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Posted: March 21, 2007
Ben's Vokey SM54 prototype wedge.
Ben and Mata talk irons on the range at Doral.
Ben makes sure that Mata has all of his specs dialed in.
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Ben, do you change the bounce on your wedges from week to week?
JET wrote on March 22, 2007 at 3:03AM
First off, I love this new site!!! What a great looking wedge that Ben plays. Do many other tour players use a different grind on their sand wedges, or mostly their lob wedges? Is there any chance we'll see a club similar to Ben's (Spin Milled M grind) come to the retail market - similar to the special grind 60M retail that I've been using for 3 years? Thanks and keep up the great site!
JET wrote on March 22, 2007 at 1:03PM
Ben does not change wedges from week-to-week. The special grind that Voke has employed on Ben's wedges allows him to hit a variety of shots from all kinds of turf conditions.
Many Tour players incorporate special grinds on both their sand and lob wedges to allow for more creativity in their wedge play.
JET wrote on March 22, 2007 at 3:03PM
Where does Steve Mata get those funky hats????
JET wrote on March 22, 2007 at 5:03PM
Please see <a href="/2007/03/20/steve-mata-with-prom-meesawat/#comments" rel="nofollow">comment #3 here</a> for info on Mata's hats.
JET wrote on March 23, 2007 at 1:03AM
Great new site for us Titleist loyalists, thanks guys! My question has to do with the picture of Ben's backup wedge. I see it has the designation of TVD, which from what I understand means "Tour Van Design". I have read that these TVD wedges are being tested out on Tour as we speak. Can you tell us what's different about them from current Vokey wedges and if there are any plans for a retail release. Keep up the good work.
JET wrote on March 24, 2007 at 5:03PM
Rob: TVD does, in fact, stand for Tour Van Design. The name originally came about from the on-site custom grinding that we did on Tour of our existing stock Spin Milled (SM) series wedges. The requests for these grinds primarily come from players who want to add a little more versatility to their stock SM wedge. It mostly includes heel, toe and trailing edge relief which allows those players who want to open their wedge for additional loft and bounce to slide under the ball without the leading edge coming too far off the turf and sand. Since each wedge is customized to a player's personal specifications, there are no plans to offer them for sale to the general public at this time. I hope this helps.
<strong>Bye. Voke</strong>
JET wrote on March 24, 2007 at 6:03PM
"Since each wedge is customized to a player’s personal specifications, there are no plans to offer them for sale to the general public at this time. I hope this helps."
Titleist did release the Special Grind MVP series of wedges a while ago, and I still play the 60M to this day, one of my favorite wedges of all time. I personally think all players could benefit from heel, toe, and trailing edge relief on their wedges, and many other companies are using grinds on their stock wedges now. JAT.
JET wrote on March 25, 2007 at 7:03PM
Hi,
I read with great interest your response to Titleist Golf Clubs regarding the TVD wedges. I am extremely disappointed that these wedges will not come to market. I have a 54° Vokey Spin Milled wedge. I do not play a 60° Vokey because there are no options for heel relief. I would love to have a Vokey Spin Milled with the M grind. How can I get one of these?
Sincerely,
David Murray
2002 U.S. Mid-Amateur Contestant
JET wrote on March 27, 2007 at 12:03AM
Voke works with many players to develop custom grinds that work best for specific players in specific conditions. These grinds serve as a kind of developmental testing process that often help shape our in-line offerings but are rarely brought to market in their prototype form.
JET wrote on March 27, 2007 at 10:03PM
Any thoughts on offering a similar service to the Custom Shop that Scotty does for putters to do grinds like this on Titleist wedges?
I play Spin Milled wedges but the wide soles without relief do not adapt well for me to hardpan and tight lies.
I'd pay the extra premium for this service.
JET wrote on March 29, 2007 at 10:03PM
We are constantly looking at new and innovative ways to add value for our consumers. Thank you for your recommendation.
JET wrote on March 30, 2007 at 12:03AM
I would also pay a premium for a grind service. Being left-handed is hard sometimes.
JET wrote on April 1, 2007 at 11:04PM
I am a full member of the Canadian Tour. I am wondering how I could get into contact with Bob about getting set with some wedges. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
JET wrote on April 10, 2007 at 3:04AM
As I'm sure you can imagine, Voke stays pretty busy between his work with our R&D department and with the players each week on the PGA TOUR. Unfortunately, this doesn't leave him enough time to work with the many fine players who could benefit from his services.
JET wrote on April 10, 2007 at 5:04PM
What type of grind and specs does Ben have on his 54° wedge?
JET wrote on June 28, 2007 at 3:06AM
Ben's 54° wedge has an M grind, which you can read more about <a href="/2007/05/08/new-vokey-wedge-for-daisuke-maruyama/#comment-734" rel="nofollow">here</a>.
JET wrote on June 28, 2007 at 3:06PM
What are the specs on an M grind? For example, would it be a 3° toe roll, a 7° heel roll, and a 2° trailing edge roll?
JET wrote on June 28, 2007 at 6:06PM
Only Voke knows for certain, and he's not telling!
JET wrote on June 29, 2007 at 7:06PM
Do the Oil Can Spin Milled wedges spin more than the same wedges in Tour Chrome?
JET wrote on January 16, 2008 at 5:01PM