Miura K-Grind Wedge Review

We recently had the pleasure of testing the new Miura Golf K-Grind Wedge and truth be told, we couldn’t be more excited about having this bad boy in our arsenal.

For those who are unfamiliar with the brand, Miura Golf of Japan is known throughout the world for its ultra high quality forged golf clubs.  Designed and manufactured by club expert and dedicated craftsman Katsuhiro Miura (and more recently his two sons Yoshitaka and Shinei) the Miura name is most often associated with the highest standards in golf club manufacturing.

The K-Grind wedge we tested is perhaps most recognizable by its “fluted” sole which many refer to as resembling finger-tip impressions.

According to the manufacturer, the intent of this non-traditional sole is to reduce friction of the club as it cuts through particularly rough terrain.

These three channels reduce the resistance against the wedge in sand, thick rough, and even the fairway.  The sole of the wedge moves with the grass instead of against it.   The channels move around the sand instead of colliding with it.  It allows the wedge to accelerate thru the ball with less effort in every condition to improve the odds of hitting a good shot. – Miura Golf

And guess what…it actually does work!  But more on that in a minute.

The Miura K-Grind wedge is offered in 52, 56, and 60 degree selections (for the purpose of this review we’ll be testing the 52 degree option).

Quality

The Miura K-Grind received top marks for overall quality.  Everything from the Pure Grips grip, to the KBS shaft, and the forged and “fluted” head (where the magic really happens) promoted a overall feeling of the highest possible quality.

Feel

Although the K-Grind looks quite sleek and blade-like, it had just the right amount of weight in the clubhead to allow us to feel it move solidly throughout the swing.

The Miura (left) has a sleeker, more blade-like look and feel versus the Titleist Vokey wedge (right).

The Miura felt incredibly well balanced and the forged head felt both powerful on contact and consistent in performance though a wide range of pitch and chip shots.

Playability

On first inspection the K-Grind’s knuckle-resembling sole had us worried that the design might be a bit of a gimmick at best, but a few swings through the deepest rough and toughest sand we could find erased any doubt from our minds.  The Miura 52 degree wedge we tested cut through turf that would make the U.S. Open rough look like playing surface at Wimbledon—that’s not much of an exaggeration either, some of the shots we tested included balls buried in grass that came up above a good 2-3 inches above the hosel.

The unexpected ease of the club through tough grass and heavy sand even caused us to unexpectedly fly a few greens, to which we could only shake our heads with contented disbelief.

Where the Miura really felt at home was in greenside bunkers where the club performed beautifully in just about every lie.

The Miura cut through the sand cleanly and consistently as evidenced by the clear delineation of sand on the sole seen here.

Cost

One thing that does feel a bit prohibitive is the K-Grind’s price tag—suggested list is around $275.  It’s also not the easiest club to find, as you’ll have to find a local shop on using the dealer locator tool on Miura’s website.

But the bigger question is whether or not the club is worth shelling out an amount equal to about what you probably paid for your driver.  Then again, the answer might be right in front of our faces, considering the fact that our short game usually makes up 50% or more of the total strokes in a given round.  Therefore, those willing to drop the big bucks on a shiny new driver every few seasons might want to rethink their decision if they dismiss the Miura wedge as being too costly.

The nice thing is that if cared for properly, unlike a driver, the Miura wedge has the potential to last you a lifetime of playing, so you can think of it as more of a long-term investment in your game.

Verdict

While the Miura K-Grind’s capability (and cost) are most likely overkill for the weekend hacker, any golfer in the mid to low range handicap who takes their equipment seriously needs to give this wedge serious consideration—especially if you’re already considering dropping $100+ on a Titleist Vokey or similar quality wedge.

One bit of advice however is that if you do decide to purchase the Miura K-Grind be sure to visit an authorized Miura dealer for a professional fitting first.  Finding the proper loft and bounce for your game is key when fine tuning a wedge of this quality.

That said, those of you out there looking for an exquisitely crafted and top performing wedge that can last you for may years to come (and don’t mind spending north of $200) should certainly take the Miura K-Grind for a spin.

As far as the demo unit we received goes…let’s just say it’s staying in the bag!

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