If you have ever been searching for a club to help you get out of bunkers and unforgiving roughs, chances are you have heard of the Alien Sand Wedge designed by Pat Simmons. The manufacturers of this club promise that this will immediately improve your wedge shots, guaranteed.
Throughout the years, this club has created much controversy. Some players call it genius, and others call it cheating. In this article we will be taking a look at the Alien Sand Wedge to see if there is anything about it that makes it illegal, as well as why it has caused so much controversy.
Is the Alien Sand Wedge legal? The Alien Sand Wedge does not conform to the USGA or PGA equipment rules. The Alien Sand Wedge has grooves that are not spaced out enough, which make it illegal to use in most high-level amateur tournaments and all professional tournaments, including the PGA.
With this being said though, these rules only apply on the professional level and the ‘expert amateur’ level. So, this club is still totally usable for anyone that is not competing in any professional type of golfing environment.
Why Is The Alien Sand Wedge Illegal?
Back in 2010, the USGA released a new set of guidelines that applied to the grooves on all golf clubs. Among many other things, the rule stated that the spacing between groves must be at least 3x the width of the groove. Below is a direct quote from the USGA (page 58):
- “The distance between edges of adjacent grooves (S) must not be less than three times the width of the grooves, and not less than 0.075 inches.”
Many club manufacturers were coming out with club faces that were filled with grooves, which made it very easy to put an aggressive spin on the ball. In order to put a leash on these designs, the USGA prohibited use of any clubs that broke these new rules.
Once 2010 rolled around, the Alien Sand Wedge was no longer allowed in any semi-pro/pro golfing tournaments, as the club does not conform to the groove width rule.
What Else Makes This Club So Controversial?
Even before this club was deemed illegal, it still created huge controversy in the golfing world. After being released, this club quickly had critics up in arms about its design. Well, there are a few reasons why many people think using this club is illegal. According to many online forums, the two reasons why this club is so disputed is because of its front edge, wide sole/face.
The Alien Sand Wedge’s Front Edge
Unlike most clubs that are out there, the Alien Sand Wedge has a round front edge. This allows it to burrow into the sand more and get under the ball. Most other clubs have a straight edge which collides with the sand and throws much more of the sand into the air.
By getting under the ball more than other wedges, this club makes it easier to get the ball out of the bunker and on the green.
The Alien Sand Wedge’s Wide Sole
The other controversial aspect to this club is the size of its sole/face. The size of the soul/face of this club is considerably larger than most modern day sand wedges. A larger sole generally means that there is more mass in the back of the club head, which will launch the ball higher. Additionally, a large sole means that the club head can cut through more sand or tall grass.
This feature makes the club very forgiving to use, especially for amateur players. With a sole this big, the chances that you don’t get under the ball are much lower in comparison to other types of sand wedges.
Many critics of this club have stated that the sole of this wedge is too big, and shouldn’t be allowed. More specifically, most non-believers think that the club provides too much help, and see it as a gimmicky type of club.
Should You Buy The Alien Sand Wedge?
After reading plenty of reviews, many customers are quite pleased with the improved performance they’ve seen from this club. Most reviews state that they saw immediate improvements in their first shot with the club.
So, if you are a golfer that typically struggles with shots out of the bunker or the rough, consider purchasing this club and you should see some decent improvements in your shot and on your scorecard.
