Titleist WedgeWorks limited edition 64W wedge

If you are a skilled player, this Jet Black wedge can get the ball up fast, even from tight lies and firm turf.

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Bob Vokey, the namesake of Titleist’s wedge franchise, often says that recreational golfers should play with wedges that have more bounce. He has also said weekend players would often be wise to avoid extremely-high lofted wedges. Clubs with 56 degrees of loft, Vokey believes, can get the ball up quickly and they present a larger hitting area for mid- and higher-handicap golfers who can struggle to make consistent, solid contact.

Lob wedges like a 58 or 60-degree club can be added later, Vokey feels, as a golfer improves his or her technique, so it’s safe to say that “Voke” would caution anyone who is not a tournament-level golfer from buying Titleist’s newest limited-edition wedge, the WedgeWorks 64W. However, in the hands of skilled golfers, this club can be a get-out-of-jail-free card.

Titleist WedgeWorks 64W wedge
The limited-edition 64W has 64 degrees of loft and just 4 degrees of bounce. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

As the name implies, this club has 64 degrees of loft, making it the highest-lofted wedge in the Titleist Vokey Design stable. It also has just 4 degrees of bounce. That combination, in the hands of a skilled player, makes the 64W a club that is ideally suited for firm turf, tight lies and situations when a player is short-sided and has to get the ball up fast.

In soft conditions, fluffy sand or used by a player with a steep angle of attack, the 64W can easily dig into the turf, however, as Vokey points out, “Players that are so good at shallowing out their technique can simply allow this mid-width sole with loft to do all the work when under the pressure of elevated pin locations.”

Titleist WedgeWorks 64W wedge
With 64 degrees of loft, players see the 64W’s entire hitting area in the address position. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

While there are seven sole grinds now available in the Titleist Vokey Design SM9 lineup, the W Grind is not one of them. It has a small amount of camber (curvature) and a pre-worn leading edge with material removed in the heel and toe areas, making it similar to the M Grind, but it has less trailing edge relief.

The limited edition 64W wedge comes with a Jet Black finish that is durable but will wear with time. It comes standard with a True Temper Dynamic Gold Black Onyx S200 shaft and a Golf Pride 360 Blackout grip for $275.

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Bob Vokey found the perfect wedge grind for me. Here’s what I learned

What the wedge fitting process is like at the Titleist Performance Institute.

Bob Vokey is the Master Craftsman at Titleist and is known for his signature Vokey wedges. I have been a competitive golfer for years, but I have never paid any attention to the grind of my wedges and only have looked at the loft when picking them out.

I had the pleasure of getting to work with Vokey himself and we went through the wedge-fitting process at the Titleist Performance Institute in Oceanside, California.

I’ll admit that I was embarrassed by my lack of knowledge when it came to how certain wedge soles are ground and what they do. He assured me that I wasn’t alone and this was common among high-level players.

Vokey gave me one of three different 60-degree wedges, but wouldn’t tell me which one I was hitting. He was noting my feedback, facial expressions and divot patterns. Some grinds made the club dig more in the grass and some less, but the most important thing was what felt good to me.

We ended up settling with an S grind SM9 Vokey wedge and I holed out two balls in front of the master himself.

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The S grind has a fairly straight sole, but a portion of the heel has been grinded out to make it easier to open up. The S grind is the most forgiving out of the three.

Vokey showed me the importance of getting properly fit for wedges. I never would have thought that the grind of a club could make such a difference, but it is important to find a wedge that fits your game.

Titleist Vokey Design SM9 wedges

Play the same wedges as some of the world’s best including Justin Thomas, Danielle Kang, and Nelly Korda.

Gear: Titleist Vokey Design SM9 wedges
Price: $179 each with True Temper Dynamic Gold S200 shafts and Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 White grips 
Specs: Cast stainless steel with six sole grinds available. Even lofts from 46 to 62 degrees.
Available: March 11  

Bob Vokey, Titleist’s master craftsman for wedges, has helped some of the best players in the world hone their short games and improve their wedge play for decades. Today, the wedges that bear his name can be found in the bags of players such as Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Nelly Korda, Adam Scott, Danielle Kang, and Will Zalatoris.  

With the release of the new SM9 family of wedges, Vokey has tried to build tools that will help golfers at every level improve on the three things that he believes are key to a good short game: distance and trajectory control, the ability to generate and control spin, and shot versatility.

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