I’ve started the first sentence of this review then deleted it several times, trying to find a witty way saying I have a new gamer 56 degree (sand) wedge. I don’t want to sound like every hack golf writer/blogger who has a new gamer every week. You know the ones: “this is the best (insert golf club here) I’ve ever hit!” Then next week they write a review about another one and say the same thing. My previous 56 degree wedge has been in my bag since 2006. Yes TWO THOUSAND AND SIX. That’s nine years for those of you counting at home. What’s even more remarkable is the number of wedges which have had the opportunity to dethrone it. I’ll be doing a WITG piece on those who didn’t make the cut soon: “what’s in the garage?”
So what is the new wedge which has been able to take a position in my bag that at least a dozen others have not been able to achieve? It is the new Mizuno MP-T5 5610. The 56 in 5610 is the number of degrees. The 10 in 5610 represents the degrees of bounce on the sole of the club.
Mizuno Golf MP-T5 5610 Wedge – click to zoom
Specs
The MP-T5 wedges are “grain flow forged.” Forging is the most popular process for higher end clubs, and clubs which have more feel to them. The other process is casting, which in my opinion produces clubs which have no feel, or basically feel the same on every shot. The metal used in the forging of this wedge is 1025 E pure select mild carbon steel. This is a soft steel, if there is such a thing. The softness gives the player control and feel.
The grooves in the MP-T5 are “quad cut,” milled out of the face with a CNC milling machine. This produces a lot of surface area on the face, giving the wedge more biting power and therefore more control via more spin.
Mizuno provides all sorts of options when they custom build the wedge for their players (at no extra charge I might add). There are 25 loft/bounce options for every possible swing style and condition.
Mizuno offers a True Temper Dynamic Gold “Wedge” flex shaft as its stock option and that’s the shaft in my test unit. There are roughly 15 other custom shaft options available.
Looks
This wedge combines a white satin finish with some great artwork and a very classy shape. The white satin to me is more of a matte-silver finish, which I really like. No distracting glare from the sun.
Mizuno MP-T5 Wedge
I don’t have the Black Ion Steel unit so I cant speak much about it, other than it looks fantastic.
Feel
I would never switch out a sand wedge which has been in my bag for NINE years to one which doesn’t have great feel. I adjusted to the wonderful feel of this wedge much quicker than I thought I would. I can tell exactly where I’ve made contact on the club face via the club’s “feedback” sound and feel.
On the Course
If you’re looking for computerized Iron Byron testing results with a TrackMan and exact spin rates, launch angles… check another site. My reviews are all hands-on, on the course. I can’t help wondering when that Iron Byron guy will finally find the right club for his perfect swing anyway. I don’t hit it perfect every time, and neither does anyone else, except Iron Byron.
Technical stuff and looks aside, the on-the-course performance is the most important factor. The first shot I hit, and no I didn’t bother hitting the range first, was a thrill. I was 96 yards from a front pin on the 10th hole at my home course Bonneville. The green is elevated (the right green for those of you who know the course) and anything short is in long rough. Oddly, this particular green has no fringe.
My shot hit right next to the pin, dead on line. It bounced a few feet past and spun back to about two feet. I made the ticklish birdie putt. I have hit many similar triumphant shots with the MP-T5 wedge. I find my accuracy around 100-110 is quite good.
Check out the milling on the face…
The real game changer for me (and “game changer” is a phrase that I really don’t like using) is in chipping. I’ve been using my 60 degree wedge for chipping around the greens, but thought I would try this 56 instead. The contact I’m getting is so much better. I think the added bounce is making a big difference as my 60 is very low bounce. The chipping has been much improved. Not great, but much improved. I’ll still use the lob for flops.
Finally, in the sand I’ve had some great results. My previous 56 was very good out of the sand and I wasn’t sure I’d ever find another wedge as good. The jury is still out as I haven’t hit enough green-side bunkers to really know, but so far so good.
Conclusion
The $129.99 retail Mizuno MP-T5 5610 is a fantastic sand wedge. Whether I’m hitting full shots from 100-110, sand shots, or chipping around the green, it performs as good or better than any other 56 I’ve tried. And I’ve tried more than a few. Just look in my garage.
My short game needs all the help it can get. Last night I had a Ouija board in action, summoning my short game demons in hopes of exercising them. That was before the shaman came over and burned some sagebrush and did an out-of-body gig. If those procedures don’t work, perhaps this new Mizuno wedge is the ticket…
Mizuno MP-T5 Wedge
In for review here at Hooked On Golf Blog is the new, and very sharp looking Mizuno MP-5T wedge. The flavor du jour is a 56 degree with 10 degrees of bounce. That’s perfect for my setup, and great for the sand.
I’ll be testing soon. Stay tuned for a detailed review, not a fly-by like other websites do…
I have a few more photos of this wedge in the Hooked On Golf Blog Mizuno MP-T5 photo gallery.
Back on January 3rd, 2006, I reviewed the Eidolon V-Sole wedges. V-Sole wedges were the creation of “The Wedge Guy” Terry Koehler. I loved the V-Sole wedges and they were instant gamers.
Fast forward to 2013. Seven years and 100’s of golf clubs later, I STILL have a V-Sole 56 degree in the bag. I’ve gone through dozens of other wedges, irons, fairways, hybrids, drivers and even a few putters (mainly because my putter was stolen). The ONE club which remains in my bag over a seven year period is that Eidolon V-Sole 56. It has been a fantastic 100-110 yard club and is hands down the best wedge I’ve ever played out of the sand.
Naturally when I heard from SCOR Golf, a subsidiary of Eidolon Brands, I was thrilled. They asked if I’d be willing to check out their golf scoring system, featuring either four or five scoring clubs, all with the V-Sole technology my trusty 56 possessed. Sign me up.
SCOR Golf wedges – click for more
SCOR 4161 Overview
The SCOR 4161 is a golf club “system” which replaces most of the short clubs in the golf bag, barring the putter. A custom fitting and analysis is performed by a SCOR tech, or online if you’re not able to do a fitting in person. They analyze your game, your swing, and also your existing irons. Upon completion of the analysis they build you a set of four or five clubs, your choice. Your old irons are only kept up to the 8-iron. From the 9-iron (now known to me as my 42 degree club) on, all are SCOR clubs.
Progressive Weighting
SCOR’s “SGC3 Progressive Weighting” distributes the mass of each club related to the loft. The benefits of this weight distribution are consistent trajectories, control, and consistent distance through the set.
SCOR Gap Concept
I really dig the SCOR concept and can’t believe nobody else had come up with it yet. The four or five wedges they create for your set are all perfectly gapped in terms of loft. In the case of my personal set, they’re gapped in four degree increments from the 8-iron. My 8-iron is 38 degrees, therefore the next club is 42 degrees. The next club is another four degrees at 46, then 50, 54, 58. My SCOR set then: 42, 46, 50, 54, 58.
V-Sole Technology
What is V-Sole technology? FIrst, one must know what the sole of the club is. The sole is the bottom of the club, the part which bounces off the ground when the club strikes it. The “V” in V-Sole represents the shape of the sole.
V-Sole – see just left of the 46? – click for more
The V-Sole allows the player to vary the amount of bounce the club has based on how open or closed the club is. This technology, as I mentioned, is especially good in sand.
Milled Face
If you look closely at the face of the SCOR wedges, you’ll see a fine pattern milled into the face.
Look closely at the milling in the face of this wedge. Click for more images.
This pattern gives the club face an extra porous property which helps with control and great spin in the short game.
On The Course
I’ve had the SCOR wedges in play now for a couple of months. There was certainly an adjustment period for me, as the lofts were different and the shapes of the club heads were slightly different than what I was used to looking at. As an example, my old gap wedge was a 52 but my SCOR set includes a 54 and a 50. For quite a while I had to go through some calculations in my brain to determine the proper club for certain distances. A couple of times I pulled the wrong loft, thinking I was hitting a pitching wedge equivalent, but instead had pulled the 9-iron.
Once I got used to the distances and comfortable with the looks and feel of the SCOR set, I got really dialed in. The gapping is great. I used to have a 10 yard gap between my lob and my sand wedge, as well as my 9-iron and pitching wedge. But there was a 15 yard gap between my sand and gap wedge and a 15 yard gap between my gap and pitching wedge. Now I have even yardage gaps from my 8-iron through the lob wedge.
SCOR wedge covers – click for more pictures
Covers
A nice inclusion with the set are the covers. I’ve never been one for iron covers, but these are so nice and sharp looking I like keeping them in pristine condition.
Pricing
Individual wedges from SCOR run $149 per club. Matched sets in four or five clubs run $135 per club.
Conclusion
The SCOR 4161 scoring club set is versatile, capable of producing great shots from any type of lie because of the V-Sole technology. The progressive weighting and perfectly gapped lofts make dialing in exact yardages as easy as ever. With a set of SCOR clubs, the only limits to one’s short game are within the player’s ability and imagination, not the clubs.
Related Links
SCOR website
Hooked On Golf Blog Eidolon V-Sole Wedge Review 2006
Almost every golf ad you see says their product can add distance to your drives. I was very confused when I heard Eidolon Golf make the same claim about their V-Sole Wedges. How can a wedge add yards to your drives? We’re about to find out.
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