For my game, there are three clubs that HAVE to be PERFECT for me to play good golf. The difference between 68 and 80 literally rests on those three. I live and die with the driver, the putter, and the day’s topic, my lob wedge.
So when it was time to start digging into the new Jaws Raw, I was a bit nervous. I’m emotional around the lob wedge I play; if it’s not something I can trust, the opportunity for good golf and any confidence in shotmaking is low.
Not that this Jaws raw product isn’t sound, that’s obviously not the case if you have seen any of the previous Jaws Raw Grind Series videos. I believe these are the best wedges we have ever offered.
Watch the first episodes of The Grind Series below:
In this final installment, I walk you through why the Z-Grind ended up being something that not only gave me what I’m used to but ALSO added some shots I didn’t have. No, I don’t mean “new” shots either; I mean a higher quality mis-hit that more or less eliminates the “big miss” that could happen from time to time.
What’s the big miss with the lob wedge, you might ask?
For me, it’s drop-kicks and chunks, to be precise. Overall I would consider myself an excellent wedge player from 50 yards and in. Am I TOUR caliber? God no. But could I hold my own with the rest of the bunch? Yes. Even great wedge players miss from time to time, and mine was the occasional drop kick-off of a tight lie and a serious chunk when I want to add speed.
You know that shot…a 35-yard pitch that you try to gas a bit and stick the leading edge straight into the ground? That’s me. They are rally killers and, for some reason, happen at the most inopportune times.
With the Z-grind, those misses went from a triage situation to quality shots that aren’t perfect but still give me a realistic chance to convert. That’s HUGE. It’s actually something I can point to that is saving me shots.
What’s making this possible?
In my opinion it’s two major things:
- The Leading edge chamfer and wider sole of the Z: I now have a low bounce wedge with a “get out of jail free card” in the front. No matter what lies I face, I KNOW 100% that I won’t stick that leading edge in the ground. The more aggressive I get, the more help I get. One of the things I have always done when wedging it well was hitting shots with speed. The Z-grind gives me that confidence off of every surface. I’ve never really had all of that in a wedge.
- Weight pad up top IE A HIGH CG: All great wedge players keep the ball DOWN with their lofted wedges. I could always do that effectively, but if I happened to be off, the results could be disastrous. Somedays, the leading edge would dig, and other (most often), the ball would ride up the face, and I’d hit these floaty high shots that fell way short of the target; it would be even worse on windy days. On those days, I would lean the shaft further and further, trying to drive it down, and without fail, it would result in those chunks I referenced earlier. No Thanks. The Jaws Raw Z-grind eliminated that instantly with little to no adjustment to how I hit the shot. The ball now comes out low with spin, and on shots into the grain that like to fly a little higher, I can still get plenty of face on the ball to maintain control. If you watch the first set of shots I hit in the video; you will see exactly that.
My new lob wedge:
Jaws Raw 58/Z@59 (added one degree of bounce) with a True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (132G)
Swing-weight: D4
Lie: 64
Length: 35 inches
Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet 58R 1+1 Logo Down
The Takeaway:
I encourage you to try all four grinds of the Jaws Raw line. WHY? Because we are all different, and your eyes and hands need to find the perfect middle ground for YOU. YES, Z-grind is considered “low-bounce,” but there is more to it than just that.
I landed on this one after trying them all, and although my “best shots” were better with the X-grind my overall performance was far superior with the Z-grind, and most importantly, my quality of miss was off the charts.
Watch the video; if I hit 12 shots (give or take one/two), I only actually “flushed,” maybe three of them. The rest were legitimate mis-hits but pay attention to where those nine shots ended up…I’ll take my chances from 7 feet over 20 feet any day of the week.
Go thru a Jaws Raw wedge fitting and find your perfect set-up.
Stay tuned for EVEN more Jaws Raw content next week when I explain how I build my new Jaws Raw wedge set-up from top to bottom.
Happy Hunting
JDub