What is wedge grind?

When it comes to wedges there are a lot of things to decide: which lofts work best, how much bounce you need, and then choose the correct grind. But what even is wedge grind? Let me explain.

• More wedge grind: Which is right for you? We asked Bob Vokey

What is wedge grind?

The grind actually refers to the shaping of the sole of the club. Different amounts of material can be removed from the sole, heel and toe of the club to change how the leading edge sits and how it reacts through impact.

The sole shaping can be manipulated relative to what shot you want to hit with each club. Let’s say you consider yourself a bit of a whizz around the greens and a flop shot is your stock shot, a grind with less material on the heel will allow you to open the face up more while still keeping the leading edge close to the ground – stopping you blading it through the back green.

However if you always play your chips with the club face square you will want a fuller sole grind which is also better for pitching and full shots.

Different wedge grinds work best for different players with options for steep and shallow swingers but they’re also different for varying course conditions. So if you play on a links course with firm turf you probably shouldn’t use the same grind as someone who plays on a really soft course.

Serious players will actually carry an extra set of wedges with different bounce and grind options for when they play links golf.

It’s also important to note you don’t need the same grind on all of your wedges. For example, I use a fuller sole in my 50° and 54° as I mainly use these for full shots and standard chipping. However with my 58° I like to open the face more so the grind has more heel and toe relief.

If you have any questions about wedge grind then let me know in the comments below or you can tweet me and I’ll be happy to answer them.