New Sub 70 Forged Wedges
Key Takeaways
- Two new wedges for two different styles of play.
- 286 Forged wedge is for the player with a steeper angle of attack; features a more rounded sole.
- JB Forged wedge offers more versatility – for players with a shallower angle of attack who hit a variety of shots around the green.
- Both are available now on Sub 70’s website.
Sub 70’s new 286 Forged and JB Forged wedges represent new ground for the direct-to-consumer brand. It’s one thing to offer a wedge because, well, you have to if you want to be a full-line company. It’s another thing entirely to offer wedges aimed at specific types of play.
And while it’s a far cry from the plethora of grinds, shapes, styles and grooves the usual suspects offer, the new Sub 70 286 Forged wedge and JB Forged wedge give you something you haven’t had before from DTC brands.
Options.
Sub 70 286 and JB Wedges – How Do You Play?
“Instead of heaving 14 grinds like Vokey has, we’re going to offer two options,” says Sub 70 owner, founder and guiding spirit Jason Hiland. “One is for the creative player with low-bounce options and more heel relief. The other is for the golfer who is more straightforward with his wedge game and wants a traditional, rounded sole.”
If you’re a party of the first part, you’ll find the new Sub 70 JB Forged wedge to your liking. If you’re a party of the second part, the 286 Forged is for you.
“The 286 Forged has a traditional sole design with a bit more forgiveness for the player who plays wedge shots in a pretty straightforward manner,” says Hiland. “The best example I can use is Steve Stricker where it’s the same motion for the most part. He doesn’t manipulate the face as much as Seve did, for example.”
The JB Forged wedge is for the golfer who does like to channel his inner Seve and has the game to pull it off. “JB” stands for Jeff Bushnell, a former golf pro who is Sub 70’s master club builder. With the JB Forged wedge, Bushnell can now add “club designer” to his resume.
“He’s still a great player,” says Hiland. “He likes to open the blade or close it down and really uses his hands to manipulate the club. He can flop it or move it back in his stance for a bump and run. This is a tool in the toolbox that helps him hit the shots his brain sees.”
Sub 70 286 Forged Wedge Specifics
The Sub 70 286 is very much the next iteration of Sub 70’s original forged wedge line. It features the same more rounded sole grind as Sub 70’s original forged wedge but with a couple of subtle changes.
First, you’ll notice three drilled-out holes or ports on the back compared to just two on the older wedge. That removes a wee bit of weight low which moves the center of gravity up a smidge for a lower ball flight and a little bit more spin on full and partial shots. The leading edge is also slightly more square than the previous generation but there’s a bit more roll into the sole.
“If you’re steep, you’re going to want to have a little more forgiveness in that leading edge so you won’t stick,” says Hiland. “It has a bit more of a rounded sole so it wants to glide through the grass.”
The wedge itself is forged from DT-4 steel as was its predecessor. If you’re partial to the Rockwell Scale, you’ll find DT-4 on the softer side of the more traditional 1020 carbon steel. The face is CNC milled. The 286 is available in lofts ranging from 46 to 64 degrees in two-degree increments.
Sub 70 JB Forged Wedge Specifics
As mentioned, the JB Forged wedge is designed for the creative shot-maker with a shallower angle of attack. Jeff Bushnell has been working on the design pretty much since Sub 70 opened its doors and did the hand-grinding on the prototypes himself.
“He’d take samples from the foundry and try them out and say, ‘nope, not quite,’” says Hiland. “Then he’d hand grind them some more to take a little out here and a little out there. We didn’t want to rush it. Jeff’s such a perfectionist. He had to be comfortable putting his name on it.”
The JB wedge is forged from 1020 carbon steel as opposed to the ever-so-slightly softer DT-4.
“That’s a bit of personal preference,” says Hiland. “Both are very soft but Jeff wanted his wedge to be a little bit firmer.”
You’ll find a bit more heel relief in the JB Forged wedge compared to the 286. That makes it easier to open or close the face for different types of shots around the green but it’s not as one-dimensional as a full-face wedge might be.
The JB Forged is also available in 46- to 64-degree lofts in two-degree increments. The 56-, 58- and 60-degree models are available in either standard or low-bounce options.
What’s Your Mix?
Depending on your wedge game, you might certainly bag a full set of 286 Forged wedges or a full set of JB Forged wedges. It’s likely, however, that many players might wind up mixing and matching.
“Imagine you play your 52 or 54 (degree) shots a little more straightforward but then (with) your 58, 60 or 62 you open it up, you close it, you hit some flop shots,” says Hiland. “If you hit a lot of different kinds of shots around the green, let’s go with the JB for your 58 or 60. If you tell me from 60 to 80 yards you’re just squaring it up and hitting classic pitch-and-runs, then use the 286.”
As both wedges are forged, both can be lie-adjusted plus or minus three degrees.
Price, Availability, Options
Both Sub 70 wedges will be available with three finishes. Currently, only the Black Satin PVD finish is in stock. Tour Satin and Raw finishes should be available by late January or early February. Hiland says the Tour Satin finish will be a little different than the previous iteration.
“It’ll be a little bit of a flatter, duller gray,” he says. “The feedback we got from customers is they wanted a little less shine.”
The 286 Forged will be available for both lefties and righties. The JB Forged will be available in right-handed models only.
Sub 70 is all about options so there are four “standard” shaft options: the KBS Tour-V 90, the Tour 105 and the Tour 110, as well as the Dynamic Gold R300. A variety of shaft upgrades is available. Standard grip choices include the Lamkin Crossline and the Golf Pride 2G wrap.
The Sub 70 Forged 286 and JB Forged wedges both sell for $109 each and are available now on the Sub 70 website.
MarkCPA
3 years ago
I’ve got a 54* and a 58* in the 286 black heads coming on Tuesday from Sub 70. I’ve been intrigued by the Sub 70 product line and business model. For a very reasonable investment ($109 for each wedge with my shaft choice which was no extra charge), this is a way to see if additional purchases may be worthwhile. Their website is very easy to use to build to your specs.