By Brian Chipper

GolfWRX Contributor

I recently purchased a Titleist Vokey Design Spin Milled (SM4) 52 degree gap wedge. I had read some reviews online that guided me to try the club out. And after hitting the club a few times while enjoying the look I decided to purchase it.

However, I don’t feel like all the reviews online did justice and more importantly, as a lot of the reviews didn’t fully test the club to the extreme. A recreational golfer doesn’t get to play all the posh golf courses with caddies and non-governor-regulated carts.  Below you will find the gauntlet I put this club through over a two week span.

Average distance: B

110 yards was about average for me. It only scored a B because I didn’t feel like hollering “BOOM” like with the Hammer Driver.

Happy Gilmore Toss: F

Only going 39 yards, the tackiness of the grip and the fact the club is still pretty new probably subconsciously slowed my throwing motion. In comparison, my 1999 Cleveland wedge’s last throw was measured around 85 yards.

Percent chance if you give it a frustrated flip towards your bag that it will hit it: 100 percent

I tried to pick a ball off some hardpan, I got some divot, enough said.

Percent chance if you give it a frustrated flip towards your bag the head will fly off: 0 percent

Hey, this has happened before. This test is also known as quality of glue test.

Full swing at pumpkin grade: N/A

The clubhead dug quite well into the pumpkin, but was unexpectedly slowed down by the guts and was not able to penetrate the opposite wall.

Half swing at pumpkin grade: A+

Letting the club do the work this time, the clubhead sliced right through a new pumpkin like a Ginsu Knife.

Strength of clubhead, as measured by the number of new dings per walking round: A+

I have walked three rounds with the club in the bag and only have one small ding near the hosel.

Ability to spread butter on piece of French Bread: D+

The grooves held too much butter and made quite the mess to clean up after the experiment was over.  However, the angle of the clubface did interact with the tub of butter and the bread quite well.

Grip quality, as tested in the cliffhanger challenge: B

Okay, there was no cliff, but my 3-year-old was able to hold on pretty well as I picked her up while she had her hands on the grip.

The Cola-finish challenge: B

Left the club soaked in some cola and was pleasantly surprised to see this type of carbon steel did not lose any color.  It didn’t get a perfect score because it was quite sticky afterwards.

Freezer Test: A+

I put it in the freezer, took it out and it was very cold.

Shovelability: A

I helped the wife plant some bulbs in the garden for next spring recently and found that this club was more than sufficient for digging out a proper sized hole.

Sex Appeal: B

I have a feeling the oil or black finishes may score higher than my satin chrome. That being said, it is not Bo Derek on the wall amazing, but above average none-the-less.

Drunken Karaoke microphone fill in: A+

My brother in-law, who was drunk, did not notice the difference between this club and cheap microphone. How he found my club in the trunk of my car is still being debated.

Overall Score: A

I was very pleased with the ability this golf club has shown. It also helps I’ve been able to spin balls on the green like I never have before.  I hope the grooves retain their ability for next season.

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