Product Review: Miura Wedges

By Wayne Mills

In golf circles the name Miura evokes deep tones of respect and appreciation for the history and dedication of producing premium quality hand made clubs. The art and function of the clubs make them more akin to surgical instruments than golf clubs but since precision with wedges is the road to lower scores the comparison is apt.

Miura Golf of Japan makes the world's finest forged golf clubs, designed and manufactured by patriarch and club expert Katsuhiro Miura with the help of his sons Yoshitaka and Shinei, whom he trained.

Miura makes its forged clubs - irons, wedges and putters - in the company's one factory and one forge, both in the city of Himeji, which was for centuries the seat of the ancient Japanese art of samurai sword making.

Katsuhiro Miura, who began making golf clubs in 1957, hand-grinds clubs in his factory every day alongside Yoshitaka Miura, while Shinei Miura supervises the forging. Miura clubs are made one by one, using many handcrafting processes, and will never be mass produced. Special forging techniques assure that the grain of the steel in each club will be fine and uniform, with no voids or tiny bubbles that could interfere with the famous Miura purity of the strike. This grain, more comparable to a jar of sand than a jar of marbles, is the result of careful and patient forging and finishing, and it sets Miura apart from other clubs

The K-Grind Wedge, the wedge with the distinctive fluted sole has reinvigorated thousands of short games and provided high-spin exits from countless bunkers. But until now, it had only been available in 56 degrees of loft. Hearing enthusiastic calls from more and more golfers for more and more K, Miura responded. Available now from Miura dealers are 52- and 60-degree K-Grinds in addition to the original 56.

The 52-degree K-Grind features a bounce of 7 degrees and the 60-degree has a bounce of 13 degrees. The original K-Grind in the 56-degree loft has a bounce of 12 degrees.

The K-Grind Wedges suggested retail price starts at $275 per club, with some custom shaft options costing more. They’re available now; consult an authorized Miura dealer/fitter for details.

More information: Miuragolf.com

Wayne Mills is a member of the Golf Writers Association of America and Course Rater for a national magazine.