Gear: Titleist Vokey WedgeWorks A+ Grind lob wedges
Price: $225 with True Temper Dynamic Gold S200 shaft and Titleist Universal 360 grip
Specs: Cast 8620 carbon steel with a raw finish. 58 and 60 degrees in right-hand only.
Who It’s For: Golfers who want a moderate-bounce wedge that offers extra versatility and speed through the turf.
The Skinny: Titleist’s PGA Tour reps developed the A+ grind by modifying the sole of the Vokey Design M Grind wedge to make it smoother. This allows golfers who want a mid-bounce wedge with a wide sole to maintain speed through the hitting zone.
The Deep Dive: Titleist’s WedgeWorks program brings clubs designed for PGA Tour, LPGA and DP World Tour players to recreational golfers. Over the last several months, Titleist has released several WedgeWorks offerings, such as the L Grind, Low Bounce K Grind and the 60-degree A Grind to the public after they had previously only been available to elite players.
Now comes the A+ Grind, a wedge that will only be available in 58 and 60-degree lofts and for right-handed golfers. Like the previous WedgeWorks offerings, it has roots in elite golf.
A few years ago, Geoff Ogilvy, the winner of the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, asked Vokey PGA Tour Rep Aaron Dill if he could modify his lob wedge so it could work through the turf more efficiently. At the time, the Australian was playing a 60-degree, low-bounce L Grind wedge. Dill went to work and used his grinding wheel to remove the seam in the sole where the bounce reached its lowest point. Ogilvy liked the club and its sole, put it in the bag and the A Grind was born.
Fast forward to the present day, and Dill did the same thing to some M Grind lob wedges, grinding out the seam in the moderate-bounce sole (which Titleist refers to as the ribbon). The resulting sole behaves like the original A Grind but offers more bounce and sole width for players who are facing softer conditions, fluffier sand or who have a steeper angle of attack. Titleist and Dill christened the club the A+ Grind, and you will find it in the bags of Jason Day, Adam Scott and Davis Riley.
Like the standard SM10 wedges, the WedgeWorks A+ Grind has grooves cut to maximize spin. Titleist tests and inspects each groove individually in every wedge. The A+ Grind also has a high and forward center of gravity location, like other SM10 lob wedges, to help golfers to flight shots down for added distance control and precision.
Custom stamping and paintfill are available through WedgeWorks, and the A+ Grind is being sold at Titleist-certified retailers and vokey.com
Below are several close-up images of the WedgeWorks A+ Grind wedge.
