Equipment
Spotted: Titleist’s new Vokey SM7 wedges
As promised by Bob Vokey on our new 19th Hole podcast (around the 19-minute mark), Titleist has unveiled its new Vokey SM7 wedges at the Shriner Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas. We have so many in-hand photos of the new wedges they needed to be broken up into two photo albums; here’s Part 1 and Part 2 of the photos.
SM6 (left) vs new SM7
From the photos, we can tell that Titleist is sticking with it’s progressive center of gravity (CG) design that was featured in its SM6 wedges, highlighted by the curves on the back cavities of the new SM7 wedges. Although in this year’s model — at least when comparing the 46-degree F Grinds — it appears the curve is going in the opposite direction, possibly relocating the CG for different launch, flight characteristics and spin.
Among some aesthetic changes, such as the placement of grind stampings, Titleist is also apparently introducing a new “D” grind into this lineup. Some GolfWRX members speculate it could stand for “Dill,” as in Titleist’s PGA Tour rep and grind master Aaron Dill, or as in PGA Tour player and major champion Jason Dufner, who uses a unique grind in his wedges.
We’ll be on the lookout for more information on design, specs and release dates for the new SM7 wedges, but for now, enjoy the photos from Las Vegas.
More Photos of the SM7 wedges
Discussion: See what GolfWRX members are saying about the SM7 wedges in Pt. 1 and Pt. 2 in our forums
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Equipment
Webb Simpson equipment Q&A: Titleist’s new 2-wood, 680 blade irons, and switching to a broomstick Jailbird
With seven career wins on the PGA Tour, including a U.S. Open victory, Webb Simpson is a certified veteran on the course. But he’s also a certified veteran in the equipment world, too. He’s a gearhead who truly knows his stuff, and he’s even worked closely with Titleist on making his own custom 682.WS irons.
On Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship, I caught up with Simpson to hear about his experience with Titleist’s new prototype 2-wood, how Titleist’s 680 Forged irons from 2003 ended up back in his bag, and why he’s switching into an Odyssey Ai-One Jailbird Cruiser broomstick putter this week for the first time.
Click here to read our full story about Simpson’s putter switch on PGATOUR.com’s Equipment Report, or continue reading below for my full Q&A with Simpson at Quail Hollow Club on Wednesday.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
GolfWRX: It seems like you’ve been a little all over the place with your irons in the past six months or so, and now going back to the 680’s. Is that just a comfort thing? What’s been going on with the irons?
Webb Simpson: Titleist has been so great at working with me, and R&D, on trying to get an iron that kind of modernizes the 680. And so the 682.WS took the T100 grooves, but kinda took the look and the bulk and the build of the 680’s into one club. They’re beautiful, and awesome looking. I just never hit them that well for a consistent period of time. It was probably me, but then I went to T100’s and loved them. I loved the spin, the trajectory, the yardage, but again, I never went on good runs. Going through the ground, I couldn’t feel the club as well as with the blade. So last week, I’m like, ‘Alright. I’m gonna go back more for…comfort, and see if I can get on a nice little run of ball striking.’
So that’s why I went back.
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OK, that makes sense. I know you had done some 2-wood testing recently. Is that in the bag right now?
It’s like day-by-day. I used it at Hilton Head every day. Valero, I used it one round. And this week, me and my caddie will do the book every morning, and if it’s a day where we think we need it, we’ll just put it in and take the 3-wood out. I love it because it’s a super simple swap. Like, it doesn’t really change much.
Yeah, can you tell me about that club? I mean, we don’t really know anything about it yet. You know? I haven’t hit it or anything, obviously.
It has grooves like a 3-wood. Spin is perfect. And it’s honestly, like, everything is in the middle of a 3-wood and driver number. Trajectory, spin, carry, all of it. So, a Hilton Head golf course is almost too easy to talk about because, you know, there, so many holes are driver 3-wood.
Valero, our thinking was we had two par-5’s into the wind, and we knew that it would take two great shots to get there in two. So instead of hitting driver-driver, we just put it in. And I used it on those holes.
Hilton was a little easier because it was off-the-tee kind of questions. But Colonial will be a golf course where, you know, there’s a lot of driver or 3-woods. It’s kind of like a backup putter or driver for me now. I’ll bring it to every tournament.
So it’s, like, in your locker right now, probably?
Well, it would be. It’s in my house [because Webb lives near by Quail Hollow Club, and is a member at the course.] It’s in the garage.
Oh, yeah, that’s right. Do you know what holes you might use it out here if it goes in play?
Potentially 15, depending on the wind. Second shot on 10. Could be 14 off the tee. The chances here are pretty low (that he’ll use the 2-wood). But, like, Greensboro would be an awesome club all day. I’m trying to think of any other golf courses.
There’s plenty that it’ll be a nice weapon to have.
It’s interesting, the wave of 2-woods and mini drivers. Like, it’s just really taken off on Tour, and all the companies have seemed to embrace it.
Yeah. The thing I had to learn, it took me, like, at least a week to learn about it is you gotta tee it up lower than you think. I kept teeing it up too high. You need it low, like barely higher than a 3-wood. And that was where I got optimal spin and carry. If you tee it up too high, you just don’t get as much spin and lose distance, I don’t know if that’s just a mini driver thing.
And you obviously have a Jailbird putter this week. What spurred that on?
Inconsistent putting. I’m stubborn in a lot of ways when it comes to my equipment, but I have to be open minded – I just hadn’t putted consistently well in a while. And I’m like, ‘Man, I feel my ball-striking coming along. Like I feel better; for real, better.’
If I can just get something in my hands that I’m consistent with. Being on Tour, you see it every year, guys get on little runs. I can put together four to five tournaments where I’m all the sudden back in the majors, or in the FedExCup Playoffs. You can turn things around quick out here. I’m like, ‘Man, whatever’s going to get me there, great.’
My caddie, David Cook, caddied for Akshay at the Houston Open and he putted beautifully. Then, I watched Akshay on TV at Valero, and he putted beautifully. And, I’m like, ‘I’m just going to try it.’
I’ve never tried it for more than a putt or two, and I just ordered what Akshay uses. It was pretty awkward at first, but the more I used it, the more I’m like, ‘Man, it’s pretty easy.’ And a buddy of mine who’s a rep out here, John Tyler Griffin, he helped me with some setup stuff. And he said at Hilton Head, he wasn’t putting well, then tried it, and now he makes everything. He was very confident. So I’m like, ‘Alright, I’ll try it.’”
And you’re going with it this week?
Hundred percent.
Alright, I love it. Thank you, I always love talking gear with you. Play well this week.
Thanks, man.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
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Whats in the Bag
Matthieu Pavon WITB 2024 (May)
- Pavon’s WITB accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G430 Max (9 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 6 X
3-wood: Ping G430 LST (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 7 X
Hybrid: Ping G430 (19 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 10 X
Irons: Ping i230 (3-PW)
Shafts: Nippon Modus3 Tour 120 X
Wedges: Ping Si59 (52-12S, 58-8B)
Shafts: Nippon Modus3 Tour 120 X
Putter: Ping Cadence TR Tomcat C
Grip: SuperStroke Claw 1.0P
Grips: Golf Pride MCC Align
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Check out more in-hand photos of Pavon’s gear here.
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Equipment
Spotted: Tommy Fleetwood’s TaylorMade Spider Tour X Prototype putter
Tommy Fleetwood has been attached to his Odyssey White Hot Pro #3 putter for years now. However, this week at the Wells Fargo Championship, we did spot him testing a new putter that is very different, yet somewhat similar, to his current gamer.
This new putter is a TaylorMade Spider Tour X head but with a brand new neck we haven’t seen on a Spider before. A flow neck is attached to the Spider head and gives the putter about a 1/2 shaft offset. This style neck will usually increase the toe hang of the putter and we can guess it gets the putter close to his White Hot Pro #3.
Another interesting design is that lack of TaylorMade’s True Path alignment on the top of the putter. Instead of the large white center stripe, Tommy’s Spider just has a very short white site line milled into it. As with his Odyssey, Tommy seems to be a fan of soft inserts and this Spider prototype looks to have the TPU Pure Roll insert with 45° grooves for immediate topspin and less hopping and skidding.
The sole is interesting as well in that the rear weights don’t look to be interchangeable and are recessed deep into the ports. This setup could be used to push the CG forward in the putter for a more blade-like feel during the stroke, like TaylorMade did with the Spider X Proto Scottie Scheffler tested out.
Tommy’s putter is finished off with an older Super Stroke Mid Slim 2.0 grip in blue and white. The Mid Slim was designed to fit in between the Ultra Slim 1.0 and the Slim 3.0 that was a popular grip on tour.
- Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
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Acew7iron
Oct 31, 2017 at 2:50 pm
jwowzer…ban is for USGA sanctioned events and amateurs can play the old grooves until 2022. guess your a pro though, so don’t you already have the SM8s?
By then Ill have the face as smooth as babys bottom and ready to buy a 6 yo SM7 inlike new condition for $25
Dan
Oct 31, 2017 at 1:42 pm
Looks great!! I really wish Bob will produce the entire Iron range with his wedge design before he retires.
Bob Jacobs
Oct 31, 2017 at 12:53 pm
looks like just another wedge to me…tough to get all that excited
C.B.
Oct 31, 2017 at 3:04 am
No CBs? Where’s the Cleveland copy from Titleist? I need to make my AP1 set complete and I need a set of AP1 type wedge in SW and LW. lol
TigerMom
Oct 30, 2017 at 8:39 pm
The SM6 looks frowny 🙁 and the SM7 looks smiley 🙂
ronnie
Oct 30, 2017 at 8:34 pm
Awesome Vokey’s and I want them in my Fantasy WITB
Acew7iron
Oct 30, 2017 at 5:09 pm
So I just purchased a 06 model Vokey 200 series 60 deg wedge off ebay for $25 in like new condition.
What is *better about this one than what Im bagging?
Steve
Oct 30, 2017 at 5:39 pm
It’s Vokey/Titleist “brand new” and the latest shiny bright Vokey Design.
Yours is old and second hand and has no new mojo designed into it by Vokey Design.
Otherwise, there is no significant difference if you are a decent golfer and you don’t flaunt your WITB.
Jwowzer
Oct 30, 2017 at 5:41 pm
The SM7 wedges are conforming to the rules, whereas yours is not. Hope you don’t plan on playing in any events ever.
Dat
Oct 30, 2017 at 8:45 pm
jwowzer…ban is for USGA sanctioned events and amateurs can play the old grooves until 2022. guess your a pro though, so don’t you already have the SM8s?
Chuck
Oct 31, 2017 at 4:21 am
2024 actually. And even then, the decision of the USGA might be to just let it go anyway.
Remember that the old grooves have never been made illegal. The USGA imposed its rule only on wedges built after a certain date. (After 12/31/10, if memory serves me.) And only via a “condition of competition,” which the USGA recommends be utilized only in elite-level competitions.
Darryl
Nov 16, 2017 at 7:53 am
As I’m given to understand also, the onus is on the tournament committee to prove your club is non conforming, which means they need to have the (no doubt very expensive) test rig.
Someone may correct me on that.
Either way my Mizuno TP 2000’s are good until 2024 :-))
Stinger26
Oct 30, 2017 at 4:51 pm
still no forged offerings. much of the same.
The dude
Oct 30, 2017 at 8:45 pm
Why do you want a forged wedge?.
Steve Sands
Oct 30, 2017 at 10:44 pm
Everybody wants a Forged wedge….why don’t you? We’ve been asking Vokey forever, and he makes them for the Japanese market which is much smaller than the USA market. Have you ever hit a Callaway X Forged wedges flush or a Mizuno MP series? There is no comparing a Forged wedge to the cast.
The dude
Oct 31, 2017 at 8:50 am
….I knew you’d say that….point is..you don’t know the difference…(don’t bother saying you do)….with a high lofted club…it’s almost impossible to distinguish. And Cast has the benefit of durability for amateurs. Also…Why do you think so many tour players use Vokes?
Scott
Nov 1, 2017 at 11:33 am
uhh. being paid maybe?
Pat
Dec 8, 2017 at 11:24 am
Steve Sands, cost. Would you buy a set of 3 wedges at $350 each JUST because they’re forged?
Geof
Oct 30, 2017 at 3:51 pm
this is a joke!
IcomingElizabeth
Oct 30, 2017 at 4:34 pm
Awesome post…what is?!?
Donnie
Oct 30, 2017 at 8:40 pm
Vokey = Jokey = Dopey