It’s one thing to challenge paradigms but it’s another thing altogether to actually shift one.
Particularly when it comes to golf equipment.
We believe what we believe but it takes a lot for that framework to break down and be replaced by a new one. That’s why, when we say these new forged wedges from Maxfli might just shift a paradigm, it’s important to understand what paradigm we’re talking about.
You see, the new Maxfli XCW forged wedges won’t redefine wedge performance. You won’t see crazy new spin numbers and there’s no revolutionary groove or sole grind story to tell. They will, however, challenge your thinking about what you can get for $130.
We have a few rounds in the books with these Maxflis and we have to issue a fair warning. If your wedge status quo says Vokey, Cleveland, PING, TaylorMade, Callaway or bust, the Maxfli XCW’s will make your status quo more than a little uncomfortable.
Have we piqued your curiosity? Maybe just a little?
Wait, Maxfli is making wedges now, too?
That they are, my friends. A year after introducing two new iron sets, the folks at DICK’S/Golf Galaxy are taking another step toward bringing the classic Maxfli brand to full line status.
“These new Maxfli XCW wedges are really a takedown from our forged irons,” Quin Silker, the Golf Equipment Business Development Associate for DICK’S, tells MyGolfSpy. “They’re forged from 1025 carbon steel, just like our irons, and they utilize that same Ceramic Matrix Composite material for weight savings and dialing in the center of gravity.”
We’ll elaborate on the forging process and Ceramic Matrix Composite in a bit but first let’s get an idea of what this line is all about.
First, we’re not sure if you know this but DICK’S not only owns Golf Galaxy and the Maxfli brand but it also owns GolfWorks, the online component seller and creator of the direct-to-consumer Maltby brand. DICK’S leveraged Maltby’s engineering know-how to create the new Maxfli XCW wedges.
“They’re really the brains of the operation,” says Silker. “We have some awesome industrial designers in-house here at DICK’S who helped make these wedges our own. Then the GolfWorks team took their design and made it work.”
So even though there’s enough family resemblance to know they’re kinfolk, the new Maxfli XCW wedges are not simply rebranded Maltbys.
“We’re using their brains and our sporting goods vehicle and massive outreach to push these things out there.”
Maxfli XCW forged wedges: A full line … mostly
We’re going to give Maxfli very high marks for design and feel. These things are sweet, clean and, based on early returns, feel like a forged wedge should. We can also give Maxfli a solid B for sole grind options, especially considering the XCW wedges are the company’s inaugural offering. They cover the basics with their A, M and X grinds.
“The A grind is for the full-swing wedge, the 50- and 52-degree models,” says Silker. “The M is our multi-purpose grind that’s good for different playing surfaces. The X is a super-wide sole grind and really great for bunker play. This one’s received a ton of great feedback already.”
The M grind is available in the 54- through 60-degree models while X is available in the 56- and 60-degree models.
While not nearly as robust of an offering as you’ll find from Vokey, Cleveland, PING, TaylorMade or Callaway, it’s a solid lineup.
One thing you’ll notice almost immediately with the XCW line is that the heads are on the large side. While still featuring classic 588-ish teardrop shaping with a quasi high-toe look, they are slightly bigger and a little more game-improvement-y.
“That’s something GolfWorks specializes in,” Silker explains. “They can make them super playable and forgiving. You don’t get that with a lot of forged wedges out there that are geared towards the better player.”
One quick note: Sorry, lefties. The Maxfli XCW forged wedges are right-handed only.
Gimme six steps …
As with last year’s XC2 and XC3 iron sets, the new Maxfli XCW wedges are single-piece forgings with a bit of a twist. They’re forged in six steps. The first three steps turn a blank 1025 carbon steel billet into the rough wedge shape. The fourth step applies 1,200 tons of pressure to refine the shape while leaving a small opening in the back.
That opening is for the Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC) that we discussed earlier. CMC is lighter and considerably less dense than carbon steel. That gives Maxfli’s designers discretionary weight, which is ultra-precious in a blade-style wedge, to optimize the center of gravity. Specifically, the CG is lower in the lower-lofted wedges for added forgiveness on full shots. The higher-lofted models feature a higher CG for lower trajectory control and added spin on partial shots.
For the fifth step, a separate piece of 1025 carbon steel is placed over the opening to cover the inserts. The head is then heated back up and co-forged back into a single piece. The sixth and final forging step applies another 2,000 tons of pressure to create a uniform grain structure in the carbon steel.
Who are these Maxfli XCW wedges for and what paradigm might they be changing?
I don’t care who you are, $129.99 per wedge is mighty tempting. At least you won’t have to take out a second mortgage.
On the other hand, while three sole grinds won’t set the world on fire, they should be enough for most recreational golfers. The added forgiveness doesn’t hurt, either. Additionally, while the CNC milled faces feature what Maxfli is calling “Milled Micro-Grooves (more grooves closer together – within the rules, of course), there’s no compelling groove or spin story. What you will find, however, is a solid wedge that feels great with enough versatility to get you onto the green.
So where’s this paradigm shift we were talking about? At $130, the Maxfli XCW redefines what you can expect from a wedge in that price range. At the very least, it might just be the best $130 forged wedge that you can lay your hands on before whipping out your credit card.
“What we’re trying to do is get a clean look and awesome feel to a broader audience that would rather spend $130 instead of $200 on a wedge,” says Silker. “We’re trying to find that Goldilocks price point. We also know that customers who are buying at that price point may not know the difference between forged and cast.”
Whether Maxfli is a direct-to-consumer brand or merely “vertically integrated” is debatable but ultimately immaterial. We know you can find lower-priced direct-to-consumer wedges online but you can’t demo them or go through an in-store fitting with a wide array of shaft options. For many golfers, that matters.
“Our 830 locations are a huge weapon for us,” Silker says. “No matter where you live in this country, you can pretty much go and see this stuff, touch, feel it and hit it. That’s pretty unique.”
Personalization options
From the picture shown here, you’ve no doubt noticed the clean, minimalistic design of these Maxfli wedges. That’s intentional.
“The first thing people see when they walk into a store is the back of a wedge and how it looks,” Silker explains. “Clean simplicity doesn’t exist a whole lot out there. There are a lot of bells, whistles and badges – it’s ‘on-club’ marketing.”
Maxfli wants clean simplicity to be its brand image, from its bags to its golf clubs and golf balls. With the XCW wedges, however, there’s a secondary reason for the unadorned backside.
“We know there’s a huge push for personalization on wedges,” says Silker. “So that’s something we’re going to offer in all of our Golf Galaxy and DICK’S House of Sports stores. They’ll all have stamping kits.”
If you’re so inclined, you can consider each wedge to be an empty canvas and let your imagination run amok. You’ll be able to do whatever you want with stamping and paintfills and it can all be done in-house.
Additionally, Silker says DICK’S is working on a full-scale fitting system for all Maxfli clubs.
“We did send out bonded irons with different shafts and lie angles to our stores. But that’s not a great fitting experience for the customer. We’ve been working on a fitting system for two years now and we’re getting very close on that.”
Another Maxfli family member is coming
Every time I talk with Silker, I make sure to bug him about resurrecting Maxfli’s classic “Australian blades”, the iconic forged muscle-back irons. And every time he takes delight in telling me not to hold my breath.
He did, however, say the Maxfli XC1 – a modern take on a traditional blade – is finding its way into stores around the country. DICK’S prefers soft launches for its Maxfli products and this one has been softer than most.
“They’re really clean looking, really sharp with a super-thin top line. However, and this is some of the GolfWorks alchemy doing its thing, they’re remarkably forgiving.”
If I had a dollar for every time an OEM said their new blade was “remarkably forgiving,” I’d have, well, several dollars. It sounds crazy but that’s what the folks at Maxfli are claiming. If the Maxfli XC2 irons (my gamers for much of last year), are any indication, I wouldn’t totally discount that claim. For an iron that’s on the “better-player” side of player’s distance, the XC2 irons were, for lack of a better term, remarkably forgiving.
As you’d expect, the new Maxfli XC1 irons appear to be pretty compact. And, from the pictures we’ve seen, they feature a top line so thin that it only has one side.
The XC1 irons are already available online and at some DICK’S and Golf Galaxy stores. They should be rolling out to more locations in the coming weeks. We’ll let you know more once we get samples in.
Maxfli XCW forged wedges: Specs, price and availability
As mentioned (repeatedly!), the Maxfli XCW forged wedges retail at $129.99. The Dynamic Gold S200 is the stock shaft with the Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 the stock grip. Shaft options from Project X, True Temper, KBS and Nippon are available at an upcharge as are grip options from Golf Pride, SuperStroke, Winn, Grip Master and Royal.
The 50- and 52-degree models are available with what Maxfli calls its “A” sole grind, designed for full swing shots. The all-purpose “M” sole grind is available in the 54- through 60-degree lofts. The wide sole “X” grind is available in 56- and 60-degree models only.
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