If you ever watch the Golf Channel, no doubt by now you’ve seen the infomercial for the xE1 Sand Wedge. It’s the one where former PGA Tour player Arron Oberholser (beware of an Aaron who spells his name with two R’s) touts the genius of the wedge for “practically eliminating” fat pitches or chips. Here it is:
Says Oberholser, “The xE1’s technologically-advanced design with it’s auto-glide sole and extreme heel-toe weighting makes it easy to get out of the sand, rough, and even tight lies without opening the blade.” Whatever you say Arron. top steroids
Enter Todd Sones. Todd is a Golf Digest Top 50 and Golf Magazine Top 100 Instructor. He also serves on the Golf Academy of America’s National Advisory Board, and in a recent email subject-lined “Don’t Be Conned!”, Todd blasts the wedge:
“I was watching the Golf Channel a few days ago,” says Todd, “And I couldn’t help chuckling at the latest miracle wedge for sale called the xE1, which is just like the Alien Wedge, which sold about 20 years ago. As I’m starting to see some of those wedges show up in player’s bags, I thought I would give you my observation.”
Todd continues, “The xE1 Wedge is a wedge designed with a wide flange, a lot of bounce, and 65 degrees of loft. This basically means no need to open the face. That’s all well and good, but don’t be fooled: the bottom line is that the fundamental of having the club accelerate and descend through impact is what causes solid shots around the green. No one will ever design a club that will do that for you. There is no miracle wedge that will replace good fundamentals.”
I couldn’t agree more. The best part of the infomercial is how Oberholser, a former Tour winner, demonstrates how easy it is to use this glorified lob wedge while completely ignoring the hours of practice he had to put in to get to the winner’s circle. He was ingraining the fundamentals, not chasing the latest technological gimmick to come out on the market.
There’s a reason why you don’t see pros playing the xE1 Wedge. Like just about every other “too-good-to-be-true” product in the golfing world, it simply can’t and won’t replace solid fundamentals. The sport is full of carnival barkers trying to hook golfers looking for shortcuts instead of instruction.
It’s the xE1 Wedge today, it was the Alien Wedge yesterday, and it’ll be something else tomorrow.
Any wedge with high bounce will help any amateur get better with the short game. It’s not the wedge, it’s the bounce.
Sean, thanks did reading the blog. Less bounce = more dig. So if you’re playing in firmer conditions, you would want less, not more.
The XE1 wedge DOES NOT have more bounce than a standard wedge. The 65* XE1 has 7* of bounce.
@Mick Dan is obviously biased and focused on supporting local instructors. This thing has a 60-day return policy. I just ordered three of their latest wedges (c3i) as I am in the same boat as you (play 2x/month). I can’t say if these things work or not, as I haven’t received them yet. Regardless, I only have a PW in my bag, so ordering the three wedges SHOULD be better than what I had (nothing).
Justin,
Of all the articles I have ever posted, this is by far the most controversial. Before you go out and try to buy a “fix” for your golf game, I would recommend investing in learning how to hit the clubs you have. It’s my opinion that you will spend less money in the long run as opposed to chasing a better game.
@Dan Would you say the same thing to a beginner who bought a very unforgiving set of clubs? Don’t go buy a different set of clubs, just go and get lots of lessons and practice, practice, practice??
I think what some of us are after is having fun on the golf course. There are some of us that can’t get out more than 1-2x/month, so “practice/take lessons/practice” isn’t necessarily the ideal solution if we have very little time to commit and still want to enjoy the game. Sure, if you’re looking to go pro or play competitively, I agree with your approach (practice and take lessons). But for the casual golfer who just wants to have fun with minimal effort, why not try these questionable tools/clubs?
I get the premise of mastering the fundamentals, but how about the average golfer like me who has three kids and maybe gets out to the range to play twice a month?
Mick,
That’s a fair point. But rather than invest in a quick fix, why not pay a visit to your local PGA professional who can show you the proper way to hit those shots?
I am a solid 18-20 handicap golfer… playing for 60 years now and anything but a natural golfer. Just happen to live on a golf course so I can go out and play 3 or 4 or more balls if I desire every damn day April to November. My drives are usually straight and 200+ yards. My fairway woods and irons are ok. My putting is not bad. But I have NEVER HAD BACKSPIN ON A BALL IN MY LIFE. My life around the green from 100 yards out is focused on trying not to land on the green and having it go to the back fringe. I have a Nike pitching and sand wedge and a 59 degree wedge left over from a short game course I took 12 years ago. I have taken lessons! In desperation (and because the ad seemed to make sense), I bought the xe1 wedge several months ago. My short game did not immediately fall into place. I had to practice, practice, practice… rough, fringe, sand, etc. The result of all that is that I now have a ‘full’ swing with the xe1 that consistently gives me 50 to 60 yards and lands on the green with little roll but no backspin. A 2/3 swing (no wrist) gives me about 30 yards. A 1/2 swing with breaking wrists gives me 12 to 24 yards and the ball stops quickly and straight. Finally, if I use it as a chipper from close in, it does wonderfully well for 10 to 14 yards. The secret? PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, SO THAT WHEN YOU NEED TO USE IT, IT’S THERE FOR YOU! I use it on every hole now when I am not on the green. Yes, the ads are misleading. It was not an instant game changer, but it has taken 6-8 strokes off my game. I would give up my 45 caliber handgun before I would let the xe1 be pried from my hands!