Guys, the Callaway Opus Wedge is totally different.
I went again so far as 2011 and couldn’t discover a Callaway flagship wedge (CB and SureOut don’t rely) the place there wasn’t some reference to JAWS, Phil Mickelson or Roger Cleveland – typically I discovered all three.
There’s none of that right here. You gained’t discover PM grinds, Mack Daddy grooves or •R• stamped on the hosel. All of this implies that, with the launch of the Opus Wedge franchise, comes a major shift in Callaway wedge design.
That’s mirrored within the Opus title which performs to what Callaway says is the wonder and class of the brand new wedges. “Opus” is the place artwork meets science and, whereas that appears like a hall connecting two museums, it speaks to the mixing of Callaway applied sciences with the considerably improved shapes that assist outline the Opus wedge household.
“Tour-Pushed” Opus Wedge Shaping
I’m on file as not being a fan of Callaway wedges. From a shaping perspective, I discover the topline too skinny, the transition from toe to topline too harsh and angular and, regardless of the real-world measurements, the way in which the offset presents at all times regarded to me, anyway, just like the blade and hosel had been in several zip codes.
With Opus, offset, or not less than the looks of it, is decreased as Callaway has noticeably smoothed transition from face to hosel.
Likewise, the transition from toe to topline is dramatically smoothed. The brand new wedge has a teardrop, nearly rounded, form devoid of harsh strains. I didn’t get the calipers out however the topline nonetheless appears thinner than most however, with the opposite modifications, it simply appears higher.
To my eye, the form is closest to the Mizuno T-series, a radical departure from previous iterations of Callaway wedges.
It’s higher.
The brand new form was pushed largely by the PGA Tour the place, not like earlier fashions, Callaway says the Opus wedge design was “Tour-driven” versus “Tour-inspired.”
Transferring by prototypes, Tour gamers successfully selected the form of the brand new wedge and, whereas we’re simply listening to about it for the primary time at present, Opus prototypes have been on the Tour for 1.5 years.
Living proof: Whereas the cosmetics could have recommended an older mannequin, Opus wedges had been utilized by Yuka Saso and Xander Schauffele of their current main championship wins.
It’s the rationale Callaway is asking Opus probably the most “Tour-validated” wedge in firm historical past.
Opus Wedge Expertise
Simply my opinion, but when form was the one story, given the place Callaway was, it will be sufficient for me.
However what’s a wedge with out a good spin story?
To that finish, Callaway Opus wedges characteristic what the corporate calls SPIN-GEN face expertise. SPIN-GEN is the mix of three substances that don’t simply work to decrease launch and enhance spin however present higher consistency throughout the real-world situations on the golf course.
New Groove Bundle
The primary ingredient of Callaway’s SPIN-GEN face is an up to date groove package deal. Whereas Callaway nonetheless lays declare to probably the most aggressive groove in golf, they’ve narrowed the gap between grooves and added some. It’s all about creating alternatives for the grooves to seize the ball.
Your profit right here is decrease launch with elevated spin.
Enhanced Floor Roughness
The second piece of the SPIN-GEN face is a brand new face blast. Callaway is utilizing quartz to penetrate the face of the wedge and create extra floor roughness.
The advantages, says Callaway, are most obvious in moist situations – that would come with tough, morning dew and a correct storm – the place the face blast helps keep launch and spin charges when the ball would in any other case wish to slide up the face.
Angled Micro Options
Lastly, you get angled micro options. What we’re actually speaking about is Callaway’s tackle a grooves between grooves design. The angled options work to raised channel moisture when the face is an open place.
From a efficiency perspective, Callaway is claiming decrease launch and better spin than the No. 1 wedge model (Vokey). The purpose of emphasis is admittedly on pictures from the tough in addition to from moist situations the place the true advantage of decrease launch and better spin is in the end higher consistency throughout all situations.
The purpose being that, whereas all of us love the concept of excessive spin and most of us perceive that we needs to be hitting our wedges decrease, the objective right here is tighter launch home windows by higher consistency than its rivals’ merchandise present.
If that pans out, it’s form of an enormous deal.
Callaway Opus Wedge Grinds
With the launch of the Opus wedge, Callaway is dialing again the grinds a bit, not less than at launch. Whether or not it’s by limited-edition choices or a full-line extension, I might anticipate we’ll finally see the grind rely enhance however, for now, 4 grinds out of the gate make for an honest begin.
Callaway Opus W Grind
No surprises right here: the W grind is Callaway’s widest sole wedge. Accessible with 12 or 14 levels of bounce, the textbook story is that it’s for steep swingers who take deep divots or those that play in gentle situations.
In wedge design, forgiveness comes from the only real, and vast soles are sometimes probably the most forgiving. The W Grind ought to provide you with a bit wider margin for error from the golf green whereas additionally being a superb possibility for golfers who wrestle from bunkers.
The Callaway Opus W Grind is out there in 50, 52, 54, 56, 58 and 60 levels.
Callaway Opus S Grind
Billed as a grind for each scenario, the S Grind is the center of the lineup, mid-bounce (10 and 12 levels) workhorse. It’s the wedge you purchase as a result of it matches your recreation or as a result of you haven’t any thought what matches your recreation.
Callaway says it really works properly for all swing sorts from a wide range of course situations.
The Callaway Opus S Grind is out there in 48, 50, 52, 56, 58 and 60 levels.
Callaway Opus C Grind
Callaway’s C Grind is a mid-ish bounce possibility that provides extra versatility than the S Grind and extra forgiveness than the T Grind (see beneath).
A lob-wedge solely possibility, the C Grind strikes an excellent steadiness between versatility and forgiveness. That makes it a terrific on a regular basis possibility in addition to another for T Grind gamers when the course will get gentle.
The Callaway Opus C Grind is out there in 58 and 60 levels with eight levels of bounce.
Callaway Opus T Grind
T Grinds, notably these made by Vokey, have change into the most well-liked lob wedge possibility on Tour so it’s not a shock that Callaway would provide up its take.
The defining characteristic of the T Grind is aggressive reduction within the heel, toe and trailing edge. It helps the T sit tight to the bottom in almost any orientation for max versatility across the inexperienced.
As I’ve famous earlier than, the tradeoff for versatility is a comparative lack of forgiveness. Should you often hit your wedges on the chunky aspect, the T grind goes to exacerbate the issue whereas one thing like a W Grind will mitigate it.
The Callaway Opus T Grind is out there in 58 and 60 levels with six levels of bounce.
Callaway Opus Wedges – Inventory Choices and Pricing
The inventory shaft providing for the Callaway Opus wedge is the Dynamic Gold MID 115g in metal and UST Recoil DART HDC (65 and 50 grams) in graphite.
End choices embody Brushed Chrome and Black Shadow.
Left-handed choices are restricted to:
S Grind: 50-10 (Brushed Chrome), 52-10 (Brushed Chrome, Black Shadow), 54-12 (Brushed Chrome), 56-12 (Brushed Chrome, Black Shadow), 58-10 (Brushed Chrome), 60-10 (Brushed Chrome, Black Shadow)
W Grind: 54-12 (Brushed Chrome), 56-14 (Brushed Chrome), 60-12 (Brushed Chrome)
C Grind: 58-08 (Brushed Chrome), 60-08 (Brushed Chrome)
T Grind: 58-06 (Brushed Chrome, 60-06 (Brushed Chrome)
A Uncooked possibility is out there by Callaway Customs (for right-handed golfers solely).
Retail value is $179.99
However Wait, There’s Extra!
Callaway Opus Platinum Wedge
As a part of its Opus launch, Callaway is launching the Opus Platinum Wedge. It’s billed as a kind of what if there have been no limits on value kind of merchandise however the bit that issues is that it’s the results of Callaway engineers, who are usually not Tour gamers, asking how they may design a product that may make themselves higher.
I touched on it above, however taking consistency in a basic sorta method out of the equation for a minute, one of many largest variations between Tour gamers and common golfers is that the Tour guys hit their wedges considerably decrease than we do.
They make crisp low-face contact and compress the ball the place, for many of us, we are inclined to hit it slightly excessive on the face, leading to greater launch, decrease spin and a much less penetrating trajectory.
In the end, that’s heart of gravity stuff so the true query the Callaway R&D guys tackled was how can we increase the middle of gravity to advertise preferrred wedge trajectory in a method that doesn’t lead to a goofy trying membership?
The reply, because it so typically is within the golf gear world, is tungsten.
So, yeah, barely off subject right here, there isn’t any precise platinum within the Callaway Opus Platinum wedge however there are 17 grams of tungsten anchored within the topline.
MIM Building
Not like the usual Opus wedge, which is solid, the Platinum model is MIM’d. Callaway has used MIM’d elements earlier than and others (COBRA) have made absolutely MIM’d heads.
Your requisite refresher: MIM is brief for “steel injection molding.” The MIM course of entails mixing powered steel with polymer binding brokers to create a steel paste that’s injected right into a mildew to type the form of the clubhead.
As soon as the whole lot solidifies, the pinnacle goes by a sintering course of to soften away the binders, fuse the steel particles collectively, leaving the ultimate form.
The MIM course of has two benefits over extra conventional manufacturing strategies.
- It creates extra exact ultimate elements (aka tighter tolerances).
- The ensuing heads are inclined to really feel softer than these created utilizing different strategies.
The “really feel” factor is clearly fascinating in a wedge whereas the “tighter tolerances” factor is all however crucial when your design requires you to suit two totally different supplies collectively in a exact method. For instance, if you happen to had been attempting to seamlessly mix a 17-gram tungsten weight into the highest line of a wedge, MIM development can be a superb alternative.
Within the case of the Callaway Opus Platinum wedge, the middle of gravity chases the tungsten greater into the pinnacle, leading to decrease launch and better spin than the usual Opus wedge. And it does it with out trying goofy.
Callaway Opus Platinum Grinds
With the added tech comes added value and that doubtless places Opus Platinum into extra of a distinct segment wedge class, so it’s comprehensible that Callaway is providing solely two grinds.
The now-familiar S Grind is out there in 54, 56, 58 and 60 levels (nonetheless with 10 and 12degrees of bounce).
For now, the Z Grind will probably be distinctive to the Opus Platinum providing. Improved (notably out of sand) from earlier iterations of Z, Callaway describes it as a pleasant low-bounce possibility, although with eight- and 10-degree bounce choices, I’m going to say it’s extra of a mid-bounce possibility.
The only real incorporates a chamfered forefront with a little bit of trailing-edge reduction. Each work so as to add versatility whereas sustaining the forgiveness of the comparatively wider sole.
Callaway Opus Platinum Wedges – Inventory Choices and Pricing
Callaway Opus Platinum wedges come inventory with both a DG MID 115-gram metal with a gunmetal end or UST Recoil DART HDC 65-gram graphite shaft (Blackout end).
The inventory grip is a Golf Satisfaction MCC Gray/Black.
The end choices are Platinum Chrome and Platinum Blue.
Left-handed choices are once more restricted to:
S Grind: 56-12 (Platinum Chrome, Platinum Blue), 60-10 (Platinum Chrome, Platinum Blue)
Z Grind: 60-08 (Platinum Chrome, Platinum Blue)
Retail value is $229.99.
Callaway Customs
Further customization is out there by Callaway Customs. Choices embody Black, Chrome and Uncooked finishes, stamping, customized paint-fill in as much as six zones, customized shaft bands and customized ferrules.
Callaway Opus Wedges – Availability
Becoming/pre-sale for Callaway Opus wedges begins July 19. Retail availability for the Opus wedge begins July 26. Opus Platinum availability begins Aug. 16.
For extra info, go to CallawayGolf.com.
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