When it comes to to wedges there are few names, if any, that are as synonymous with the product line as Mr. Bob Vokey. Roger Cleveland comes to mind even though he is now casting and grinding over at Callaway. We’ve chatted with Roger previously in the notebook, so it was nice to also get to spend a few minutes with another wedge guru and fellow Canadian (born in Montreal) Bob Vokey.
Bob took some time out his busy schedule to chat with about a hundred or so invitees at this years golf merchandise show in Orlando. To say he as been busy would be an understatement seeing as all of the recent changes to grove rules effect his end of the product spectrum.
“There are about 1500 exempt Tour players worldwide and I am responsible for about 700 of them,” offered Vokey. “That translates into 3 wedges on average per player which translated into 10 people working 10 hours, 6 days a week, for 3 months. And that was just to get everyone ready, comfortable, and conforming for the start of the 2010 season”.
Bob knows the hard work and it would certainly seem that his passion is paying off when you consider the math. 40% of the exempt players out on tour play Vokey designed wedges. Since he has been with Titleist (98) the company has sold over 6 million wedges worldwide. Though he would consider himself a traditionalist when it comes to look and feel Vokey has embraced technology through the use of spin milling technology which, by its process, he suggests can create a perfectly flat face and, hence, produce unparalleled consistency.
Bob Vokey on …
The New Grooves:
Pros won’t sacrifice distance. The effect of the C grooves translates into less traction (think of a car tire in the rain). And this will mean the ball will end up skidding higher up on the face and with less compression (time on the face) comes less spin. The lower the clubhead speed the more the impact.
The key will be, once again, to simply rely on gravity to stop the ball.
On Design:
There is nothing more important than profile. The way the club looks at address. Is it pleasing to the eye. Does it inspire confidence?
Every player – pro through recreational – who picks up one of my wedges immediately holds it to the ground and looks at it in the address position. That is their first impulse and, subsequently, first reaction.
After profile comes bounce and camber when it comes what makes a wedge work. The 400 Series remains my personal favourite.
Advice:
Bounce is Your Friend
If there is one thing that high handicappers struggle with it would be to not play with enough bounce. Everyone should get fitted properly. The best way to fit a player is through visualization and that is best done on the range or on the course. 58 degrees is probably the max loft required for the public player.
AUDIO
After the workshop I got a chance to chat with Bob one on one for a few minutes and in that conversation, among other things, I asked him if he had met Canadian PGA Tour rookie and Titleist player Graham DeLaet. Here is what he had to say about meeting Graham at the 2010 Sony Open … and a little patriotic prognostication.
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I also asked Bob about the effect of the new grooves and whether he had made any recommendations / changes with Graham’s wedges …
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Lastly, Bob offered up some great insight and advice in regard to equipment tinkering and getting overly technical with respect to the myriad of options available to players. (there is a very cool sound-byte here)
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Bob Vokey has a reputation of being one of the nicest guys in the industry. Having had the chance to meet him, I can attest to that fact. So the next time you are looking down the hosel of a Vokey designed wedge, you can be proud of the fact that it is, in a very real way, Canadian made.
