‘You have to take us seriously’ – Wilson out to make a statement with new wedges

Wilson have promised to do something completely new with their Staff Model ZM Wedges.

The brand are out to completely overhaul their wedge offering and produce wedges befitting both the athletes on their staff and their customers.

“This is a ground-up revamp for us,” Harry Nodwell, Wilson’s Pro Performance Equipment Manager told MyGolfSpy.

“We’ve completely scrapped our old wedges.

“This new line is saying you have to take us seriously in the wedge business.”

The Wilson Staff Model ZM wedges’ innovative technique of milling the grooves into the clubface is referred to as Zip Manufactured, or “ZM” for short.

This plays a big part in their mission to give staff players more.

“The grooves are milled deeper than our previous wedges,” says Nodwell.

“They’re milled in a way that allows the ball to sit in the grooves a little bit more and a little bit longer, but still within the USGA limits.”

The inclusion of a new face milling and surface roughening process allows the grooves to catch the cover of the golf ball more efficiently and keep it on the face longer, resulting in enhanced spin.

Wilson claims to lose as little as 18% of that spin in the wet thanks to the finish and groove technology combination.

“In our testing, we lose only about 18 to 20 percent of our spin going from dry to wet,” Nodwell tells MyGolfSpy. “Our previous models would lose about 50 percent. It’s one of the main reasons we struggled to get our Tour players into a 58- or 60-degree wedge. It’s a lot easier now. They saw the results instantly.”

“We have three different sole grinds,” says Nodwell. “But we want to talk with consumers about bounce, how to use that bounce and what to look for when it comes to bounce.”

For professionals, the 60 degree wedge gets a lot of use and Wilson have gone out of their way to deliver a versatile club.

“The six-degree ZM 60 is a really versatile wedge,” adds Nodwell. “It sits low to the ground and the leading edge doesn’t rise up when you open the face.”

Wilson are taking the advice of wedgemaster Bob Vokey who says “bounce is your friend.”

“You have less heel and toe relief in those models so you can use the bounce in softer conditions or if you’re not as versatile around the greens,” Nodwell said.

“And once you get to 12 degrees, well, bounce is your friend.”

The regular Staff Model ZM wedges have a fairly classic appearance and are available in lofts ranging from 50 to 60 degrees, with 46 and 48-degree clubs available via special order. Wilson also offers a high-toe variant in 56- and 60-degree lofts, with a 64-degree club available by custom order.

‘You have to take us seriously’ – Wilson out to make a statement with new wedges Golf365.