TGL’s "Elements" Could Have Players Reconfiguring their Wedges

The TGL could once and for all prove that you might need to make a few tweaks to your bag when playing indoor golf.

This past week we saw Tiger Woods make his TGL debut for his Jupiter Links team and although it probably didn’t go quite as he had hoped (they got their butts kicked), it did offer up some fun moments including his teammate Kevin Kisner blading a bunker shot into the flagstick.

That flagstick likely saved an attendee from being the TGLs first injured spectator—but if it did happen to injure someone, would Kisner have gone into the crowd and done the customary signed glove routine? Sorry, I’m getting sidetracked.

Anyway, what has intrigued me about the TGL since we got our first look inside SoFi Stadium and all of the technology being used to put on the show, is the artificial turf.

Most of the fuss around the elements that make up the “grounds” at TGL has been focused on the sand being the same sand used at a very specific course in Augusta, Georgia—but it’s the turf surfaces that have made for the most memorable shots (and conversations) around the green. Here’s why.

To stand up to regular use, synthetic turf needs to be durable, and that durability comes from stiffer blades of artificial grass. Those stiffer blades cause the golf ball to sit up above the much firmer base layer of the turf because unlike real grass there isn’t enough pliability. To be fair there is nothing wrong with the artificial turf, it's just the nature of the product—especially when it comes to the longer “rough cut.”

What does this mean for players and wedges?

The ideal wedge shot is hit between the 3rd and 5th grooves on the face to generate the proper launch and spin (yes, it’s that specific). Hitting below that mark, the ball comes out with too much speed. Above that mark, the ball comes out of a higher window with less spin, leading to either coming up short, or a ball that doesn't stop when it hits the green.

This is why throughout the year on the PGA Tour, we see players use various grind and bounce combinations depending on sand and grass conditions to help make sure they hit that ideal spot on the face as much as possible.

For players in the TGL who might be used to using lower bounce wedges, that could be the reason we have seen several shots during the first few matches end up with those previously- stated outcomes, with the most common being a higher shot that rolls out more than expected. Essentially, since playing on turf means those stiffer blades of “grass” props the ball up higher and firmer without pliability players are used to on real grass, they’re more likely to hit above the target grove and their carefully dialed in spin expectations go out the window.

As players continue to get used to the playing conditions inside of SoFi Stadium, it would not surprise me to see some players choose to have a specific higher bounce set of wedges for playing their TGL matches so that don’t feel the need to overhaul their technique to hit the required shots on the artificial turf.

Does this mean you’re also going to have to change wedges for your indoor golf league? Not Likely. But, like so many things with the TGL, it will be interesting to see how this develops as the season goes on.