I love wedges.  They are, without hesitation, my favorite clubs (though I love the big dog too).  Those who had the pleasure of watching me learn the game (which involved more than few bladed shots back and forth across greens), might wonder if I’m a glutton for punishment.  I have gotten better with my wedges (although I’m still nowhere close to where I want to be).  And because nobody was around to teach me about pitching, chipping, and the “smart” way to play golf,  I taught myself the flop shot.  I taught myself the hell out of it.  For most, a lob wedge over a tree off a hard pan lie is one of the scariest shots one might face over the course of 18.  Me, I not only love it, I live for it.  There’s are few things on a golf course that give me more confidence in my ability than a ball sitting on bare dirt, just 40 yards off the green, with a 20′ spruce in between.  Gimmee the lobber!

2009 is a relatively quiet year for wedges (at least when compared to some other clubs).  And while I’d be happy to fill this space up with a bunch of news about stuff that’s just now hitting the market, I relish the opportunity to circle back and talk about some of the wedges that found their way on to store shelves after last year’s guide went up.

Adams Golf Puglielli Wedge

Adam’s Watson series wedges have been around for some time now, but I don’t think they ever really developed a following – even among amateur golfers.  This year, however, Adams hopes to change that with the introduction of the Puglielli series wedge.  Adams Tour rep. Max Puglielli designed the new wedges to better meet the needs of serious amateur players.  The Puglielli wedge has the classic teardrop shape that most better players prefer.  The satin finished, carbon steel face features a CNC “Fly-Cut” face and milled grooves designed to provide tremendous spin, and outstanding feel.

The Puglielli wedge also has a 7-gram weight cartridge, which not only adds vibration reduction (contributing to that soft feel I just mentioned), but it also allows the swing weight to be adjusted.

If there’s a knock on the Adams Puglielli wedges it’s the lack of lofts currently available (52°, 56°, 60°), but since those happen to be the lofts I carry, it’s hard for me to complain too much.  The wedges come stock with the TrueTemper DynamicGold shaft.

More information is available from www.adamsgolf.com.

Wilson Tw9

Wilson has quietly been making great golf equipment for a number of years now, and yet this is the first time I’ve mentioned their name in one of my Golf Guides.  My apologies.  The fact that it’s taken this long should give you a good idea how much good stuff there is to choose from.  Anyway…

What really needs to be said about the wedge that Padraig Harrington had in play at the British Open and PGA Championship?  How about…it works.  And while I might question the logic of any company other than Nike using “Tw” in a product name, it’s really not all that important.  What matters is the wide, sharp grooves that have been milled to USGA limits.  What matters is the elastomeric coating that provides a soft feel.  And what really, really matters, is the unique approach Wilson has taken to wedge design.

Matching cavity backs with musclebacks or blades in a set of irons is nothing new, but wedges?  Well, that’s exactly what Wilson has done.  The lower lofted wedges feature a cavity back design for more forgiveness, while the higher lofted clubs feature a more traditional blade design for the ultimate in control.  I’m unaware of any other manufacturer taking this sort of approach, but I think it’s a pretty cool idea.

The Wilson Tw9 wedges are available lofts from 48° to 60° in 2° increments.  They’re available in either a satin or low glare gunmetal finish.  At roughly $100 a club, the Tw9s are some of the most affordably priced tour quality wedges on the market.

More information is available from www.wilsongolf.com.

Titleist Vokey Wedges

2008 was a huge year for Vokey wedges, and it’s impossible for some of that excitement not to carry over into the 2009 season.  Perhaps the biggest news was the launch of www.vokey.com and the Vokey Design Studio.  While initial prices were high ($250), Vokey fans flocked to the site for just a taste of the kind of custom service Titleist Tour pros get every day.  Prices have dropped a bit since launch (currently $200 per wedge), and Titleist fans are still flocking to the site for the limited edition wedges featuring tour proven M & TVD grinds.  If wedges weren’t enough, the Vokey site also offers some really cool shirts, hats, and other accessories, that probably could have (and maybe should have) made it into other sections of the Golf Guide.

For those of us not willing to drop $200 on a wedge at Vokey.com (or $500 on the same wedge at the Golf Warehouse), there’s still plenty to get excited about.  While not “new” in the truest sense of the word, the popular Vokey Spin Milled wedge is enjoying a bit of a renaissance in ’09.   Once limited to lofts of 54° or greater, the new generation of Vokes is available from 48° all the way to 64°.  Last year I did quite a bit of whining and crying about the lack of 64° wedges from most of the bigger manufacturers, but this year I’ve been silenced by a sweet satin finished Vokey pacifier.  Of course, if I were so inclined, that same pacifier (wedge) is also available (to righties anyway) in a black nickel or Oil Can finish.

If that wasn’t enough, Da Voke has added more bounce options than ever.  Lofts of 54° or more are now available in your choice of low, medium, or full bounce.  And just for good measure, he’s added some tour inspired sole grinds too.  For those keeping score at home, that’s 17 different Vokey wedges to choose from.   That’s a lot of wedges right there.

Vokey wedges are designed using CAD and precisely cast – nay, sculpted out of 8620 Carbon steel.  If there is a knock on the Vokey wedge it’s that the cast head isn’t quite as soft as you’ll find in forged wedge, but there’s obviously a significant contingent of golfers who couldn’t care less.

The Titleist Vokey Spin Milled wedge comes stock with the TrueTemper DynamicGold S200 shaft.  Retail price is $120.

Scratch Golf 1018 & 8620 Wedges

Last year I devoted an entire page of the Golf Gear Guide to Scratch.  Part of me wishes I had the time and the space to do it again.   With their clubs already in play on the PGA, Champions, Nationwide, European, and LPGA tours, 2009 is shaping up to be a great year for the undisputed King of Custom Wedges.  Building off the success of their JLM line, Scratch Golf has announced the new 1018 and 8620 lineup of wedges.

While most of the wedge guys talk about grooves, the guys at Scratch put the emphasis on the grind.  A good shot comes from solid contact and for that you need a sole grind specifically matched to your swing.  That’s why the company offers 5 distinct grinds as part of its standard wedge offering.  Step up to a custom studio wedge and that number jumps to an astonishing 18 different sole grinds, accompanied by 3 different head shapes, and 8 different finishes.  Some companies talk about custom wedges, Scratch actually delivers.

Of course, I wouldn’t want to suggest that Scratch thinks grooves are unimportant.  To the contrary, their new wedges feature what Scratch calls ABC grooves, or “All Bite No Cover”.  The grooves are machined to USGA limits, and then the outer edges are slightly cambered to prevent excessive wear on softer golf balls.  A wedge that produces a lot of spin, but  doesn’t destroy your golf ball; what a novel idea.

For guys like me who like their wedges like their dinner rolls (buttery) Scratch has created the new for ’09, 1018 wedge.  Forged from the softest steel in the game, the 1018 features a tighter shape, minimal stamping, and a new glare-reducing smoked satin finish.  You won’t find a softer wedge anywhere, and you’d be hard pressed to find a better looking one either.

The new 8620 wedge is targeted at the budget-minded golfer (in this economy, I think that’s all of us).  It’s cast from 8620 steel and has a brushed satin finish.  While nobody is going to tell you that it offers the soft feel of the 1018, you can still choose 1 of 5 sole grinds.  You’re unlikely to get the same level of performance from any other sub-$100 wedge.

Both of the new wedges come stock with a Scratch exclusive KBS Tour wedge shaft.  Scratch spent over a year working with designer Kim Braley to create a shaft that offers the perfect balance of weight, balance, and feel for optimum performance on all types of wedge shots.

Retail price for 8620 wedge is $99.  The super-soft 1018 retails for $149.  Custom wedges start at $249.    The 1018 and 8620 are available in lofts fo 53°, 56°, 58°, and 60°.  For custom wedges you can choose from lofts between  48°-64°.  Both the Scratch Custom Studio, and more information about wedge fitting can be found at www.scratchgolf.com.

Cleveland Niblick

You can guarantee that just about every year there’s going to be at least one piece of new equipment that completely rubs me the wrong way.  Last year it was the Odyssey Marxman X-ACT.  This year it’s the team at Cleveland Golf that’s stepping up and screaming, “You suck, stick this in your bag.  You’re still going to suck, but maybe you’ll embarrass yourself a little less often”.  Of course, that’s not exactly what Cleveland is saying, but that what I think whenever a club like the new Niblick short game hybrid hits the market.

I’m generally a fan of Cleveland Golf’s clubs, but their new Niblick really chafes me under the knickers.  Before I tell you why I hate the very notion of the Niblick, it’s only fair to tell you that there’s actually plenty to like about Cleveland’s latest wedge (and I do use the word “wedge” loosely).  Like all newer Cleveland wedges, the Niblick features Zip Grooves for increased spin.  It has a GelBack™ visco-elastic insert for vibration reduction and increased feel.  According to Cleveland the new Niblick combines the best features of hybrids, irons, wedges, and putters, into one versatile and easy to hit club.

Cleveland says the Niblick is ideal for full approach shots, pitching, chipping, and recovering from trouble.  The increased bounce (when compared to standard irons) helps eliminate fat shots while other design features promote stability and forgiveness.  The length of the Niblick’s shaft is 35″ (the same as many putters), but Cleveland claims that the hybrid-like head design allows the Niblick 8 to match the distance of an 8-iron.  It all sounds pretty good, but, I feel compelled to ask…

In a world of super game improvement irons with heads like sledgehammers, do we really need another specialty club designed to do exactly the same thing as the clubs you already have in your bag?  Sure, the Niblick is versatile, but with lofts of 37° and 42°, what are you going to do, take the 8 or 9 irons out of your bag?  Are you going to replace a hybrid with a club you’d be lucky to get 140 yards out of.  Yes, you could pull a wedge out of your bag, but what’s the Niblick going to do for you in the sand?  Some early reviews have suggested the Niblick is an excellent replacement for your chipper.  Of course, the same is true of a croquet mallet, a field hockey stick, and a garden variety plunger insomuch as, like a chipper,  none of them has any business in a respectable golfer’s bag in the first place.

In case you’re unfamiliar with the term ‘niblick’, it’s not a new word.  It was actually the name given to a pre-20th century hickory shafted golf club.  From a loft perspective, the niblick was roughly equivalent to the modern 9-iron.  Don’t you already have one of those?  Granted, it might make things a tad bit easier, but the Niblick doesn’t offer anything different from the clubs you already own.  I will concede that, as far as gadget clubs are concerned, the Cleveland Niblick is the nicest, most robust offering I’ve seen to date.  Concessions aside, my humble opinion is that there’s infinitely more benefit to gained by learning how to get more out of the clubs you already own.

The Cleveland Niblick short game hybrid retails for around $110.  More information is available at www.clevelandgolf.com.

Feel Golf Dart Thrower 73° Wedge

Perhaps it’s a bit hypocritical of me to promote a wedge with an amazing 73° degrees of loft after calling the Cleveland Niblick a gadget club.  I’m alright with that though, since, as I said at the beginning of this piece, I love wedges, and more to the point; I love the flop shot.  What better way to hit a wide open flop shot that with a wedge with an unparalleled 73° of loft.

A spatula among wedges, the new Dart Thrower from Feel features CNC milled grooves that conform to the new USGA regulations that will go in effect in 2010.  To further promote spin, Feel has milled very small score lines over the entire face.   Covering distances from 3 feet to 70 yards, the 73° wedge is ideal for short side shots from a bunker or from just off the green.  Sure, it might force you to adjusted the gaps between your wedges (If I added a 73, I’d probably replace my 56° with a 58°), but having the ability to take a full swing from 10 yards out and stop the ball on a dime is reason enough to consider making the change.

The Feel Dart Thrower 73° wedge retails for $109.99.  It’s expected to start shipping around 4/1/2009.  Moe information is available from www.feelwedges.com.