As a winter project I have been going through my “collection” of older wedges. I found a Maltby M Series 1.25 UC Sole 56-8 and a Maltby M Series+ 1.20 sole 56-8. I made a bet with my buddies that the older 1.25 UC sole wedge would play very similar to the newer wedges. Is there any significant difference in the newer designs that would make them a significant improvement over the older design?
When you look at the very slight differences in the two, it really would come down to the individual if they noticed much difference. Technically, the minimal sole width difference and the variation on the sole grind, for most I suspect, would not be noticeable. That being said, for some players subtle differences can be noticed and one could perform better than the other. Turf conditions and the ability of the player also would factor in. The UC does not have quite the same radius grind on the trailing edge and the very slightly wider sole can make the club play like it has more bounce than the 8 deg. In short, I think it would take pretty good player that knows how to play a lot of different shots around the greens with his 56 degree wedge to be able to pick out differences in the two. Also, wedges are kind of like putters (at least to me) in that I like them to look a certain way. The profiles of these two are similar, but not exactly the same. So, a player may like the way the M Series+ 1.20 looks and sits behind the ball better than the UC, or visa versa. This may not have anything to do with the actual performance, technically, but it is something to note.
Britt Lindsey