Equipment
Spotted: TaylorMade Milled Grind wedges
GolfWRX spotted new TaylorMade wedges on the range at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. The wedges appear to be named “Milled Grind,” which seems to refer to the milled surface of their soles (see below).
A TaylorMade move to milled wedge soles would be significant, and to explain why let’s quickly dive into an overview of wedge manufacturing.
Generally, wedges are produced by a forging or casting process, which gives them their general head shape. Most wedges do undergo a finishing process that includes milling, but it’s generally their club faces and grooves that are milled, not their soles.
The milling process is used on wedge club faces because of its precision. It can ensure a flat club face, highly specific groove geometries and friction patterns that maximize consistency and spin around the green.
Most wedge soles, on the other hand, are finished by hand. A wedge’s sole is known as a “grind” for that reason; it’s often ground by hand. Equipment manufacturers have improved their casting and forging processes in recent years and reduced the amount of hand grinding necessary, but there is always some hand shaping required.
A move to a 100-percent milled wedge sole could help eliminate the inconsistencies of hand grinding, giving golfers confidence they are purchasing an identical grind each time they buy a new wedge. It could also automate the wedge-replacement process for PGA Tour players, most of whom replace their high-lofted wedges at least every few months. Once a Tour player’s favorite grind was created by a craftsman, its shaping could be digital rendered and produced again and again by a milling machine.
PXG is currently producing 100-percent milled wedges for Tour players Ryan Moore, Chris Kirk and others. The wedges are called the 0311T, and they’re shaped entirely by a milling machine. It’s similar to the way high-end putter manufacturers create their putters to ensure exact weighting and precise shaping, which is a very expensive way to make wedges. Bruce Sizemore is also in the process of releasing a fully milled, multi-piece adjustable wedge that will sell for about $400.
See the milling marks? Ryan Moore’s PXG 0311T wedge is 100 percent milled.
To keep costs down, it’s likely that TaylorMade will cast its wedges from carbon steel as it has previous models, and then simply mill the wedge soles.
It’s unclear from our photos whether the new TaylorMade wedges use the EF Grooves featured on the company’s current Tour Preferred EF wedges, which are part of an insert formed by a chemical process called electroforming. TaylorMade says its EF grooves are consistently sharper and more durable than those made from carbon steel.
Related: See what GolfWRX Members are saying about TaylorMade’s new wedges in our forum.
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- Steve Stricker WITB accurate as of the Zurich Classic. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist TSR3 (9 degrees, C4 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Motore Speeder VC 7.2 X
3-wood: Titleist 915F (13.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist 816 H1 (17 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Motore Speeder VC 9.2 X
Irons: Titleist T200 (3, 4), Titleist T100 (5-9)
Shafts: Project X 6.5
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM8 (46-10F @55), Titleist Vokey SM10 (54-10S @53), Titleist Vokey SM4 (60 @59)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 w/Sensicore
Putter: Odyssey White Hot No. 2
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Grip Rite
Check out more in-hand photos of Steve Stricker’s clubs here.
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- Alex Fitzpatrick what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 7 X
Hybrid: Ping G430 (19 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 10 TX
Irons: Ping iCrossover (2), Titleist T100 (4-PW)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 9 TX (2), Nippon N.S. Pro Modus 3 Tour 120 X (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (50-12F, 56-12D, 60-08M)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus 3 Tour 120 X
Putter: Bettinardi SS16 Dass
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
Check out more in-hand photos of Alex Fitzpatrick’s clubs here.
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In our forums, our members have been discussing Mini-Drivers and accompanying shafts. WRXer ‘JamesFisher1990’ is about to purchase a BRNR Mini and is torn on what shaft weight to use, and our members have been sharing their thoughts and set ups in our forum.
Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- PARETO: “New BRNR at 13.5. Took it over to TXG (Club Champ but TXG will always rule) in Calgary for a fit. Took the head down to 12, stuck in a Graphite Design AD at 3 wood length and 60g. Presto- numbers that rivaled my G430Max but with waaaaay tighter dispersion. Win.”
- driveandputtmachine: “Still playing a MIni 300. The head was only 208, so I ordered a heavier weight and play it at 3 wood length. I am playing a Ventus Red 70. I play 70 grams in my fairways. I use it mainly to hit draws off the tee. When I combine me, a driver, and trying to hit a draw it does not work out well most of the time. So the MIni is for that. As an aside, I have not hit the newest BRNR, but the previous model wasn’t great off the deck. The 300 Mini is very good off the deck.”
- JAM01: “Ok, just put the BRNR in the bag along side a QI10 max and a QI10 3 wood. A load of top end redundancy. But, I have several holes at my two home courses where the flight and accuracy of the mini driver helps immensely. Mine is stock Proforce 65 at 13.5, I could see a heavier shaft, but to normal flex, as a nice alternative.”
Entire Thread: “What’s the perfect Mini-Driver/Shaft combo? – GolfWRXers discuss”
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Chuck
Jan 7, 2017 at 2:48 pm
The spot seen on the heel is of course not a real “bore-through.” Bore-through always referred to the shaft bore going all the way through to the sole.
The old Wilson Fluid Feels were not bore-throughs. The filled hole in the heel is just a relief hole. Intended to move weight out of the heel so that the weight can be move elsewhere. The plastic that fills the hole is much lighter that the steel that is removed.
Sort of surprised that the original story did not devote more attention to that issue. Personally, I feel as though I can always (even as a hobbyist) bend and grind my own wedges as I wish as long as the OEM’s give me enough material/bounce to begin with. But I could never do the kind of deep heel relief we see in these wedges, or like the Fluid Feels.
The reasons for TM doing this would be very interesting to read about.
Gary
Nov 3, 2016 at 1:58 am
The new Taylor Made wedges look good,but they are a copy of the old Wilson wedges.
The colour of the red circle on the heel of the shaft is even the same.
The golf industry goes round iin circles,these are Wilson wedges from the 70 s.
Taylor Made is a great company but their wedges don’t match up to the rest of the clubs.
Thought they could come up with something original.
Rimjob
Nov 3, 2016 at 3:07 am
The EF wedges are the best wedges ever made in the history of golf.
Mad-Mex
Nov 2, 2016 at 11:47 pm
They look like Wilson Fluid Feel
rymail00
Nov 2, 2016 at 9:13 am
They do look pretty good from the pics, and little no offset.
Dave r
Nov 1, 2016 at 6:35 pm
R & D costs lots so does the material and don’t forget pay to pros for playing them . And then there’s advertising . But. I agree the costs of all products are almost out of reach for the average guy. But what I can’t understand how is the younger generation going to get into the game . Where I play it is mostly seniors and I mean old guys no young ones at all . If the game is to grow the market has to be affordable what with green fees, golf clubs ,golf balls it has to end somewhere.
Barry Weller
Nov 1, 2016 at 4:07 pm
I’ve around this game for 30 yrs and I really feel that the equipment that’s out there is so closely made and has improved my game greatly. But iam sorry I really can’t believe that because this man has got a name and the money. But that being said I don’t care if he brings God in to make those clubs for him I don’t feel there worth the money he’s asking regardless of what there made of or who uses them.
FNM
Nov 2, 2016 at 2:35 am
Had one too many, mate? Because you’re blethering nothings and making no sense