Today, Titleist released a brand new Vokey WedgeWorks 64º T grinding wedge in a black vapor skirt for $275.
But its release comes with a question: Who is it really designed for? Vokey says the new offering is “a high-height wedge designed to help players navigate hard conditions, elevated greens and short lies.” But I think there’s actually another customer who doesn’t suspect the high lobbyist.
The unsuspecting beneficiary
Several times I have dropped a 64 degree wedge into the bag of my less skilled friends who all share a similar trait in their short game: a lack of confidence. This lack of confidence leads to sharp shots on the green as they try to force the ball in too fast, or come up short of their target after a big drive shot.
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Christian Petersen/Getty Images
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Maddie MacClurg
But when I give them a 64 degree wedge, the same pattern always occurs. For the first handful of shots, everything goes straight up down and about half as far as they think it will. I usually suggest that these guys don’t have a lob wedge at all, so they’re matching the 64-degree wedge with a sand wedge or a blank wedge from their game-improvement iron set, which causes them to swing at less speed than they should.
The traditional thinking is to stop less skilled players from getting the ball up in the air. Many legends of the game have said this keeping the ball close to the ground leads to more success.
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Title / Vokey
And while I think that’s generally true, the 64-degree wedge might be the answer to that. After a few more shots, they have figured out that they can throw the lob wedge behind the ball and it will just pop. By putting in a little more speed, they can basically hit a one-shot from almost anywhere without worry, knowing that the release will help the ball stop with gravity. Their confidence grows, their speed becomes more consistent, and their short game begins to improve dramatically.
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4 tips to achieve the perfect crash, according to Danielle Kang
Zephyr Melton
You can see here in the data I collected this morning at Foresight that the 64-degree does exactly what it’s meant to do. It starts a little higher, spins a little more because of that loft, and stops a little faster because of those factors and gravity. It is an easy thing to use. Can I even hit an 8 yard flop shot that stops where it lands? Yes. But that’s a pleasure we’ll talk about another time.
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Jake Morrow
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