[Edel SMS Wedges]

Edel SMS Wedges – Official MGS Forum Review by edingc

Introduction - May 28, 2022

A full introduction can be found in the comments section.

A big thank you to Edel and MyGolfSpy for another outstanding testing opportunity.

My name is Cody and, if you ask my wife, I am obsessed with golf. I practice or play almost every day when the weather permits. Living in West Michigan is a golfer’s dream with many beautiful courses and practice facilities. My handicap hovers in the upper-mid single digits with my distance being the strength of my game. My length means I hit a number of full and partial wedges throughout my rounds.

I will be testing the Edel SMS wedges with the following specifications, per my fitting at Club Champion:

• 50 degrees, 54 degrees, 58 degrees
• Standard Loft/Length/Lie
• V Grind
• Weight in Toe
• Nippon Modus3 Wedge 125

I have access to a short game area, a practice range and my indoor garage bay equipped with a FlightScope Mevo+ launch monitor and Titleist RCT golf balls. My plan is to put the Edels through their paces on course, on the practice area and in my garage bay. Specifically, a few areas I am most concerned about are turf interaction, ball flight/shape and wet weather performance. 

Final Review - July 25, 2022

Crazy how fast time flies when you're having fun! We received our clubs over a month ago (full unboxing post here), and I've had a blast with the Edels on both the course and practice range. I was able to get the wedges out for 10 18-hole rounds, eight 9-hole rounds, a scramble and at least 15 trips to the range/practice area. I even played an entire nine holes with nothing but the wedges and my putter.

First Impressions - 4/5 Stars

The quality of the Edel wedges is evident by the fit and finish of the packaging and the clubs themselves. From the securely-packed, suitcase-style shipping box to the hand-turned ferrules, the bespokeness of the SMS wedges is obvious.

Edel promotes the weight system as a means to ensure the best possible fit for an individual’s swing type. The weight positions allow them to fit for any type of swing, shallow to steep. Edel claims a combined 44 percent increase in accuracy in distance and lateral dispersion.

I am very impressed by the Edel experience. Chris Koske, Edel’s Chief Marketing Officer, helped schedule my fitting and took my order via email. That was a very nice touch. It made me feel like they cared about their customers more so than a larger OEM might.

I’m removing a star from this area for two reasons:

• There were some differences in what each tester received inside their shipment. I received a card detailing how to self-fit the wedges but some of the other testers did not. I did not receive stickers. Some of the other testers did.
• It seems odd to me at this price point to not include a tool to change the weights alongside the self-fitting card.

Aesthetics, Sound and Feel - 5/5 Stars

This is a very subjective area of the review. To my eyes the SMS wedges are some of the most beautiful wedges available. While the milled sole is not unique to Edel, the combination of the sole, modern branding, custom ferrules and a chrome finish makes for a stunning golf club. 

I prefer the look of the slightly rounded leading edge. It makes me confident I won’t lay sod over the ball if I catch it heavy. The matte face sets itself against the polished hosel and back. The squared off, almost full face grooves are unique and act as a nice alignment aid as well.

The wedges are minimalist enough as to not draw attention. You really start to appreciate the whole package once the details like the sole milling and the diamond texture on the face reveal themselves.

After an adjustment period, the Edel wedges feel great. As a Japanese 1025 carbon steel forging, they have a very soft feeling when hit on or around the sweet spot. There is still plenty of feedback, and I can readily tell my strike location, however.

I play a firmer golf ball (Snell MTB-X), but impact with the SMS wedges produce a nice solid thwack sound. Only when moving to range rocks could I describe some shots as producing a harsh clicking sound and feel.

The Numbers - 4/5 Stars

The heaviest weight has been in the toe throughout my testing per my fitting. The weight placement has resulted in consistent impact and shots. I haven’t wanted to move it around.

My left-to-right dispersion is predictable. I used to be capable of big left misses even with a wedge in my hand. My left miss has almost completely disappeared. I most often miss the ball to the right now, which is a much better miss in most circumstances.

I hit the SMS wedges very consistent distances that fit my gapping. They have a nice high flight for me with a stock full swing. However, these wedges seem to love partial swings. I’ve made an effort to hit partial shots more often as a means to combat wind. On full swings into the breeze I’ve noticed I can get too much spin which results in a ballooning and short shot.

The weight in the toe does make a noticeable difference. I can feel the face wanting to stay open longer through the swing. I have had some struggles with full swing wedges staying too open. This results in the right/short miss I mentioned above.

Make no mistake, these wedges are still a solid forging and do punish balls that miss the center by too much.

On Course - 5/5 Stars

The Edels made an immediate impact on the golf course. I quickly felt comfortable with the wedges on partial shots around greens. The toe weight helped my short game because it became so effortless to hit high, soft shots. I never had that kind of short game shot in my repertoire before bagging the Edels.

The V grind is the perfect choice for my swing and course conditions. I can tell there is a lot more trailing edge bounce on the V grind than on other wedges I’ve used in the past. It is a wonderful grind for the softer conditions I usually play on. On firmer lies, the trailing edge bounce glides along the ground giving me a ton of confidence.

Wet weather performance has been more than adequate for my needs. I still seem to be getting plenty of spin even when the clubface and ball are both wet with morning dew.

I am not as comfortable with full swings as I was with my previous wedges. That has required a small strategy change on course to hit more partial wedges. I'm still practicing at getting better in that area.

ShotScope confirms an improvement in my short game since putting the Edels in the bag. Over the past 15 rounds I’ve gained 0.04 strokes in my short game over a scratch golfer. Those 15 rounds include a mix of rounds with the Edels and my previous wedges. Over my past 10 rounds with Edels only, I’ve gained 0.62 strokes in my short game over a scratch golfer. That’s a big improvement!

The Good, The Bad, The In Between - 4/5 Stars

Don’t overlook the endless grind/loft combinations. Edel offers all four grinds in every loft. Add on the weights and there is endless customization. For me, finding the right grind/weight combination made a big difference.

I do think the Edels are not wedges you would want to buy off the rack without a good fitting. It is also concerning to me that each of our authorized fitters seemed to approach the fittings in different ways.

Play it or Trade it? - 5/5 Stars

The Edels are in the bag. Period. Combined with a lesson taken a day before receiving the clubs, I’ve played some of the best golf of my life this summer. As of this writing my unofficial handicap has dropped from around nine at the start of the testing to below six. My improved short game caused a lot of that improvement.

While the Edels are priced above their major OEM competitors (and much more than some smaller brands), there is a lot of value in the fitting options. I have no doubt the multitude of loft, weight and grind combinations could fit every type of golfer.

Conclusion

Edel’s swing match weighting system is a unique feature not found on other wedges. The Edel SMS wedges lived up to the marketing hype during my review period. They have helped me drop two strokes from my handicap since putting them in the bag.

The seemingly endless combinations of loft, weight location and grinds mean a golfer can expect to get a wedge tailored especially to their swing. I would consider the Edel SMS wedges to be a must try for anyone who is looking into a new set of wedges, especially if one can locate an authorized Edel fitter near them.

Final Score - 27/30 Stars

[Final Reviews: Maxfli Tour/TourX]

Maxfli Tour/Tour X Golf Balls – Official MGS Forum Review by edingc

Introduction - July 10, 2021

Hello, everyone!

First off, thanks to Maxfli and MyGolfSpy for this review opportunity. My name is Cody, and I am excited to be back for my third official review on the forums. In 2019, I reviewed the Callaway Epic Flash driver. Last year, I was fortunate to be a competitor in the #CobraConnect Challenge.

My golf game has undergone a huge transformation since I joined the MGS forums in 2018. I am lucky to call the West Michigan area home. We are flush with quality golf courses, instructors and practice facilities. I likely was a 25-30 handicap when I joined the forums despite having played for two decades. Today, my unofficial handicap hovers in the upper-single digits.

The strength of my game tends to be my ball striking from inside 150 yards. As a former baseball player I am able to generate a good amount of club speed and distance. My biggest weakness is my accuracy and consistency from the tee box. In general, I hit a high draw with my irons, with a miss being a block to the right or a hook left. My driver ball flight is less consistent, though my best shots tend to be high, small cuts.

I play 18 holes three-to-four times per week from May-August, weather permitting. My office is also less than five minutes away from an excellent practice facility. I am able to hit range balls, use the putting green and practice my short game every day during my lunch break.

I maintain a dedicated game improvement thread here on the forums that dates back to 2019. I also have a full WITB post.

My golf ball is one piece of equipment that rarely changes. In 2019, I tried out several urethane-covered models early in the season. I ended up loving the yellow Snell MTB-X. I have played that ball almost exclusively since.

In order, the four things I considered when selecting the MTB-X as my gamer (and what I measure any ball against) were:

1. Driver Carry Distance
2. Value
3. Iron and Short Game Spin
4. Feel

The MTB-X was by far the longest ball off of the driver for me during my testing. It is a great value even with the recent price increase. I can usually expect a medium-high flight off of my irons and a quick one-hop and stop, or even a bit of pull back. While it is a higher compression ball, it seems less firm than something like the Srixon Z-Star XV.

-------------------------------------------------

The Review - Sept. 6, 2021

It’s been fun getting the new Maxfli balls out on the course over the past month. I’ve played several rounds with each ball and played a two-ball solo scramble. I also spent time on the practice green and in the short game area.

Maxfli has put out very strong tour-level offerings in both of these balls!

First Impressions

• The packaging of the balls is well done and informative. It is “premium” looking.
• The urethane cover on both models feels very soft and tacky, especially fresh out of the sleeve.
• The dimple pattern, although common to balls produced by Foremost, seems large. Larger than balls I've played in the past.

Nothing about the packaging makes the balls stand out, for better or worse, on a rack with other premium offerings. Maxfli did well here.

Looks & Durability - 13/15 Points

The balls sport a clean design, highlighted by a large “MAXFLI” marking. The only differences between the appearances of the Tour and Tour X are the color of the numbers (black for Tour, red for Tour X) and the name on the alignment marking.

My only complaint about the looks is that the CG alignment mark is a little chunky. It is almost “Triple Track-like,” in its width. I’d prefer for the lines to be either closer together or removed.

The durability of both models is impressive. I hit many trees throughout my testing and did not cause any noticeable damage to the covers of the balls. Most grass and dirt marks wiped away with a towel. Some covers picked up permanent marks after particularly violent collisions with trees.

Sound & Feel - 15/15 Points

The Tour and Tour X are two different golf balls with two distinct sounds and feels.

Being a lower compression ball, the Tour produces a muted thwack sound. The Tour is also softer feeling. On my best swings it almost felt like the ball was melting on the club face. I found this feeling to be very addictive.

The Tour X is a typical high-compression ball. It is firm feeling off of the club face and produces a more piercing crack/click noise when struck.

These differences in feel and sound exist from driver to putter.

Both golf balls are enjoyable to hit and deserve all points in this category.

On Course Performance, Tour X - 40/40 Points
On Course Performance, Tour - 25/40 Points

The Tour X was a solid performer all around. It gave up no distance, had a high ball flight and adequate spin for one-hop-and-stop shots into the green. I did not experience excessive spin off of the driver or irons. It plays very much like other high-compression balls I have used in the past.

The Tour excelled in the long game. It seemed to be a little longer than the Tour X off the driver, I suspect from less spin. It has a penetrating flight that is lower than the Tour X as well.

My biggest issue with the Tour was a general lack of spin on approach shots and around the greens. I struggled to hold greens with full wedge shots, but only on certain swings. The Tour seemed to be very inconsistent. One shot the ball would hop-and-stop and the next would kick off the back of the green. This made it very hard for me to play the Tour. By the end of testing I had no confidence hitting approach shots into greens.

While I do find the stock alignment aid to be chunky, I putted very well with both models. My distance control and accuracy seemed no worse during my testing period. It may have even improved.

Miscellaneous - 7/10 Points

I ran each dozen through my Check-Go-Pro device. The purpose of the C-G-P was to confirm the position of the factory CG/alignment stamp. My results were interesting as I had a handful of balls that seemed to deviate from the factory line. (The post with my full results is here.)

The CG stamp would be a big selling feature for me, as I C-G-P most of my golf balls. Either the Maxfli process or the C-G-P is wrong for some balls. Deducting three points here as I’m not sure what process to trust. 

The balls also showed up personalized with our names. While a nice touch on Maxfli’s behalf, I tend to prefer anonymity when losing golf balls!

Game Bag or Shag Bag, Tour X - 15/20 Points
Game Bag or Shag Bag, Tour - 5/20 Points

The Tour X is a fantastic golf ball. I enjoyed my time playing it, and I think the ball would be good for many high swing speed players. Once Maxfli releases a yellow version for sale, I plan to buy at least two dozen to put into play. At $34.99 per dozen or cheaper on sale, the Tour X is a great value and every bit as good as higher-priced alternatives.

I enjoyed the long game characteristics and feel of the Tour. However, I was not happy with the inconsistency when hitting approaches into the greens. My remaining Tour balls will be heading to the shag bag. Or, I will pass them along to someone who doesn’t mind playing golf balls with my name on them.  The Tour might be a better fit for someone who plays a bump-and-run style of approach to most greens.

Final Score, Tour X - 90/100 Points
Final Score, Tour - 65/100 Points

Despite being a “house brand,” Maxfli is making some quality golf balls at excellent prices. The Tour X behaved exactly how I’d expect a high-compression, tour-level ball to behave. The durability of Maxfli’s proprietary cover is impressive (especially considering my testing efforts!). While I did not get along well with the Tour model, it could be a great ball for a different type of golfer.

Both models are worthy of inclusion in any listing of quality, urethane-covered golf balls.