Since the beginning of time, finding the middle, the sweet spot, the Tiger strike, grooves 2 through 5, etc., has been the North Star for anyone who has ever picked up a golf club. To make any piece of equipment do what it’s optimized to do, it’s essential players find that section (at least for irons and wedges).
In my Vokey SM11 fitting with Tour Rep. Aaron Dill, AD used grind, proper center of gravity and sole width to help me find it almost every time — even when the action wasn’t optimal.
Now, most of you may be thinking, “So finding the sweet spot is important? Thank you, Captain Obvious.” But the illusion of needing skill only to find it is a misconception. With proper fitting and the right tool, it’s possible for any player to get here — even a high handicap. Now I will say that the level of consistency around that strike will be much higher with short irons into wedges. The shaft is shorter, many of the shots don’t require “full send” speed and you have loft to aid in the journey.
Titleist Vokey SM11 Tour Chrome Wedge
Titleist Vokey Design’s new SM11 wedges feature a new precise CG position across each grind in a loft, meaning every wedge will now perform the same way with the same strike.
When Vokey implemented the new CG package into the SM11 it created opportunities for me that I would have had to manipulate in the past. For example, I would find wedges that I struck well but the CG wouldn’t optimize the strike; i.e. the ball would come out too high or I’d find a wedge I could hit down but the consistent strike pattern was elusive. Now that SM11 has a CG package that lives in the same spot on every wedge and even more in a spot (and grooves to enhance) that keeps the ball substantially down in the higher lofts. Simply, it’s a have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too wedge set that supports me regardless of my technique.
How to find a set that does it all
This is where all my research and access to folks like Aaron has paid off. I’ve always been a good wedge player but there was no doubt concessions I made with each setup. I always struggled finding a set that had one shot in it, that being a low-driving trajectory with enough spin to stop it dead as opposed to having it rip back. The ball does play a part in this but if we just focus on the wedges for now, my SM11 44.10F, 50.08F, 54.12D and 58.08M now all have it. In this case, for me, it’s a 10-o’clock swing, hitting all four wedges out of a low window. Gone are the days where I made that swing and look up to see the ball doing something else. It’s also important to mention that having wedges that keep you in that 2-5 groove section gives you the feeling of controlling your golf ball.
Just look at the numbers from a 1-vs.-1 test I did last week with SM11 vs. my old gamers (SM10):
It may not seem like biblical upticks in the numbers, but for shots from 130 and in it’s huge. That lower flight, slight uptick in spin and feeling of control over the shot consistently allows my floor and ceiling to get higher. I can say that about a ton of clubs these days. Typically I find most of the value in raising my floor, which is most important but If I find a tool that does both — I’m in.
So next time you get fit, make sure you find clubs that get you in that “sweet spot.” It may take some soul searching and ego tossing, but I guarantee your scores will get lower. And isn’t that all that matters?
