What to expect from a wedge fitting

Jeremy Ellwood gets to experience a full Titleist SM6 wedge fitting not just from anyone, but Mr Wedge himself… Titleist’s Bob Vokey

My wedge game really is blessed with a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde persona. Casting aside any technique issues of which I am painfully aware, my full wedge game is distinctly sub-standard for a 5-handicapper, while around the greens I have been known to be quite useful.

So when the opportunity arose for a wedge fitting with the man who quite possibly knows more about golf’s scoring clubs than anyone on the planet – Titleist’s Bob Vokey – I leapt at the chance, eager to see if refining my wedge line-up might reap big dividends.

It was an illuminating and fascinating hour with a man who just exudes enthusiasm and interest, with Bob starting off by enquiring about my current wedge line-up and style of play. Armed with that info, Bob then set about getting me to test a variety of wedges in all the various bounce and sole grind options now available in the striking new SM6 series.

Bob watched me hit shots, observed my technique and even examined my divots in the relentless pursuit of just the right line-up for me, stressing that he likes 4˚ gaps between wedges.

When I headed up the equipment coverage in the magazine some years ago now, I remember writing on several occasions that, depending on course conditions and style of play, having a variety of bounce options at your disposal was as important, if not more important, than having a variety of loft options. Somehow, it would seem that I was right, with Bob enlightening me that only one tour pro he knew of has the same sole grind in all his wedges.

After much experimenting on full shots, chip shots and bunker shots it transpired that not only did I need three different lofts (obviously!) – 50˚, 54˚ and 58˚ - but also three different sole grinds – F, M and S respectively, with the amount of check on even short chips around the green an absolute revelation for someone’s whose wedge faces are now long past their sell-by date.

A few weeks later, three little personalised beauties arrived in the post, which I’m hoping might just give me a new edge around the greens.

The accompanying video reveals more of the nuggets of wisdom I received from Bob in our time together…