Harry Taylor, a former touring pro and club designer, has designed a wedge that solves a few problems for the average player. I’d call the wedge to be one of the hardest clubs to hit consistently well. You’ve got to be precise in hitting the sweet spot as you come down and through into the impact zone. And using a wedge out of the sand magnifies this challenge many fold. That shot doesn’t even touch the ball so must be struck an inch or two behind the ball, creating an explosion of sand along with the ball as it flies a specific distance towards the pin and either rolls out or drops and stops. Not easy to figure in all the factors necessary to pull this shot off successfully.
No matter what wedge you use, you still need to avoid a common error: deceleration in the impact zone. I’m not talking about speeding up at impact but at maintaining a steady pace. And the HT 405 is helpful in this regard. Its weight is such that it helps remember to let gravity do its thing with no need of extra speed from the player. I like a club like that, which is why I like the 405 dimple wedge.
And out of sand is where this club really shines. I used it at the range’s practice bunker (the sand at which is adequate but will win no contests for excellence) and found the club easily slipped under the ball, as long as I struck the sand about one to two inches behind the ball, and finishing with a relatively short follow through. The generous dimpled flange on the 60 degree club zipped through the sand like butter (I assume that’s what the dimples are for), producing a nice soft flight that settled down quickly near the hole. Best feel I’ve ever had out of the sand.
The price is right, as well. Check this beauty out. For more info, including several helpful videos from Harry, himself, check out the club at the Harry Taylor Golf website.