GolfBusters: The Infomercial Wedge

Read the following in your best infomercial pitch man voice:

Do you struggle getting out of the sand? Does it sometimes take you 5 or 6 shots to get it out of the trap? Don't worry. You are not alone! What if there was a way to not only get out of the bunker but get it close every time? NOW THERE IS! Introducing the EVERY INFOMERCIAL WEDGE you have ever heard of on TV.

FAKE TESTIMONIALS:

• The first time I hit the EVERY INFOMERCIAL WEDGE it went right in the hole. - "Jim Bobarooney"
• I hit it off the cart path with ease. - "Timmy Tufington"
• I added 17 yards with this wedge. - "Harry Ridonkulous"

Do Infomercial Wedges Actually Work?

Almost all golfers have seen an infomercial ad for a wedge. Most think they're a joke or a gadget only for the fools in the world that think they can buy a game. But are the joke? Is it possible they actually work? The Ray Cook Alien Shot Saver grossed over $200,000,000 in sales over a three year period.  That's pretty amazing to think about when there's never been a comprehensive test done to find out if they actually help golfers.

That's where MyGolfSpy's GolfBusters comes in. We think all "AS SEEN ON TV" and Golf Infomercial products should be put to the test to see if they stack up to all their wild claims. So, we tested the three most popular (and recent) infomercial type wedges that were created for golfers with high handicaps and struggling short games. If these wedges really do perform, it could be the difference between you saving par and making a triple bogey...

HOW WE TESTED

Like most infomercial products, the target demographic for the product is mid to high handicappers. With that, we tailored our test group to accurately reflect the target market.

• Four total wedges were tested: a C3i Wedge, a Cleveland SmartSole 3, a Callaway SureOut, and a traditional sand wedge from a market leader.
• The same clubs were used in each session for every tester.
• 8 golfers with handicaps ranging from 10-20 and driver swing speeds between 70 and 90 mph participated in this test.
• Each tester hit 12-14 shots for each club from the group (frequently rotating between clubs).
• All shots were recorded regardless if the ball finished on the green.
• All testers hit Bridgestone B330-RX Golf Balls.

THE DATA

The table below shows the data collected for the four wedges tested.

Hacker vs. Traditional Wedge

Club	# of shots	Proximity to Hole (ft)	% on green	% left in bunker	% long	% short
C3i	96	16'1"	59%	6%	25%	9%
SmartSole	96	16'1"	58%	9%	22%	10%
Traditional Wedge	96	18'4"	57%	13%	20%	10%
SureOut	96	19'7"	54%	13%	21%	13%

OBSERVATIONS

• The C3i and Cleveland SmartSole produced the tightest average proximity to the hole.
• The C3i also left the fewest shots in the bunker (6) AND the least number of shots short of the green (9).
• The traditional wedge and Callaway SureOut left an identical number of shots in the bunker (12).
• While the average proximity numbers don't show the C3i to be extremely impactful - 5 out of the 8 testers produced better results with the C3i  than any other wedge.
• Not a single tester performed best with the traditional wedge; in fact, 5 of the 8 testers produced the worst results with the traditional wedge.
• Subjective feedback from the test group showed the C3i was the preferred wedge among all clubs tested.  Testers noted the C3i felt heavier and were "allowed to let the club do more of the work."

FINAL THOUGHTS

So, do these non-conventional wedges really perform? Our data suggests that they do for the average golfer. While these wedges may not be your golf game "savior," they can certainly help you get the ball out of the sand on your first try.

There are a few important things to note when deciding on one of these wedges:

• If you have a "bunker swing" that you've practiced, tried and tested - we should probably stick to a conventional wedge. Due to the unusually large amount of bounce on the sole, opening up one of these wedges and taking a normal bunker swing can cause the club to just bounce off the sand, leaving you to blade it across the green or scoop the ball completely.
• If you have a struggling bunker game but still know the basics (we call these golfers "in-betweeners") the Cleveland SmartSole is a great option.  The bounce and loft aren't as aggressive, which allows the club to dig just a bit.
• For the weekend golfer, the high handicapper, the guy who just can't get the damn ball out of the sand - the C3i Wedge is for you. You don't have to change your stance, your aim or the way you swing the club; just step up and hit it out and closer.

You might just want to give one of these a try.