Seriously…How Important Are Wedges?

“A golf club is 90% shaft and 10% how it goes through the dirt.”

Eidolon Golf – “The Leader In Custom Built Wedges”

Today’s guest columnist is Terry Koehler, President of Eidolon Golf, a small Texas equipment company that specializes in wedges. In fact, they bill themselves as “The Leader In Custom Built Wedges.”

The company’s patented V-SOLE line-up is gaining momentum every year, as more and more golfers are finding that this is technology that really works, and these guys really know how to build wedges. They must be doing something right, because as the industry news is filled with stories of doom and gloom, Terry told me their sales in 2009 are running 50% ahead of last year! Not many golf companies are experiencing that kind of success.

One of the things that Terry is passionate about is wedge shafts and fitting, so I asked him to sound off on that. If you like what you read, Terry writes a regular blog at TheWedgeGuy.com.

The Elephant In The Room

By Terry Koehler
President of Eidolon Golf

Why Isn’t Anyone Talking About Wedge Shafts? And Fitting?

When we started Eidolon Golf about five years ago, we examined the wedge market thoroughly and a couple of things really glared at us. Of course, sole designs stood out for their complete lack of technology, and we knew our patented V-SOLE would outperform anything from any other brand. And then there was spin, and very few brands at that time were giving special attention to the grooves like we planned to do.

But there was also that “elephant in the room” – not one company offered a selection of shafts to their customers, nor would they eagerly accommodate custom alterations to length, lie angle or grip size. And even today, the entire wedge category is built around “off the rack”, “one size fits all” . . . what are essentially “commodity-grade” wedges. Nearly every make and model features the same stiff old steel shaft, available in one flex, which doesn’t really fit anyone that well.

My Career At Ben Hogan Company

Part of my golf career was spent at the Ben Hogan Company, and being a south Texas native, I grew up with Hogan (the man) as my personal hero. Hogan irons were always in my bag. Mr. Hogan gave us so many great observations about golf and the equipment we use, but one of my favorite quotes of his was his view that

“A golf club is 90% shaft and 10% how it goes through the dirt.”

Now, with wedges, that balance shifts somewhat, but there’s no question that the wedge shaft is extremely important. Think for a moment of what you ask your wedges to do:

• They have to perform at full swing speeds, with a heavier head than your short irons, and still give you tight boring trajectories.
• They are used in half swings, ¾ swings, and varying clubhead speeds all the way down to almost putter speed.
• You ask your wedges to provide you with exquisite feel and touch.
• You ask them to be responsive to your wishes for various trajectories, carry distances and spin rates.

Do you think you can really get all that with a shaft that is probably at least a full ounce heavier than the shaft in your short irons, and likely at least a full flex (if not two or three) stiffer?

Graphite Shafts vs. Steel in Wedges

And why should a wedge shaft be made of steel anyway? There’s no question that carbon fiber (graphite) has far superior feel transmission properties over tubular steel. If you are a fisherman, you know that the finest fishing rods are all made of carbon fiber for that very reason.

Another advantage of carbon fiber is that the engineers have almost infinite control over the balance point, flex characteristics and other technical stuff that affects golf shot performance. With tubular steel, flex is pretty much a function of the diameter of the tube, so all steel shafts are relatively softer in the tip than the mid-section or butt. That can be adjusted a little by the step pattern and other “tricks”, but the range is rather limited.

And finally, we can make high quality carbon fiber shafts in nearly any weight we want, so that we can ensure a proper match to any golfer’s skills and abilities.

So, why do all major brands still rely on a 25-year old steel shaft, in one flex that really fits few golfers? The only reason I can figure is that it serves their marketing model – sell ‘em in quantity to the stores, who in turn sell ‘em off the rack on a self-serve basis.

How Much Can The Right Wedge(s) Effect Your Game?

But how much would your scoring improve if you carried two, three or even four wedges that were really right for you and your game?

• What if their lofts were selected to give you the full swing distances you need to bring precision to your approach shots?
• What if their shafts were matched in weight and flex to those in your irons, ensuring a “seamless” transition from your short irons to your scoring tools?
• What if they were fitted in length, lie angle and shaft flex to you and your abilities?

We know from experience that when you build a set of wedges this way, you make for greatly improved short game success and very happy golfers. So that’s the way we’ve been doing it for almost five years.

If you want your short game to take a dramatic leap forward, I suggest you take a really close look at the shafts you are relying on for your scoring tools. If you play graphite or lightweight steel in your irons, you’ll find much greater success with a similar weight and flex shaft in your wedges.

If you play a Regular or even softer flex in your irons, your wedges should be retro-fit or replaced with some that are more similar. And if you have been fitted for irons, have your wedges built or re-built to those specs and watch what happens.

Wedges Are Our ONLY Business at Eidolon

Like I said, wedges are our only business at Eidolon Golf, so we look for those little things that make the difference. Since there’s no question that the tour players are borderline magicians around the greens, we look for common things that they do with those scoring clubs that average recreational golfers could also do. Here’s what we found:

• Many tour pros play their wedges with slightly softer shafts than in their short irons. That allows the head to have a little “movement” on even the shortest shots, to provide more feedback to their hands – in other words . . . feel!
• It is very common to see tour pros play their wedges 1-2 degrees flatter in lie angle than their short irons. This promotes and accommodates the enhanced knee flex and lower hand position at address and impact that is crucial to good wedge play.

If You Really Want To Improve Your Wedge Play

So, if you really want to improve your wedge game this season, take a close look at the tools you rely upon for scoring. And give consideration to having them rebuilt to more accurately fit you, or totally replace them with some that can optimize your short game performance.

You can learn more about wedges and the EIDOLON product line at www.BestWedge.com.