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Titleist has launched what its calling “the perfect bunker wedge”.

The Vokey Design WedgeWorks K* lob wedge, a popular grind among tour players, is a product of the collaboration between the brand’s master craftsman Bob Vokey, PGA Tour representative Aaron Dill, and the best players in the world and originated from player requests to modify the sole of the popular Low Bounce K Grind lob wedge.

So instead of the full, smooth sole of the K Grind, the sole of the K* Grind features a steeper pre-wear on the leading edge along with heel, toe, and trailing edge relief, making it ideal for the player with a neutral to shallow attack angle who plays on a variety of turf conditions.

The steeper pre-wear on K*, Titleist says, adds forgiveness from the square-faced position, with a narrow ribbon of added bounce along the leading edge helping to resist excessive digging.

In an open-faced position, the heel, toe, and trailing edge relief on K* allows the leading edge to sit closer to the ground, adding greenside versatility by helping the player slide under the ball easier.

And, like all K Grind variations, K* has a wide sole that excels out of the bunker.

K* is already in the bags of Titleist staffers such as Justin Thomas, Cameron Young, and Ludvig Aberg, as well as Rory McIlroy, and is now available for the first time through WedgeWorks.

So how did the K* Grind come about?

The first conversation was between Dill and Titleist brand ambassador Webb Simpson.

“Webb was not one to make many changes to his wedges,” Dill explains. “As conditions shifted on tour and we introduced different soles in our line, Webb was motivated to test additional grind options that could offer some forgiveness.

“This led to Webb in 2015 testing a 60 K Grind, and while this was a great wedge, it still was missing a key element important to him: versatility from tighter lies.
“Webb and I worked on the sole, adding relief, testing different bounce angles, and ultimately landing on most of the modifications we see today in the K*.”

Dill also says as testing went on, Thomas was another player whose feedback was instrumental in helping to identify the specific angles and changes to the original K Grind’s sole, resulting in the finished K* Grind.

Titleist’s DP World Tour rep Will Harvey adds that the K* Grind is perfect for “firm, fast conditions with soft powdery bunkers that are typical conditions we see on links courses across the UK.”

“The K* has transformed into an option that works in a wide variety of conditions,” he continues. “A common comment is, ‘I can use this wedge everywhere, I don’t like changing soles from week to week.’ K* has the perfect combination of width and bounce to work everywhere from firm links to soft Bermuda.”