I was lucky enough to receive 4 brand new 2010 TR Wedges from PRGR for a review and some testing. The TR Wedge is a 2010 USGA conforming premium JIS S20C Forged wedge made by Endo for PRGR. PRGR or Pro Gear as it is known in Japan is the golf wing of Yokohama Rubber Industries. PRGR has long been a trendy Japanese brand but has gotten really hot in the last few years thanks to great clubs and performances on tour by Azuma Yano and Hideto Tanihara. Their Egg Spoon can be found in the bag of many pros, even those who are not PRGR sponsored simply because it kicks ass.

Premium S20C for the Athlete Golfer…

In the past PRGR has had a few different models of irons forged by Endo here in Japan. In 2010 they have returned to Endo manufacturing with the Limited Edition TR 500 Iron and the new TR Wedge. What this means is super soft Japanese S20C steel and a wonderful design for the wedge. While recent PRGR Wedges have targeted more average golfers, the new TR Wedge is focused on the athlete golfer featuring a straight neck  with very little offset. The sole features a thinner sole that tapers at the  heel portion and trailing edge relief. This kind of grind is very versatile for the pro and allows the better player to open the face and aim at the target without worry of the heel touching down first.

Control Oriented head…

As with may wedges forged by Endo, the neck of the TR Wedge is long and really flows with the head. The head is made to promote control as the slight wave in the back head actually bring CG a little higher and towards the heel for a more stable trajectory creating more back spin. Many of today’s wedges feature a round or tear drop shaped head. The TR Wedge is sharper and features an almost boxier iron like toe for flow between the short irons of a low handicapper iron set like the TR 500 Forged iron. For those who were lucky enough to get 1 if the 1000 sets of TR 500 Forged, the TR Wedge is the perfect compliment.

Would look good in anyone’s bag…

Lately I’ve been talking about how good looking a lot of the current wedges on the market are and the new TR Wedge is no exception. It features a nickel chrome satin finish with sandblasted TR and the loft on the trailing edge and bounce on the neck.  This wedge will without a doubt look good in anyone’s bag. I’m tempted to own so many of the new wedges but I can only put so many in play at one time. So how does the TR Wedge feel and perform?

Clean contact = pure feel…

Here in Japan, a higher bounce works well on the soft turf and prevents digging and it also works well in the soft sand we have.  The bounce on the TR Wedge is nothing out of the ordinary with the specs being 50/6 52/8 56/13 58/12 and 60/8. Personally I think these bounces are acceptable on most courses with most conditions though I know that there are those who prefer lower bounce. The grind of a wedge along with the material and design do affect the feel of the wedge and I’m glad to report that this grind allowed me to make very clean contact and even in the harder winter grounds, not bounce off the turf with the high bounce. Feel is very pure with strikes right off the sweet spot.  Chipping and partial swings on approaches are also rewarded with soft feel. Miss hits do not suffer much and still go rather straight with minimal distance loss but with less spin. My favorite thing about this wedge is how it sets up at address. The neck really draws a straight line to the ball and allows you to square up and attack the target.

I like the 60*…

This wedge though is not considered an automatic wedge. With its more compact head, thin sole and shaft offerings, this is meant for the better golfer and professional player looking for a USGA groove conforming wedge. I am only a mid capper but I have found that a straight neck on wedges pleases my eye more and I tend to play wedges that do have this quality.  I do wish that PRGR would offer the TR Wedge with some lighter shafts or shafts with more flex as they are only available right now with S300 or M-43 Spec Steel which is good for the 95-105mph smooth swinger. I did really like the grind though some players who want an easier wedge might prefer a wider sole. I liked the 60* model as 8* bounce is not too high and not too low but allowed me to play around with my lob shot which is a work in progress. Even with the new grooves that are supposed to spin much less than non conforming grooves the 60* is easy to pop and stop.

Another great wedge to choose…

Overall I think this made in Japan TR Wedge is a great wedge for the better player and those looking for a conforming wedge for competition play. It looks great, feels great and has great strengths like spin control, a better golfer friendly grind and that nice long straight neck. They are already available here in the Pro Shop.

As always here are the pictures!

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