Equipment
Bob Vokey reveals the 2 most amazing things he’s ever seen a golfer do with a wedge
Few people on the planet know wedges better than legendary designer Bob Vokey. Throughout his career, he has designed some of golf’s most popular club families with his Vokey Spin Milled (SM) series, and he’s also worked closely with the game’s greatest short game players ever.
In a recent Q&A with GolfWRX, Vokey provided his insight on the latest iteration of SM wedges – the new Titleist Vokey SM9 wedges for 2022. Vokey, who is ever passionate and always gracious with his time to talk short game, also took a moment to answer a few miscellaneous questions about his experiences throughout his decades in the industry.
Vokey has seen it all when it comes to wedge play. He’s worked with everyone from the legends and major champions, to everyday golfers who shank balls sideways on simple chip shots.
With a moment to pick his brain, I wanted to know what the most amazing thing that Vokey has ever seen a golfer do with a wedge. In response, he provided two quick stories of absolute gold, and, given the players involved, his answers should surprise no one.
1) Seve practiced his weaknesses
Seve Ballesteros, a 9-time PGA Tour champion and 50-time European Tour champion, is regarded by many golfers as having the best short game of all time. His other-worldly skill was matched by his confidence and flair for the dramatic, too.
While Seve could make the ball sing and dance on the greens like no other, it was a simple moment that stood out to Vokey, and it says so much about Seve’s true talent and bravado.
“I remember seeing Seve practicing greenside, and he’s hitting all these difficult shots. I said to him, ‘What are you hitting those for?’
“He said, ‘I can make all the other shots. These are the ones I can’t make.'”
It’s such a simple story, but it says so much about Seve’s short game genius and mettle.
2) Lee, the spin master
Most golfers want to spin the ball more with their wedges around the greens. Not only does it look cool when the ball comes running in low and then suddenly stops on a dime, but spin control also allows a golfer to get the ball closer to the pin more often.
And then there’s Lee Trevino.
As Vokey tells it, not only could Trevino impart impressive backspin, but he could control the direction of the spin when it hit the surface, with seemingly no difference in the swing itself.
“Lee Trevino was another. I was watching him at (The Citrus Club at La Quinta Resort) many years ago.
“And he could hit a shot, same motion, same everything, a little bump and run. One shot would land and kick left. Then, with the same motion, same everything, he’d hit another one, then it’d land and kick right. And I’d go, ‘Wait a second, that’s amazing.’ But [those players] could do that. That was back in the balata golf ball days, too. The golf ball’s a little different now, it comes off a little quick.'”
To read Vokey’s insights on the new Vokey SM9 wedges for 2022, click here!
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Equipment
Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (5/13/24): Full set of ‘Tiger Slam’ clubs
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a full set of ‘Tiger Slam’ clubs.
From the seller: (@CaymanS): “During the year of recovery from leg surgery that never quite healed, I was bored. One thing led to another, and I ended up gradually building/acquiring the individual pieces to complete a set of “Tiger Slam” clubs. They are what Tiger played to win 4 consecutive majors, which nobody has ever done. This is not an exact replica of course, but something close that fit me to play a few times per year and experience what Tiger did. But my bad leg, 4 shoulder tears, and age prevents me from the ball-striking needed to enjoy these to their fullest. They may not be everyone’s cup of tea, especially since the driver and fairway shafts are regular flex and most players good enough to play these will need to change them, but it’s not a perfect world. I am not a historian on this stuff, but my research indicates these are the same models Tiger used, with slightly different specs to fit me.
Full set $1,600, or…
…a donation for a Pro Kids fundraiser, or…
Driver: $70
Fairway: $250
Irons: $1,100
Wedges: $100
Putter: $350″
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: Full set of ‘Tiger Slam’ clubs
This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules
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Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees @8.25) Buy here.
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X
5-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (18 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9 X
Irons: TaylorMade Proto (4), TaylorMade Rors Proto (5-9) Buy here.
Shaft: Project X 7.0 (4-9)
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (46-09SB, 50-09SB, 54-11SB) Buy here, Titleist Vokey Design WedgeWorks (58-K @59) Buy here.
Shafts: Project X 6.5 (46-54), Project X 6.5 Wedge (60)
Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour X3 Buy here.
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Pistol Tour
Ball: 2024 TaylorMade TP5x Buy here.
(Photo courtesy of TaylorMade)
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
Check out more in-hand photos of Rory McIlroy’s WITB in the forums.
View this post on Instagram
The winning WITB is presented by 2nd Swing Golf. 2nd Swing has more than 100,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.
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- Kevin Tway what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX
5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 90 TX
Irons: Wilson Staff Utility (2), Titleist T100 (4-9)
Shafts: Mitsubishi MMT 100 TX (2), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F @51, 56-14F), SM7 (60-10S)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (48-56), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (60)
Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: Scotty Cameron Black Baby T
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Plus4
More photos of Kevin Tway’s WITB in the forums.
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I know donkeys
Feb 1, 2022 at 9:59 pm
Matt Kuchar is a big donkey!
Heehaw, heehaw, heeha….
Joey
Jan 31, 2022 at 8:48 pm
Click bait
Ronnie Mundt
Jan 31, 2022 at 2:55 pm
The best part is they did it without the use of the magic Vokey wedge. See kids, practice, not purchase.
mondo
Jan 31, 2022 at 5:11 pm
*cough cough he ground them custom wedges before he had a deal with titleist…But I see what you mean lol
I. Vote Shank
Feb 1, 2022 at 6:13 pm
He copied a bunch of grinds. I have wedges from the 50s, 60s, and 70s that have the exact grinds we still use today. Solheim was the last “innovator” of wedges.
mick
Jan 31, 2022 at 7:27 pm
100% fact !!