All posts in Wedges

Cobra ‘Trusty Rusty’ Wedges: Rust is a Must… Or You Bust.

by James on April 28, 2012 in Golf Equipment, Cobra, Wedges with No comments

I have to admit, I love my wedges. I’ve been playing the Cleveland Golf 588 RTG wedges for MANY years now. They’ve rusted up all nice, and are simply solid. However, when I happened upon Cobra Golf’s new ‘Trusty Rusty’ wedges… I found myself saying ‘hold on a tick… what’s this all about!?’. Let’s take a look at ’em.

The Cobra Golf Trusty Rusty wedge comes in specialty rusted finishes, that some players prefer (like me!) for a soft feel. They’ve available in satin with a pre-rusted face, a black PVD face, or a plain old ‘rust’ face. If you’re wondering how they do it, the clubheads are simply un-plated carbon steel. Over time, the face rusts up, leaving a true ‘rusty’ finish that many great players enjoy.

Short game guru Phil Rodgers is responsible for the look and design of these bad boys, and from what I’ve seen so far, they’re beautiful.

Another nice feature of the Trusty Rusty is the tri-bounce sole with rear scallop. What does it mean for you? In a nutshell, it means the wedge is versatile. Open up the face to play that high flopper, or choke down and close the face to play a lower punch shot. No matter what the shot demands, the sole and bounce accommodate to help make for a successful result, close to the pin.

Also worth noting is the laser precision technology that Cobra boasts on the trusty rusty. On the face of the club itself, Cobra uses lasers to produce a surface with four distinct surface roughnesses. The result is a face geared towards producing the maximum allowable spin (we can always use more spin… right?).

The Cobra Golf ‘Trusty Rusty’ is available in degree lofts of 49, 51, 53, 55, 57, 59… and yes, 61 (flopper!). They’re also shipped stock with the Dynamic Golf S200 shaft (painted black).

For more information, pop on over to Cobra Golf.

Vokey WedgeWorks Now Available in Canada

by James on April 11, 2011 in Golf Equipment, Titleist, Wedges with No comments

When Brian Vokey and the team at Titleist introduced ‘WedgeWorks‘ last year, I was in awe. The online shop let you pick and choose from a lineup of custom wedges that you could tune and tailor to your liking. Add initials, adjust your loft, length, grip, and much more. The website (click here) is awesome to say the least, and in all honesty… if you’re not a Cleveland wedge fan (I am), Vokey wedges are a solid choice.

Well, for the longest time Canadians have been shunned from ordering from WedgeWorks. That is, until now. Titleist has just announced that Vokey WedgeWorks is now available in Canada.

Unfortunately, the order process isn’t exactly an easy one. Folks in the U.S. can simply go through the online customization process. It’s fun, easy, and I often find myself browsing around the site… you know, putting together custom wedges, and playing around with different options (it’s pretty darn cool). For Canadians (and other ‘international’ regions), an order form must be printed, filled out, and returned to your nearest Titleist golf club retailer. The retailer confirms your order, and returns the form to Titleist for fulfillment.

For more information, below are the order form and brochure PDF’s for your enjoyment.

Nike VR Pro Wedge Arrives with X3X High-Frequency Grooves

by James on March 25, 2011 in Golf Equipment, Nike Golf, Wedges with No comments

The VR Pro Wedge from Nike Golf is the latest in Nike’s line of scoring clubs to hit the scene. The VR Pro features precision forging and top-of-the-line craftsmanship… which, in the end will provide optimal spin rates and ‘feel’ for the accomplished golfer.

Key features:

  • New X3X high-frequency grooves for consistent ball flight
  • 21.5% more volume under the impact area of the ball
  • Material used is tried and true S20C forged iron
  • Precision-forging ensures shot-making consistency
  • Available in satin chrome and brush oxide raw

The forging process used to produce the VR Pro wedges is precise to say the least. Nike Golf reports that the process is the most exact wedge face the company has ever created. In the end, I suppose what we can take away from this is from sketch drawings through to computer models, the finished product ‘as built’ in the real world is spot on… exactly how the designers intended.

The Nike VR Pro wedges feature more grooves than your typical wedge. The resulting effect is not only more spin (and control), but a cleaner and more consistent ball flight will result on those short game shots. While more grooves are found on the wedge itself, don’t go thinking there’s something unconforming here. The new wedge conforms to the new USGA and R&A wedge stipulations… No worries here, it’s all good!

Coming to a golf shop near you April 1st, the Nike VR Pro Wedge will be available in Satin Chrome or Brushed Oxide RAW. Loft/Bounce options will include: 50/10, 52/10, 54/12, 56/10, 56/14, 58/8, 58/10, 60/6, 60/10 (Available in RH) 52/10, 56/14, 60/10 (Available in LH).

Photo Gallery:

For more information, hit up the press release below.

Nike Golf Creates VR Pro Wedge Featuring the X3X High-Frequency Grooves

-Nike’s new VR Pro Wedge features precision forging to ensure consistency and Tour proven craftsmanship for the top players in the world-

TORONTO (March 25, 2011)–Nike Golf continues to lead in innovation with the addition of the new Nike VR Pro wedge to Nike’s successful VR Pro line.

The VR Pro wedges are developed out of a precise forging process resulting in a wedge that offers accurate shot-shaping performance.  The face of the VR Pro wedge is the most exact wedge face Nike has ever created.  From materials, to design, to construction, the VR Pro wedge is developed with craftsmanship to eliminate variance and enhance control.

Each wedge face features more grooves, resulting in cleaner, more consistent ball flight and spin while still conforming to the new USGA and R&A rules.  With more grooves closer together and deeper on the clubface, the VR Pro wedge ensures more control and consistency in all conditions off the clubface.  A precision laser crosshatch pattern is applied to the land area between the grooves.  This pattern adds three times the surface texture versus conventionally finished faces, creating more spin in all conditions.

Crafted for consistency that Nike Golf Tour Athletes demand, the VR Pro wedge utilizes a new precision-forging technique that immediately delivers the club to a near-finished level.  This precision-forging technique eliminates most hand work and ensures consistency and maximum performance throughout the set.

Each iron face is milled to a perfectly flat surface.  The face is then carefully die-stamped, pressing grooves to exact specifications for extremely low variance and shot-making consistency.

The VR Pro wedge is already in the bags of Nike Athletes on the PGA Tour, including Stewart Cink, Anthony Kim, Francesco Molinari and Tiger Woods.

Availability:  April 1, 2011 
Finish Options: Satin Chrome or Brushed Oxide RAW
Loft/Bounce Options:  50/10, 52/10, 54/12, 56/10, 56/14, 58/8, 58/10, 60/6, 60/10 (Available in RH) 52/10, 56/14, 60/10 (Available in LH)
Cdn MSRP:  $129.99

Wedge Rule Causing Confusion…

by Annie Latham on July 30, 2010 in News, Golf Equipment, More..., Wedges with No comments

Golfweek’s James Achenbach has written a piece discussing the confusion being caused by the USGA’s new wedge rule.  Apparently, 18-year-old rookie pro Sarah Brown, was wrongly removed from the course and disqualified from a Duramed Futures Tour event because two rules officials “blew the call.”  They insisted that Brown’s 54-degree Ping Tour-W wedge was nonconforming (old grooves) when, in fact, it turned out to be conforming (new grooves).

First of all, Ping Tour-W wedges “can be conforming or nonconforming, depending on when and for whom they were manufactured.”

Also, Achenbach noted that for almost all amateurs, the old grooves can be used in everyday play and in competition until 2024. It is only the so-called “elite” amateur tournaments that will require the new grooves at an earlier date, beginning in 2014. 

Not sure where our “rookie pro,” Ms. Brown fits in.

Achenbach calls for a “School of Grooves” to be set up to get golf associations, organizations and players educated.  Not a bad idea!

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Wedge-a-Day Giveaway Announced…

by Annie Latham on July 20, 2010 in Golf Equipment, Wedges with No comments

Boccieri Golf just announced the “Wedge-a-Day Giveaway,”  a 60-day promotion starting July 19 through which the company will provide a game-enhancing Heavy Wedge daily to randomly selected winners. One grand prize winner will also receive a custom-built, C2-DF Limited Edition Heavy Putter.

Open to residents of the continental U.S., the giveaway includes all shipping costs, with complete details available on the contest entry page.

Introduced earlier this year, the Heavy Wedge is a traditionally designed blade with a head mass only slightly heavier than a conventional wedge. It is available in a variety of lofts including 52 (8 degree bounce), 56 (11 degree bounce) and 60 (4 and 7 degrees of bounce).

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Cleveland CG15 Wedges: Get them Before It’s Too Late!

by James on April 22, 2010 in Golf Equipment, Cleveland, Wedges with No comments

Cleveland wedges have long been the choice of many a touring professional. The look, the feel, and the accuracy and touch they give you on those shorter shots is undeniable. I too play Cleveland wedges (588 RTG’s, 51*, 56* and 60*), and love ’em to bits. They’re nice and ‘rusty’ these days, and allow me to drop and stop shots from all angles.

The Cleveland CG15 Wedge Family

But this isn’t about what’s in my bag, it’s about the CG15 line. Let’s get started.

The CG15’s are available in 3 custom finishes, and one custom grind. The CG15 Black Pearl wedges offer a dark, glare resistant finish. The CG15 Satin Chrome wedges bring a brushed aluminum look and feel to your short game. The last finish is the CG15 Oil Quench. This finish is sort of a copper/bronze color, and may remind you of your old ‘trusty rusties’ if you have ’em.

The CG15 Oil Quench is also available in a DSG model. DSG stands for ‘Dynamic Sole Grind’ and features a reduction of material on the sole… This is a preference of many top players, as it will allow you to open up the face without too much bounce, allowing you to get through the ball and make better contact.

Without a doubt, the most important features of the Cleveland CG15 Wedges are their precision laser milled faces and ‘Zip’ grooves. With new groove regulations coming into play, it may be a good idea to pick up a set (or two) of these bad boys to ensure you get optimal spin on those short shots for years to come. The ‘Zip’ grooves offer 25% bigger grooves, complete with sharp, cover gripping edges. You’ll notice the distance not only from tight lies, but from shaggy shots out of the rough. The grooves grip, and give you that needed stopping action to control your ball. The laser milled faces also provide an extra layer of ‘roughness’ to the wedge face, giving you another edge over the competition.

For my money, Cleveland wedges are an almost must-have for any serious player. At the very least, they’re worth a look. The classic design coupled with technology and performance make them hard to pass up.

For more information, hit up Cleveland Golf.