Titleist just released the 60-degree Vokey SM9 A Grinder through its WedgeWorks Program. This club is rooted Australia, but has been adopted by 2023 U.S. Open winner Wyndham Clark as his go-to tool for short game.
Bob Vokey has been a Titleist wedge expert for many years. He says that bounce is the friend of every golfer and that they need more bounce in their clubs. Bounce is the back flange of a wedge that extends beneath the leading edge. It helps the wedge to avoid digging into turf or sand. In some cases, too much bounce can be harmful. If the ground is hard or compacted sand, for example, the bounce of a sand or lob wedge may cause the club to ricochet and make thin contact.
The A Grind wedge is the first to be offered in the public. It has 60 degrees loft with only 4 degrees bounce.
Aaron Dill, Titleist’s PGA Tour representative for Vokey wedges and Geoff Ogilvy, discussed classic Australian courses to develop the A Grind.
Titleist Vokey A Grind wedge. (Titleist)
Dill explained that after asking him specific questions, he came up with the idea of designing a lob wedge grind that would complement the links-style conditions players encounter not only in Australia and Europe but worldwide. “Geoff is a low-bounce player with his 60-degree wedge, so I removed the ribbon from his 60.04L, creating a grind which moves quickly through the turf and has very little resistance,” Dill said.
The seam that separates the two areas of the sole is what Dill was referring to. The 60-degree Ogilvy L Grind wedge was given a wider sole and a smoother bottom, while still maintaining its low bounce. On tight lies or in bunkers that have little sand (or very hard compacted sand), skilled players can still use the A Grind wedge to get the leading edge under the ball. This will result in a cleaner contact.
Wyndham Clark, a PGA Tour player, is one of the many players who regularly carry A Grind wedges.
The A grind is the most important club in his bag. He said that it was versatile and allowed him to use it on hard and tight lies as well as in wet and dry conditions to achieve the desired trajectory and spin.
Tom Kim, who has won on the PGA Tour, used an A Grind to win his PGA Tour victories. Max Homa also used an A Grind during last year’s British Open.
The Titleist WedgeWorks A Grind comes only in the right-hand version with a raw-steel finishing and is available for $225 from vokey.com.
