Vokey 46 v. stock PW (also 46)?

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By l

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  1. l

    l

    Assuming the lofts are the same, is there any reason (again - assuming same shaft length and same shaft) one should/would fly further than the other?

    Thanks.

  2. Brock L

    Brock L
    Fort Myers, FL

    Yes. Clubs with perimeter weighing or hollow bodies will certainly tend to "jump" a bit more when struck well. So, all things will not always be the same based on loft alone.
  3. John B

    John B

    So what is the better club to put in your bag? The matching 46° wedge from yourself or the 46° Volkey? What factors might influence the choice based on the characteristics of an individual golfer?
  4. Jared L

    Jared L
    La Jolla, CA

    I asked a similar question when I was fit at TPI. In my case, I was deciding between the 48-degree T200 gap wedge and the 48-degree Vokey. The recommendation was to go with the set wedge if I only used the club for full swings, but I might find the Vokey more versatile for partial shots/pitching/chipping. I chose the Vokey and have zero regrets. It has become one of my favorite clubs.
  5. Ben R

    Ben R

    I have both set pitching wedges in my T200 and T150 clubs. I also have same loft Vokeys. Having played both many times the person who asked this question during his fitting is correct. If you’re one who likes predictable, straightforward full shots, then the non-Vokey equivalent is just fine.

    Why do I have and play the set wedges? Because 1. There a difference visually. 2. There is a difference in feel (T150 wedge feels better to me than the Vokey. Also, T200 version is a little “hotter” off the face).

    That said I don’t play super seriously and I’m an equipment junky who likes a change up now and then.
  6. James Young

    James Young
    Costa Mesa, CA

    Vokey wedge will be fully forged vs (depending on the set - T100, T150, T200, T350) a constructed body with a forged face. Fully forged clubs will be softer and likely increase spin vs a constructed body club. Center of Gravity (CG) also plays a part in the outcomes.
    With wedges, softer clubs will likely spin more on well struck shots. This added spin is great around the greens but could lead to a higher & shorter full swing shot.
    This is where gapping comes in. If you plan (like most of us) to use your PW mostly on full shots, if a Vokey with spin consistently comes up shorter vs a set PW - it could leave a gap in yardage to your 9i. Meaning you might have to 'take a lot off of a 9i' to hit a specific distance vs a "stock swing" using the set PW. Yardage gapping back to your other wedges should also be a consideration.

    So unfortunately part of the analysis is: do a fitting to test distances or 'trial-and-error' test different clubs to see which perform the best.

    Enjoy the journey!
  7. Brock L

    Brock L
    Fort Myers, FL

    James Young said:

    Vokey wedge will be fully forged vs (depending on the set - T100, T150, T200, T350) a constructed body with a forged face. Fully forged clubs will be softer and likely increase spin vs a constructed body club. Center of Gravity (CG) also plays a part in the outcomes.
    With wedges, softer clubs will likely spin more on well struck shots. This added spin is great around the greens but could lead to a higher & shorter full swing shot.
    This is where gapping comes in. If you plan (like most of us) to use your PW mostly on full shots, if a Vokey with spin consistently comes up shorter vs a set PW - it could leave a gap in yardage to your 9i. Meaning you might have to 'take a lot off of a 9i' to hit a specific distance vs a "stock swing" using the set PW. Yardage gapping back to your other wedges should also be a consideration.

    So unfortunately part of the analysis is: do a fitting to test distances or 'trial-and-error' test different clubs to see which perform the best.

    Enjoy the journey!

    Vokey wedges are cast. Only the Japan-only versions are forged.
  8. Edward K

    Edward K
    Wesley Chapel, FL

    Military
    My guy is a former Tour fitter, he'd tell you all day to keep the stock PW in the bag. His explanation would take 5-10 minutes you could have spent practicing. Still all preference.
  9. SamE

    SamE

    I’m thinking there may be differences in club head weight, total weight, and swing weight that could lead to slightly differing swings with each club
  10. Mike M

    Mike M
    Marblehead MA

    The Vokey wedge is a forged club.Assuming your current set is cast, the Vokey is a little less forgiving, but on the positive side, there is a lot more feel coming off a forged face, especially on chips and pitch shots.

    Hope this helps.
  11. Brock L

    Brock L
    Fort Myers, FL

    Mike M said:

    The Vokey wedge is a forged club.Assuming your current set is cast, the Vokey is a little less forgiving, but on the positive side, there is a lot more feel coming off a forged face, especially on chips and pitch shots.

    Hope this helps.

    Vokey wedges are not forged. They are all cast.
  12. Mike M

    Mike M
    Marblehead MA

    Sorry. My mistake. I mistakenly assumed they were forged.
  13. Dino S

    Dino S
    Ohio

    John - I think the club head profile/shape is slightly different. I think ultimately its personal preference. Someone might feel more comfortable standing over one shape versus the other. Just my 0.02.
  14. TWalker

    TWalker
    Newnan, GA

    Been wondering about this for a while now, what are the benefits to having a Vokey 46* instead of your normal iron set pitching wedge?
  15. TWalker

    TWalker
    Newnan, GA

    Been wondering about this for a while now, what are the benefits to having a Vokey 46* instead of your normal iron set pitching wedge?
  16. Jason R

    Jason R
    Ottawa, ON

    I have been back and forth on this one for sure. For me it comes down to the 90% use case - i.e. am I opening up the face or hitting it square face.

    Almost all shots with my PW are either full, 3/4 or 1/2 swing square face shots from a clean lie. For anything creative, I am using my Vokey GW/SW/LW all with differing grinds and bounces to give me options. Since I get more consistent distances with my Set PW vs Vokey of same loft (i.e. easier to slightly mis-hit a full shot with the Vokey), I use the set PW.

    YMMV,

  17. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    Jason R said:

    I have been back and forth on this one for sure. For me it comes down to the 90% use case - i.e. am I opening up the face or hitting it square face.

    Almost all shots with my PW are either full, 3/4 or 1/2 swing square face shots from a clean lie. For anything creative, I am using my Vokey GW/SW/LW all with differing grinds and bounces to give me options. Since I get more consistent distances with my Set PW vs Vokey of same loft (i.e. easier to slightly mis-hit a full shot with the Vokey), I use the set PW.

    YMMV,

    I’ve been using a 48-10F set to 46 as a PW for 3 years now. It is usage, agreed. I use a 54-14F at 52 for a GW because it works in a wide variety of conditions plus it swings better vs a 52-12F. I don’t try to bust my hump trying to hit a full swing at 90 yards with 52* loft.

    48-10F bent 2* strong is 46-08F. The bounce is perfect for full swings. At 70 yards I do a pitch shot with 46* loft. I use 46 loft for bump n run shots with a lot of real estate on the green. The Vokey stops the ball better vs a set wedge. Game improvement set wedges are horrendous for golf courses with tighter lies. An AP2, for all intents and purposes, is a cross between a game improvement and “player iron”. I was carrying AP1 7-PW between 2013-2015 with SM4 Vokeys and managed to break 80. I used my Dad’s Apex irons between 2015-2017 to “cut my teeth”on “player irons”. I replaced the 9 iron with a Fourteen RM21 42* wedge in 2017 and it actually worked better and used it at Torrey Pines in 2018 (50-08F, 60-12K at 57* and Callie 64 was my wedge setup; yes, Vokeys are cast and I learned my lesson on the 60-12 and the hosel broke when the repair person tried to put it back to 58). Between 2019-2020, played a Vokey 46 set to 44 as a 9 iron with AP2 7 iron and Apex 8 iron.

    Played 695CB 6 iron and MB 7-P between 2020-2022. Went to a 48-10F set to 46 since then. I simplified my short irons to 716MB 7 iron (32*) and 716MB (39*) 2 years ago.

    Last March replaced the 7 iron with a Sumo2 SQ 34 (found one with a stiff shaft on eBay) and reverted to a 695MB 8 iron (39*); with the Vokey 46-08F. Got plenty of golf shots with these 3 clubs. Been kind of dinkering between the 695MB 8 iron and a T100S 9 iron (40* bent to 39*) and the blade won out. About 3 months ago, saw a T200 9 iron (38.5*); needless to say it won out vs the MB and the distance is 3 yards less but is way easier to hit.
  18. Thomas Y

    Thomas Y
    Wenham, MA

    Hey Brock L., glad you have corrected the TT members who think the Vokey wedges are forged. They are indeed cast from a soft stainless steel (8620? 8630?), so it is not the fact (mis-fact) that they are forged being the reason they are so tour used. I only recall Cleveland, among major manufacturers, had a truly forged wedge, the Precision Forged or PF line, years ago, and those were nice but didn't seem to take off at retail. Even the png forged wedges were really a 'coin forge', that is, cast into general shape, then heated and placed into a forge press for final shaping.

    Could I tell the difference between them? Maybe with the PFs, but really, it is the performance that I seek as well as a reasonable feel and sound.

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