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Miura 1957 Special Edition K-Grind


SPY ZINGER

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“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.

 

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 recently 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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

Miura Golf recently launched the 52/60 degree versions of the K-Grind to complement the 56 previously in the line.

 

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

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congrats on the K-grind! You'll find that this thing is heavier than most wedges but it cuts through deep rough and sand like butter.

It's a true rescue club ^_^

 

HAVE FUN WITH IT!!

Thanks, I wrote this a while back, but it still holds true today as a current head in their line. I wanted to post it as information because they just launched a 52/60 to compliment this. In case someone wants the opinion of a hack. Albeit, a good-looking one.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Nice review. Very nice wedge. Recently replaced my 2 Miura Black wedges for the Epon's 210KGX. Unfortunately Miura delivers this wedge only in the degrees I don't use. If they start with a 50 degree K wedge, I'll kick the Mizuno MP-T 11 out of the bag. :rolleyes:

Good luck with it, Zinger. Enjoy.

Driver: Cleveland Classic 290 9.0 - Miyazaki C. Kua 43 (S)

Fw Wood: Maruman F3 Shuttle 15* - Roddio Pentacross W-5 BA (S)

Fw Wood: Tourstage 2008 ViQ 19* - Ns Pro GT700 (X)

Hybrid: Nakashima NX1 22* - Pured Fujikura TOUR SPEC Speeder 904HB (X)

Irons: Mizuno MP63 - Ns-Pro GH950 (S)

Wedge: Mizuno MP T-11 50* - Ns-Pro GH950 (S)

Wedges: Epon 210KGX 54*, 58* - Shimada Wedge shaft

Putter: Seemore DB4

Grips: Iomic & Lamkin

Bag: OnOff OB0010 Shingo Katayama limited Tour Bag

Bag: Adidas Japan Tour Bag

Ball: Nike Vapor

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Nice review. Very nice wedge. Recently replaced my 2 Miura Black wedges for the Epon's 210KGX. Unfortunately Miura delivers this wedge only in the degrees I don't use. If they start with a 50 degree K wedge, I'll kick the Mizuno MP-T 11 out of the bag. :rolleyes:

Good luck with it, Zinger. Enjoy.

Could you have the 52 bent to 50? I guess the effective bounce would be 5 though.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Could you have the 52 bent to 50? I guess the effective bounce would be 5 though.

It might be a possibility. Although having 52 stamped on a 50... <_ bounce is not really an issue since a degree miura wedge comes with as well. or that what you mean>

Driver: Cleveland Classic 290 9.0 - Miyazaki C. Kua 43 (S)

Fw Wood: Maruman F3 Shuttle 15* - Roddio Pentacross W-5 BA (S)

Fw Wood: Tourstage 2008 ViQ 19* - Ns Pro GT700 (X)

Hybrid: Nakashima NX1 22* - Pured Fujikura TOUR SPEC Speeder 904HB (X)

Irons: Mizuno MP63 - Ns-Pro GH950 (S)

Wedge: Mizuno MP T-11 50* - Ns-Pro GH950 (S)

Wedges: Epon 210KGX 54*, 58* - Shimada Wedge shaft

Putter: Seemore DB4

Grips: Iomic & Lamkin

Bag: OnOff OB0010 Shingo Katayama limited Tour Bag

Bag: Adidas Japan Tour Bag

Ball: Nike Vapor

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I've owned a K grind for almost two years. It is a fine wedge. It does go smoothly through the sand. As I've learned wedge technique, I've learned to better appreciate the K grind. With 12 degrees of bounce and a vertical shaft setup, the club glides through thin lies. Don't be afraid to use the bounce on less than lush lies ... it will get under the ball with good technique.

 

I only wish its leading edge hugged the ground a bit more so when I did make an error on bare lies, the raised leading edge would offer more forgiveness.

 

As to cast versus forged with similar steel, I can sometimes tell the difference on delicate shots. On full shots, the difference is negligible. But even on delicates, some cast makers are the equal of forged in feel to me.

 

The Miuras do have great balance.

 

Enjoy.

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