Katsuhiro Miura has been handcrafting golf clubs in Himeji, Japan since 1957.
After 3 months and more than 30 rounds, the time has come to share my feedback on my new 56° Miura K wedge. My Miura wedge arrived in November and I immediately put it into play, the new wedge replaced a Titleist Vokey SM6 wedge I received earlier in 2016. When the Miura wedge arrived on my doorstep the presentation was like nothing I’ve experienced before. I was stunned when I opened the box and pulled out the wedge only to realize it was enclosed in a custom Miura dust cover.
Louis Vuitton has nothing on Miura Golf, after all a handcrafted masterpiece deserves nothing but the best
For me and my Miura wedge it was love at first sight, as soon as I put the club in my hands I was immediately impressed by the weight and feel of the club. However, more than anything I was in awe of the overall look of the wedge. The back of the Miura K wedge is fluted and has a distinct look you won’t see on any other wedge. In fact, the fluting of the wedge resembles finger-tip impressions, or even human knuckles. However, much like the old saying “don’t judge by its cover”, I wanted to put the wedge through its paces and see just what impact it would have on my game besides making my golf bag more attractive.
Before I go any further let me tell you about Miura Golf. Miura Golf isn’t a name most golfers are familiar with, after all you won’t see them in your local big box sporting goods store. In fact, Miura clubs are made one by one, using many handcrafting processes, and will never be mass produced. Katsuhiro Miura has been making golf clubs this way since 1957. Miura makes its forged clubs — irons, wedges and putters — in the company’s only factory which is located in the city of Himeji, Japan. For centuries Himeji was known by the world as the home of the ancient Japanese art of samurai sword making. While demand for samurai swords has diminished, the generations of steelmaking skill and passion have not. To this day, Katsuhiro Miura continues to hand-grind clubs in his factory alongside his sons Yoshitaka and Shinei.
Now that you’re familiar with Miura Golf let me fill you in on my golf game. I’m an avid golfer that loves the game; however, the game doesn’t always love me. My handicap tends to range between 15 and 18 and every round it seems like a different part of my game is a struggle. That being said, I’m constantly looking to improve my game and willing to try anything that might give me an advantage. Enter the 56° Miura K wedge, the biggest area of improvement I’ve seen with the Miura wedge is from the greenside sand bunkers. The fact that I’m a double-digit handicapper means I tend to end up in a lot of bunkers around the green. Since switching to the Miura wedge my sand-save percentage has improved from 12% to 33%, and the days of having to hit a second from the bunker are practically gone.
As I stand over a shot with my Miura wedge in my hands, one of the swing thoughts that comes to mind is the samurai sword heritage of Miura Golf. While an image of Uma Thurman wielding a samurai sword from her role in Kill Bill is a relaxing swing thought, I tend to chalk up my improvement to the fluting of the K wedge. The wedge’s three channels reduce the resistance against the wedge on all playing surfaces but particularly noticeable in the sand. These channels move around the sand instead of colliding with it, allowing the wedge to accelerate thru the ball with less effort in turn improving the odds of hitting a good shot.
The K wedge’s three channels reduce the resistance against the wedge on all playing surfaces but particularly noticeable in the sand.
Miura K Wedge Rating 5 out of 5 Stars
The Miura wedge is the real deal, beyond its stylish good looks and handcrafted design, I found actual results. Miura’s handcrafted clubs come at a premium, the K wedge retails at $275, compared to the mass-produced Titleist Vokey Wedge which retails at $169. In my mind, there is no doubt that the handcrafted Miura wedge is worth the extra money. In fact, before playing the K wedge my odds of getting up and down from a bunker were about as good as winning the lotto. With the K wedge I’m not ready for the tour but I have nearly tripled my sand-save percentage and my scores are getting lower. In fact, in my last round I shot a personal best 83. The highlight of the round was a sand-save on a par-3 where my tee-shot found the sand. Using my K wedge I was able to get up-and-down from bunker, stopping the ball just a few feet from the hole. I’ve been using the K wedge for all my greenside bunker shots and from 60-90 yards away from the pin. I’ve seen a slight improvement with my percentage of greens hit in regulation but nothing like the improvement I’m seen from the bunker. I’m anxious to see how much my game will continue to improve while using the Miura K wedge.
To learn more about Miura Golf or to order your own k wedge, check out their website: http://www.miuragolf.com