Why it may be necessary to consider a special wedge

There are many ways to fill your golf bag from having three fairway woods to fairway woods, playing two drivers or no drivers, playing two wedges or four wedges.
During the Fully Equipped team’s recent trip to Carlsbad, Wadeh Maroun, Kris McCormack and this writer each received a full scholarship to the Titleist Performance Institute. Maroun, came up with an amazing “Ahah” moment when he reached the bottom of his bag, inspired by the addition of the Vokey SM10 46-degree pitching wedge.
“That’s the thing [my fitter] Lucas and I were passing, because it means from 130 yards, I can use one club if I want to,” Maroun said on the latest episode of the Full Equipped GOLF podcast. “It’s a useful team for me. If I want to drop it, I can. If I want to use it around vegetables, I can. If I want to hit 100 yards, I can. If I want to hit 110, 90, 80, it’s dangerous.
“It opens my eyes to things that affect that, which is cool.”
Lovely reason this Tour winner has a ‘weird’ gear setup
By:
Jack Hirsh
McCormack was surprised by the result as, in his years as a balancer, he was not used to recommending special wedges to novice players, even those as talented as Maroun with a low single-digit handicap. He said it helps to use the same technology in the iron and pitching wedge set to help with spacing and consistency as it is a full-running club.
But everyone is different.
“For you, it highlights the scoring area for you, it gives you some flexibility, it gives you another option that you can use for different shots,” McCormack said. “So, it’s a good ending.”
But the interesting wrinkle that Maroun revealed is that the new 46-degree wedge doesn’t replace the pitching wedge in his iron set. Maroun fills the slot that was previously occupied by a 50-degree wedge. He will go from a 46-degree pitching wedge to a 54-degree sand wedge.

Titleist Vokey SM10 Jet Black Custom Wedge
$189.99
For every shot, every lie, every lesson, there is a balance to your swing. Finding the right grind to suit your swing and playing conditions will give you the best turf interaction, contact and shot performance. Master craftsman Bob Vokey has spent decades crafting, developing and improving his proven mill travel to fit players of all levels. Anyone can make a wedge, but it takes a master to turn a functional piece of technology into a creative control tool. Bob’s six tour-proven grinds are designed to provide maximum craftsmanship, versatility and consistency, all carefully developed over years of working with the world’s best players. PROGRESSIVE CENTER OF GRAVITY SM9 features a progressive center of gravity (CG) across all lofts, resulting in smooth ball travel, accuracy and forgiveness. Using sharp top lines and varying pipe lengths, the Vokey R&D team increased the CG height at high altitudes, promoting a low, highly controlled flight. The CG is also forward in the face, resulting in increased MOI, a unique feel and a club face that just wants to go up at impact. SM9’s patented Spin Milled Grooves are meticulously designed with a new cutting process to maximize rotation and durability. The process begins by cutting the face down with a high speed saw. Then every groove is cut individually based on the surface and the end; low lofts (46°-54°) are designed with narrow, deep grooves, while high lofts (56°-62°) have wide, shallow grooves. Micro-grooves are individually cut between the grooves, allowing for greater spin on partial shots. Heat treatment is applied to the impact area which replicates the firmness of the pitch without affecting the feel, making it a tough golf club. The process only ends when every Vokey wedge is tested for high quality and 100% performance.
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“The 46-degree will work as it will never fully change,” Maroun said. “From 125, 130 in, it’s just, it feels pure, it’s pure destruction, it’s everything—everything you could want to do with that club. It is a framework that is being used, it is dangerous.”
It may be unusual, but it’s something Maroun is testing to see how it goes, because with golf gear, there aren’t too many ideas that aren’t worth trying.
For more on this week’s episode of GOLF’s Fully Equipped, listen to the full episode here or watch it below.
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Jack Hirsh
Golf.com Editor
Jack Hirsh is the Associate Equipment Editor at GOLF. A native of Pennsylvania, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State University, earning degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. He was the captain of his high school golf team and recently returned to the program to serve as the head coach. Jack is also *still* trying to stay competitive with the local novices. Before joining GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as a reporter/multimedia reporter, but also producing, anchoring and even presenting weather. He can be reached at jack.hirsh@golf.com.
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