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Noted wedge designer Bob Vokey has another hit on his hands following the launch of his new Titleist Vokey Design SM8 wedges.
The first week they were available late last year, 37 tour players put 180 SM8 models into their bags and that figure was maintained at the first full-field event of 2020, which meant the SM8 supplanted Vokey’s previous-generation SM7 models as the No 1 wedge on the PGA Tour.
Adam Scott used four SM8 wedges while winning the Australian PGA Championship at the end of last year, while 107 SM8 models were in play at the recent Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
The new SM8 wedges feature a further refinement to the groundbreaking progressive centre-of-gravity design first seen in the SM6 model. By moving the CG forward, to a position that actually hovers in front of the wedge face, Vokey and his research-and-development team have produced a wedge designed to encourage square contact every time, not to mention improved distance and trajectory control, better feel and increased stability for more consistent results.
“When Kevin Tassistro (director of wedge research and design) brings me new prototypes he knows I won’t have feedback until I’ve watched tour players hit them,” Vokey said. “The proof is in their results and their reactions. That’s been my validation process from Day 1. The first time I had guys hit SM8 was on the range at Riviera. I always listen to the sound they are making at impact and it was phenomenal.
“ ‘Soft but solid’ was how they described it. They loved it. That means they’re getting the proper feedback you need to execute every type of wedge shot, whether you’re in the fairway, in a bunker or around the green. They also talked a lot about the flight. It’s in a better window, it’s more consistent and they have more control over it.
“Overall, guys just kept telling me how easy it was to hit every type of shot they wanted to hit. They just felt like they were getting more out of the wedge and that’s because Kevin and his team were able to push the CG forward out in front of the face to a place we never would have imagined 20 years ago.”
The SM8 wedges come in four finishes – tour chrome, brushed steel, black and raw – and will be available for fittings from February 11 and in store from March 6. The SRP is £160 each.