Equipment

Why does Aaron Beverly’s wedge have holes in it? A wedge expert explains

Published

2 years ago

Feb 16, 2022

Aaron Beverly received this year’s Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption from tournament host Tiger Woods to play in the 2022 Genesis Invitational. Before even making his PGA Tour debut, Beverly is already making a splash in our GolfWRX forums with his unique wedges.

On Tuesday ahead of the event, we spotted Beverly with a unique set of wedges. Each of his Titleist Vokey SM9 wedges (52, 56 and 60 degrees) have two holes in their back cavities; one on the toe portion and one on the heel.

With our GolfWRX forum members speculating why the holes are there, I wanted to get the real answer. For that, I went straight to Titleist’s Vokey Tour rep Aaron Dill – the man who worked on Beverly’s wedges himself – to get the inside scoop.

According to Dill, there are two main reasons for drilling out, or “porting,” holes in his wedges:

“The first reason would be to reduce swing weight,” Dill explained. “He’s a little bit long, he’s a half-inch over standard length, but he likes standard swing weights. And it’s really tough at a half inch to get him down to D5 and D3, so that’s the first reason.

“The second reason is because it looks cool. Part of it is, yes, we want to balance up the weight. Whatever we’re going to pull from it I want to make sure it’s even on both sides. The other part of it is I don’t want to disturb the BV wings. I’m trying to stay out of there and have a little respect for The Man (master craftsman Bob Vokey, for which the wedges are named). But, other than that, it’s really more about hitting the tolerance and the specs that [Beverly] wants us to hit, and in order for us to do that accurately, we have to port them.”

For those of us who like to experiment with custom club building for ourselves, take Dill’s work as a valuable lesson. For every action there’s a reaction with club building, so make sure that when you change the length of your club setup that you keep an eye on swing weight and make the proper weighting adjustments. You don’t want to drastically change one variable when you’re trying to change another variable in isolation.

Beverly’s wedge set, as you may notice, doesn’t have a uniform finish throughout; he uses a Jet Black 52 and 56 degree wedge, but his lob wedge has a chrome finish. Dill explains why:

“The cool thing about [Beverly’s] set is he actually has a black gap wedge and sand wedge, and then the lob wedge is chrome. I asked him, ‘What’s up with that?’ He’s just like ‘This is what I like.’ I thought that was cool. That’s kind of his thing. Most guys would maintain the same finish throughout, and the majority of guys out here use raw. But for a handful of guys like Cam Smith, Callum Tarren, etc., there’s a handful of guys that really love the darker finish and go with the Jet Black.”

That’s the fun part of customizing your wedges: You can make them functional and practical, while still expressing yourself with things such as custom stampings, the finish, or even ported holes.

Check out all of our photos from the 2022 Genesis Invitational here.

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Up Next

What would you get if you had to spend less than $400 on irons? – GolfWRXers

Don't Miss

Johnny Miller’s 1973 winning U.S. Open WITB…which includes a pre-war 4-wood

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.

10 Comments

LUFC Fan

Feb 23, 2022 at 2:38 pm

Minor third thing is it raises the swing weight higher in the wedge which can help achieving a lower flight and increase spin. Definitely helps with players who want lighter swing weight though.

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drumdude96

Feb 20, 2022 at 12:00 pm

I guess the guys in the Titleist tour van have never heard of deburring. He Aaron Dill, every seen a countersink before?! Someone’s going to get their fingers cut on the burrs and sharp edges of those port holes. Terrible workmanship.

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drumdude96

Feb 20, 2022 at 11:57 am

I guess the guys in the Titleist tour van have never heard of deburring? Someone’s going to get their fingers cut on the burrs and sharp edges of those port holes. Half-a$$ed work, if you ask me. Hey Aaron Dill, ever heard of a countersink?!

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Pingback: Tour Report: Rickie Fowler switches to a TaylorMade putter and JT makes a wedge switch – GolfWRX
ericsokp

Feb 18, 2022 at 1:22 pm

Yeah, that must be what’s wrong with my game … my wedges are at D5 instead of D3! I believe that equates to a whopping 6 grams of club-head weight? 🙂

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burner accnt gianni sux

Feb 17, 2022 at 6:01 pm

“The second reason is because it looks cool. Part of it is, yes, we want to balance up the weight. Whatever we’re going to pull from it I want to make sure it’s even on both sides. The other part of it is I don’t want to disturb the BV wings. I’m trying to stay out of there and have a little respect for The Man (master craftsman Bob Vokey, for which the wedges are named). But, other than that, it’s really more about hitting the tolerance and the specs that [Beverly] wants us to hit, and in order for us to do that accurately, we have to port them.”

two words, get real

Reply Report comment
Eric

Feb 17, 2022 at 10:13 am

This is huge. They should offer this. I play +.5 and struggle with my vokeys. I always leave them at stock length because of the swing weight issue. I’ve felt Vokey’s +.5″ and they are nearly unplayably heavy. So I just squat more when I have wedges in hand.

Reply Report comment
- Joe
  
  Feb 17, 2022 at 1:29 pm
  
  Get raw wedges and pick a couple grinds on Wedgeworks, that should drop the SW to about right..
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Eric
    
    Feb 18, 2022 at 10:26 am
    
    I play Vokey 60.08 M as one of my wedges, as an example. Ordering that wedge raw has no impact on swing weight and Im not interested in other grinds.
    
    But even if I were, grinding has almost no impact on swing weight. I would need 6 grams ground off the wedge to meet my needs at +1/2. Aaron Beverly has 2 x 3gram holes drilled in his wedges. You can see how much metal needs to be removed.
    
    Reply Report comment
- drumdude96
  
  Feb 20, 2022 at 11:53 am
  
  This is nothing new. People have been porting wedges since forever. You can easily do it yourself if you have any mechanical ability at all and a few basic tools.
  
  Reply Report comment

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Equipment

Driver, shaft combinations of strokes gained: off-the-tee leaders

Published

2 days ago

Dec 1, 2023

GolfWRX Staff

‘Tis the season for, well, looking back at the previous golf season. Hopefully, you’re still able to put a peg in the ground where you live.

However, if you find yourself stuck on the couch, staring longingly at your clubs in the corner as they begin their period of forced hibernation, we’re here to offer you an always enjoyable (we hope) diversion: a look at the equipment of some of the best golfers in the game this past season.

More specifically, we’re taking a look at the driver head and shaft combinations of the best drivers of the golf ball on the PGA Tour (as measured by their strokes gained: off-the-tee metric) for the 2022-2023 PGA Tour season.

Let’s get to it.

10. Hayden Buckley: 0.611

Driver: Titleist TSR3 (9 degrees)

Shaft: UST Mamiya Lin Q M40X Blue 6F5

9. Luke List

Driver: Titleist TSR3 (9 degrees)

Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana DF 70 TX

8. Viktor Hovland: 0.741

Driver: Ping G425 LST (9 degrees @8.4)

Shaft: Fujikura Speeder 661 TR X (45.75 inches, tipped 1 inch)

7. Keith Mitchell: 0.743

Driver: Mizuno ST-Z 230 (9.5 degrees)

Shaft: Project X HZRDUS T1100 75 6.5

6. Kevin Yu: 0.803

Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond

Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro White 80 TX

5. Brent Grant: 0.806

Driver: Srixon ZX7 Mk II (8.5 degrees)

Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Black 75 TX

4. Patrick Cantlay: 0.852

Driver: Titleist TS3 (9.5 @8.75 degrees)

Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana ZF 60 TX

3. Rory McIlroy: 0.907

Driver: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus (9 degrees @7.5)

Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6 X

*McIlroy switched into TaylorMade’s Qi10 LS driver at the DP World Tour Championship.

2. Ludvig Åberg: 0.982

Driver: Titleist TSR2 (9 degrees)

Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X

1. Scottie Scheffler: 1.021

Driver: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus (8 degrees)

Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X

*Scheffler switched into TaylorMade’s Qi10 LS driver at the Hero World Challenge.

There you have it, GolfWRXers. We’ll be back with more pieces of this nature as we X out the days in December.

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Equipment

Callaway Apex Pro, Apex CB, Apex MB combo irons – Club Junkie Reviews

Published

2 days ago

Dec 1, 2023

Brian Knudson

When Callaway released the new Apex Pro, Apex CB, and Apex MB irons in August, better-skilled golfers were very excited to get them out on the course to try for themselves.

The Apex Pro packs a ton of technology into a small head size with reduced offset and a thinner topline. Callaway updated the new Apex CB with a new sole design for better turf interaction and shot consistency. The Apex MB is the blade for elite players who are looking for precise distance control and shot shaping.

Callaway knows some golfers like to mix and match clubs from different sets to optimize their performance, so I was very intrigued to see how the Apex Pro Series Triple Play iron set combined all three irons.

Callaway Apex Pro Long Irons (4, 5, 6)

When you set the new Apex Pro irons down, you will be pleased with the look of reduced offset and a compact shape. The irons aren’t so small that you get intimidated, I think Callaway picked a good size. Being slightly larger than the CB and MB gives you a little more confidence that you don’t need to strike it dead center in order to get a good shot out of them.

The Pros use multi-material construction to add distance and forgiveness while the forged face and body give you soft feel and distance control. Urethane Microspheres are also used to dampen vibration and give the Pro irons a soft and solid feel. Now the GolfWRXer in me wishes the Pro had a touch less offset, but I like the overall shape and think the more rounded toe gives them a softer look.

Out on the course, the 4, 5, and 6-irons are easy to hit and do offer you a little extra firepower for those longer shots. The feel is soft and muted, even on mishits, and the turf interaction from the Dynamic Sole design resists digging in soft conditions. The 4-iron is a real cannon off the tee on short par 4’s and long par 3’s, giving you the distance as well as added height to stop the ball on the green.

Off the turf, you can easily elevate the 5 and 6-iron shots into greens, but all of the Pro irons offer better forgiveness than you might expect. My miss is generally off the toe and those shots still get up in the air and carry. When you miss, you can still carry that bunker or get the ball to the front of the green.

Apex CB Mid Irons (7, 8, 9)

These might be my favorite looking out of the three iron sets in terms of size and shape. They blend some of the roundness from the Apex Pro with a slightly sharper toe and more compact size. The Apex CB have very little offset, and the transition from hosel to leading edge is done well and without too much curvature.

The soles are more narrow, but you can see more of the angles in the Dynamic Sole. The pre-worn leading edge and trailing-edge relief stand out more and work very well. I play in Michigan, and you rarely come across a firm and fast fairway, so turf interaction is very noticeable in these softer conditions. Much like the Apex Pro, the CB gets into the turf immediately and wants to shallow out and exit quickly.

Solidly struck shots feel so solid and soft with a heavy “thud” at impact. When it comes to feel, these irons will easily hold their own against other popular forged CBs. Shots hit thin or off the toe will bring more vibration to your hands and produce a clickier sound.

Distance control with the Apex CB irons is very, very good. Well-struck shots seem to fly exactly the same distance and height every time. The launch is a little lower than the Apex Pro but you still can elevate them off the turf or tee. These irons also seem to spin a bit more as you notice shots having a little more curvature to them. Into the wind, you can see a touch of rise in the shot. You will notice a little more of a dropoff in carry when you miss the center of the face, but directionally the ball stays online well.

Callaway added MIM weights in the toe, and as much as they perfect the balance of each iron, they seem to add some forgiveness as well. Skilled players will love the shotmaking ability of the CB: You can hit them high, low, left, or right, and in any combination of the aforementioned.

Apex MB Short Irons (10, 11)

First, just having irons with a “10” and an “11” on the sole is flat-out cool. That little difference is fun to see and they always get comments from other golfers. While all of the new Apex irons blend well together, these have the most distinctive look to my eye. They are the edgiest look with a sharper toe and straight leading edge. There is a lack of softness and roundness to the me, but again, they blend in well with the set.

I only have the pitching and gap wedge in the set, but that is about where my skill tops out! The MB will demand your attention as they obviously are the least forgiving in the set. While well-struck shots will reward you with impeccably soft feel and a solid “thud” sound, off-center will be a little more harsh on your hands and ears. My misses tend to be the most dramatic and you will see a big drop off in distance when you hit it out on the toe. Where the Apex Pro will get you on the green, the MB can keep you just off depending on the miss.

For being such high-lofted clubs, they do keep a lower ball flight that carries a lot of spin into the green. You can easily fire at tight pins with confidence that the trajectory and spin will keep the ball close to its landing spot. And since they are MBs, you can flight those shots any way you would like with ease.

Turf interaction is good, but these will dig the most out of the set. But even with the deeper divot, the irons get through the turf very quickly.

Matching the gap wedge to the set is something I have liked in this set. There is just a feeling of consistency on full, or close-to-full shots that you don’t get with a sand wedge-style head. Those full shots kind of feel like you are just hitting a pitching wedge but at a shorter distance. The “11-iron” still works around the green, and you can hit little pitch and chip shots with plenty of spin, even with an open face.

Overall, Callaway’s Triple Play offers a little bit of everything for players who need a little help in the long irons but want consistency in the scoring clubs. Feel, distance, and forgiveness are all added to the mix in good amounts in order to balance out the set. If you are a single-digit handicap who wants a players look from address but needs a little help, Callaway’s Apex Pro Series combo sets are well worth trying out.

More Club Junkie Reviews

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Whats in the Bag

Tony Finau WITB 2023 (December)

Published

2 days ago

Dec 1, 2023

GolfWRX Staff

Tony Finau’s what’s in the bag accurate as of the Hero World Challenge.

Driver: Ping G430 LST (9 degrees @7) Buy.
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 70 TX

3-wood: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond T (14 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX

Irons: Nike Vapor Fly Pro (3) Buy here, Ping Blueprint (4-PW) Buy here.
Shafts: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 105 Hybrid X (3), Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 120 TX

Wedges: Ping Glide 4.0 (50-12S, 56-12S) Buy here, Titleist Vokey Design WedgeWorks Proto (60-T) Buy here.
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 125 Wedge S