Can A Tour Level Wedge Fitting Save My Short Game?

My wonderful Kick Point co-host, Joe Ferguson, has identified my less-than-impressive short game as the low-hanging fruit I can improve to help me win my club championships this year. Everyone can have a good short game, so there’s really no excuse for me not to focus on it this year.

However, one thing that has been holding my short game back is my equipment. Having never been through a proper outdoor wedge fitting, and while still using five-year-old wedges in my bag, getting properly fit for the right equipment was the first place for me to start.

To right this wrong, Titleist invited me down to Woburn for a comprehensive outdoor wedge fitting for the new Titleist Vokey SM11 wedges. Under the watchful supervision of Vokey Tour Rep Will Harvey and with Joe alongside for moral support, it was time to turn my short game from a weakness into one of my biggest strengths.

WATCH: Joe and I analyse all the highlights (and lowlights) from my Vokey SM11 wedge fitting

Gapping

The fitting began with a gapping session, which is the standard starting point for any professional wedge fitting. Initially, I was sceptical about needing a specialist pitching wedge, as I was comfortable with the set wedge I use in my current set of irons. However, switching to the Vokey SM11 46-degree 10 F-grind wedge immediately produced noticeable improvements.

The primary difference was the control over ball flight and spin. Better players constantly try to flight their wedges down; a lower flight that is loaded with spin offers much more control than high, looping shots. The SM11 helps achieve this through a higher and more forward centre of gravity (CG). In my case, the specialist wedge brought my launch angle down by about three degrees while increasing spin by at least 1,000 RPM. Beyond the data, looking down at a specialist scoring weapon like a Vokey, rather than just another iron in the set, provided a significant mental boost.

From the 46-degree pitching wedge, we moved to a 50-degree gap wedge. I used the same F-grind and bounce because I tend to be a sweepy player rather than a heavy divot taker. This highlighted the importance of being fitted from the ground up, where the fitter observes actual turf interaction and divots to determine bounce requirements, something that is impossible from an indoor fitting.

30-Yard Pitch Shots

Next, the fitting moved to delicate 30-yard shots, a yardage that can be incredibly fiddly and deliberately uncomfortable. To truly test the wedges, my fitter, Will, placed me in difficult situations: pitching uphill into the grain to a short-sided pin. These challenging lies exposed my tendency to either thin the ball when I'm scared of the ground or get too steep and drag the handle, thus leaving my club in the turf.

This part of the fitting led to a fascinating discovery: shortening the club length. Will took a quarter of an inch off the shaft, which helped my low-point control. By bringing me slightly closer to the ball without needing to choke down, my consistency improved by roughly 50% immediately.

At this stage of the fitting, we also explored different grinds. A key takeaway was that there is no specific handicap-based grind; instead, the choice depends entirely on how a player delivers the club to the ball. Whether you are steep or shallow, the goal is to find a grind that suits your technique and feels comfortable, regardless of perceived ability. For this yardage and my delivery style, we eventually settled on the M-grind for my 54-degree sand wedge.

Lob Wedge

The final stage focused on the lob wedge, where I was again placed in an uncomfortable position with very little green to work with. Initially, I struggled with an 8-degree bounce wedge, often drop-kicking my club into the ball because there was too much bounce for the lie. The leading edge sat too high, preventing me from getting under the ball for a soft flight.

Switching to a 60-degree T-grind with only four degrees of bounce immediately struck a more comfortable chord for my short game. This lower bounce allowed the leading edge to sit flush with the ground even when the face was opened wide. This gave me the confidence to be aggressive with my swing, knowing I could pop the ball up into the air without it zooming off out of control on such a delicate chip.

We tested the wedge in the bunker to ensure it still performed in my strongest area. Surprisingly, the low-bounce T-grind actually enhanced my bunker play, producing soft, floaty shots. While some players might prefer more bounce in the sand, it ultimately comes down to personal technique and the specific sand conditions.

Ultimately, the fitting provided me with a set of tools perfectly matched to my technique. While a fitting won't instantly fix every technical flaw, it ensures that when you do make a good swing, you get the maximum gain, and when you're slightly off, the equipment offers the maximum possible help.