MIURA GOLF 1957 Series K-Grind Wedge

[SPY ZINGER]

This just arrived!

 

Build Characteristics:

MIURA GOLF 1957 Series K-Grind

Loft: 56°

Lie: 63.5

Offset: .070

Bounce Angle: 12°

Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold S300

Grip: Miura Lamkin Crossline

 

Looking forward to testing this spring. I will add a review when I have had a chance to put it in play.

REVIEW ADDED 5/3/2011. See below.

[Tyk]

Review?!

 

This imo is a good looking wedge, yes, the bounce is odd looking, but the idea makes total sense to me! Very curious to know what you think!

[SPY ZINGER]

I had my first round of golf yesterday in Minnesota, so I've not had much playing time yet. Couple more weeks, and it'll be up!

[TWShoot67]

Good luck with the wedge Spy hope it works out for ya...

[mudfish]

What is the reasoning behind structuring the bounce like that? Is it just to be new and different, or is there a reason?

[SPY ZINGER]

I have not had a chance to hit it yet, given the weather in MN (yes, snow tomorrow.) But this is from Miura:

 

The sole of the new K Grind wedge is "fluted" which bears a striking resemblance to finger-tip impressions, or even human knuckles. These three channels reduce the resistance against the wedge in sand, thick rough, and even the fairway. The sole of the wedge moves with the grass instead of against it. The channels move around the sand instead of colliding with it. It allows the wedge to accelerate thru the ball with less effort in every condition to improve the odds of hitting a good shot.

 

Characteristics of the K Grind Wedge:

 

Better results out of wet sand.

Reduces the odds of "catching it heavy" on long bunker shots.

Better acceleration on ½ and ¼ swings around the green.

Digs it out of deep rough.

Works great in normal conditions.

[xxio]

These three channels reduce the resistance against the wedge in sand, thick rough, and even the fairway. The sole of the wedge moves with the grass instead of against it. The channels move around the sand instead of colliding with it. It allows the wedge to accelerate thru the ball with less effort in every condition to improve the odds of hitting a good shot.

 

 

 

What if you happen to open up the wedge? It would have the sand/grass coming in-going thru at an angle rather than being channeled straight thru the "knuckles".

 

I guess this wedge is meant to be played square all the time?

[BIG STU]

What if you happen to open up the wedge? It would have the sand/grass coming in-going thru at an angle rather than being channeled straight thru the "knuckles".

 

I guess this wedge is meant to be played square all the time?

That is an interesting question because I was think the same two questions myself

[Adam Barr]

What if you happen to open up the wedge? It would have the sand/grass coming in-going thru at an angle rather than being channeled straight thru the "knuckles".

 

I guess this wedge is meant to be played square all the time?

 

These are good questions, yes. To answer the second one first: no, this wedge is not meant to be played square all the time. Miura-san recognized that people will open it, flatten it, get creative. And that brings us to the first question, and the happy answer is that even at an angle, the "knuckles" channel debris out of the way and help preserve as much energy as possible into impact. I imagine that if you did a detailed measurement, the angled approach might be different in speed from the straight-on path, but any difference would be minuscule. We certainly didn't see any difference in performance testing.

 

I have experimented with this wedge a lot, and so have a lot of other Miura staffers. Last time I got to play golf with Miura-san, he, Bill Holowaty (our VP of product strategies, and a really good player) and I all had fun creating shots with the K-Wedge around the practice green and in bunkers. It's so easy to hit out of sand....but we were making some eyebrow-raisers from the greenside junk as well. Really versatile wedge.

[mlf16507]

Reminds me of a Chico Miartuz Tomahawk Wedge from years ago

[SPY ZINGER]

“It's like if you have two jars. One is filled with marbles and the other is filled with sand. There are a lot of voids in the jar filled with marbles, but not with the jar of sand. The jar of sand is a forged iron.” -Katsuhiro Miura (2007)

 

I recently read an interesting statistic (Golf World) indicating that 80% of irons used on the PGA Tour are forged. You can't mistake the feeling of a high quality forged iron, especially in wedges. For the better part of the last 6 years, I have played forged wedges exclusively. I have discovered the importance of playing the proper grind based not only on your individual swing characteristics, but also your specific playing conditions.

 

Heading into the 2011 season, I wanted to try something different. Over the years, I have read a lot about Miura forgings. They have been quietly forging heads for the best players in the world for some time. Miura caught my attention this year with the addition of their new President Adam Barr, and their appeal to a broader market with the release of the Passing Point irons. Yet with all of the change that seems to be surrounding Miura, it's clear that their commitment and passion for producing some of the best forgings in the business, remains constant.

 

This spring, I picked up a Series 1957 Special Edition wedge with the K-grind from Miura. The decision to focus on this design was based largely on the type of sand I encounter in the Minneapolis, Minnesota area and my home course. For lack of a better description, the sand has the consistency of playground sand. It's light brown with visible pebbles on the surface and hidden throughout. In fact, one of my favorite courses in the area seems to have more pebbles than sand in the bunkers. This type of sand plays very firm especially with any sign of moisture. In contrast, the turf in this area (usually bent grass or bluegrass) is very soft (usually clay), especially in the spring. These two distinct types of conditions found on the same course usually led to selecting two very different types of grinds on the wedges.

 

The K-grind has a dull satin finish, traditional teardrop shape, and appealing thin top line at address. The sole of the K-grind contains three concave slots described as “fluted.” In researching this wedge on the Miura website, it seems as though this grind was designed for the conditions I encounter here in the midwest. According to Miura, The sole of the wedge moves around sand instead of colliding with it. Allowing acceleration thru the ball with less effort in varying conditions. This unique grind is individually cut on the wheel by hand.

 

On course, the K-grind functioned as described in it's design. The wedge plays like a thin-soled blade in it's feel out of the sand and in soft turf. However, thin soled blades with minimal bounce usually end up digging, especially in soft clay turf. That is where the function of the K-grind is ever apparent. Instead of digging, you get the sensation of gliding or slicing feeling through impact making the shot feel effortless. The result is the opposite of what you expect and provides continual acceleration thru the shot. This performance characteristic is constant in thick rough, hard packed or wet sand, buried lies, and soft turf out of the fairway. It really is a utility wedge that is versatile in several conditions, and is perfect at 56 degrees of loft. My primary shot with this wedge is 70 yards or less out of the fairway or rough and in greenside bunkers.

 

The feel of the Miura forging is where the K-grind really shines. As I said previously, this is my first experience with Miura irons, and I found that everything I read about the feel of these heads was true in hand. It's just an incredibly soft feel that is unlike any other forging I have hit in the past. The cliché phrase I always hear when people talk about Miura irons is, “They feel like butter” or “they are buttery soft.” The phrase used time and again, I have come to realize why it's used. It's because that is exactly how they feel, a softness unlike anything else I have struck to date. It's just an amazing feel and when combined with the versatility of the K-grind, it becomes the perfect utility wedge in a variety of conditions or shots.

 

Although this wedge only comes in 56/12, bending it anywhere from 54 through 58 degrees should be no problem with this head. The 1957 Series wedges feature the condition of competition grooves, but I did not notice any less spin from my previous wedges in standard box grooves. The performance of this wedge from it's unique grind design, soft feel, and spin have me looking closer at Miura to fill the rest of the bag.

 

Link on Miura's website: http://miuragolf.com/series57_k-wedge.asp

[Tony Covey MGS]

Regarding the feel of Miura wedges...

 

We haven't had the opportunity to specifically test the K-Grind (and of course, given its uniqueness we certainly would), but we do have both C & Y grind wedges in for testing now. When hit in isolation, our testers, to a man, have commented on the soft feel, however; when our testers have hit the wedges side by side with others (often forged as well) what really stands out is the sound. With the other wedges currently undergoing testing, we usually hear a firm "click" on impact, the Miuras often sound like the ball isn't even there. It's definitely one of the more enjoyable observations to come out of testing in the last several months.

[SPY ZINGER]

Regarding the feel of Miura wedges...

 

We haven't had the opportunity to specifically test the K-Grind (and of course, given its uniqueness we certainly would), but we do have both C & Y grind wedges in for testing now. When hit in isolation, our testers, to a man, have commented on the soft feel, however; when our testers have hit the wedges side by side with others (often forged as well) what really stands out is the sound. With the other wedges currently undergoing testing, we usually hear a firm "click" on impact, the Miuras often sound like the ball isn't even there. It's definitely one of the more enjoyable observations to come out of testing in the last several months.

Very interesting, I will have to pay attention to the sound aspect. It's got to be the softest head on the market, I have not hit anything close.

[xxio]

Regarding the feel of Miura wedges...

 

 

I had the JDM only TM300 Forged A and S wedges which were supposedly Miura. Those were the best sounding wedges I had ever played.

[xxio]

These are good questions, yes. To answer the second one first: no, this wedge is not meant to be played square all the time. Miura-san recognized that people will open it, flatten it, get creative. And that brings us to the first question, and the happy answer is that even at an angle, the "knuckles" channel debris out of the way and help preserve as much energy as possible into impact. I imagine that if you did a detailed measurement, the angled approach might be different in speed from the straight-on path, but any difference would be minuscule. We certainly didn't see any difference in performance testing.

 

I have experimented with this wedge a lot, and so have a lot of other Miura staffers. Last time I got to play golf with Miura-san, he, Bill Holowaty (our VP of product strategies, and a really good player) and I all had fun creating shots with the K-Wedge around the practice green and in bunkers. It's so easy to hit out of sand....but we were making some eyebrow-raisers from the greenside junk as well. Really versatile wedge.

 

 

I guess it may not have a big effect in the real world.

 

I had thought that since the angle with which the sand is being channeled will be different if the face is opened that it would affect how it goes through the sand. I have been theorizing and imagining and continue to have a feeling when you open up the wedge the channels would be facing 11 o'clock yet the swing and the way the sand will be "entering the head" would be 7 o'clock.

 

So instead of channeling the sand along the knuckles it will actually hit the side of the knuckles.

[SPY ZINGER]

Great to see the President of Miura in the forums!! Thanks Adam! ....Can we still call you, Adam?