Next to putters, wedges may be the single most personal clubs in a golfer’s bag. Wedges come in a variety of shapes. They have different lofts, different finishes, different grooves, different bounces, different soles, and different weights.
For the better player, wedges are the truest scoring clubs. Every shot from 125 yards and in is hit with a wedge, including full shots, chip shots, sand shots, flops, pitches, and more. Tom Kite was one of the first players to put a third wedge in his bag, and today quite a few Tour players have as many as four wedges. Players may switch drivers or irons every few weeks – or even week to week – but wedges sometimes last for years in a player’s bag.
The wedge game is dominated by a few players: TaylorMade with their RAC wedges (specifically their Y-Cutter RAC wedges on tour), Cleveland with their CG10 and 588 wedges, and Titleist with their Bob Vokey designs. Relative newcomers (and “regular” clubmakers) like Callaway, Ping, and Mizuno are making inroads as well, typically with golfers who play the same manufacturer’s irons.
Appearance
In 2005, Bob Vokey and Titleist introduced “spin milled” versions of his famous line of wedges. I’ve used Vokey wedges for nearly my entire playing career largely due to the esthetics. Cleveland wedges always had a rounded leading edge that looked bizarre to me, and there weren’t many other wedges with the reputation of a Vokey wedge.
The Vokey Spin Milled wedges retain the classic teardrop shape and come in only one finish: the Tour Chrome finish. Rumors about oil can spin milled wedges or black spin milled wedges abound, but I wouldn’t recommend holding out for anything but what’s available right now. The Tour Chrome finish is bright without being overly reflective, so you shouldn’t get a big blast of glare in your eyes as you line up a shot.
Vokey wedges set up nicely to the ball and feature a relatively square leading edge. This has always inspired confidence in my game when I feel the need to open up the clubface for a higher shot, and I feel it aids in alignment over the more curved wedges from Cleveland.
Technology
Made of 8620 mild carbon steel, the Vokey Spin Milled wedge is just that: a Bob Vokey designed Titleist wedge that’s spin milled instead of, uhhhh, not. The face of the wedge is CNC machined to create a rougher surface for better spin retention on partial shots. The wedge features 30% more groove volume due to a special circular-style saw cutting tool that offers a steeper draft angle and a tighter edge radius. In other words, the grooves are deeper and sharper.
The face is CNC milled to provide additional gripping power, particularly on partial shots around the green.
The clubs are equipped with a standard TrueTemper Dynamic Gold S200 shaft and a Titleist-branded Golf Pride Velvet Cord grip. I play corded grips in 13 of my clubs, but in the wedge I particularly feel that it aids in feel and remains tacky in nearly any sort of weather.
The 2005 spin milled Vokeys are only available in six loft and bounce combinations – 56.10, 56.14, 58.08, 58.12, 60.04, 60.08 – though players can expect this line to be expanded in 2006.
Playability
My old wedges were a reliable 56° Titleist DCI Black which was great from the sand but which had too much bounce for play from the fairway. Early last year I added a 60° oil-can Vokey to my arsenal and saw my scores drop. For this review, I’ve been using both a SM56.10 (56° of loft with 10° bounce) and SM60.04 (60° loft, 4° bounce) to replace my sand wedge and lob wedge.
The clubs performed admirably on full shots from the fairway and rough, particularly from wet or dewy grass. I was able to control the trajectory, spin, and distances more easily as I could with my former wedges. The 10° bounce on the SM56.10 didn’t get in the way when I opened the blade a little, nor did it bounce excessively off of hardpan lies. The SM60.04, naturally, performed even better and allowed for an even greater variety of full swings. On full shots, these clubs performed as I’ve come to expect a Vokey wedge to perform – with precision, accuracy, control, and feel.
However, the short shots are where these clubs really shine. I remember watching Padraig Harrington in a playoff against Vijay Singh at the Honda Classic clipping pitch shots from the light rough around the greens. One hop and they’d stop dead. Commentator Johnny Miller said “he must have some new grooves on those wedges.” I wished to myself that I had the ability to hit shots like that.
You can guess where this is going: the Spin Milled Vokey wedges give me that ability. I, like Padraig, play the Titleist Pro V1x, and the combination of the V1x and the spin milled wedges provided surprising stopping power around the greens. “Bounce and check” chip shots are easily controlled, as are pitches from thick greenside rough. Perhaps my favorite place to use the wedges are from bunkers. A steep angle of approach produces enough spin to back up bunker shots without sacrificing the ability to play a low running bunker shot with a shallower angle of attack.
One day I tried the Pro V1, the higher spinning, softer version of Titleist’s top-of-the-line golf ball. With these wedges I was backing up shots with ease. No, not 100-yard sand wedges or 75-yard lob wedges. No sir. I hit one shot from the light rough to a pin 20 yards away. It bounced once, bounced twice, and spun back two feet! From 20 yards! I dropped ten more balls and played shots from 15 to 30 yards and was able to get all of them to suck back from slightly moist light rough! The spin these wedges generate is amazing.
The only downside to these high-spinning wedges remains a common one amongst all high-spinning wedges with sharp grooves: ball wear. Spin Milled Vokeys will shred some balls with softer covers. I rarely hit a full wedge shot, so my V1xs survive quite a few holes. But hit a hard lob wedge from 75 yards with a V1, a BlackMAX, or a B330-S and you’ll probably be putting a new ball in play on the next tee. That’s just the way it is.
I’ve played close to 50 rounds of golf with my wedges so far and have hit at least 1000 shots with each. The grooves remain sharp, the finish remains nearly intact, and the circular milling marks are still quite evident, indicating a lack of wear. These clubs will last awhile, which is a good thing, as I don’t plan on giving them up anytime soon!
The Vokey wedge’s leading edge is squarer than some other popular wedges. I feel this helps set up for more types of shots, particularly those played with an open clubface.
Overall
Bob Vokey wedges are used by countless touring professionals (well, not countless…) on every major professional and amateur tour in the world. I’m the first to admit that wedges are a very personal thing, and I’m not certain I could ever play the “spoony” looking Cleveland wedges. The Spin Milled Vokey wedges combine a classic teardrop shape with advanced milling techniques to create a wedge that performs and looks as if it will perform.
These wedges allow for a standard bevy of full shots (knockdowns, high soft lobs, punches, and standard full shots) while providing extra spin on short shots around the greens, from the rough, and in bunkers. They belong in the hands of players who know how to get the most from their wedges.
the Spin Mill are the best wedges I have ever played.
Great review, more info then on titleist website, going to buy one tomorrow!
Cleveland CG10 are also a premier wedge.
great job on the review, i have a couple cleveland wedges and i have never really felt comfortable with them. I also just bought a callaway wedge and dont really care for it. i did try a spin milled wedge last week on the course for the first time from a fellow player for one shot from about 60 yards and it landed about 3 feet from the hole, it had an awesome feel and i will be buying the 56 & 60 this week thanks to your review!
Has anyone noticed a difference in trajectory between a Vokey 60 degree and another manufacturer’s 60 degree wedge. It seems the Vokey 60 has a somewhat lower trajectory than a Ben Hogan Colonial and a Nike Spin Velocity. That is my perception after experimenting with different wedges. It is possible that my Vokey 60 (8 degrees of bounce) is possibly closer to a 57 or 58, or maybe it works a little different for me. I would imagine it would be relatively easy to verify the loft.
The new Titleist Spin Mill wedges are a great looking and a great feeling club. Unfortunately when I had a chance to take them to the course this Spring my thoughts suddenly changed. After my first shot with my sand wedge I picked my ball up off the green to clean it off and noticed that the cover of my Pro V 1 x was ripped off. Everyshot that I hit with my wedges after that peeled off the cover of the ball where the impact occured. I wasnt sure it was the case so I hit more than one shot. I ended up ruining 3 balls. 2 with a full swing and 1 with a pitch shot. I hope Titleist reworks the Spin Mill and tones it down. Yeah, I need a sleeve to replace my ruined balls. Thanks a lot Titleist.
i think the spin milled wedges are good but when you hit a full shot with it, it scuffs the ball up. When you pull a brand new ball out of your bag at the beginning of a round and you bomb your drive you have about 90 yards in. You hit a full 56 of 58 degree spin milled wedge the ball is toast and all cut up.
Yes, Kyle, that’s what they do when they’re brand new (and to a lesser extent when they’re worn in). This is true of all modern wedges.
The Vokey wedges are the best I’ve ever played and I’m 61 years old and play to a 4 handicap. For those of you having problems with excessive ball wear, my suggestion is to change balls, not wedges. I can stop a Top Flite XL3000 just as easily as a Pro V1 with these wedges. I never could understand why someone would pay $3.50 for a ball and then hit it in the lake or out of bounds on the first shot. Roger Cleveland designed the Cleveland wedges but guess where he is now? With Callaway! Bob Vokey remains with Titleist and in my opinion, has designed the best looking, feeling, functional wedges on the market. Just ask Geoff Olgivy what wedges he played to win the U.S. Open. Remember his last wedge shot on 18 where he stuck it close for a 1 putt to win? He used a Vokey.
I recently purchased an Oil Can SM58.08 and I noticed that it has a rounded leading edge; even so, it is a beautiful wedge. I don’t mind the change but was wondering if you had a comment on this design change. In your review, you had mentioned you preferred the straight leading edge. The Oil Can feels slightly lighter than the 258.08 although I know the swing weight is the same. I’m looking forward to playing the Spin Milled around the greens.
Thanks – I really enjoy your reviews and opinions.
It’s a straight leading edge. Believe me, you haven’t seen some of the really, really round ones.
I’ve got to say, I just picked up the 56 and 60 (replacing my Cleveland RTG’s) and honestly, the way the wedges absolutely shred the covers of my ProVx’s is disappointing to me!! It’s a beautiful wedge and the shotmaking ability is def. there, but after 1 shot, pitch, chip, my ball’s scuffed! I’m thinking of sanding it down a little to see if that helps. Anyone done this? I mean it will even take the covers off range balls!!
Given that the Spin Milled wedges are hard on golf balls and we still want to have distance and control..what golf ball can offer that trade off…If I’m a tour player who cares about how many balls I destroy…If I am a weekend player, then I need to find a ball that will withstand the grooves and still give me distance…Finally, if I am an aspiring player, with dreams of grandeur…What ball will satisfy my distance, my pocketbook and provide the control I need around the greens to compete..Short game is everything…I was thinking something like the HX TOUR or the Nike ONE ..PRO V anything is soft..what do you think…
Picked up a Spin Milled 56°10 about halfway through last season (06) and after playing Cleveland wedges my entire adult golf life, the Spin Milled is the absolute superior of the two in both feel and spin. That being said, the Spin Milled wedge will certainly tear up your new ProV1 – I found this rip job occuring from even the shortest of chips on ProV1’s. However, as noted above, the Spin Milled wedge will nicely wear over time and the scuffing will subside to the point that your ProV1 or equivalent soft ball may begin to endure your first nine holes. After playing through half a season, I found the gnashing teeth of this Vokey wedge to lessen to this point and am now enjoying what may eclipse my Mizuno MP-33 8-iron as my favorite weapon in the bag.
I would encourage anyone to pick up one of these Spin Milled wedges, buy some “harder” covered balls and “break it in”. Heck, go to the range and practice your 100-yard and in game with this wedge. You’ll save some balls and STROKES in the process!
Had a 52 degree spin milled Vokey’s they are awsome, nothing even comes close to it !
really Ed1? I didn’t think they made the spin milled in a 52 degree.
Spin Milled wedges start at 54 degrees and go up to 60 in 2 degree increments.
These are great wedges, i have been playing a 56 and 60 for the last few months. My only quibble with titleist is that they dont make a Spin Milled 52 degree wedge. Erik, will i be losing a lot if I add a 52* wedge from the Vokey not-spin milled line to complete the gap betweek my 47* and 56*?
I am thinking they don’t make the 52 because of the ball scuffing issue – more full shots would lead to more ball destruction and more complaints. I am disappointed, though, as that is the hole i was looking to fill.
I’ve played a Vokey 52/8 and for 2 years, it’s my saving grace.
I also have used the Vokey 56/10 for my sand wedge. I’ve just bought a 54/10 and a 58/8 Spin Milled and am hoping to have as much luck with them. Now, I usesd to play the ProV1x, but really am more confident with the Callaway HXTour. Before I do the research myself, does anyone know if I’m going to chew up the Callaway like I hear everyone say they chew up the ProV1?
love the swing and feel of vokey wedges. what brand/model of irons has the same feel?
I carry two oil can spin milleds- 54* bent to 52.5* and 56* bent to 57.5*. These are, hands down, the best wedges I’ve ever struck.
They’re ‘old-school,’ but I swing Titleist 962Bs with S100s. Although the feel is a bit different, I find the swings to be wonderful compliments to eachother.
Yea i dont think you should be crying about scuffed up balls… when yu cant even throw the ball closer then you can hit it wit the spin milled wedges dont do complaining about the scuffs. if yur a weekend golfer whats the scuff going to do? ruin a 10 footer that yur more than likely to miss? pick off the little scuff marks and keep going. I did that and i consistantly play mid 70s golf everyday. the wedges are amazing and you can work them back with every type of ball. the only problem is what if yu have a 8 or 9 or Pw with a Top flite ball? no spin there. Keep with the Pro V1 or ProV1X, you’ll be ok.
Has anyone split their wedges, say using the SM for their lob and the 200 series in the SW?
I’ve played 588s for a long time and was considering making the switch.
Question….I am replacing my sand wedge and love the Vokey SM wedges but…which one should I get? I kind of like the 54* wedge for its versatility in that I can hit it longer from the fairway but how is it for getting out of the sand? Since I want to use the 54* from the sand I was thinking of using the 14* bounce. Thoughts? Thanks!
I tried a spin milled 60 with 4 degrees of bounce. I was 10 yards off the green in thick grass with a tight, downhill pin placement. The shot came out low but with good distance and I naturally thought that the ball would end up at the other side of the green. It landed on the downslope infront of the pin and actually checked back up hill and then settled next to the pin for a gimmie! I ordered the other three lofts last night. 😆
I guess all of you complaining about ball scuffing with the spin milled wedges never played with a balata ball.
Now that was REAL scuffing!! Softest feeling golfballs ever, though!
P.S. Every duffer I know changes balls to putt. Just use that “scuffer” on the next water hole!!
Not true. I have. Then again I don’t really complain, nor are most of the people here.
Then every duffer you know cheats.
these wedges are amazing im only 13 and when i hit my oil can sm.56.10 it takes one hop and spins im a 5 handicap
This Titleist Vokey Spin Mill Wedge is amazing. I have used ping wedges since 1994, starting from the Ping Eye 2 with square groves and have had great results but my new Titlest Vokey wedge 56.0 with an 8 Degree bounce and oil can finish has caused me to retire my Ping wedges. This wedge gives you great feel and confidence as well as the ability to back the ball up alot more then my ping eye 2. Its has a very soft feel and allows you play the ball at serveral differnent angles and bad lies. As for ripping the covers off the balls as some have stated, I have not experianced that, but; have noticed the wear on my golf balls. One thing to mention, this club is not very forgiving but when you hit it you can feel the differance and if you hit is fat it will cause you to correct/swing your swing. I would suggest that you practice before a round, hitting it so you can see the differance and play a better round. If you want to low your scores and be more accurrate on your short game this is the club for you. This is truly an awesome club and I would recommend it to mid to low handicapper.
I just got the sm54.10 and sm60.4. All I can say is that the feeling and spin are amazing. So what if the cover gets scuffed, if you show your partner the ball is damaged and he agrees, you can replace it, right???
just bought a SM56.14, will be getting a 52 and a 60 aswell, the 60 will be spin milled, but inorder to save balls i was thinking of getting a non sm 52, since i will be hitting longer approach shots that will eat the cover off the ball. anyone agree or disagree? other suggestions.
ya that is legal.
I don’t think the 52 comes in sm, so you don’t have to even consider it.
I just bought a 54 and a 60 to replace a 56, 52 and 60 wedge to put a true 3 wood back in my bag. I played my first round with the the new wedges and wanted to show one of my friends the clubs and only realized then that the 60 I bought was a 60.08 instead of a 60.04 which I had wanted to purchase. This was after I chiped in with the 60. I don’t mind to suck it up and get the 60.04 because either way, I need to take some time and get comfortable with them but I want to get comfortable with the best fit for me. What will the difference in bounce actually do around the greens/from a bunker? I really wanted the 60.04 for clean shots around the greens but also I used my old 60 from greenside bunkers. How much of a difference could I expect?.
I bought a 56, and i will be buying a 60. The 60.08 is still a fairly low bounce, whether u need to replace it with the 60.04 all depends on the courses you play. the 60.04 will give you cleaner shots off of firmest of fairways, but the 60.08 should give you clean shots from basically any situation, so take a look at your course before u decide, keep in mind your wedges are something you want to have full confidence in, so if the 08 bounce is going to play with your mind while shooting, replace it with the 04.
Fact: Titleist does not make a SM 52 degree wedge.
However…. my question is has anyone ever bent a 54 SM wedge to a 52 degree loft….successfully?
Finally since these are not forged clubs… what is the probablilty/risk of breaking?
Also….has anyone ever broken one attempting to bend it?
Thanks!!
Odd, I left a detailed post on here a few weeks ago about bending these Vokeys. Anyhow, I also left one on 4/26/07.
I carry two oil can SM vokeys, a 52.5 (was a 54 prior to bending) and a 57.5 (was a 56). I had these bent at the time of purchase by the retailer I used (Golf Galaxy). Most clubs can be bent a few degrees, as long as you’re not bending more than 2 degrees, and you have a professional do it, you should be okay.
**Remember that bending the loft also changes the bounce!**
lI had a 54 bent to 52. No problem. However, I use my 52 as a gap wedge and chipper. The spin milled grooves imparted too much spin for the way I wanted to play it. I picked up a “regular” 52 and married that to a spin milled 58. That’s the combination that’s worked best for me. I think there’s a reason Titleist hasn’t produced a 52 in spin milled.
Great point Jack. I should’ve also noted about the amount of spin a bent 52 SM will impart. Generally, I’ve never been one to create excess spin with my wedges, but during my first round with my SM 52, I overshot a green from about 120 yards, landed on the back fringe and spun the ball off the front of a flat green. Except for laughs, I never use this club from > 70 yards.
I don’t have time to really test any of the popular wedges but want to try the SM Vokey more than anything. My only concern is the 56 10 bounce, does anyone know if that will be alright for hard turf… I wish they made this in a lower bounce as the courses I play have hard sand and usually not very soft turf. Any suggestions?
ya you can always have the bounce grinded down.
That’s a thought… however if you grind down the bounce won’t it change the swing weight?
you could try getting the sm58.08 and have it bent strong 2 degrees, that way you will have a 56 degree with 6 degrees of bounce.
Then you could put lead tape on it.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to care for the oil can wedges?? I have some rust forming and just want to know what is the best way to get rid of it and how I can store them without getting more rust on them. I also want to make sure the cleaning isn’t hard on the spin milled face and grooves. Thanks in advance!!
What I wanted to be able to do with my wedge shots was spin control, I wanted to impart enough spin so it hops then stops then on the second bounce or suck back a little with my chips shots, and I was very aware of how to do it. I knew about hitting down with a decending blow, trapping the ball between the fairway and the club and all that but when I hit it it only hopped and slowed down heaps. On long shots it would stop dead..
I practiced so hard trying to get some more bite but never able to get it suck back or get it to totally stop dead on the second bounce with short chip shots.. I asked myself “Why cant I do it when Im doing everything right?” (I play play off a 3) So after practicing for hours and hours I heard about “spin milled” wedges. So I gave this wedge a go today..What I would like to say to all of you is “THE GROOVES ON YOUR WEDGES MATTERS, end of story”
Before I had the vokeys I had cleveland gunmetal 900
I bought myself set of vokey spin milled 54* and 60* and guys….its amazing..you just get that confidence of attacking those short chip shots because on the second bounce it stops dead..seriously dead and backs up slightly. On half or full wedge shots it spins back..hop…hop..hop then it sucks back.
Now if you are like me who was worried if vokey spin milled is a good wedge and wondering if it actually will spin the ball so you have the stopping power and you are reading around for reviews and all that I can assure you for sure now that this wedge will make you spin the ball like pros. It is the “shiznet” of all wedges. It looks very clean and awesome too.
I had to make a review about this wedge because it is such a nice club.
Thanks guys.
I wore out a set of 588’s and made the switch to Vokeys. I carry the regular 52 degeee oil can and the 58 degree oil can spin milled. There is not a tremendous amount of difference in the spin. The regular 52 produces a boring ball flight with plenty of spin, and the the 58SM offers great control around the greens. Don’t monkey around bending a 54SM to 52 degrees and grinding the sole/adding lead tape. You just take a quality product and ruin it. Both products perform very well as is. If you have around a 46-48 degree PW, try this combination of the regular 52 for more full shots and the 58SM for around the greens. I like this combo rather than carrying 4 wedges as you can easily open/close the 52 and 58 to cover several yardages. I used it much of the summer with great results.
I am interested in buying the vokey spin milled wedge. Hearing all the comments of scuffed balls and on the other hand great spin, I’m confused. Is it worth putting in the bag?
these are by far the best wedges ever…it is definantly worth buying them, even if it scuffs a ball a little bit, you scores will drop drastically. it usually doesnt scuff the ball, though, only if you try to spin it extremely hard (which you need not do) will it scuff. so it is either a couple scuffed balls or higher scores. your choice. i would take a couple of scuffed balls if my score drops a couple strokes. btw many pros use these wedges and do they complain about the balls or wedges? no. take the vokeys and you will be satisfied with the results
They don’t make a 52 degree “spin milled” Volkey – Dave
what is the difference between the 60.04 and 60.08 sm wedges? I am looking to purchase one and really don’t understand the difference in the two. thanks
One has 4° bounce and the other has 8°. I’ll let you figure out which is which. 🙂
Titleist Vokey wedges are a fantastic wedge and very easy to adapt to..I purchased the 60 Degree version the other day and after playing a couple of rounds with it i have noticed it scrapes your ball considerably but because this is such a great club its worth it.Very effective on 20-30 yard pitches and short chips especially, fantastic grip and spin.The only drawback is that it has a lower projectory than most other 60 Degree wedges.Why is this??cannot understand it..Also please tell me what are a better ball, PRO V1X or regular PROV1?I get a lot of backspin, sometimes too much, so which ball in the market would suit me best.Leave a comment.Thanks
i use a 58 spinmilled and a 54 spinmilled i think they spin to much a my wedge is worn . i dont no to change the ball or the wedge i use pro v1x they are a great wedge but i dont know i play of a 4 and i am 14
the x will spin less than the v1, i would go with that ball if i were you. plus its longer off the tee if you tend to have too much spin on tee shots. as for me ill stick to the v1 bc i need a little more spin on most shots-even the driver. these tend to have a lower trajectory bc the center of gravity is higher on these wedges than most. this is good, though, bc it does create a little more spin and your shots dont hang in the wind as long. you can hit these high if you want to bc theyre workable, just change your swing. a low cog in a wedge would be really bad- no control or spin.
well…in this case, i would change to a less expensive ball that would go further because you already get the spin you want, like the callaway hx hot, or some other mid range ball. theres no purpose in playing the pro v1x if you get too much spin. these were designed to spin a lot, but if you want a tour ball still (ie. tournaments) you might try the bridgestone b330 or the b330s. these are amazing long, theyre tour balls, but they dont spin as much as the pro v1x. in the other comment i made, i did not mean the x spun a lot less than the pro v1, just a little less. i play to a +0.9 and i am 17.lol.
is there a wedge that spins more than a spinmilled?
i like what everyone said about these wedges and they seem like they are awsome. i have the taylormade rac wedges and i liked them but i might try these vokey spin milled wedges they sound like they grip the greens good. also i play a lot of courses that the greens are firm will these wedges stop the ball for me? also there are a lot of people crying about there balls getting eatin up, you need to get over it and stop crying. Try a different club that is not spin milled and when you hit the green it will go off the back and then say you dont like your ball being eatin up. thanks
Does anyone know if a oil can finished wedge’s grooves get toned down quicker than the crome?
The whole point of the oil-can wedges is to rust for excess spin to be possible
Rusted wedges don’t spin more. Read this article for more information.
titleist wedges are great. same with the cleveland wedges except the cleveland wedges last longer and there fore you get more of your moneys worth
Well I agree that these wedges spin like crazy….too much. If you’re swing speed is up there you won’t like these. I played this weekend and went through 3 pro v’s on the front nine, I’m fine with some scuffs on the ball, but gashes not so much. I was actually wondering if the cuts were going to affect the putts before I could replace the ball. There is very few times when I would ever want that much spin on the ball, I backed it completely off a couple greens…fringe and all. I already ordered a new 56 non spin milled. These are probably great for lower swing speeds and I’m still considering getting a 60 for around the green since I rarely hit that full.
There is no such thing as a 52 degree spin milled by Titleist. They only come in 54 to 60 degrees.
I am already using two SM wedges (a 56 for sand and 60 for lob). I really like the two that I have and am considering replacing my old PW, that came with my set, with a 200 series in a 48 degree loft. I think BV makes a good product.
Just a follow up on the “cutting and scuffing” issue. I’ve played with either a Titleist or Pinnacle ball since 1973.
I have played with “forged blades” for all that time.
I guess I must be doing something wrong because I haven’t cut or scuffed a ball since probably the early eighties.
PB
there is such a thing you can bend them to make that degree to a serten extent
question – I would like to buy a 58 spin milled with an 8 bounce – but on our course conditions are often wet and we have a lot of moss on the fairways – effectively this gives you a tight lie – would I be best going for a 60 degree with a 4 bounce?
Is it better to hit flop shots around the greens with a highly lofted wedge with little bounce?
Is it safer (for higher handicappers) to hit out of the sand with more bounce?
Does it follow that one should play those two types of shots with different wedges, one with more bounce and one with less, even though the lofts might be the same?
Great review. I bought a Vokey 60 degree with 4 bounce Friday and was using it Saturday and Sunday. I currently chip with a CG12 56 degree which is slightly thinner so the initial feel was was a bit clunky. First swing I took on the iron, I bladed the ball. It didn’t take long to start chipping great shots with it. Playing fall golf on hard greens, I couldn’t get my CG12 to hold, unless I was 40+ yards out. I was forced to play pitches and flops with my CG12. With the Vokey, I could choke down and hit runners from around the green that would bounce once and stop immediately. This is exactly what I needed in fall golf, the ability to get aggressive on the pin and not have to play flop shots. Overall, exactly what I was looking for when I missed or didn’t hold a green. I’m curious to see if I will be able to control the back spin come spring and summer in 09′.
I’m a +2 and have been playing cleveland 588s for years. I tried the vokey’s back in 2000 and thought they were terrible, especially the 60 degree wedge. It dove into soft turf, was clanky, and felt dead in bunkers. It’s time to get new wedges and was considering the vokey’s again, but the design looks exactly the same (wide sole) on the 60 as the much loathed one I played 8 years ago. I’m left handed so I don’t have any bounce options or the luxury of testing them out first. Are there any significant design changes in the spin milled wedges (beside the grooves and face) or is it business as usual? Any feedback is appreciated.
Design in SM wedges is identical to their non-spin milled counterparts.
However, I did just receive an email this morning from either Golfsmith or Austad’s announcing re-designed Vokey and Vokey SM wedges. You may want to look into this…
They do make a 52 degree. I picked one up yesterday and tried it on course the same day. OMG this wedge is awesome. Lowered my score by 4 strokes over 9 holes at least. This wedge is awesome. It let me shape shots even better than my 56 degree cleveland CG12. Going to get the 56 and 60 ASAP! I need to work out the longer shots, but it’s staying in the bag for sure.
I just bought a 2009 60 degree wedge with a 7 degree bounce. I usually chip from the rough and from a soft fairway. Did I get the correct bounce?
I am a Titleist man, so the opinion that i give may come across as bias when i speak to most. I “obiously” went to titleist when i got my new wedges. I went with the 56 for sand, and the 62 for my green side knock down club. I am really impressed with both of the clubs, and overly impressed with the impact the 62 had on my green side abilities. I am aprox. a 5 handicap, so by no means am i a pro, but coming from a guy that has hit a ball or two in his day… i will never play another brand and would recommend these to anyone!
Yes, in January 2009 the 52 degree spin mill became available. I absolutely love it. After each round I spritz it overnight to accelerate
the rust
actually if you check the titleist website they make the spin milled in a 48 degree all the way up to a 64 degree not 54 60
This review is from 2005. Some of the comments pre-date the fall 2008 series of Vokey wedges.
I recently demo’d a 56 degree Vokey SM and loved it, it shot amazing and it really “sat” around the pin.
I bought a 56.10 today, and then I was thinking of picking up another Wedge (probably a 60 degree) in the near future.
I have Callaway x20s, and the highest club I have is a Pitching Wedge (46 degrees).
Also, the courses I play are 50/50 when it comes to softness/crispness of the grass. I play on a golf team, and travel to different golf courses all the time. (some were swamps)
On the other hand, our home course is very crisp, and lacks a lot of bunkers (there are probably 3 that are a risk).
Should I get a 60 degree SM to add on to the collection? If so, what bounce (4 or 8).
I have a fast club speed, and use stiff flex shafts in general. I also tend to slice the ball a lot.
I have a great set of wedges in my bag now w/ discontinued Golfsmith heads 60/56/52 [plus my PW bent to 48]. They all have square, milled grooves and they’ll stay in the bag until I wear them out. But, given the USGA’s anal retentive effort to punish mainly average golfers via the V groove rule, I am shopping for replacements w/ square grooves for the 60/56/52 wedges and the Titleist Vokey Spin Milled are my choice for my next set. I tested them and they are as good or better than the excellent wedges I own. I’m not about to buy $4 soft-cover balls just so I can play with V grooved wedges. My $1 ball with the square grooved wedges backs up, drops & stops and and does the one-bounce checkup routine. If you plan to golf several years beyond 2010, some square grooved replacements will be a good investment this year.
I tried out my 56 degree Vokey SM and I have to say it is amazing. I hit a shot about 60 yards out on the 14th hole I’ve played with it, and it spun back into the hole! : )
Just got a 60 degree vokey. took it to the range to try and get a feel for hitting it, was managing to spin it off the fake raised astroturf greens they have there, the spin you is amazing.
After four or five shots the evidence of the spin was apparent, lots of white shavings on the end of the damp club.
Never had a wedge that tears up range balls before.
i recently got a 54•14 and a 58•04 in th oil can and by far these are the best wedges i have ever used. i used to us the RAC y cutter wedges and on 70 yard shot with a 60 degree they hopped then stopped. but now with my spinmilled vokeys i can get it to spin in which ever direction i want. i just played a round with my TM TP reds and pro v1x and it spun back with both balls. but i also noticed that my balls wore down after 3 holes. but if ur planning to get new wedges get the spin milled and some durable balls. I chamged to the srixon z stars.
Go buy some metal polish for shining aluminum rims. Mothers works great, clean the surface of the wedge with some steal wool or a scotchbrite pad, then polish the wedge until it shines like a new penny. Ive been ploishing my 56 Vokey since a week after I bought it, to me it looks better than the treated clubs. I do it every time I get home from golf so rust wont build on it and stays looking great and I believe the polished surface helps with friction, espescially around the fringe and on tight lies in the grass.
Just bought the the new C-C grooved 2010 60 deg 7 bounce wedge and a series 200 56 degree with 14 degree bounce. As a lefty I can’t buy the 10 deg bounce. I am transferring from Cleveland DSG wedges. I get my Pro. V1x’s to stop, but think the lower angle off the club face will combat the wind. Will the 200 series 14 degree bounce kill my 100 yard full 56 degree shot off the fairway? I usually take a large divot after contact to de-loft the club and produce spin. I usually open the club face then use a risty shot from soft sand to get over high lip bunkers; will a 7 bounce perform worse in this case? Vokey wedges get the best reviews period, so I am confident I made a smart purchase. What adjustments in my game should I make to lower my scores with this club? I live in cold weather so I won’t play until the temperature is over 40 degrees, but will practice to stay sharp.
As a side note. After a couple reviews I decided to trade in the C-C 2010 model for the traditional groove model to get better spin. I was able to trade for no cost with Golfsmith. So far I am 50% in par saves inside 50 yds. Better than my clevand percentage.
Picked up a 56o 8bounce
First round used it for 6 chips from fringe area to 40 or so foot pins, 5 almost went in and ended up within a foot. Ball rolls like it was putted as soon as it lands. Ball was Nike One Platinum. I was a plus 3 over 20 years ago, don’t play much now. Kept my old wedge in bag, so didn’t hit any pitches or full shots with it, but broke it the new Vokey chipping and the results are interesting, that a wedge could make the ball run so true like a well putted long putt. I don’t miss greens by that much to have 20 yd pitches, and I position my tee shops so I’m usually 125 to 150 or so in, so I can hit a PW or low iron most of the time, so I rarely have those Gap or Sand Wedges to a green anymore, when you young and dumb and bombing drivers every hole, you end up with those Lob, Gap and Sand Wedge shots, now I just play the tee shot to a full PW and tap in birdies all day instead of trying to have 3 clubs to hit from 70, 90 and 110. Maybe most of you need to start hitting 3 Woods and 2 Irons off of tees to try to hit the 125 area and you’ll find how easy your birdies are all day long. Just my 2 cents. Anyway, picked up the Vokey to replace an old Sand Wedge for tight sand bunkers in my area, but I don’t hit many traps, so I tried to use it for short touchy chips, maybe it was having a new club in my hands that made me focus, maybe it’s the new club, but the magic 3 foot circle seemed to be only a foot that day. So far impressed with a Titleist club, played balatas from Titleist for years, only used a Titleist driver for a couple of months once, worst driver I ever had, used Staff Persimmon back in the day, then old Taylor metal, then Ping, then that horrible Titleist driver, went back to PING driver real fast, but these wedges do seem to be excellent clubs. From a company I only considered a ball maker, even though everyone swears by their putters. First putter I ever used was Ping and only putters I ever used were pings. Used forged staffs for years, then Normans blade the eagle for years, then went to Hogan forged, so I guess I’m gonna have to find a new blade set soon, maybe try titleist now that I see they know how to make a wedge.
Short shots from 100-20 yds have been a good part of my game. A full swing occurs once per hole except par 5’s. I have a GPS and a full swing lay up is okay for flat greens. Steep greens need more spin control. I switched from the C-C groove to the 2014 version. The lower ball flight requires some control with titleist. I wish I could buy a lower bounce wedge (as a lefty) so I can open the club face and slide it through. The 60 deg spin milled helped lower my handicap to 10.6 from 16.2.