and all the way through

[MichiganSRT8]

No porting for me, lead tape, give me more weight.