Titleist Vokey WedgeWorks 44F Grind wedge
Titleist Vokey WedgeWorks 44F Grind wedge Designed to be an option for golfers who want a true pitching wedge, the 44F Grind fits loft and distance gaps for today's players.
Gear: Titleist WedgeWorks 44F Grind Wedge
Price: $225 with True Temper Dynamic Gold S200 shaft and Titleist Universal 360 grip.
Specs: Cast 8620 carbon steel with 44 degrees of loft and 10 degrees of bounce.
Who it's for: Golfers who want a premium pitching wedge to take the place of the pitch wedge that matches their iron set.
What you should know: While Titleist has offered 46-degree pitching wedges in recent years, this is the first 44-degree Spin Milled wedge, making it an option for golfers who play strong-lofted irons but desire to use a true pitching wedge.
The deep dive: WedgeWorks, the boutique arm of Titleist's Vokey Design wedge division, has released numerous limited-edition and special wedges over the last few seasons, like the A Grind lob wedge, V Grind lob wedge, K* lob wedge, A+ lob wedge, and L Grind lob wedge. While it may sound like hyperbole, the new 44F may be the most important wedge the company has created in decades.
From a material and construction standpoint, there is nothing new about the WedgeWorks 44F, which is cast from soft 8620 carbon steel like other SM10 wedges and has individually inspected grooves. That's not the story here. Instead, it's the loft, 44 degrees, and what it could mean for golfers who play modern-lofted irons.
Traditionally, Vokey pitching wedges have been made with 46 and 48 degrees of loft, and those clubs have been options for golfers who prefer to use a true pitching wedge instead of the pitching wedge that comes with their iron set, which in reality is like a 10-iron. However, as lofts have become stronger in most iron sets, even a 46-degree pitching wedge can be an awkward fit. For example, a Titleist T100 9-iron comes standard with 42 degrees of loft, and the pitching wedge is at 46 degrees, but the T150 9-iron is at 40 degrees, and the pitching wedge is at 44 degrees. The game-improvement T200 and T350 have 9-irons around 38 degrees and come with pitching wedges at 43. Removing a T150, T200, or T350 pitching wedge and adding a 46-degree SM10 can create a significant distance gap in a player's scoring clubs.
The release of the WedgeWorks 44F gives players who use a better-player's distance iron or a game-improvement iron a choice that, from a gapping standpoint, makes sense.
Yes, working with a custom fitter, players can have a 46-degree wedge bent to 44 degrees, but reducing loft also reduces a wedge's bounce, which can lead to digging and poor turf interaction. The WedgeWorks 44F is designed with 10 degrees of bounce, like its 46- and 48-degree counterparts, so it should maintain speed through the contact area while providing more distance.
The F Grind is one of the most popular grinds with accomplished golfers because it is straight and features slight heel relief, making it very versatile and a smooth transition for most golfers from their weakest-lofted iron.
Through the WedgeWorks program, golfers can have the 44F customized with up to 10 characters stamped into the back of the head or up to 15 characters around the toe, different paint fill colors, specialty grips, and a variety of shaft bands.
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