Mrs. GGB has always been inconsistent out of the sand and around the green using a traditional lob wedge. She finally decided it was time for a new wedge and thought a game improvement club might be the answer. She didn't want to go full ALIEN, but wanted something a little more subtle. After perusing a number of options she decided the Callaway Sure Out 2 58* lob wedge might be a good fit.
The Sure Out 2 differs from the original Sure Out in that it has an enhanced sole "to refine the bounce angle" and added more heel relief to "give it better playability in all short game situations."
There are 17 full length grooves with an aggressive groove pattern to "promote fast shot-stopping spin." Personally, I would think that anyone who is purchasing a game improvement wedge just wants to get out of the sand more consistently and is not worried about "fast shot-stopping spin", at least that's why Mrs. GGB bought it.
The Sure Out comes with a newly designed Lamkin grip that offers 3 step down markings for "quick and effective shot selection and ultimate distance control." Again, if you have the ability to control the distance effectively with your wedges, not sure why you would consider this club, but we will put all of the marketing claims to the test.
LOOKS:
If you didn't know any better looking at the Sure Out 2, you may not think it was a game improvement club. The new refined sole makes it look like many other on-market traditional wedges. Though the colors and markings are eerily similar to the XE-1 infomercial wedge.
The face measurements and groove patterns of the Sure Out 2 (Left) are very similar to my Callaway PM 58* wedge (Right).
PERFORMANCE:
Mrs. GGB & I took turns hitting the Sure Out 2 out of various short game lies. Mrs. GGB comparing the Sure Out to her old 56* lob wedge and I compared it to my current reference the Callaway PM 58* wedge.
BUNKER:
We each took 10 swings out of a green side bunker, rotating 5 shots each time, with the Sure Out and 10 swings with our current wedges.
Using her old wedge Mrs. GGB got out of the bunker 5 out of 10 times while with sure out she got out 8 out of 10 times. Edge to the Sure Out for the ability to escape the bunker. I got out 9 out of 10 times with both wedges. The ball did not appear to check up quicker with the Sure Out than our other wedges.
CHIPPING OVER BUNKERS OUT OF THICK BERMUDA ROUGH:
Mrs. GGB got over the bunker and onto the green 6 out of 10 times with her old wedge and 6 out of 10 times with the Sure Out. Here it was a Push for both clubs. I got over the bunker and on the green 8 out 10 times with my PM wedge, but only 6 out of 10 times with the Sure Out. Opening the Sure Out all the way up for this shot caused me to either catch the back leading edge of the club in the ground on my back swing or catch a weird bounce at impact.
TIGHT LIES AROUND GREEN:
Chipping off a tight slightly uphill lie to a 3' circle around the pin, Mrs. GGB got into the circle 5 out of 10 times with both wedges so another push. I got into the circle 7 our of 10 times with my PM wedge and 5 out of 10 times with Sure Out. Again, I struggled with the sole of the Sure Out when trying to open the wedge up, catching the edge in the ground leading to some big miss hits.
40-YARD PITCH:
Hitting out of the rough to a target 40-yards away Mrs. GGB got on or around the target 5 out of 10 times with her old wedge and 7 out of 10 times with the Sure Out. Of note here was how crisp her shots were with the Sure Out versus her old club including more height on these approach shots. I was more accurate with my PM wedge hitting on or around the 40-yard target 8 out of 10 times versus 6 out of 10 times with the Sure Out.
Moving your hands down the Lamkin Step Down grip obviously altered shot distance, but the marketing claim that the grip leads to "Ultimate Distance Control" is, well, marketing.
Specs:
Length: 34"
Lie: 64
Loft: 58*
Shaft: Fujikura 50
Swing Weight: C7
Grip: Lamkin Comfort Chev
Cost: $119.99
The Wedge for this review was purchased by Golf Gear Box.
Summary:
I will start with a bit of gripe. This club was purchased directly from the Callaway website. When I checked out, the total price was listed as $119.99 with free shipping, but the second I hit the complete purchase button the cost went up to $128.39. I get that certain companies collect tax with online purchases, but when you show the total price it should say that you are collecting tax, it should not be a surprise after you complete your purchase. At least that's the way we do it at Golf Gear Box!
From a performance standpoint the Sure Out 2 wedge improved Mrs. GGB's ability to get out of bunkers much more consistently, which was the primary reason for purchasing this club. Additionally, approach shots out out of the rough, shot shape and crispness of ball striking were also noticeably improved with the Sure Out versus her old club.
The claims that the Sure Out produces "shot stopping spin" and "Ulitmate distance control" are probably true if you are a single digit handicapper, but for a 20+ this club ain't gonna help you!
Does the wedge offer quality and value for the money? Considering that almost every wedge from major manufacturers costs $120, SURE, the Sure Out appears to offer quality & value for its asking price, with the disclaimer that this club is best suited for a high handicapper who struggles with a traditional sand wedge.
3 comments
Opening the club face and stance is not necessary and makes sand shots more difficult
My bunker play has sucked green toe jam recently so I bought the Sure Out 2 on a whim. Things got worse, not better. Now, maybe it just takes practice. Maybe it’s that the Owners of the Jack Nicklaus designed course I play here in Japan have let many of the bunkers turn into hard, water-soaked, ravine-filled horrors. Maybe the only bunker practice area I have access to seems to be filled with sand more suitable for use in making concrete. But I haven’t seen a sudden jump in my ability to tet out of bunkers.
Well, until I did what Dale Thayer(above) said not to do, and that is to open the face. Not laying it flat, but opening it just a bit. Opening my stance just a bit. And following the line of my stance on the club trajectory. In other words, a weak version of the usual bunker strategy. At least it worked at my local practice area with their industrial grade sand.
I’ve played an original Hogan Sure-Out for years and own several different models. Your complaint about catching the edge when “opening up” the Sure-Out 2 is understandable. Actually, I’m surprised you were able to achieve any sort of decent shot when “opening up” the club face in a manner common to ordinary wedges.
Sure-Outs, Aliens, and all similar wedges are nothing more than exaggerations of the original design of Gene Sarazen who widened the sole of a niblick (9 iron) and angled the trailing edge down, creating what is now referred to as “bounce”.
The problem is not with the Sure-Out, whether the current Callaway version or an original Hogan. The Sure-Out is not to be “opened up”. If you do, not only will you catch the rear edge as you experienced, the usual result is that you will “skull” or “thin” the shot, hitting the ball in with the leading edge and not with the face of the club.
The Sure-Out is meant to be used with the face square to the target, just as would be done with a shot using a regular iron from the fairway. At most, you may slightly open your stance, although it is probably best to also use a square stance.
Take a square stance; square the club face to the target as with any other iron shot; pick a spot in the sand a 1/2" or so behind the ball where you want the leading edge to enter the sand, and swing away.
Low handicappers, like the pros, will lay a wedge face open to the point it appears to be flat; take an “open” stance, and slid the club head under the ball. This takes a skill possessed by few players and almost never by players with double digit handicaps. The Sure-Out doesn’t require this skill, and, as you learned, this skill works against one using a Sure-Out. For average players, the Sure-Out allows them to make effective shots from the sand and the rough doing nothing different than if it were a shot from the fairway. The hardest part for average players using a Sure-Out is learning to trust the club and to make a full swing so as to let the club perform as it was designed.