Equipment

TaylorMade Tour Preferred EF wedges

Published

9 years ago

Apr 6, 2015

TaylorMade’s Tour Preferred EF wedges use chemistry to offer golfers longer-lasting, higher-spinning grooves.

Instead of milling or casting the grooves, like most wedges on the market, TaylorMade uses a chemical process called electroforming — thus the “EF” — to make a face insert with grooves that are consistently sharper and more durable than their predecessors.

The science is complicated, so I’ll do my best to simplify it.

Nickel and cobalt materials go through an ionization process in an electrolytic solution, then ions get plated onto a master model. The “master” is a mold that forms the grooves and micro-milling of the face insert. When the nickel cobalt solution lifts off the master, what’s left is a sheet of material that has taken the shape of the mold.

Think of a loose leaf piece of paper, but the lines are grooves.

The material is 0.25 millimeters thick — about the size of a piece of paper. Face inserts are then laser-cut from the sheet, and adhered to the 1025 carbon steel body.

[quote_box_center]”The insert material feels like a credit card,” says Clay Long, TaylorMade’s Director of Product Creation for TaylorMade Putters and Wedges. “You can bend it with your fingers.”[/quote_box_center]

The electroformed nickel cobalt insert is about 50 times harder than carbon steel, but according to Long, the increased hardness doesn’t mean a harder feel than the TaylorMade’s previous wedge models.

[quote_box_center]”The feel of the face when hitting a shot is no different than carbon steel,” he says. [/quote_box_center]

Since the insert is made from a master mold, each of the grooves are consistently sharp and won’t dull as fast as milled or cast grooves. The dark PVD finish will show signs of wear, but the grooves will last “for what seems like forever,” Long says.

While PGA Tour players like Dustin Johnson and Sergio Garcia don’t have a problem getting their hands on fresh new wedges whenever they want, both players have put the new wedges in the bag. Johnson won the Northern Trust Open with three Tour Preferred EF wedges (52, 56 and 60 degrees).

The shapes and sole grinds of the EF wedges are consistent with the original Tour Preferred models. They’re offered in two sole grinds, “Tour” and “ATV,” although the ATV grind has a slightly more narrow sole than the original. Also, a few more loft and bounce combinations have been added.

Tour Grind

The Tour Grind will be available in eight lofts (47, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60 and 62 degrees) with bounce options ranging from 8 to 15 degrees.

ATV Grind

The ATV grind will be available in five lofts (52, 54, 56, 58 and 60 degrees).

The Tour Preferred EF wedges ($159) come stock with KBS Shafts, and will hit stores on April 10.

For more information, click on the spec sheet below.

See what GolfWRX members are saying about the wedges in the forums.

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Andrew Tursky

He played on the Hawaii Pacific University Men's Golf team and earned a Masters degree in Communications. He also played college golf at Rutgers University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

18 Comments

Nevin

May 24, 2015 at 7:39 pm

I played with two friends who have these in their bags now. Both are extremely happy with them and they are clearly spinning it more with these grooves. I think I’ll keep my SCOR’s for now but the do look and feel great.

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Desmond

Apr 19, 2015 at 4:13 am

The insert gives it an odd look at address. The grooves should extend more outwards towards the toe so you actually hit a groove when opening the club face. TM can’t hit a home run with wedges… they are always fishing.

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Gary

Apr 10, 2015 at 1:26 pm

I am very much into the Cally Mack Daddy 2 wedges and also like the Vokey SM5 very much. If the spin on these wedges is pretty good and the grooves are indeed long lasting, would have to say they would be very much worth a try. Hopefully the feel would be pretty decent too.

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MRC

Apr 8, 2015 at 11:22 pm

Sticking w my Mizuno wedges….their forged.

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Ken N

Apr 8, 2015 at 6:39 pm

While I like the overall look of the wedge on the back, I can’t help but look at the insert on the face and think “plastic insert.” Maybe it’s because there’s a tiny space between the bottom edge of the face and the insert, but the thing just doesn’t look clean to me. I suppose I expected better execution from TaylorMade. But if it’s good enough for DJ, shouldn’t it be good enough for us (a)’s? I just wonder, if he wasn’t bound to contractual obligations, which wedges would he choose from Titleist, Cleveland, Ping, etc?

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Tom Duckworth

Apr 7, 2015 at 4:26 pm

Really like the finish. It sounds like a good idea I’m not a TM guy but not a hater. I would give them a honest try. I like the ATV grind on a 58 or 60.

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Tom Stickney

Apr 7, 2015 at 1:05 am

Have them in my bag…flatter trajectory as well.

Reply Report comment
- Jason
  
  Apr 7, 2015 at 11:26 pm
  
  I wouldn’t think most of us average golfers would need a flatter trajectory, especially with a wedge. Is that a good thing in your case?
  
  Reply Report comment
Dan

Apr 6, 2015 at 9:29 pm

Not that it has anything to do with the wedges, but DJ lost the Northern Trust Open in a playoff to James Hahn.

Reply Report comment
- Jeffrey Trigger
  
  Apr 7, 2015 at 12:56 am
  
  So, you’re saying he has a second place, to go with his first place, and his sixth place, and his top ten world ranking…
  
  Reply Report comment
- Gary
  
  Jun 8, 2015 at 7:11 pm
  
  DJ played great in that tournament but the winner hit two great putts in the playoff.
  
  Reply Report comment
Gubment Cheez

Apr 6, 2015 at 6:29 pm

These wedges are junk
Might as well be pinemeadow

Reply Report comment
R

Apr 6, 2015 at 5:20 pm

The science, rather chemistry, is far from complicated. It’s a very simple “positive is attracted to negative” process.

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Matt

Apr 6, 2015 at 3:35 pm

Nothing bad to say about these, love the finish and how they seem to sit at address from the pictures. Props TM, thumbs up from me

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Chuck

Apr 6, 2015 at 1:10 pm

Very nice looking wedges. Props to TM on some very thoughtful design.

I still wish I knew why TM gave up on its old replaceable-face wedge designs. I never bought one; I never even played with one! But I always admired it as a good design idea. It came and went so fast, I just never found the opportunity to try one.

Reply Report comment
- sgniwder99
  
  Apr 6, 2015 at 4:47 pm
  
  Some of their tour guys still use them, too.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - christian
    
    Apr 7, 2015 at 4:38 am
    
    Still? Are they an old model or?
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Chuck
      
      Apr 7, 2015 at 3:18 pm
      
      Yeah, an old design. From about 2010-11. I seem to recall their being around for about two years or so. Cleverly built, such that you could use the standard TM hosel torque wrench to replace faces. Here’s the great Wade Liles from the TM tour van way back in 2009(!):
      
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COPH6spfiKw
      
      I always had a sneaking suspicion that both the introduction and the discontinuation had something to do with the 2010 groove rule. If I recall correctly, they came into the marketplace when the groove rule had been passed but had not yet gone into effect. Then there would have been the issue of whether you were using a conforming-groove wedge. Were the replacement faces marked for conformity? I don’t recall. Obviously, that is the whole idea, conforming or not; to be able to keep a wedge whose weight and shape and bounce and shaft were all perfect for you, but the grooves were worn out. So just replace the face. Still seems like a pretty cool idea to me.
      
      Reply Report comment

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Equipment

A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic

Published

18 hours ago

Apr 25, 2024

Andrew Tursky

Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.

Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.

We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.

Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).

See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here

Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge

Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.

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A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.

See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here

Turning Back the clock

Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.

But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.

For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.

Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.

The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.

The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.

Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter

Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.

Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.

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It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.

If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.

Brilliant.

See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here

Stricker’s unrecognizable putter

Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.

Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.

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Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates

Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.

Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.

It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.

Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines

Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.

Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.

FitzMagic teams back up

Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.

See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here

And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.

We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!

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