The Crescent Cut Sole Contour - The Foundation of The Solus Difference

• The rearward 2/3 of the bounce contour of a conventional Sarazen wedge sole is repositioned upward and behind the leading edge of the club head, the bounce angles are increased slightly, and a camber is added to the rear of that sole contour extending from heel to toe.  This improved sole contour lowers the leading edge (more than 1/8 inch lower than the industry sales leaders) for better set-up and play on square-faced shots from tight lies, downhill lies, and buried bunker shots. Yet, an opened club face orientation for bunker explosion shots reveals an even greater bounce surface area (two 18-degree bounce surfaces) for improved sand play.  • The sole contour camber extending from heel to toe creates a negative bounce area for a "pro-grind" relieved heel area to play open-faced lob shots without a dangerously raised leading edge.  • This same camber also creates a "keel effect" for the club head in an area of maximized bounce contour directly below the C.G., so that contact with the playing surface at impact does not miss-align the club head.  • The C.G. for the club head is also slightly raised and moved rearward with the design of the crescent cut sole contour. This higher C.G. increases ball spin rates and improves trajectory management capabilities. The more rearward C.G. enhances gear-effect and increases the Moment of Inertia of the club head for better distance and directional performance on off-center hits.  • This Patented Crescent Cut Utility Wedge sole contour is provided on all lofts of the Solus Utility Wedge set.

Watch the Solus Wedge Video

Solus 51
Our 51-degree utility wedge is designed to fill the gap between conventional "set-matching" pitching wedge clubs and the conventional sand wedge loft of 56 degrees. This club will play about 100-110 yards for average players full swing distance. It is most excellent for chipping and the dreaded long bunker explosion shot - and it also performs well in any other short game situations requiring generally lower trajectory and reduced spin rates.

Solus 56
The Solus 56 utility wedge replaces the conventional sand wedge for all players - regardless of what type/texture of sand you encounter. Generally this club will play about 85-95 yards for average players and is most suitable for short game situations requiring intermediate spin and trajectory requirements. Greenside bunker explosion shots are a delight with this club - probably the most versatile club of our entire offering.

Solus 61
Our Solus 61 Utility wedge replaces conventional lob wedges for any player - providing more versatility for short game situations requiring very high trajectory and very high ball spin rates. Our Solus 61 will play about 70-80 yards for full swings of average players. These clubs are excellent for greenside bunker explosion shots and difficult cut/lob shots from very tight lies.
 

FAQ's

What is the shaft stiffness/flex? We would not describe it conventionally as a "regular" or "stiff" or describe it as any other normal shaft stiffness. Our shaft is designed to optimize distance, trajectory, and spin control for all short game situations - regardless of the player's full swing speed - the short game shaft design needs to match the demands of the playing situations encountered by the golfer - not the full speed swing of any particular player (like a player's irons shafts should). What is standard Swing Weight, Lofts, Lie Angles, Frequencies, Shaft Lengths, etc.? See Solus Specifications Charts on this Web Page What materials are the club heads made from? Investment cast 8620 carbon steel with a low glare black colored heat-nitrite/QPQ coating finish applied. Is the reduced glare black finish coating on the club heads rust proof? No - it is not rust proof. It is at best rust resistant, but with care it will retain its excellent finish (a little WD-40 works wonders). Left uncared for, it will rust. The moisture and chemicals found on golf courses will attack any finish. This finish will also gradually wear away over time in high usage areas. Why investment cast manufacture instead of forged? Investment casting provides the golfer with a nearly exact replication of the golf club shapes the designer intended every time it is manufactured. Forging processes in contrast rely heavily upon exhaustive machining, grinding and polishing operations to achieve a finished shape - creating many opportunities for individually different golf clubs from the same design. Modern golf club materials now provide for virtually any "feel" and hardness the designer intends. The two industry sales leaders (Cleveland and Titleist) are both investment cast 8620 carbon steel. Are your Solus CNC engraved "square grooves" legal? Yes, and the CNC machined face treatment with residual "mill marks" left on the impact surface is also legal - both providing a perfect surface for impact. Is this club USGA approved for competition? Actually, the USGA doesn't "approve" clubs for competition - it checks them for conformity with the rules of golf for competition. We have submitted our clubs for ruling, and the Solus wedges conform with the rules of golf according to the USGA. Who is using your golf club on the pro tours in competition? Check our web site for a current listing of those we can tell you about. However, many players have "full bag" contracts that prohibit our reporting their names. Tell me more about the technology included in the Solus wedges? Check our web site for information - also see "the Solus Difference" for a complete discussion What is patented? Our "crescent cut" sole contour is patented - and other patents are pending. How was the Solus robot test conducted? Without stringent (and appropriate) test controls, a golf club designer and/or robot operator can make a robot test yield just about any results they desire. Solus contracted with the leading independent laboratory in golf (Golf Laboratories in San Diego, CA) to conduct a performance evaluation of our prototype for the Solus wedges against the industry sales leaders Cleveland TA900 and Titleist/Vokey 256-14 wedges. The launch control parameters for the robot were established to optimize the performance of the Cleveland wedge initially and then held constant for all testing thereafter - including the Vokey wedge and the Solus prototype. Statistically valid sample sizes of center hit shots and off-center shots were hit for all three test clubs - continuing to hold these machine controls constant. The results of distance and direction for every shot were measured to the nearest foot and then charted graphically to establish a "shot dispersion pattern" for each club. Those shot dispersion patterns were then compared to determine graphically how each club had performed. Also, launch monitor technologies and real time weather data measurements were applied to establish other measures and controls for each shot. In these tests, the Solus wedge prototype was 3 times as accurate, 10% longer in distance, and generated 5-10% higher ball spin rates than the two industry sales leaders (the Cleveland and Vokey designs are virtually identical performers in a robot test). Are the Solus clubs warranted? Yes - they have an "industry exclusive" 90 day guarantee from the date of purchase. The Solus Wedge will improve your game or your money back. Ship us the club and we will refund the purchase price (less shipping and handling). My irons are flat/upright, so I need to adjust the lie angles on my Solus wedges to make them fit my game, right? - how much can I adjust them? Our Solus wedges are exactly the same investment cast 8620 carbon steel material that cleveland and titleist (and many other manufacturers) use for their wedges. These golf clubs are all commonly adjusted slightly, but this is never without risk. Some inconsistencies in casting materials and processes will occasionally leave individual club heads "brittle", and these heads will play perfectly for a lifetime, but they may break/fracture when any bending is attempted. Making this adjustment, then, is at the player's own risk. We would also urge you to consider carefully the real need to adjust these wedges in the first place. You may play your irons set at non-standard lie angles, but manufacturers standard specifications vary widely, and lie angles for wedges need not necessarily match the progression of lie angles in your irons set. Your irons are played with full swings from only a few basic playing situations - generating maximum lie angle "droop" from centrifugal force. In great contrast, your wedges are played generally with partial swings from a wide variety of lies and playing situations - dictating greatly changing ball positions and more neutral lie angles. Our choice of lie angles has been developed very carefully over many years of experience and with extensive research. Unless you are exceptionally tall or short, we would not suggest you adjust these angles. Experiment, instead, with differing ball positions in your stance and differing grip positions (choke down) to achieve the outcome you are seeking. In most cases, playing the ball slightly closer to/farther from your feet (about 1-2 inches) will probably give you the results you need. Note: lie angle adjustments to very lofted clubs have extraordinary influence in creating pulled or pushed shots. Can I adjust the lofts of my new Solus wedges to make them match the lofts of my old wedges? I play my irons set stonger/weaker than standard. Because of the design relationships between the loft of the club face and the bounce angles on the sole contour of any club head, we don't generally advocate adjusting lofts on wedges or irons at all. (if your 6-iron doesn't go far enough, hit your 5-iron.) This is particularly critical for our Solus wedges, as the patented crescent cut sole contour has been carefully engineered to give the player a golf club with exceptional situational design utility. Full swing distances for any Solus wedge normally demonstrate our clubs will carry about � club farther (5-10 yards) than the equivalent lofts of our competition. (also, see our discussion of lie angle adjustments with regard to the risks associated with bending golf clubs). Can I custom order a model with more/less bounce because of the playing conditions where I play? Or what is the bounce angle on the sole contour of the Solus wedge? Our competitors would have you believe that you need different bounce angles for different playing situations (firm sand, loose fluffy sand, etc.) We could not agree more, but they use this as an argument for selling you more wedges - just underscoring the lack of their clubs' real utility for short game play. The patented "crescent cut" sole contour on all Solus wedges permits infinitely variable bounce contours to address any playing situation - from practically no bounce to much more bounce than the competition offers. The "crescent cut" sole will measure +4 degrees in a golf club measuring device (and that is what creates the perfect set-up position for square faced shots), but the two smaller bounce contours each have +18 degrees bounce - more than the competition. These two +18 degree bounce surfaces may be most effectively employed by opening the club face during the execution of any shot requiring bounce. The "pro grind" relieved heel area has a bounce angle of -4 degrees, permitting the open-faced orientation required for hitting tight/lob shots. I play my other clubs with a grip that is a non-standard size/different brand grip; can I get a custom grip installation? Solus does not currently offer any custom grips. We believe that our proprietary winn/Solus grip is a remarkable original equipment grip - designed specifically for wedge play. But, any reputable golf repair resource can re-grip our wedges with whatever grip you desire. It should be noted, however, that the shaft diameters of our Solus wedge shaft have a slightly enlarged "right hand" area, so that it will likely yield a slightly over-sized right hand when re-gripped.

Testimonials

I am a low handicapper who was in the market for some new wedges...I had tried everything...I had some spin milled Vokey wedges in my bag but wasn't satisfied with their playability, good for some shots, not for others. I purchased the 56 and 61 and they have easily taken 2 strokes of my game per round. Since buying them, I have gone from an 8 to a 5 handicap and have complete confidence from anything 100 yards in. These are the real deal!!!! No gimmicks here.... This is the best equipment upgrade I have ever made...bar none! Thanks Solus!!!!! C. Badger / Pierrefonds, QC I am not one to jump on a bandwagon but the first day I played with the 3 wedges I hit 2 pitch shots from 30 and 40 yards to tap-ins. I mentioned to my playing partners I had bought new clubs. Their comment was...what's new, as I have many sets of clubs and utility clubs. The shots I mentioned above were the first shots while playing; I had practiced a bit before the round. I found the clubs to be exceptional from tight lies. The ball seems to fly where you are looking. The spin rate seems higher than other clubs as with longer chip shots. Even with the 51-degree wedge the ball stops very quickly. In the sand they perform well...making sure to complete the swing will help get better results and the 61 degree club is perfect for short to medium range shots. From the fairway the clubs are within 1/2 club of my Pings. Overall these are very impressive clubs. A. Shaw / Denver, CO I just wanted to send you a thank you note. The wedges you prepared for me was one of the main reasons I qualified for the Senior British Open. During the qualifying round I used the wedges many times off of firm closely mowed grass. I was equally impressed with the wedges� performance out of the high thick grasses around the links course. In short the wedges gave me great confidence and I feel it they were one of the main reasons I qualified for the Senior British Open at Turnberry. Thanks for your help! Finally got to the course after having had the 56 and 61 for a few months and being stuck as a range commando. Used the 56 from baked hardpan about 60 yards out. Result was 6 feet. Then, later, from fluffy grass about 45 yards the result was 8 feet. Happy guy! Can't wait to use them in more on course situations. M. Cooney / Seattle, WA This may be comical to some people but I just had to submit my testimonial even before testing my 61-degree wedge on an actual course! Here is my story...I was giving my new Solus 61 a test run on the driving range before this weekend's ritual. The definite difference of Solus is that it imparts much more back spin than even the people at Solus lead on you to believe! After just hitting a few, I noticed that the grooves of my wedge were full of white stuff! That is right, it was filled with the ball cover residue! I didn't even get that much out of the "Pure Spin" wedges with the diamond coating (remember that gimmick some time ago?)! If Solus let's me, I will submit another testimonial after my first round using this incredible wedge this weekend!!! I am already in love with this wedge. I am so getting the gap and sand very soon. I have to say this is my go to wedge. I play using Ping equipment, however I have found that the Solus wedge is more superior than the Ping wedges I have used in the past. It has far more feel and touch around the greens. Thanks for a great product, it has really lowered my scores! R. Boyer / Lancaster, PA I saw the paid programming a couple of years ago and I bought the 61 degrees. This club works very well in sand, rough and on the fairway. I love the grip and the way the club stands on the ground. It is also very easy to open for a flop shot or in the sand. Last year, I replaced my Cleveland 56 with a Solus 56 and this weekend, I bought a 51. I would recommend the Solus clubs to everyone. R. Duval / Granby, QC While attending the Verizon Heritage in April, I introduced myself to Mark Thomas and asked him several questions about wedges. I am like many others in that I have tried almost every brand and have not found one that I was totally comfortable with. With help from Mark, I have for the first time a set of wedges that allow me to hit shots that I could not do with my other wedges. Albert / Williamson, WV I recently purchased the 56 degree sand wedge. I had run across it looking for something more than just the regular Nike or Titleist wedge. After clicking on the link I read some of the reviews and knew that I had to have the wedge. The other day was the first time I got to use your product. I took it on the practice green and after only a couple of shots I absolutely loved it. One of the reasons I like it so much is because it is lofted enough that when you make contact with the ball that it shoots up into the air. But it is less angled than a lob wedge that it goes somewhere without having to try hard. That same day I was at a very short par three and I took out the wedge and put it on the tee. Even though I hit the ball into the green side bunker it still went one hundred thirty five yards, it was amazing. Even though I had read the pamphlet about how well the Solus performed against the Vokey and the top Cleveland wedge and it went farther than both them, and I can definitely vouch for its performance. I have told many people about the wedge before I received it and after the other day I will keep spreading the word about your great product. If you would, please let me know about more new products when they come out because I am sure that I will like them. Thank you very much and keep up the good work. P. Underwood I purchased 3 weeks ago the 53� model wedge. My average 18 on typical 5500 - 6500 yd courses is about 91 - 99 (I've yet to break 90 but I'm consistently breaking 100). This wedge is a great help. I wanted a club to take the place of my old gap wedge (52�). I've never been great at backing a ball up -- before owning this wedge I could never do it on purpose. I'm still learning with the wedge, but the feel of it is amazing. I've literally gone through entire rounds without 3 putting since I've bought this - a goal I'd been trying to hit forever. I'm even satisfied with coming up short on my second shots on mid - long par 4's. I love using this thing. Once I get the feel entirely, I just hope the heat will follow my example and break 90.