It’s natural for golfers to want the gear they can’t have. For years, Tour prototypes that never saw the light of day in the retail space proliferated the professional golf landscape. Thankfully, a lot has changed over the last decade. Most “Tour-only” clubs eventually make their way into the hands of recreational golfers.
The latest example? Vokey’s 2022 T grind wedge. The narrower forward bounce and minimal camber found on the T is preferred by Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth in their lob wedge on the firm, tight conditions they see in competition. When comparing the T grind to an L grind, the one noticeable difference is the T’s wide flange that allows for a lower measured bounce to cut underneath the ball.
“Wedge play is an art, and the T grind brings out the best in the artist,” said master wedge craftsman Bob Vokey. “The leading edge stays low to the playing surface as the wedge is rotated which allows you to hit a variety of shots from tight lies. This is the wedge that really made Vokey Grinds an important part of our process – and still to this day is a great option.”
In addition to Thomas and Spieth, the T grind has continued to grow in popularity on Tour, especially in Europe where firm, links-style conditions are the norm most weeks.
“I’ve had players say they feel like they can hit any shot with the T,” said Will Harvey, Vokey’s European Tour rep. “The combination of the forward bounce for low pitch shots and the grind for the soft control shots is something needed with the vast amount of shots required on links or firmer course setups.”
While the T has been released at retail in the past, the grind wasn’t available with SM9’s updated technology — until now. Offered through the WedgeWorks program, the 2022 T grind features all of the same tech you’d find on the latest wedge offering from Vokey.
For the latest iteration, Titleist engineers raised the CG higher in the head and then pushed it forward to produce shots with a lower trajectory and greater spin, giving players more control. To raise the CG slightly, Vokey made two subtle changes to the head, extending the length of the hosel — particularly in the higher lofts — and adding a “raised pad,” essentially more metal, in the toe section. The mass in the toe is tapered, but you’d need to look at it closely to pick up on the change.
For the first time since SM6, Vokey introduced a new Spin Milled cutting process that tightens tolerances to produce a consistently sharper groove for additional spin. Micro grooves are then individually cut between each groove to add bite on partial shots around the green. A heat treatment is then applied to the hitting area to extend the overall life of each groove.
During GOLF.com’s head-to-head testing, SM9’s launch was, on average, 2 to 3 degrees lower than SM8 with upward of 300-500 RPMs more spin.
