Titleist Vokey SM7 Wedges Introduced

Titleist Vokey SM7 Wedges Introduced - The new Vokey SM7 wedges are said to offer improved spin control, feel and versatility over the popular SM6

They’ve been out on tour since October 2017 but now, we can finally reveal all the details about Master Craftsman Bob Vokey’s new SM7 wedges.

Vokey’s prior generation SM6 models benefited from progressive Centre of Gravity (CG) design and the SM7 builds on this concept to provide more consistent spin, distance control and versatility.

Developed through his collaboration with the some of the world’s best players, Bob Vokey has added a new D Grind, essentially a high bounce M Grind, to join the F, S, M, K, and L Grinds.

The K Grind now comes with higher bounce too. This allows golfers of all skill levels to be precisely fit for their swing type, shot making style and course conditions. There are now 23 loft, bounce and grind combinations. You can find out more about all the grinds here.

Progressive Centre of Gravity aligns the CG with the impact position of each loft to produce precise distance and trajectory control with improved feel. Technology that is visible on the back of the wedge, the CG locations have been pushed even further – higher on the high lofts and lower on the low lofts – to produce more consistent performance with better feel at impact.

RELATED: Vokey SM7 Wedges Review

An additional Spin Milled cutting process for plated wedges (Tour Chrome and Brushed Steel) as compared to the raw offerings (Jet Black and Raw) has also been used, resulting in a more precise cut by finish and 100rpm more spin.

A proprietary heat treatment is applied to all Vokey Design SM7 wedges, resulting in longer lasting spin through the life of the wedge.

In terms of finishes there are three to choose from. Tour Chrome retains its popular bright chrome finish. The darker Brushed Steel finish is richer and slightly more polished when compared to the Steel Grey offered in SM6, while maintaining a non-glare finish in the playing position. The raw Jet Black has been enhanced with black paint fill in the logos and graphics, inspired by requests received on tour by Vokey Tour Rep Aaron Dill.

Just two weeks following their debut at the Shriners Hospital for Childrens Open, Vokey SM7 wedges became the most played wedge model on the PGA Tour, with 123 SM7s in play at The RSM Classic.

Players using SM7 wedges include Jordan Spieth (46.10 F, 52.08 F, 56.10 S, 60.04 L), Jimmy Walker, Bill Haas, Webb Simpson, Brian Harman and Andrew 'Beef' Johnston.

“One thing I know from working with tour players the last 20-plus years is that they won’t put a new wedge in play unless it’s better” Bob Vokey told GM. “Every time we come out with a new one, we have to prove it. Based on how quickly guys are switching to SM7, we know we’ve done it.”

Key Info

Vokey SM7 wedges will be available from March 9^th with an RRP of £150 per wedge. They are available in three finishes: Tour Chrome, Brushed Steel and Jet Black.

Tour Seeding Process

The tour seeding process for the new Titleist Vokey SM7 wedges began with a bang in Las Vegas at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open on the PGA Tour. In the proceeding weeks at the RSM Classic they became the number one wedge on the PGA Tour, with Open Champion Jordan Spieth then adding them to his bag at the Australian Open in November.

Tour seeding is an important process for Titleist, who like to seek validation of its products before they go on sale to the public.

Alongside Spieth, Titleist staff players who have already upgraded include Charley Hoffman, Kevin Na, Webb Simpson and Jimmy Walker. Zac Blair was also given some to test, as you can see from his tweet below.

Seeding also began on the European Tour at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, with Titleist staff player Bernd Wiesberger already playing a set having gone through the wedge fitting process.

Speaking about the players’ feedback, Vokey Wedge Representative Aaron Dill told us: "Players tested the SM7 prototypes and mentioned their soft feel, lower launch, and higher spin around the greens. All the key things that we strive to achieve in wedge development was validated in the first week. When a player tells you it's easier to hit wedge shots you know you have something special."

RELATED: Titleist SM6 Wedges Review

What happens during a wedge fitting with Bob Vokey himself

From the pictures released online so far we can see a cleaner look on the back of the wedge, with the grind now labelled on the toe section of the sole next to the amount of bounce. One of the pictures also shows a D Grind, which hasn't previously been available at retail.

The SM6 changed to way the centre of gravity (CG) progressed through the loft range and the SM7 looks to continue that trend, with the higher lofts adopting a higher CG to align more with the most common impact location for better feel, spin control and a lower trajectory.

Conversely, the lower lofts had a lower CG to get the ball airborne more easily. Be sure to follow Golf Monthly's social media channels for the latest news and updates.