Rife SCS1 Wedges: Fitted For You
WATCH: Four readers get fitted for the Rife SCS1 wedges
New for this year, Rife has released the SCS1 wedges, in an attempt to offer high-quality, blade-style wedges at a fraction of the cost of many other models on the market. With a stainless steel construction and a satin silver PVD-plated finish, these wedges boast a premium aesthetic that will please the eyes of golfers, regardless of their ability.
These wedges boast quality materials, including a firmer-feeling steel wedge-flex shaft, precision-milled grooves and a Lamkin 360 premium grip, all of which contribute to enhanced control and overall performance. The SCS1 wedges are available in multiple loft options, ranging from 48° through to 60°, and also come in two different grind options, providing the golfer with further options to improve their performance.
The S-sole is perfect for those who have a steeper angle of attack and play the majority of their shots with a square cubface, whereas the C-sole has been designed with more heel and toe relief for those who like to open and close the face at address to hit different shots around the greens.
To put the performance of these wedges to the test, we invited four Golf Monthly readers to the beautiful Foxhills resort in Surrey, where they would have the chance to try the SCS1 wedges and to be fitted by Sky Sports' world-renowned golf coach, Simon Holmes, to see what short-game gains could be made using these new wedges.
Simon Holmes’ Analysis: “It was a blend really of improving Simon's technique a bit, and let him understand a bit more about the different lofts. I don't think he totally understood how to use the different clubs to match into different carries and roll outs. Then getting a really good wedge that matches to your type of strike is a game changer because going from a weak, no-spin shot, into something that was flighted and gripped, you start to understand that's the magic. The blend of both of those was a big upgrade for him.”
Bobby’s Feedback: “ I've never been fitted into clubs before, so to have a bit of advice on what's needed and what clubs will help me in my swing was great. I currently have a 50°, 54° and a 60°. According to Simon, I've probably outgrown those wedges a little. I don't need the forgiveness as much, I can use something that gives me a little more control. The SCS1 wedges felt nice on all of the shots. I like the look of the full face grooves of the wedges because I sometimes put the toe down when chipping."
Simon Holmes’ Analysis: “Simon has a style where that left side kind of pitched up and back and he fell very much back onto his right side, causing a scoopy hit at best, some thin shots and some duffs. We kind of stabilized that and then we realised he had no real weight in the shaft and no head weight at all. So I think when we put him into a heavier club, it was much easier for him to sort of feel where it was in space and with practice he timed his shots a lot better.”
Simon’s Feedback: “Having that confidence in my wedges and being able to chip around the greens is really important to me. The weight in the new clubs was a lot different from what I'm using but it gave me a bit more confidence in the swing, and letting the club do the work seemed to work well. I was trying to generate the power, so trying to get the club weight of the three wedges I was using to match up, seemed to make a lot more sense. The ball flight was different straight away and I saw the stopping power really improve.”
Simon Holmes’ Analysis: “Richard was an interesting one as he's a right-handed cricket batsman playing golf left-handed. So he has tons of shaft lean, the ball back, hands forward which are all things that make you steeper into the ball. You could tell it got pretty stabby on the difficult shots. Once he'd got the ball position sorted out and shallowed him out a little bit, even a 56° Rife wedge launched really well. I think this was one of our really huge successes that we saw on the day where the technique had to change, but the equipment had to change as well.”
Richard’s Feedback: “ I haven't had a fitting for any wedges before and I wanted to get more feel with my wedges. With the Rife clubs that I was using, I could feel where the head was and it just felt better in the hands. I'd been using Cleveland RTX Full Face wedges, which go up to 64°. With the Rife wedges it felt like I could time those sorts of shots better. The flight changed as well, and I could trust where it’s landing and how it was reacting”
Simon Holmes’ Analysis: "When looking at Dom, you could see the ball was really far forward. We changed his technique to help him understand that his lack of confidence wasn't a psychological thing. We had to regulate much more of the bounce across his three wedges, so that he gets the same contact on the ground each time. Bounce is your friend but too much is a problem and too little is a problem. You have to fine-tune that, and that’s what we did with Dom and it worked out great.”
Dominic’s Feedback: “The fitting went great. It really taught me what to do and how the design of the wedges could help. They felt really good off the face, and they sat really low to the ground while still having some bounce, so that gives you a bit more confidence. There was more spin and a more consistent flight with the Rife wedges. They all seemed to set off on a similar trajectory, which was encouraging to see.”
To try out the new Rife SCS1 wedges for yourself, visit your local American Golf store or visit the American Golf website.
