Vokey releases five popular SM11 wedge grinds and a surprise 62M through WedgeWorks, offering the kind of complementary lineup the platform should have always been.
If you’ve been paying attention, you know that while I get mostly excited about Vokey WedgeWorks releases, I have some lingering issues with the platform.
The good news is that with its latest WedgeWorks release, Vokey has finally solved one of them. The less good news is that the other two remain stubbornly, maddeningly intact.
End of flow
For the past several years, Vokey has used WedgeWorks as a means to release a slow trickle of tournaments that didn’t make it into the company’s already extensive retail line. Through WedgeWorks’ quarterly launches, you can get a low-inflated K Grind (now part of the retail line), the occasional V Grind, and sometimes something seemingly more exotic like an A*—each coming according to an internal calendar that hasn’t always directly addressed the needs (or at least the desires) of the Vokey faithful.
If your favorite fight lived on the WedgeWorks side of the fence, you’re stuck waiting. When SM-whatever launched with new technology, you have to look out while your WedgeWorks grinder was left in the oblivion of the last generation. Was there an updated version coming? Eventually, maybe. Also, probably not. You never knew.
I won’t go so far as to say that being stuck with a previous-gen V Grind was a deal-breaker, but, at the same time, if you’re telling me that the latest version of the SM is meaningfully better than the one before it, and I actually believe you, then leaving me without an upgrade path for months is, well, a bummer – and a big one at that.
With the SM11, Vokey is doing it differently.
Instead of rationalizing WedgeWorks grinds as if they’re the only way to survive a two-year product cycle, Vokey is launching five popular (to some of you, anyway) grinds—L, A, K*, A+, and V—along with a 62-degree M grind, and they’re doing it all at once. All built on the SM11 platform. All are available March 27 at Vokey.com.
This is not a leak. This is the reasonable opening of the floodgates with the full complement of grinds you won’t otherwise find on retail shelves.
I love it. And, also, it’s time.
What you are getting
Instead of me rehashing the entire history of SM11 technology, know that every WedgeWorks grind shares the same platform: matched CG positioning across the grids, progressive groove shapes by loft, new face direction texture, and five percent more groove volume. If you’re buying an SM11 WedgeWorks grinder, you’re getting SM11 performance. No wait-and-see of the previous generation this time around.
WedgeWorks Milling Formation
Here is the grind-by-grind list of WedgeWorks add-ons.
L Grind (58, 60 | Jump 4° | Low)
The L is a narrow-heeled, low-rise grind with heel, toe, and rear end relief. Think of it as living between the T Grind (narrower, more aggressive relief) and the M Grind (wider, more bounce). It gives you most of the versatility of a T with a little more dig protection. Best suited for strong to neutral conditions and shallower angles of attack. Ludvig Åberg, Brian Harman and Sungjae Im are among the PGA Tour players who play one.
A Grind (58, 60 | Jump 4° | Low)
Born out of a conversation between Aaron Dill and Geoff Ogilvy – who wanted something that moved faster on the hard, tight terrain commonly found in Australia – the A Grind is essentially an L Grind with the bar (grind lines at the transition between the toe and trailing edge) softened. The result is a leading edge that stays closer to the ground and glides across terrain with less drag. A little less versatile than the L, but a little more forgiving. Wyndham Clark, the 2023 US Open champion, is a longtime A Grind player.
K* Grind (58, 60 | 6° bounce | low)
One of the most popular wedge grinds on the PGA Tour, the K* is a low bounce derivative of the K Grind .06 (Low Bounce). Where the standard K has a full, smooth sole, the K* adds a steeper forefoot forefoot, plus heel, toe, and trailing edge relief. Translation: resists digging into square-faced photos, but lets you open up your face when you need to be creative. As with all K variations, the wide heel makes it a bunker weapon. Justin Thomas and Cam Young drive one.
A+ Grind (58, 60 | 8° swell | medium)
If the A Grind is an L with the bar removed, the A+ is an M with the bar removed. The same modification, applied to a wider and higher starting point. Moves faster across terrain than the M Grind, but offers more bounce and width than the A. Ideal for firm and neutral conditions with players whose M grind was too inflated. Adam Scott – another Australian, because of course – regularly plays a 58A+ on Tour.
V Grind (58, 60 | Jump 10° | mid-high)
My personal favorite of the WedgeWorks-only offerings. The V Grind is essentially a higher jump take on the T Grind – the same heel, toe and trailing edge relief, but with an added jump forward section that adds forgiveness on square-faced shots. It excels in neutral to soft conditions and with steeper deliveries. If you like the versatility of the T Grind but feel like it wants to dig in when the going gets soft, the V is your answer. Jackson Koivun, the top-ranked male amateur in the world, is a 60 V player. Me too. Sometimes.
62M Grind (62 | 8° swell | middle)
This is the unexpected surprise of the group. The M Grind is Bob Vokey’s favorite single grind – medium bounce, extremely versatile, great in a variety of conditions. Offering it at 62 degrees gives players a higher option in a popular and user-friendly brawl. If last year’s 64T was a little too aggressive for your taste (and good luck tracking it down at this point), the 62M is probably the safer and smarter play.
All WedgeWorks grinders are available in right-hand models. Left hand options are available for 60L, 60K* and 60V. (As is often the case with boutique publications, suck it up, Canada.)
Unsolved problems
While finally making a good chunk of the grind catalog available early in the product cycle is a significant step forward, I’m (as usual) not without my small gripes.
Every WedgeWorks grind is sent to Vokey’s Raw finish and one Raw finish only. Of course, many Tour players love Raw. It’s low gloss, some say it feels softer on impact, and if it rusts (which some also think looks nice), Aaron Dill is there to give them a new one.
For the tournament, it’s lather, rinse, repeat, a few times a year with lob wedges anyway, so rust isn’t too much of a concern.
The thing is, you probably don’t have Aaron Dill on speed dial, and if so, it’s not a stretch to assume that, unlike Justin Thomas, Cam Young and the rest of the Vokey staff, you pay for your wedges.
And that puts me in a difficult position. I’m the one who has told you over and over that rust doesn’t add spin. This rust can actually cause the rotor to break. And yet, my V looks like it was pulled from a shipwreck. I try to keep it clean. I do. But raw steel and the same conditions that require the T to V swap aren’t exactly a storage-friendly combination.
Overall, the finish adds durability. It is a real layer of protection. With wedges starting at $200 (raw ones inexplicably cost more) and the average player not replacing them nearly as often as they should, this durability detail matters. A Tour Chrome or Jet Black or some other option (Slate Blue, for example) wouldn’t just be nice, it would be practical.
Raw makes sense if you like low shine and can show up to see your tour rep whenever you need a new one. For the other 99.999 percent of us, especially those who believe it when Vokey says that high-height wedges need to be replaced every 75 rounds or so, some additional finishing options would be appreciated.
And speaking of missing ends
I’ve been beating this drum for years. Slate Blue is The best ending™. This is not an opinion. It’s a proven fact that a (mostly silent) army of Slate Blue loyalists will support me. We continue to be underserved and, at this point, I would like to speak to the manager.
What’s particularly galling is that Vokey will apparently do absolutely anything for you if you’re Australian. They will create a whole grind from scratch (A Grind for Ogilvy). They’ll put your compatriot’s favorite feud front and center (Adam Scott and A+). They will even put you in charge of product marketing for the brand. With that, we’ll probably get vegetarian-flavored koala leather grips before we see Slate Blue again.
If I were Australian I’m pretty sure I could get a Slate Blue V Grind hand delivered by Bob Vokey himself. Instead, all I get from New York is a Caesar salad (plain. No fresh shrimp from the barbie) and a side of rust.
Can I speak to the manager’s manager?
Better yet, I got to know Greg Chalmers freely. I’m making a phone call. Maybe he can make it happen.
I’m gone.
Price and availability
All new Vokey WedgeWorks offerings will be available through Vokey.com starting March 27th. Retail price is $229 per wedge. Don’t shoot the messenger; it should be clear by now that I am not responsible for WedgeWorks. As with all WedgeWorks orders, custom options include stamping, ink fill, and your choice of shaft and grip.
conclusion
Credit where it’s due: this is a smart and, in my estimation, necessary evolution for WedgeWorks. Launching a full complementary lineup alongside SM11 – rather than digging out one at a time over the course of two years – is exactly the right approach. He respects the golfer’s time and recognizes that when you tell people a new fairway is better, they should be able to access it without waiting their turn.
One of the three issues has been resolved. It’s probably the most important, but I’d be lying if I said the rawness and continued absence of Slate Blue didn’t grate on me a little.
Have your say
Are you excited to see an almost complete WedgeWorks lineup succeed? Let us know what you think—and if you’re Australian, maybe put in a good word with the Vokey team.
