With Mizuno staffer Luke Donald offering his feedback during the creation process, Mizuno shifted its focus to some of the wedge aspects better players tend to prioritize — look, feel, turf interaction and finish — with its smaller, more compact T22 wedge.
The beveled top edge is a holdover from the previous T20, but much of the overall look was refined, all the way down to the par area connecting the face and hosel.
“Everything looks very clean at address,” said Chris Voshall, Mizuno Golf’s brand manager. “This is what the T-Series player wants. It’s shorter from heel-to-toe, smaller from top to bottom, more of a teardrop shape, straighter lines. Even the transition from the front of the hosel to the scoring lines has some additional meat that makes it look visually smaller. It’s a player-preferred look for sure.”
Each wedge is made from a one-piece Grain Flow Forged HD Boron that’s designed to increase the grain density in the impact area for a solid, consistent feel. Situated directly below the nickel chrome is a microlayer of copper that delivers “an extra split-second of control” right at impact.
The modified teardrop profile features a “spin weighted blade design,” whereby the upper portion of the blade is tapered to enhance consistent spin with a more penetrating launch.
The precision, CNC-milled Quad-Cut Grooves vary depending on loft, helping to produce the right amount of trajectory control and spin for each club, while the smaller Hydroflow Micro Grooves release moisture away at impact to retain spin on wet days.
Available in three finishes (Denim Copper, Satin Chrome and Raw), only the Raw comes without the copper underlay to accelerate the rusting process. According to Voshall, the Denim Copper finish is a “true dipped copper plating” that’s designed to patina, not wear, over time. (Only the Satin Chrome is available for the left-handed golfer.)
“We call it Denim Copper because we put a little bit of black ion plating on top of the copper that will wear off to the copper finish,” he said. “Once it gets to the copper, you won’t see it wear out like most copper ion platings. It’ll have a rich patina look that lasts.”
Mizuno also made it a point to expand their grind options with the T22 lineup.
“We’ve had grinds before, but we’ve never called out the specific grinds,” said Voshall. “It’s been more pick your loft and bounce and you happen to get this grind. We’re now getting more aggressive by calling out the grinds on each one.”
The grind offerings include a standard “S” with minimal sole grind for full and lower shots; a “D” designed with moderate heel and toe relief for moderate face manipulation; and a “C” with heavy heel and toe relief for skilled players who tend to play on firm course setups. For the wedge wizards, an “X” with extreme heel and toe relief is designed to pick the ball clean from the tightest of lies
Mizuno’s T22 wedge ($159.95) hits retail shelves in October.
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