Equipment
Designer Clay Long on TaylorMade’s new Tour Preferred wedges
Three years ago, Clay Long, who is nothing short of a legend in the club-making industry, began working with TaylorMade on a new wedge project.
If you haven’t heard of Clay Long, here’s what you need to know. He designed and built Jack Nicklaus’ clubs for 16 years. He has also has served as Vice president of Research and Development of Macgregor Golf Co., chief designer to Progroup and The Arnold Palmer Co., Vice President of Research and Development of Cobra Golf Co., Vice President of Golf Club Development for the Acushnet Co. and today, as owner of Plus 2 International, Inc. he is responsible for Nicklaus Golf Equipment and Jack Nicklaus’s golf club designs.
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To design what would become TaylorMade’s 2014 Tour Preferred wedges, Long looked back through wedge history, as well as through his own storied history, to see how the best wedges ever were designed. He also looked into the bags of some of today’s best tour players to learn why they had their wedges ground the way they did.
So what exactly did Long do to create TaylorMade’s new Tour Preferred and Tour Preferred ATV wedges? That’s what I wanted to know and I had the chance to ask him in the Q&A below.
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AT: TaylorMade offers both a Tour Preferred and Tour Preferred ATV sole grind. What are the differences?
CL: The ATV grind offers a little more variation, a little twist out of the box. It has the relieved heel that the Tour Preferred has, but a different sole. The ATV shows more bounce when the club is open and bites better into the turf. If you live in South Florida or somewhere like that, the ATV will be better. If you play courses with fluffy sand the ATV will be better. The standard soles of the TP will please more people. The TP is really a time-proven design.
The Tour Preferred ATV grind is available in lofts of 54, 56, 58 and 60 degrees. The Tour Preferred wedges offers the same lofts with a wider variety of bounce options, and adds 50 and 52-degree models.
AT: The heel and toe relief on the wedges seem to emulate the classic C-Grind shape. Is it a C-Grind?
CL: You know, it’s not really a C-grind shape. It’s more strictly heel relief. We went out on tour and 98 percent of them had the heel on their wedges ground off. When hitting a flop shot or cut shot, the leading edge stays lower to the ground. You can play more shots.
AT: Did Nicklaus grind off the heel on his wedge?
CL: Jack didn’t do that. He had a narrow sole, high bounce — about 17 degrees — and a standard heel. Jack had a standard grind, but it was a perfect standard grind.
AT: The Tour Preferred ATV was said to be developed based on tour feedback, mainly Jason Day’s prototype from the Masters. Why did you settle on this shape?
CL: Everyone is telling us (the Tour Preferred wedges) have the best shapes ever. The first reaction is always “ooh that looks good.” When you combine the shapes, bounce angles, camber and leading edge radius that were meticulously worked on and are time-proven, there’s really not much to argue with.
Historically, Wilson always had the best wedges. In the 60’s and 70’s, Wilson was known as the best. The 1958 Wilson Staff was highly sought after. Tom Watson chipped in with one (at the 1982 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach). All of the good wedges today go back to the old Wilson shape.
AT: The Tour Preferred ATV wedge has a concave sole, but it’s not as concave as TaylorMade’s previous ATV model. What does this do for the wedge?
CL: It helps to have a lot of bounce out of the sand that won’t dig and won’t show bounce. The ATV offers that. It has good action off the ground, won’t show a lot of camber and cuts nicely on a regular shot from the fairway … (It also helps) a golfer that digs from the bunker and has a hard time gliding underneath the ball because he’s steep, but he doesn’t want 16 degrees of bounce because he doesn’t want it to be too bouncy.
The Tour Preferred wedges have “micro-textured faces,” which means they’re designed with small bumps that ensure the faces are flat and help create extra bite around the greens.
AT: The Tour Preferred wedges are made from 304 stainless steel. Why did you use that material and what went into the the face design of these wedges?
CL: 304 has strength, but it’s easier to bend. It’s very soft material. It’s very good and solid … 304 also doesn’t rust, so we didn’t have to plate it. The microtexture (on the face) increases spin and the freshly milled grooves are a little sharper and allow for more aggressive performance.
AT: When you’ve built wedges for Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, your name becomes a design feature in itself. What was Clay Long’s most noteworthy influence on designing these TaylorMade wedges?
CL: I left no detail unturned.
Note: TaylorMade is releasing a 10-part YouTube video series on its Tour Preferred wedges. In the videos, Clay Long talks more about the wedge designs and how they will improve a golfer’s short game. Part 1 of the series is included at the top of this story and Part 2 is below.
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Whats in the Bag
Xander Schauffele WITB 2024 (May)
- Xander Schauffele what’s in the bag accurate as of the PGA Championship.
Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees @10.1)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana PD 70 TX (45.5 inches)
3-wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana PD 80 TX
Hybrid: Callaway Apex UW (21 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 90 TX
Irons: Mizuno MP-20 (3), Callaway Apex TCB ’24 (4-10)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Mid X100 (3), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-10)
Wedges: Callaway Jaws Raw (52-10S), Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (56-10S @57), Titleist Vokey Design WedgeWorks Proto (60-K @61)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Putter: Odyssey Toulon Design Las Vegas Prototype 7CH
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 2.0
Grips: Golf Pride MCC Align
Ball: Callaway Chrome Tour
Check out more in-hand photos of Xander Schauffele’s clubs in the forums.
More Xander Schauffele WITBs
- Xander Schauffele WITB 2023 (August)
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- Xander Schauffele’s winning WITB: 2018 WGC-HSBC Champions
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Whats in the Bag
Cam Smith WITB 2024 (May)
- Cam Smith what’s in the bag accurate as of the PGA Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist TSR3 (10 degrees, D4 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6 X
3-wood: Ping Max G430 Max (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Red 7 X
7-wood: Titleist TS2 (21 degrees, D4 SureFit setting)
Shaft: UST Mamiya Elements Proto 8F5
Irons: Mizuno Pro Fli-Hi (2, 3), Titleist T100 (5-9)
Shafts: KBS Tour 130 X Custom Series
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (46-10F, 52-08F, 56-08M, 60-04T)
Shafts: KBS Tour 130X (46, 52, 56, 60)
Putter: Scotty Cameron 009M
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Tack
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Check out more in-hand photos of Cam Smith’s gear here.
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Whats in the Bag
Patrick Reed WITB 2024 (May)
- Patrick Reed what’s in the bag accurate as of the PGA Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G400 (8.5 degrees)
Shaft: Aldila Rogue Silver 125 MSI 70 Tour X
3-wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (15 degrees)
Shaft: Aldila Rogue Silver 125MSI 80 Tour X
Hybrid: Callaway Apex Pro (18 degrees)
Shaft: Aldila RIP Phenom Hybrid 100 TX
Irons: Titleist 716 TMB (2), Grindworks PR-202 (4), Grindworks PR-101A (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore (50-10 Mid), Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (56-08M @55), SM10 (60-04T)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Odyssey White Hot RX Pt Customs No. 2
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
More photos of Patrick Reed’s WITB in the forums.
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terry
Jul 14, 2014 at 8:00 am
OMG. They’re promising my game will improve if i use this club….
RAT
Jul 12, 2014 at 7:13 pm
They look cheap..Stay with Drivers..
Mike
Jul 12, 2014 at 7:01 am
picked up a 58*/10 traditional grind this week and used it this morning. fantastic.. needed a bit more bounce than my 60*/04 vokey had in the wet winter conditions in Australia at the moment. Really solid from the bunkers, great spin and excellent feel! When I wear out my 54*/08 Vokey i think i will get the TMAG tp wedge. Used to play the old RAC TP Z grooves and they were awesome but when they wore out i wasn’t a bit fan of the ATVs so went with the vokeys, tried clevelands too but not a real fan.
RogerinNZ
Jul 11, 2014 at 2:50 pm
Yes, it doesn’t take 3 years for a Sole Design…..
Grab the blueprints from 1967 or 1973 and..ala Hogan/Callaway
Great to see TM have gone a more traditional vs flashy
on the wedges! 304SS with unplated looks cool!
So now we get another Great Wedge Range to choose from,
with YES!!!!! Major Updates every 90 Days!
Thanks TM and Clay Long
18inthebrain
Jul 10, 2014 at 11:03 pm
I am a long time lurker, first time poster, and sorry to have a negative vibe in my first post.
I bought two Taylor Made ATV wedges last fall. They have the ATV grind and the micro face. So, no disrespect to Mr. Long, but something doesn’t jibe when I hear they spent three years developing these wedges. How exactly is the tour preferred ATV superior to my old tech ATV wedges from last year with the ATV grind and micro texture faces? Three years research to lessen the concavity in the sole?
I have felt the tm bashers on here were over the top, but I too find myself getting worn out by Tm’s way.
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Don O'Connor
Jul 10, 2014 at 8:04 pm
Not only does Clay know how do design a wedge, he can use one pretty well. I have played golf with him several times.He is also a great guy. Clay and Taylormade have designed a nice looking wedge. Hopefully it performs just as well.
j.a.
Jul 10, 2014 at 5:04 pm
Perhaps wedges are the clubs that it’s so difficult to try before you buy as most shops don’t have facilities that allows you to test them.
These wedges look amazing and for sure they will perform as intended. Using 304 SS will make them more durable than other options in CS.
tom stickney
Jul 10, 2014 at 3:03 pm
Clay is a legend and a great guy…glad to see he’s getting some love!