Having a good short game is by far the most underappreciated aspect of the game. While it may look far more impressive to onlookers to smash a driver 250 plus yards, pitching and chipping the ball close and getting up-and-down regularly is what will see your handicap and your scores on the course come tumbling down. However, to be a skilled craftsman around the greens, your tools need to be up to the challenge. I wanted to see if the very reasonably priced (£79) Rife SCS1 wedge could offer the performance of some of the best wedges on the market at a fraction of the price.
Before diving into the performance of this wedge, it’s worth mentioning the premium look of the Rife SCS1 wedges. Designed from a stainless steel construction, the wedges are finished in a non-glare satin silver PVD plated finish, which I think looks superb but also reduces any glare you may typically face when using a wedge with a chrome finish. As for the detailing, there is some nice milling across the rear of the head and a small chrome bar, similar to that seen on the Titleist Vokey SM10 wedges.
I was a big fan of how these wedges sat down behind the ball. Despite being a bladed wedge, the top line is relatively thick, not quite as large as some of the most forgiving wedges, but large enough to inspire a good amount of confidence down behind the ball to those who need it. One thing that was a slight inconvenience was the sticker that was placed on the sole of the club left a sticky residue that couldn’t be removed with a quick scrub and therefore picked up dirt and dust upon first use.
The wedges are offered in two grind options, the S-sole and the C-sole. The former is seen as somewhat of a standard sole, designed with just a little trail edge relief so you can still open up the face and have the club slide under the ball, but created for golfers who play the majority of their short game shots with a square face. The s-sole is designed for those who want a versatile wedge option with ample heel and toe relief, so you can get creative around the greens.
It was the S-sole that I took out onto the golf course and I was extremely impressed with its performance. The head weight felt slightly heavier than a lot of wedges I have recently tested, which took a little getting used to, but once I became familiar with it, I felt as though I understood where the clubface was pointing throughout my motion the whole time. The feeling from the face is on the firmer side of the spectrum, which I wasn’t such a fan of, although despite the firmer feel, the milled grooves produced a solid amount of spin.
When playing from the fairway and green surrounds, the ball checked up very aggressively, albeit these are completely fresh grooves. However, when balls were sat down in the rough, I didn’t see as much action as I did with some of the best wedges for chipping, but enough to where I still had some control when attempting to get up-and-down. When it came to longer wedge shots with a full swing, the Rife SCS1 wedges produced a nice flight that wasn’t climbing too high, yet had enough launch to where I felt I could attack a slightly tucked pin.
The Rife SCS1 wedges are perfect for those getting into the game or simply want to freshen up their wedges for as cheaply as possible. I think these wedges look the part and offer more than acceptable performance given the extremely generous price tag, making them perfect wedges for beginners. The slight lack of spin control and consistency would worry me a little as a lower handicapped player and probably see me pay a little more for a wedge that offers those key attributes.
