When it comes to golf clubs on the PGA Tour, everything is custom. From the way club heads are weighed to the way they’re adjusted for lie and loft, small details can make big differences, especially when it comes to the short games and wedges.
After scouring players’ bags on the range at Pebble Beach this past week, we came across a wedge we don’t see too often: a Titleist Vokey A+ grind 60-degree lob wedge in the bag of Jason Day. So we went right to the source, Vokey PGA Tour rep Aaron Dill, to get the full explanation of what makes Jason’s A+ grind unique.
What is a Vokey A Grind
Vokey A grind Titleist
Before we dive into the A+ it should be noted that the Vokey has offered an A grind in the past. Here’s Dill’s explanation of its origin:
“I spoke with Geoff Ogilvy, and we got on the topic of Australian golf courses and how they compared to courses in America and around the world,” he said. “I asked him some specific questions which resulted in an idea to design another lob wedge grind option that complemented the firm links-style conditions that players face – not just in Australia and Europe – but globally. Geoff has always been a low bounce player in his 60-degree, so I took his 60.04L wedge and removed the ribbon, resulting in a grind that moves through the turf quickly with very little resistance.”
The ribbon Dill describes is the raised ridge found on the sole of many wedges that feature variable geometry (see below).
Vokey wedge sole diagramRyan Barath
So if the A-grind is a reduced bounce L-grind, then what’s an A+? I’ll let Dill take over again here.
“The A+ is a new wedge model that we have brought out to tour this year in a stock standard model (that we don’t have to adjust on the equipment truck with extra polishing),” he said. “We used to make it with a modified M-grind and called it the AD plus, but with a validation on tour we decided to make it into a full-time part. It’s an M-grind with the ribbon removed from the center of the sole, and what that does is move the bounce down by 4 degrees, and also makes it faster through the turf.”
“So for players that hit the M-grind but find it a little sticky or a little bouncy [based on their delivery], this A+ model removes some of the bounce and lowers the leading edge when you set it up behind the ball.”
For every shot, every lie, every course, there’s a grind fit for your swing. Finding the right grind to match your swing and playing conditions will give you the best turf interaction, contact and shot performance. Master Craftsman Bob Vokey has spent decades crafting, developing and improving his tour proven grinds to fit players of all levels.Anyone can manufacture a wedge, but it takes a master to turn a piece of high-performance technology into an instrument of creative control. Bob’s six tour-proven grinds are designed to offer maximum creativity, versatility and consistency, all meticulously developed through years of working with the best players in the world.
PROGRESSIVE CENTER OF GRAVITY
SM9 features a progressive center of gravity (CG) throughout the lofts, which optimizes ball flight, accuracy and forgiveness. Using tapered top lines and varied hosel lengths, the Vokey R&D team has raised the height of the CG in the higher lofts, which promotes a lower, more controlled flight.The CG is also forward of the face, resulting in increased MOI, exceptional feel and a club face that simply wants to square up at impact.
SPIN MILLED GROOVES
SM9’s patented Spin Milled grooves are meticulously engineered through a new cutting process to maximize spin and durability. The process starts by cutting the face perfectly flat with a high-speed saw. Then every groove is individually cut based on loft and finish; low lofts (46°-54°) are designed with narrower, deeper grooves, while higher lofts (56°-62°) have wider, shallower grooves.Micro-grooves are individually cut in between grooves, which maximize spin on partial shots. A proprietary heat treatment is applied to the impact area which doubles the durability of the groove without impacting feel, making it the most durable groove in golf. The process is only complete when every Vokey wedge is 100% inspected for utmost quality and performance.
So there we have it, the mystery of the Vokey A+ grind, explained by the man who helped to create it. So next time you happen to see one of these in the bag of Jason Day or any other player on the PGA Tour you’ll know exactly where it came from.
Ryan Barath is GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com’s senior editor for equipment. He has an extensive club-fitting and -building background with more than 20 years of experience working with golfers of all skill levels, including PGA Tour players. Before joining the staff, he was the lead content strategist for Tour Experience Golf, in Toronto, Canada.
