D-Grind or M-Grind

I use the 56.14 F grind and the 60.04 L grind. I like having the extreme difference based on lie - firm almost claylike bunkers i use the L. Normal conditions and all shots inside 30 yards are probably 75% with the 56.14. If you only use one, i would probably lean M grind for the firm bunkers, but keep in mind other courses you will play. I have met Bob Vokey a couple of times, he is adamant that any of his wedges will work for any conditions - you just have to adjust how you play the shot. For example, my 56.14 can work great off of hardpan, I just play it back square up the face and clip it, comes out low with a ton of spin, however if i try to lay it open and hit a lob, i will probably catch the ground early and skull it. The M and D grind are quite versatile for square face shots or for laying it open. You could also go with the D at 2* strong and effectively give you a 56.10 option.

Thanks Dave. I think I'm going with M. I have an old Vokey 58.08 that I just put back in the bag yesterday. On the 1st hole I hit a bunker shot inside 6ft, and chipped in from off the green on number 2. I think the m with.08 bounce is for me.

I typically purchase a full set of grinds for my play throughout the year. M, D, F, S, K and L grinds along with my RAW wedges. I use the handground options as well as to fine tune them for my personal preferences but here is essentially my thoughts on your question. I would only use the D grind (assuming you are a digger) in soft turf and soft sand conditions. I prefer the M or L grinds in firm turf and firm sand conditions. For instance, in Melbourne Australia this year I used the L grind with lots of success given the firm conditions, also in Florida the L grind is perfect. The M grind sometimes has too much bounce for my preference in firm conditions but it is personal preference. I also have my M grind bounce ground down quite a bit on the sole so the bounce is half of the normal bounce in some instances.

Cheers, hope this helps!
Chris

I have a 56.10 M grind SM5 wedge that really works for me but it is getting worn. The SM7 aren't offered in the bounce or grind I have now which is disappointing if not a little frustrating. I am in Texas so my course is typically firm with Bermuda rough so I like/need to play different shots with the 56.10 around the greens. I have tried an S grind but didn't like the performance as much so shopped online to find another SM5 last year. The D grind seems to be very similar to the M but I have never played it.

What suggestions do you have to avoid trial and error of less/more bounce and unfamiliar grinds? Will the next version of the SM wedges have more bounce/grind options and waiting for the next model to come out the better plan?

Thanks for your help!

Looking at an SM7 D grind and M grind side by side, they are shaped very, very similarly. I've played the D and wouldn't want to have any less bounce so I've never actually hit the M. But the D is literally an M with a higher measured bounce angle.

I reckon you'd find a D grind would suit you just fine but I do not believe it is available in anything other than 58 or 60 degree lob wedges. Unless of course you go through Vokey WedgeWorks who offer custom 54 and 56 degree D grind sand wedges, although at a higher price than standard Vokey wedges.

I've heard rumors that the SM8 will have a 54/56 D-grind option in the lineup...

The M grind has less bounce than the D. I think you have to look at course condition and the type swing you have (shallow or steep) equally.

Oh! I really like my D grind 60 degree in all conditions. The UK is terrible to know what the weather's doing. I'm definitely a digger and the bounce on this wedge is brilliant to keep that to a minimum.

Love how many grinds we have available to us.

I really don't think of myself as a "digger" although as a high handicapper I can certainly make some bad swings that dig! But my normal wedge shots are really flat and shallow through impact.

But like you, my 60.12D lob wedge is insurance against all sorts of weather conditions. When it rains a couple inches the night before a round, knowing I can still hit a 30 or 40 yard pitch shot in soft conditions and get solid contact is a huge benefit.

I suppose on a really tight hardpan bunker or something a little less bounce might be nice but the D seems to work OK for that, too. Probably because the heel relief comes into play when I open it up for a sand shot.

I play a 60 D grind with 12 degrees of bounce and I absolutely enjoy it. bunkers I play in are soft but even in hard bunkers the bounce works fine. I haven't had any complaints since I got it in June.

Thanks for all the info! The season is almost done up here in Massachusetts,so I'll have all winter to decide which grind is best for me.

Thanks again everyone.

If you haven't heard yet, the new SM8s will offer a 56.12D.

Thank you Doug. I did not know that.Might be a nice option.

Might be moot with SM8s coming before too long. I had a 54 M and 60 D to start last season, but I found that conditions where I played most often were not well suited for the 60 D. Tight lies around the green (not always, but often enough) and shallow sand in greenside bunkers (again, not all bunkers) led me to grind the bounce down so that it was similar to an M grind. Probably still has a bit more bounce than a 60 M.

Best suggestion is to find a Titleist account. Up here in MA, the local rep has a full complement of Vokeys for demo/sales purposes. These bags move around the Titleist accounts. I'd see about trying a couple of options to find out which version suits your course/shots best, and go from there!

Thomas Y, we don't live too far apart in Essex County MA, and most courses, I'm sure you'll agree, have firm conditions, regardless of how tightly they're mowed.Even though i come at it steep, I think course condition trumps downswing angle in choosing the grind and bounce of a wedge, at least for me.

Regarding Titleist account, I don't have private course access, so it's PGA Superstore, or another golf retailer for me.

Pretty sure I'm going with the M.

I find M grind more suitable for hitting off fairways vs D. I also find out K grind is actually better off a tight lie vs D grind (if you play back in the stance). I use M grind in a wide variety of conditions.

I agree. The D grind is a bit hard to hit Out of fairways and I can see how the M grind would be better.

I only have the D grind in my 60° which I don’t use for full shots.

Apparently there will not be a 54.08 M grind, in the SM8 line, this time around. Just S, D and F. Too bad, I loved my SM7 54* M Grind.

I just realized that yesterday when I looked at the SM8 specs yesterday. Too bad.Might have been the perfect option for me.

That really sucks!!! Last time around they took away the 54.08 F grind, and I went to the M since that's what I use for my 60.

Now, no choice for that bounce at all?

Could turn down the 56.10 S, but that's disappointing.

I might end up with an SM-7 54.08 M grind.I know a lot of people want the latest and greatest, but I'm sure I can live with the 7 versus the 8.

I was fitted for a new sand wedge in the spring at Pinehurst Vokey fitting and they (Bob Vokey and Jeremy) put me in a SM7 58.12D. Has worked well for me in the sand, and from 60 yards in.