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REVIEW: Fourteen RM4 Wedges

That is One Sharp Wedge

Over the last 10 years wedges have become more than just one size fits all short game tool, they are now customized in 100s of different ways for performance and looks. Wedge designers have taken creativity with finishes, grinds, stampings, paintfills, grooves and CG. These various manipulations can range in their impact on the performance. The exotic looks of custom wedges have little impact on performance, but certainly look great in the bag. Other features like grinds and grooves can have dramatics influence on turf interaction and spin. The one area that really is the king of wedge performance in CG. The manipulation of CG really can change almost every measurable aspect of the club. The new Fourteen RM4 wedge line is one sharp wedge with some significant CG manipulation throughout the line.

The first thing that jumps out with the Fourteen RM4 wedge is how sharp looking it is. The 2 finishes; nickel chrome satin and light black look excellent. I went with the light black. It is such a great compromise between a dark finish and polished finish. It has some shine to it, but muted by the copper/bronze/black/grey tones of the finish. I am really impressed with the look of this finish. It holds up well on the face and back, and wears down some on the sole. This isn’t surprising considering the sandy desert turf I play off of. The details of the design are very sharp too. The mill grind right above the muscle is a cool feature. It removes some weight and give the back a different, but sharp look.

The Fourteen RM4 wedge comes in numerous loft options; I went with the 58* H since I really liked the grind on it for my game. It has significant heel and toe relief. The leading edge is nice and sharp with a great transition from hosel to sole. What is unique about the higher lofts of the RM4 line is the CG moving closer to the hosel. The combination of reverse taper blade and weight towards the hosel moves the CG up and inward. If you think about those delicate shots this will help with control and feel. At impact it seems to keep the ball from sliding up the face as long as you don’t get too far out on the toe with the shot. It does seem to favor heel contact. This is a way to manipulate the CG but still get some of the “high toe wedge” results without the ugly look.

The Fourteen RM4 wedge is very sharp on the course. The leading edge is on the sharper side of wedges I’ve hit which I like because it allow we to slide the leading edge right under the ball for some quick lift. The grooves are very sharp too and grab the ball to create excellent spin. Even on some touch shots I was able to get excellent hold, even on firm greens. On full shots the spin is high which causes the ball to stick very close to its landing point. The distance was pretty much spot on for a 58* wedge. I felt like full shots were in that 85 yard range. The sole does have fairly high bounce which for the most part I like, but some of the hard pan shots were trickier with the high bounce.

Fourteen not only committed creating an excellent wedge head, they also worked with Nippon to create an ideal shaft to optimized performance. The Nippon T.S. 114 W is specifically designed for spin, weight, and feel to get the best performance out of the RM4 head. I was impressed by how consistent the feel and performance is out of this shaft and head combo. I knew what it was going to do shot after shot which improves your short game if you know what each shot is going to do, especially when around the green.

Flightscope Xi-Tour Launch Monitor

Fourteen RM4 58* Wedge

Spin: 9,857 rpms
Launch Angle: 53.1*
Dispersion: 2.8 yds
Club Head Speed: 75.2 mph
Ball Speed: 78.7 mph
Total Distance: 87.9 yds
Carry Distance: 83.2 yds

The Fourteen RM4 wedge is one sharp tool around the green. It looks great, performs well and has some great lines. The sharp leading edge will slide under the ball easily, while the grooves grip the cover for excellent spin. The consistent combo of the head and shaft makes this club worthy of a slot in your bag. The CG manipulation really assists the touch shots around the green. While Fourteen may not be a household name, this Japanese company is making some real strides into the US market. Check out the RM4 wedge if you are in the forged wedge market.

Check the price online here

For more information: fourteengolf.us

Quick Hits
+Moved CG
+Forged softness
+Sharp grooves
+Clean lines
+Straight leading edge
+Specific shaft design