Bob Vokey, the namesake of Titleist’s wedge franchise, often says that recreational golfers should play with wedges that have more bounce. He has also said weekend players would often be wise to avoid extremely-high lofted wedges. Clubs with 56 degrees of loft, Vokey believes, can get the ball up quickly and they present a larger hitting area for mid- and higher-handicap golfers who can struggle to make consistent, solid contact.
Lob wedges like a 58 or 60-degree club can be added later, Vokey feels, as a golfer improves his or her technique, so it’s safe to say that “Voke” would caution anyone who is not a tournament-level golfer from buying Titleist’s newest limited-edition wedge, the WedgeWorks 64W. However, in the hands of skilled golfers, this club can be a get-out-of-jail-free card.
As the name implies, this club has 64 degrees of loft, making it the highest-lofted wedge in the Titleist Vokey Design stable. It also has just 4 degrees of bounce. That combination, in the hands of a skilled player, makes the 64W a club that is ideally suited for firm turf, tight lies and situations when a player is short-sided and has to get the ball up fast.
In soft conditions, fluffy sand or used by a player with a steep angle of attack, the 64W can easily dig into the turf, however, as Vokey points out, “Players that are so good at shallowing out their technique can simply allow this mid-width sole with loft to do all the work when under the pressure of elevated pin locations.”
While there are seven sole grinds now available in the Titleist Vokey Design SM9 lineup, the W Grind is not one of them. It has a small amount of camber (curvature) and a pre-worn leading edge with material removed in the heel and toe areas, making it similar to the M Grind, but it has less trailing edge relief.
The limited edition 64W wedge comes with a Jet Black finish that is durable but will wear with time. It comes standard with a True Temper Dynamic Gold Black Onyx S200 shaft and a Golf Pride 360 Blackout grip for $275.
