The Three Keys to Wedge Performance

Contact, flight, spin

Think about wedge fitting like you would iron fitting. These three are your filters. They tell you which head, grind and setup are going to perform best for your game.

Contact (grind)

I found that contact is where the grind really comes into play. The sole shape dictates how the club interacts with the turf and where the ball will strike the face. The sweet spot? Between grooves two and five. That’s where you get control.

Every grind reacts differently depending on your delivery pattern. Forget just looking at bounce numbers; what matters is how the sole sits and interacts with the turf — that’s the effective bounce. It’s a subtle difference, but it changes everything on partial shots around the green.

Flight (centre of gravity)

The SM11 shifts the centre of gravity so every loft gives a consistent, lower flight. For me, that meant the ball flew more predictably, governed by contact rather than weird CG shifts between wedges. The fitting principle is simple: match loft to launch. My 60° tested around 30° launch, the 54° closer to 27°. Easy to follow and instantly obvious when you hit it right.

Spin (grooves and face texture)

Titleist have tweaked the grooves and face texture to maintain and even enhance spin, especially on partial shots. They’ve increased groove volume by roughly 5 percent and added directional face texture. On shorter, open-face shots this gives more bite. The grooves are progressive: deeper and narrower on higher-lofted pitching and gap wedges, wider and shallower in sand and lob wedges to help manage debris and turf interaction.

What’s New in SM11

Here’s what stood out when I got fitted:

 

• • Loft-dependent CG – every loft is matched so the ball flies consistently. Your grind decides how it interacts with the turf.

• • Grooves and face – 5 percent more groove volume plus directional texture means more spin on partial shots.

• • Expanded stock lofts – there’s now a 44° option (44F), which fits modern iron gapping perfectly.

• • New grinds – low-bounce K and 12° full-bounce K are now in the main line, straight off the shelf.

• • Finishes – Tour Chrome, Brushed Nickel, Jet Black, and raw options remain. Jet Black is fingerprint-proof, which is handy if you’re like me and don’t wipe clubs every round.

• • Shafts – standard stock shafts include Dynamic Gold S200, Dynamic Gold 105 and MMT red. Custom options still available.

Understanding Grinds and Bounce

I learned quickly that bounce numbers don’t tell the whole story. It’s the grind and trailing-edge relief that determine how the wedge plays with your delivery.

 

• • T grind – my go-to for creativity around the green.

• • M grind – narrow sole with toe and heel relief; perfect if you manipulate the face.

• • S grind – slightly wider sole, great for high open-face shots without digging.

• • D grind – wider sole, more effective bounce; good for stock pitch shots in softer conditions.

• • K grind – full sole options, consistent bounce across shots.

• • F grind – lower-lofted wedges like 44F for better iron blending.

The key takeaway? An 8° bounce in one brand will feel different in another. Titleist talks about effective bounce, which is what actually happens when the club meets the turf.