SM9 L Grind Vs. T Grind

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By RupertPumkin

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  • 16 Replies
  1. RupertPumkin

    RupertPumkin
    Potomac, MD

    Military

    So I actually have 3 SM9 60’s (M•9/L•4/T•4), however I’ve leaned more towards my L Grind after getting the T Grind… I found that the L Grind was more “versatile” in the DMV(DC/MD/VA) area. Mostly play in soft conditions @ very prestigious clubs (perks of being a caddie)! Greens that do not “hold” I need to compress wedges to get that spin but w/ the T Grind, it digs too much/grabs. On the contrary w/ the L Grind, it’s the perfect amount of turf interaction especially w/ “shallow compression” (little to no divot).

    Thoughts????

  2. ERisch

    ERisch

    I too have the L•4 and love it but I can only use it on tighter conditions as it eats up soft grass. I tend to take a medium divot so it gets taken out of the bag when playing softer conditions which require more bounce.
  3. Chris92009

    Chris92009
    Ohio

    ERisch said:

    I too have the L•4 and love it but I can only use it on tighter conditions as it eats up soft grass. I tend to take a medium divot so it gets taken out of the bag when playing softer conditions which require more bounce.

    I agree...the L and T are designed for firmer conditions such as sand belt in Florida or Australia...

    Also, in softer conditions I sometime swap out my T for a M or D grind with more bounce...IMHO

    Cheers!
  4. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    Richard P said:

    So I actually have 3 SM9 60’s (M•9/L•4/T•4), however I’ve leaned more towards my L Grind after getting the T Grind… I found that the L Grind was more “versatile” in the DMV(DC/MD/VA) area. Mostly play in soft conditions @ very prestigious clubs (perks of being a caddie)! Greens that do not “hold” I need to compress wedges to get that spin but w/ the T Grind, it digs too much/grabs. On the contrary w/ the L Grind, it’s the perfect amount of turf interaction especially w/ “shallow compression” (little to no divot).

    Thoughts????

    I love the T grind. You can hit off soft lies; just have to sweep. I can also hit a D grind off a hard lie by playing back.
  5. Chris92009

    Chris92009
    Ohio

    I actually had a discussion with Bob Vokey about the L vs T grinds last year since I play both. He indicated that the L grind actually has a slightly higher effective bounce compared to the T that a lower effective bounce.

    I played both last time in Melbourne Australia and in Florida to mimick the conditions that the L and T were born for (among other places) and the T is better for myself...thats the beauty of the two grinds is that you can personalize what works best for YOUR game!

    Cheers, Chris
  6. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    I find the T grind better than L grind out of hard bunkers. Also easier to open the blade.
  7. Chris92009

    Chris92009
    Ohio

    Lou G said:

    I find the T grind better than L grind out of hard bunkers. Also easier to open the blade.

    Agreed!
  8. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    Lou G said:

    I find the T grind better than L grind out of hard bunkers. Also easier to open the blade.

    The 60-04T at marked loft does a nice job off hardpan lies. For a SW, 58-14K bent to 56 works for a wide variety of shots. It’ll go through thick grass like a sickle and still hit off firm turf.
  9. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    I got rid of my D grind today and got a 60-04L grind that I bent to 58. What I did today was do various practice shots with the 60-04T and it. They’re almost equal except the L grind picks the ball better off hard lies and a couple extra yards with the 58 loft.

    So my two options are:

    58-14K (56*) with 60-04T stock. In with my Dad’s clubs.

    58-14K and 60-04L at 58*. My wedge gapping is 46-52-58-64.
  10. Cole Johnson

    Cole Johnson
    St. George, Utah

    About to order a new 58*. I’ve been trying to decide between the M and the T grind. I’ve played a 58.12 D grind for years (multiple sets of vokeys) I feel that the bounce gets in the way around the green when I’m opening the face.
    Does anyone have any opinions on the M and T grinds and which one has performed better for them?
  11. BBarbera

    BBarbera

    just switched to a 60-T grind for the exact reason you described, love it
  12. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    BBarbera said:

    just switched to a 60-T grind for the exact reason you described, love it

    I have the SM10 60-04T back in the bag. It is no brainer in a hard bunker or chipping off hard lies. EVEN VS THE 58-06K (which is a very versatile wedge -works just as well in soft sand and thick grass vs firm lies).

    I’ve almost holed out from a firm bunker with the T.

    My thumbnail shows D, Low K and T. I use a 58-12D bent to 56. I’ve been using the 58-06K by itself for 2 months.
  13. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    BBarbera said:

    just switched to a 60-T grind for the exact reason you described, love it

    The 60-06K is a no brainer for versatility off both hardpan and soft lies. I like the L and T grind but they are limited.
  14. RupertPumkin

    RupertPumkin
    Potomac, MD

    Military
    Great choice, Cole!
    Ultimately, in my opinion, it all comes down to player preference... I have the M Grind, too. Both T & M Grinds (very similar) can pretty much shape and hit the same shots. I've now just gotten used to the feel of "trailing edge relief" & works better for me! Lowering the effectiveness of the bounce makes me more confident in any lie/situation.

    Hope the insight helps & keep hitting GIRs, bubba! Cheers!!
  15. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    Funny how things come full circle. The 60–14K (58*) is much more versatile vs 58-12D so I returned the latter to the store and got an SM10 60-04T that I set up at 58*. I have a 60-06K for a carry bag.
  16. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    I’m playing 60-14K and 60-04T at stock loft.

    I got out and played after a 3 week hiatus.

    60-04T has worked out of hard sand and tight lies.

    I now have the “traditional” 48-52-56-60 wedge setup with K and T grinds at 60, plus a 64* wedge I use for deep green side bunkers.
  17. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    Attached are my 8-GW setups. Left is 39-44-50. Right is 36-42-48-52. The left is actually optimized because I hit the 695MB 8 iron 2 yards farther vs the T150. The 690CB (42*) and Vokey 46-10F (44*) are equal. The 52-12F (50*) makes things simple.

    My SW-LW-XW setup is 56-58-60-64. 56 is 58-12D. 58 is 60-14K. 60 is 60-04T. The K grind and 64 are available as needed. The K grind is where I hit from a grassy lie to a tight pin position or from a deep bunker with soft sand. The 64 is for deep bunkers with little real estate on the green. D grind works better on open face shots.
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