For years, TaylorMade staffers have been noticed with aggressive wedges of their baggage—significantly on the subject of lob wedges. It’s a kind of open secrets and techniques that makes gear geeks cringe and begs the query: if your personal guys received’t play your wedges, why ought to anybody else?
The reply, at the very least partially, has been TaylorMade’s traditionally restricted grind choices. Whereas the MG collection has earned a number of Most Needed awards and constructed a case as maybe essentially the most underrated golf equipment in all of golf, the dearth of grind selection has been a legit knock towards an in any other case distinctive product line.
The restricted launch of the MG Proto wedge means that’s about to vary.
From tour van to your bag
Beforehand solely for Tour athletes, the absolutely cast TaylorMade MG Proto is now out there in restricted portions. Billed as real tour components, the MG Proto represents one thing of a rarity within the gear world—an precise tour prototype making its strategy to retail.
The Proto incorporates a uncooked end and comes inventory with a Dynamic Gold Wedge 115g shaft and Golf Pleasure Z-Grip. Extra importantly, it introduces two new grind choices that ought to assist tackle TaylorMade’s historic weak point in wedge becoming.
Whereas TaylorMade isn’t saying a lot formally, the Proto launch looks like a restricted preview of what’s seemingly coming with the total MG5 launch later this 12 months. Consider it as a beta take a look at the place critical golfers get first entry to the brand new grinds.
New (and fascinating) grinds
The SC and SX grinds symbolize a major growth of TaylorMade’s wedge becoming choices, every designed to unravel particular issues across the greens.
The SC grind provides a cambered sole with softened heel, toe, and trailing edge. It’s designed for gamers who like to control the face and hit quite a lot of pictures. I’m speaking concerning the sort of golfer who opens the face for flop pictures and squares it up for bump-and-runs. The medium-low bounce profile supplies versatility throughout totally different lies and enjoying circumstances. For these of you acquainted with the Vokey ecosystem, a cursory look suggests TaylorMade’s SC grind is in the identical normal household as a V or D Grind.
The SX grind is a bit totally different. Billed as providing “unmatched consistency from the bunker”, it reads a bit like a Vokey Okay Grind with distinctive trailing edge aid, which TaylorMade describes as a Reverse-C (grind). The intent is to assist you to keep constant bounce as you manipulate the face within the bunker and presumably across the inexperienced. Consider it as extra versatile tackle a grind in any other case designed to excel from the bunker.
Each the TaylorMade MG Proto SC and SX grinds can be found in 58- and 60-degrees.
The solid dilemma
Maybe essentially the most intriguing side of the Proto is that it’s absolutely cast. Whereas it’s doable TaylorMade will carry this over to future retail variations, it appears unlikely given the sturdiness calls for of wedge play. Golfers love cast wedges and plenty of argue they really feel softer, however they’re additionally extra liable to put on.
That’s superb in the event you get your wedges without cost (as tour gamers do), however in the event you’re paying out of pocket, sturdiness is vital. Uncooked wedges are additionally extra liable to rust, which—opposite to well-liked delusion—doesn’t enhance spin and might really hinder it over time.
Maybe the cast development of the Proto explains why TaylorMade boasts of “unmatched really feel and precision”, however with out the tour-level alternative schedule, long-term sturdiness issues ought to in all probability outweigh the attract that comes with the mixture of proto, cast, and uncooked.
The underrated excellence downside
TaylorMade’s challenges within the wedge class aren’t about efficiency. The MG collection has constantly delivered distinctive ends in testing, incomes a number of Most Needed awards alongside the way in which. The issue has been notion and choices.
When most golfers consider wedges, they assume Vokey, Cleveland, or perhaps Callaway. TaylorMade, regardless of its success in drivers and irons, has struggled to interrupt by within the quick recreation.
The introduction of the SC and SX grinds suggests TaylorMade is critical about competing throughout the total spectrum of wedge preferences and becoming wants.
For TaylorMade, the Proto launch serves twin functions: it provides critical golfers entry to real tour specs whereas constructing credibility for the broader wedge franchise. If these restricted releases generate buzz and constructive critiques, it may speed up the acceptance of TaylorMade wedges amongst higher gamers.
The larger image
The MG Proto represents greater than only a new wedge launch—it’s TaylorMade’s assertion of intent in a class the place they’ve been undervalued regardless of constant efficiency. The expanded grind choices tackle legit becoming issues, whereas the cast development and tour pedigree present the credibility that efficiency alone hasn’t delivered.
At $199.99, the Proto isn’t low cost, however it’s positioned competitively towards different premium wedge choices. Extra importantly, the restricted availability creates urgency round a product which may in any other case get misplaced within the crowded wedge market.
Whether or not this interprets to retaining extra TaylorMade staffers in firm wedges stays to be seen, however the expanded becoming choices actually assist the trigger. For golfers keen to look past conventional wedge manufacturers, the MG Proto provides tour-tested efficiency with some compelling new grind choices.
The query isn’t whether or not TaylorMade could make excellent wedges; they’ve been doing that for years. The query is whether or not golfers will lastly listen.
TaylorMade MG Proto wedges can be found now at TaylorMadeGolf.com.
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