Sift through the bags of the tour’s elite and you’re bound to come across an “A+” stamp that only recently started appearing on Vokey scoring tools. To be clear, you didn’t miss the memo regarding a new grading scale for grinds. The A+ has nothing to do with mastering the perfect grind — although some pros might disagree.
Peruse Vokey’s extensive grind lineup and you’ll find the A-Grind was released as a WedgeWorks limited option with SM8. The grind came about through conversations between Vokey Tour rep Aaron Dill and former U.S. Open winner Geoff Ogilvy, who wanted a specific option for “firm links-style” conditions.
“I spoke with Geoff, and we got on the topic of Australian golf courses and how they compared to courses in America and around the world,” recalled Dill. “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 current A-Grind in Vokey’s SM10 lineup is a WedgeWorks-only offering featuring 4 degrees of bounce with a smoothed-out sole that allows the leading edge to slide under the ball with little effort. It’s the kind of sole geometry designed for elite hands. Even legendary wedge designer Bob Vokey noted “the wedge requires precise delivery at impact, especially in soft conditions.”
In other words: Bring your “A” game.
The beauty of working with the best players in the world is the quality feedback that emanates from Tour once a grind is introduced. In some cases, the feedback turns into a new grind — like the A+. The “plus” designation at the end of the letter denotes a few key changes to the popular A-Grind, most notably more sole width and bounce.
Titleist Vokey WedgeWorks A+ Custom Wedge
In the past, Dill smoothed out the grind lines of an M-Grind, rather than the L-Grind that Ogilvy gamed, to create the A+ look and feel. But not anymore.
“On Tour over the years, we started seeing some loyal M Grind players who were finding that sole to be a little too bouncy for their liking,” said Dill. “A+ comes from taking their gamer M Grind and removing the ribbon from the center of the sole. Those players found the leading edge of the A+ sat a bit lower, and the wedge moved faster through the ground. That helped to unlock a bit more versatility for some based on how they deliver the club to the ball.”
