What It Is & Why It Matters
Everyone has heard of getting fit for a set of golf clubs by now…especially if you have been a reader of MGS for very long…we covered a whole Series “How To Get Fit – The Right Way!” But not many have heard of getting fit for your wedges. And we don’t mean just for length and lie we mean for your own custom grind.
If you are not familiar with what a grind is on a wedge don’t worry. It is one of the newest trends in wedge design but has caught on fast. But in our opinion no one does it better then Scratch Golf. And it can make a HUGE difference in your game. I am sure you already know that almost 50% of the game of golf is played with your wedges…this is why we feel every golfer should carry at least 3 wedges in their bag. And if you want to really fine tune your short game we feel everyone should be fit for their own grind.
Thats because every swing is different and every swing type needs its own special grind to take advantage of this. And since now it is so readily available by Scratch Golf there is no excuse why you can’t have some of the most tricked out sickest custom-fit wedges to fit your game
So…What makes Scratch Wedges Better?
- Better Fit – Scratch offers the only wedge fitting system in the industry. Our fitting system provides golfers and retail sales professionals with three easy-to-identify swing types, which are determined by the golfer’s angle of attack and divot tendencies
- Better Contact – While many companies promote grooves for spin, the most important characteristic in a wedge is solid contact with the face of the club. Proper sole grind ensures this. No other company offers the variety of sole grind options in both their custom and retail lines
- More Options – Every component of the Scratch wedge can be customized to thecustomer’s needs. In addition, the Tour Department offers the most comprehensive wedge customization on the market. Buyers can choose from three head shapes, 18 sole grinds, eight finishes, lofts from 46 to 64 degrees and unlimited stamping options.
*** Go…Pick Your Grind – 18 Grinds To Choose From! ***
We worked with Scratch Golf to give our readers a picture a detailed explanation of each grind they perform on their wedges. This way you can be the most informed golfer on your block! Take a few minutes and read through the following examples and see which grind fits you the best ;)
(1) SPN Grind
This grind is designed for the Sweeper/Slider who plays on harder turf and needs the versatility to hit any shot around the green.
The SPN grind has the lowest effective bounce of all Scratch wedge grinds. In addition to the low effective bounce angle it has an extreme amount of camber and a full non-relieved sole. This allows for more stability on shots around the greens and from the fairway. It also makes it more effective for shots from the sand. The low effective bounce angle and aggressive camber allow the wedge to be opened and have the leading edge still stay close to the ground.
(2) LBE Grind
This grind is designed for a Sweeper/Slider who likes to open the face on most shots around the green and needs a wedge that will allow them to do that without worrying about the sole of the wedge getting in the way.
The LBE grind has the lowest effective bounce of all Scratch wedge grinds with aggressive relief. In addition to the low effective bounce angle it has aggressive relief in the heel, toe and trailing edge. This allows for the face to be opened without the leading edge getting any higher than when it is set square. It is our most effective grinds for hitting flop shots or any other shot with the face opened. As a result it is not our best grind for hitting bunker shots.
(3) PDG Grind
This grind is designed for the Sweeper/Slider who needs maximum versatility to play any shot on any kind of turf.
The PDG grind is the most versatile of the low effective bounce Scratch wedge grinds. It has aggressive camber, low effective bounce and a thinner sole that prevents the club from bouncing off the turf causing a thin shot. The PDG has a little bit of trailing edge relief as well, which makes the sole effectively thinner and allows the face of the wedge to be opened without the leading edge coming up off the ground too much. This makes it a good grind for hitting shots with the face open around the greens. The lack of heel and toe relief leave the sole fuller in those areas which makes it a very good grind for bunker shots. It is also very effective for fuller shots and other shots with the face square around the greens.
(4) LFC Grind
This grind is designed for the Sweeper/Slider who likes to open and close the face around the greens for different shots but also needs to be able to hit fuller shots and shots from sand.
The LFC grind is a low effective bounce wedge with extra versatility to lay the face open or closed to play different shots. It has low effective bounce, moderate camber, aggressive relief in the heel and moderate relief in the toe. The low effective bounce and camber help prevent thin shots. The relief in the heel and toe prevents the leading edge from going up or down if the face is opened or closed.
As a result it is a very versatile wedge for chipping around the greens and hitting different shots. It also allows for the wedge to be better on fuller shots. The wider sole allows it to be used from the bunkers though it is not specifically designed for this shot.
(5) FAW Grind
This grind is designed for the Sweeper/Slider that needs a wedge that is great from the sand and versatile enough to handle any other shot that it needs to hit.
The FAW grind is a low bounce wedge with a fuller sole and a lower leading edge. It has low effective bounce, aggressive camber and moderate relief in the center of the trailing edge. The relief in the center of the trailing edge allows this wedge to play like a thinner sole wedge when the face is square but play like a thicker sole wedge with the face open from the sand. The low bounce, camber and relief help prevent early ground contact that leads to thin shots for this type of player. It is a very versatile grind for all shots off grass including fuller shots, punch shots and other shots with the face square. The fuller heel and toe make it a great grind to use from the sand.
(6) TNC Grind
This grind is designed for the Driver/Slider that needs a versatile wedge designed to hit fuller shots and any shot around the green.
The TNC grind is an excellent overall wedge grind for someone who is neither extremely steep nor extremely shallow. It has moderate effective bounce and a fuller sole. This makes the wedge more stable on fuller shots and better from the sand. The sole also features moderate relief in the center of the trailing edge. This allows the wedge to play like a thinner sole wedge from harder grass and fairway lies while allowing it to play like a fuller sole wedge in the sand. It also allows the leading edge to sit lower to the ground for higher, softer shots around the greens.
(7) KLD Grind
This grind is designed for the Driver/Slider that needs extra versatility for different turf conditions and plans to use the wedge mostly for shots with the face square.
The KLD grind is extremely similar to our Driver/Slider iron grind. It features moderate effective bounce, a small amount if trailing edge relief and a killed leading edge. The moderate effective bounce and fuller sole make it a great grind for fuller shots and other shots with the face square. The killed leading edge makes it more consistent and forgiving on slightly steeper or shallower swings. It also allows the player to get down into the ball without the club skidding off the ground. It is especially versatile in different turf conditions and excels on harder, tight lies. The fuller sole also makes it very effective from the sand.
(8) WLD Grind
This grind is designed for the Driver/Slider that needs extra versatility for different turf conditions and all kinds of different shots around the greens.
The WLD grind is similar to our KLD grind with the added shot versatility of some aggressive heel and toe relief. This grind also features moderate effective bounce, trailing edge relief and a killed leading edge. The killed leading edge makes it more consistent and forgiving on slightly steeper or shallower swings. It also allows the player to get down into the ball without the club skidding off the ground. It is versatile in different turf conditions and excels on harder, tight lies.
The aggressive heel and toe relief allow the face to be opened without the leading edge coming up off the ground. This makes the grind especially versatile for hitting flop shots and other shots with the face open or closed. The moderate effective bounce and fuller trailing edge area make it effective on sand shots.
(9) BNE Grind
This grind is designed for the Driver/Slider looking for a thinner sole wedge that is versatile enough to handle any shot that will need to be hit.
The BNE grind is designed to play like a thinner sole wedge with a fuller heel and toe. It has a dual bounce angle where the trailing edge is ground away but there is no heel and toe relief. It has a moderate effective bounce angle and is extremely versatile. The fuller heel and toe make it very effective from the sand and very good on full shots and other shots with the face square. Combined with the moderate effective bounce angle this reduces the chances of the wedge digging excessively.
The thinner effective sole created by the aggressive trailing edge relief allow the wedge to be opened without the leading edge coming up off the ground too much. This makes the grind good for flop shots and any other shot with the face open or closed. The thinner effective sole width makes it great for harder or tight lies and reduces the chances of hitting it thin.
(10) EBN Grind
This grind is designed for the Driver/Slider looking for a versatile wedge with a C shaped relief pattern.
The EBN grind is extremely versatile. It features a moderate effective bounce angle, little trailing edge relief, and aggressive heel and toe relief and moderate camber. The moderate effective bounce angle and camber reduces digging while the trailing edge relief limits ground contact and thin shots. It also makes this grind playable from the sand while maintaining its versatility.
The aggressive heel and toe relief allow the wedge to be opened without the leading edge coming up off the ground. This makes the wedge more versatile for flop shots and other shots with the face open.
(11) EGG Grind
This grind is designed for the Driver/Slider who is looking for maximum versatility for all shots around the greens.
The EGG grind is the most versatile Scratch grind for shots around the green. This grind has a smaller effective sole area and a higher actual bounce angle on the front of the wedge. This combines with the thinner effective sole width to create a moderate effective bounce angle. It also has moderate camber and extensive heel, toe and trailing edge relief. The bounce on the front of the wedge helps prevent digging while the thin effective sole limits ground contact and thin shots.
The aggressive relief in the heel, toe and trailing edge make the leading edge sit very low to the ground. It also allows for the face to be opened without the leading edge coming up off the ground. This makes it extremely effective for flop shots and other shots with the face open.
(12) CTG Grind
This grind is designed for the Driver/Slider who is looking for maximum forgiveness and enhanced bad lie performance.
The CTG grind is the most forgiving of the Scratch grinds. It has moderate effective bounce on a multi-level sole with more actual bounce in the front and less in the back. This makes it more forgiving on steeper or shallower swings and more stable on heel or toe mishits.
The fuller heel and toe of the front sole make it very effective from the sand. The front of the sole is cambered and sits low to the ground. This makes it extremely versatile on bad or tight lies. It is also very good for fuller shots and any other shots with the face square.
(13) DOG Grind
This grind is designed for the Digger/Driver who is looking to hit most shots with the face square and plays on a variety of conditions.
The DOG grind is a full sole grind that is extremely versatile for different turf conditions. It has a high effective bounce angle and moderate camber. The heel and toe are rolled away slightly but are not relieved. The high effective bounce angle and fuller sole helps prevent digging and makes this an excellent grind from the sand. The camber and rolled heel and toe make it more versatile for different conditions. It is also very effective from heavier grass or deeper rough.
(14) SLT Grind
This grind is designed for the Digger/Driver who is looking for versatility and added playability on harder turf.
The SLT grind is a versatile grind with added versatility for harder turf. It has a high effective bounce angle, moderate camber, little trailing edge relief and aggressive relief in the heel and toe. The high effective bounce angle and fuller front to back sole help prevent digging on steeper swings. It also makes the wedge more effective from the sand and better on fuller shots.
The aggressive heel and toe relief allow the face to be opened without the leading edge coming up off the ground. This makes it more effective for flop shots and other shots with the face open. The added camber makes it better for shots off tighter lies or harder turf.
(15) SFU Grind
This grind is designed for the Digger/Driver who is looking for versatility and added playability with the face open.
The SFU grind is the most versatile high effective bounce Scratch wedge grind. It has a high effective bounce, little trailing edge relief and aggressive heel and toe relief. The high effective bounce angle and lack of camber help prevent digging and fat shots on steeper swings. It also makes this grind very effective on fuller shots and any shot with the face square.
The aggressive heel and toe relief allow the wedge to be opened without the leading edge coming up off the ground. This makes it much more versatile for flop shots and other shots with the face square. The combination of sole characteristics makes it a very good grind out of the sand.
(16) SND Grind
This grind is designed for the Digger/Driver who is looking for a wedge that will not dig on full shots but is versatile for square face shots around the greens.
The SND grind is a full sole grind that is extremely effective for square face and sand shots. It has high effective bounce, slight trailing edge relief and a lack of camber. The high effective bounce and flatter full sole help prevent digging and fat shots on steeper more aggressive swings. It also makes this grind extremely effective from the sand.
The fuller sole and slight trailing edge relief make it perfect for fuller shots and any shot around the green with the face square.
(17) PWE Grind
The PWE grind is designed for the Digger/Driver who wants a versatile wedge with a leading edge that sits lower to the ground.
The PWE grind sits lower to the ground than all the other high effective bounce Scratch grinds. Along with the high effective bounce it has little trailing edge relief and aggressive relief in the heel and toe. It also has a slight pre-worn channel in the center of the sole that makes this part of the sole slightly concave. The high effective bounce angle, pre-worn channel and fuller front to back sole help prevent digging on steeper swings.
In addition to helping prevent digging the pre-worn channel allows the wedge to sit lower to the ground than wedge with camber and makes it bite into the ground a little more on shorter shots around the green. The aggressive relief in the heel and toe allow the wedge to be opened without the leading edge coming off the ground. This makes it more versatile for flop shots and other shots with the face open.
(18) XDG Grind
The XDG grind is designed for the Digger/Driver who is extremely steep and aggressive and needs a grind that will not dig.
The XDG grind is designed to prevent digging. It has a very high effective bounce, wide sole, full heel and toe and a large pre-worn channel in the center of the sole running heel to toe. This pre-worn channel makes the center of the sole concave and allows the wedge to sit lower to the ground than it should with the bounce angle.
This grind has a back bounce angle on the trailing edge side of the pre-worn channel and a front bounce angle on the leading edge side. The back bounce angle is very high and has a little more bounce than the front bounce angle. This back bounce angle keeps the sole out of the ground and prevents digging and fat shots on steeper more aggressive swings. The front bounce angle allows the wedge to sit lower to the ground at address.
Hank Perkins
12 years ago
The FLT and RPD grinds is there any information on these specific grinds? Useful info on this blog would be to list which lofts or range of lofts would be the best for each specific grind.