Titleist has added a new slate blue finish to the Vokey Design SM7 wedge range it launched 12 months ago.
Previously available in chrome, brushed steel and an all-black version called jet black, the slate blue finish is achieved by a similar production method used to create a PVD finish. A coating to the wedge and then the club is heated so the surface can take on the desired hue, but according to Titleist, to get the dark, non-glare blue it wants to obtain, the process takes more time and steps.
“Very often wedge finishes can be beautiful, but they won’t last,” said Bob Vokey, Titleist’s chief wedge designer. “At the same time, the most durable finishes often aren’t stunning. Slate blue combines the two. Not only will golfers love their wedge when they see it in the shop, but the finish will also last through the course of normal play.”
The slate blue SM7s will be available in 23 loft, bounce and grind configurations for both left- and right-handed players. The grooves in the 46- to 54-degree clubs are narrower and deeper than the grooves in the 56- to 62-degrees wedges, so they will behave more like irons from the fairway. Their centre of gravity position is also lower to make the transition from your shortest iron into your wedges smoother.
The wider and deeper grooves in the sand wedges and lob wedges are designed to remove water and debris more effectively on shots from the sand and rough. Extra mass high in the head elevates their CG location, so when the face is open, there is more mass behind the ball for enhanced spin and control.
The SM7 Slate Blue wedges will cost each with a Nippon Modus3 125 shaft and custom Golf Pride BV Wings New Decade Multi-Compound Black grip.