Yes, I did the fitting. Very easy. I filmed with my phone and made notes on what I liked in the past. Measured the putter I used and then sent it off. Their system that they have came back an inch shorter and a 67 lie. It was one of their standard builds. I know golf galaxy is carrying them now for right handers but I would do fitting and then purchase local if you don't want to wait the 4-6 weeks.
I love mine now that I have gotten used to it.
I'm using a LAB DF2.1 for the reasons you mentioned and center shafted putters. It took a little time to get used to the forward shaft lean grip but I have figured it out and love it now. My favorite putter of all time was the Ping Doc17 center shaft. Ping made some crazy designs over the years..
I have seen a lot of L.A.B. Guys here. I just bought the LAB b2 off marketplace because it was a good price and I wanted to see what the hype was about. As someone who exclusively plays a center shafted putter I’m not rolling it all that great. The feel outside 20 feet I don’t love and it has a 1.5 degree forward shaft lean grip that I’m having a hard time getting used too. I understand I bought it used and not fitted to me which might be my problem. I’m debating switching back to my first love the Ping Ug-le -
Maybe? Let's wait and see how it plays out. There is a lot that goes into these decisions and I'll wait till the event happens to see how it plays out. Not many on the US side have played a Ryder Cup in Europe. JT has that experience and Leadership which could be super valuable... Regardless of how he plays or is playing.
Not saying Keegan didn't potentially earn a spot, but easy to not like it no matter who was picked.
My irons sets PW is a 45 degree so for wedges I have vokey sm9 52 - bent to 51 then a 60 degree, for my 56 I have a Callaway jaws that I bought off a friend.
First guideline we lay out to be selected is no profile photo = no selection.
I highly recommend reading or even skimming the "how to be a tester" thread.
I give all the ins and outs of how we make selections and offer advice on how to better your chances at being selected.
Bottom line is we look for active and engaged members within the community. At the end of the day the reviews are a lot of work (especially this one) and we don't randomly select members, but choose those who have contributed within our community.
Indi Wedges – Official MGS Forum Review by BMart
Introduction
Very excited to see if these can improve the weakest part of my game (see strokes gained data below vs a 10 index). With over 150 rounds in Shot Scope, I have extensive detail on struggle within 25 yards and bunkers. The wedges will be on course shortly after receiving them to start tracking data. With an up/down% of 27% including 3% on sand saves the bar is low for improvement...
I'll be putting them through their paces on the firm, dry turf in Alberta but should have the opportunity to take them into a rainforest in British Columbia and on a trip to Florida when I visit the pater familias (Chasing Scratch reference) who taught me to play I was young. I gave up golf through high school and university due to lack of attention span and never progressing past shooting around 120.
After moving from Ontario to Alberta when finished university, I gradually got back into golf and have been fully bitten the last 5-6 years with big help from this site and forum
During this time my index dropped from a shaky 15-20 to the mid 9's which is my lowest ever. My personality leads me to look for gains in every possible area in the quest further down into single digits, including: speed training, lessons, fitting, ball testing, and rotating many unfit in and out of the bag.
I plan on testing these wedges in 4 areas:
- hitting on a mat in my garage using the 40-100 yard approach mode on my SC200 launch monitor
- hitting chips in my yard where I have room for 5-30 yards of carry
- short game facilities at local courses to learn the roll out greenside
- on the course, where the bar is set pretty high in terms of GIR from inside 125 yards...
My current wedges are PING Glides which I like and have used multiple lofts and grinds as I refine my set make up. These wedges are 2-3 years old of 20-30 rounds per year of play and practice sessions similar to those above. I am sure there is an opportunity to raise spin to improve stopping power both on approaches and greenside.
These wedges will be the first time with brand new grooves in 3-4 years as I've recently bought wedges from fitters at year end with minimal indoor use. I am excited to get that new groove bite like when I was fitted into a set of G410 irons.
To earn a place in my bag, I'll be looking for an improved up/down % especially from the sand (which shouldn't be difficult at 3%...) and to improving proximity on approaches and greenside while maintaining GIR.
Prior to reading another review, I had never heard of Indi or these wedges. I've seen better results with cavity back wedges and hope the weight high in the head with Indi provides similar benefits.
First Impressions (17/20)
Many thanks to @Indi Golf for the bonus swag to go along with these clean wedges. I still don't understand how to use a 1 prong divot tool, and will have to develop that part of my game along with these wedges 🤣Delivery was 1-2 days faster than expected with Fedex which has allowed me to get in 2 quick rounds of testing as I prepare to put these in play. The only thing faster was the responsiveness from Zane and the team at Indi laying out and building the set!
Minor deduction here as the 52 and 56 came with plastic on heads while the 60 did not. It gave the feeling that one of the clubs was used, but all of them were in pristine condition.
Above shows my PING 58 with 6 deg of bounce vs the Indi 60 w/8. The width of flange and lack of trailing edge and heel relief is something I pay attention to as a picker on hard turf. I am confused why the 60/8 has a larger flange than the Indi 56/12 when they are both in the same (FLX) grind. Below (left) shows the 58 and 60 from the toe side and similarities in shaping with the Ping Glide 3.0, so the construction of the Indi wedges with weight high in the club is by no means proprietary or unavailable elsewhere. Taking 2 points off here: 1 - the movement of weight high in the face to improve consistency is widely available and not a technology that differentiates these wedges. 2 - I feel a higher lofted wedge in same grind with less bounce should have a smaller sole to assemble as a set. Indi has other grinds with more bounce available if that was what you were looking for in a LW.
The top of the PING Glide 2.0 (above right) has less exaggerated weight in the high toe vs the 3.0 and the Indi's. The soles are much more similar in width as well both having 12 deg of bounce. I think this clubs will function very similarly (insert foreshadowing🧐)...
Aesthetics (8/10)
I don't know if the photos can do justice, but when I took these out on a sunny day it was like looking directly into the sun when it hits them perfectly. This is minor and not likely to occur often but distracting and beyond anything I noticed on any past wedges. The satin finish is otherwise very clean and the design is very minimalist (slanting too plain IMO) with only the Indi logo, sloth/meerkat 🦥 image, and loft/bounce/grind. Another personal nitpick here is I am not a fan of the font.
The Numbers (9/10)
First test session was greenside chips from rough and comparing proximity to my gamer wedges with various short chips (downhill to green, uphill, flat and elevated above green - see knob in background). Considering these wedges are 56/60 vs my previous ones at 54/58, I was impressed that I was instantly hitting them as close or closer than my gamers. I believe some of this being due to the added spin helping stop downhill and elevated chips closer to the hole. And then it happened...
I was alternating sets of 3 balls with each wedge when I chipped in with the Indi 56. Not to be out done, the old (less than trusty) PING 54 chipped in from the same location to keep things interesting. The distance from hole above is pretty similar but the Indi results on the left definitely had less lateral dispersion.
A game I play is from the book Lowest Score Wins where you hit 3 balls from 1 spot to 3 different holes and score points for a ball ending within X feet of the hole, where X is your index (9 for me) and lose points outside this distance. You finish when you get to 50 points. Because of time constraints I only played to 25, butI got there significantly faster with the Indi 60 than my PING 58. This was after only using the wedges for 10-15 minutes vs something I have bagged for 2-3 seasons.
Round 2 (Playability) was my backyard short game facility where I hit shots up to 30 yards of carry with targets at 10, 20, and 30 yards (plus a kiddie pool for dunk contests) from my range mat, or some very penal rough depending on how often I mow the lawn. 🫠 The wider flange and lack of trailing edge relief showed up here with the 60 as I couldn't cleanly slide the wedge underneath the ball on a tight lie. Trajectory with the 60 was lower than expected off tight lies, likely due to poor contact. I also took much more noticeable divots in my lawn compared to my gamers (which almost never happens), but these wedges really seemed to shine ☀️😆 in the rough (and sun). Trajectory was nice and high from rough to help 10-30 yard shots stop and I backed up a 15 yard wedge in the grass!
At this point I am more comfortable using the 56 off tight lies due to the narrower flange and the leading edge seems to sit as close to the ground as the 60. I need to visit another facility where I can hit 40-60 shots into a green to see check/proximity on those shots. Hopefully, I will also be able to hit a few shots on the range to figure out gapping with all new lofts to finalize my rating and help the on course adjustment.
Tested Indi 52&56 on MEVO+ for gapping and to compare w/PING 54 on 3/4 swings for short approaches. 5-6 shots each using Z star golf balls off hitting mat:
PING 54
Indi 56
Indi 52
Findings:
Indi 56 spun slightly LESS than a 2 year old 54 PING Glide 2.0, the Indi 52 was over 1000 rpm less with only 2 degree difference in loft. Given the reputation of the PING wedges in wet conditions, I have some concern there would be a noticeable difference there but have been unable to test. However, the distance variance shown by the deviation above continues to impress from the first time using these on anything over 30 yards. You can feel meaningful differences in fat and thin strikes and the ball ends up the distance you intend. I have a tendency to pull these wedges more, not sure if the lie angle is contributing but I need to make an effort to align them square to open at address as my default is to setup closed. Docking a couple points as I have not found anything to support their spin royalty 👑 claims as spin is comparable/lower to that of major OEMs but distance control and consistency on mishits appears to exceed.
On-Course (18/20)
Testing consisted of 6 round tracked with Shot Scope to provide hard data, 2 rounds without Shot Scope, and 1 scramble. First, the data comparing 6 rounds with the Indi wedges to the previous 6 rounds with my PING gamers (relative to a 5 index):
Strokes Gained: Short Game
Indi: -0.26 (+0.02@ 0-25 yards and -0.27@ 25-50 yards)
Ping: -1.11
The Indi's are gaining me 0.85 shots per round within 25 yards, from 25-50 yard results were nearly identical. The added short game practice in the lead up and testing of these wedges gained me an additional 0.39 shots vs my full season average for a total improvement of 1.25 shots/round.
Strokes Gained: Approach (50-100 yards)
Indi: +0.13 (better than 5 index as someone who plays off 10...)
PING: -0.62
Another Indi victory, this time by 0.75SG for a combined improvement of 1.6SG. I use the 52 up to about 105 yards but am not including results from the 100-150 yard range as it includes many other clubs which I cannot filter. But my overall GIR also increased roughly 5% during the 6 rounds with the Indi wedges.
As I mentioned previously and others have also observed, these do tend to sit closed and as someone who has a left miss tendency with wedges they require special attention to ensure I am gripping/setting up square to slightly open. This is a small trade-off for the performance gains I've seen but when that pull appears on-course (like the 2 yesterday in a scramble) it can cause some doubt as to whether I was paying attention at setup or it was a bad swing. So I can't give a perfect score here.
The good, The bad, The in-between (19/20)
The consistency in distance on approach shots with the Indi wedges is their greatest strength in my opinion and was observed through indoor testing and on course. Poor strikes tended to drop spin which aided carry and rollout to arrive close to where a good strike would drop and stop. As someone who gets their money's worth by using the majority of the club face throughout the bag, these are a big benefit to my game within 100 yards. I am growing to enjoy the 60 FLX with low (8*) bounce and a wide flange as a specialty sand club. Yesterday I talked my scramble partners into a greenside sand shot which I put to 8' for a birdie. This took an adjustment period as it was a big change from my TS grind PING wedge shown in the side by side picture above. There could be players who could not use that type of sole geometry and I do think there is an opportunity for Indi to add a grind option there. To be fair, opening up the 56 has served the need as required and likely lead to a decent portion of my improvement inside 25 yards. The wedges show minimal wear through close to 10 rounds and many practice sessions including bunker work to learn how to use them out of the sand which I consider another plus.
Play it or trade it? (18/20)
Pricing disclaimer*** this is based on Canadian retail prices and converting USD for the Indi's. Callaway/TM/Vokey's cost $25 more/wedge assuming no markup at a big box store, shipping or import costs (which is unlikely). Only PINGs at $65/club more are considerably more expensive while Mizuno/Cleveland sell for the same or less. This would be a challenge to get these wedges in people's hands who can't see or test in store and you would hope to be an area of separation for a DTC brand. Ignoring cost, I am 100% putting these wedges into play full time. I don't think anyone would turn down an improvement of more than 1.5 shots/round due to an equipment change. The staff at Indi were very helpful discussing a gapping setup which also contributed to the improvement and I am going to continue with a 5 wedge setup for the short term to see if I continue to improve as I develop more familiarity with these clubs. For a 10 index with a shaky short game equivalent to that of a 15 to climb to the level of 5 index in that area over a 1-2 month window speaks to the forgiveness and consistency of this product. I would highly recommend these for any mid to high handicap golfer as they can be manipulated but offer the help you should be seeking to play your best. The spin gains didn't show up for me indoors, would other new wedges have provided similar gains with better gapping? Who knows...
The on course improvements discussed throughout this review occurred mostly at courses I never played before and better results were achieved on the few rounds played on local courses I am familiar with. I expect further gains during periods of play at my normal rotation and as I continue building familiarity.
Conclusion
Great: distance consistency on full swings and partial wedges, greenside performance from rough, 1.6 shot improvement within 100 yards over previous gamers!
Good: clean/minimalist appearance, durability, sand performance (likely an operator issue)
Could be better: tendency to sit closed at address, glare can be an issue in high sun, spin appeared lower than used PING wedges with indoor testing, in a perfect world - slightly lower cost for DTC.
Final Score (89/100)
Initial on course review after 4 rounds:
Improved SG Short Game (<50 yd) by +1.0 SG exactly. Up/down improved to 28% from 26% (while losing 1.2 strokes putting which hurts the up/down rate)
Improved SG Approach by +1.47 SG from 50-150 yards (and 0.79 SG from 50-100 - these wedges only used up to about 110...)
- These 2 distances were a priority for improvement this season as the main approach distances I lose strokes vs a 5 index. I am now +0.17SG from 50-150 vs -1.3 SG since the change which is giving me plenty to think about in staying with a 5 wedge setup. Especially since GIR is up 5% in this range vs season average while playing new courses at the Wilderness Club in Montana and Indian Springs Ranch with tucked pins after club championship.
Sand play has been hit and miss, some really good shots were offset by a greenside skull OB. I need more data to see if the 60 is justified for limited greenside rough and bunker work vs another club at top of the bag.
Suffice it to say, there is little risk in these not being gamed after gaining 1.8 shots inside 100 yards since the transition. I was unable to log 3 rounds during this time due to technical issues or would have nearly double the data. It will be interesting to see if these numbers regress with less practice time spent learning the carry distances and behavior around the green.
You are not wrong. Like I said it would have made for a nice golf story, the points be damned. However then the same argument can be said for JT. Either way looking forward to some match play.
Hello everyone
I’m from Saskatoon,Canada
I have been playing golf for 20 years but only really got serious about it in the last 4
my current handicap is an 11 and I feel I’m on cusp of cracking into the mid single digits if I could only get my driver to straighten up - anyone else ?
i am a long time lurker here, I have been enjoying all the content on mygolfspy especially the reviews of the golf balls and putters.I though it would be time to contribute and hopefully be a tester one day.
my home course is Riverside Country Club here in Saskatoon
what I love about golf here is that there are so many small town golf courses that are in amazing shape and most of the time are not busy. The worst is that our playing season is only from May to September
my username comes from the fact I can’t get a positive attack angle on my driver. So hopefully one day I can change my user name.
Haha yeah not a lot reasons to come to middle of the country. Both BC and NS are gorgeous in there own right with some impressive golf. I’ll try and post some SK golf photos on here when I can, you can get the experience that way.
Hello everyone
I’m from Saskatoon,Canada
I have been playing golf for 20 years but only really got serious about it in the last 4
my current handicap is an 11 and I feel I’m on cusp of cracking into the mid single digits if I could only get my driver to straighten up - anyone else ?
i am a long time lurker here, I have been enjoying all the content on mygolfspy especially the reviews of the golf balls and putters.I though it would be time to contribute and hopefully be a tester one day.
my home course is Riverside Country Club here in Saskatoon
what I love about golf here is that there are so many small town golf courses that are in amazing shape and most of the time are not busy. The worst is that our playing season is only from May to September
my username comes from the fact I can’t get a positive attack angle on my driver. So hopefully one day I can change my user name.
That’s awesome! To me it’s the land of hidden gems. If you look hard enough I think you can still find a sand green course or 2. I hope you get the chance to play here again. My friends and I are planning a Northern Sask golf trip for next year. Play waskesiu, Elk ridge, Cooke, and evergreen in Nipawin. All are top notch
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