You're upgrading from SM7 or older and want the biggest value leap

Research-backed product picks
Researched by Atlas. Picks for your situation



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| Product | Price | Rating | How many grind/bounce combos? | What's the groove story? | How does CG affect ball flight? | What finish options are there? | What loft range is offered? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SM9 | $249.99 | ★ 4.7 · 16 | 6 grinds, 23 combos | Spin Milled; progressive geometry by loft | Progressive: higher CG as loft increases (refined from SM8) | Tour Chrome, Jet Black, Raw | 46° to 62° |
| SM10Pick | $159.99 | ★ 4.9 · 18 | 6 grinds, 25 combos | Spin Milled; tighter manufacturing tolerances; heat-treated | CG closer to center; progressive vertically; reduced draw bias | Tour Chrome, Jet Black, Nickel, Raw | 46° to 62° |
| SM11Pick | $259.36 | — | 6 grinds, 27 combos | Vokey Spin System; 5% deeper volume; directional face texture; double durability | Standardized CG across all grinds within each loft; progressive between loft groups | Tour Chrome, Jet Black, Nickel, Raw, Lightweight Tour Chrome | 44° to 60° |






The corpus gave us strong data on individual generations, but direct generation-to-generation spin numbers under identical conditions are scarce. Here's what we'd still want to know before calling a definitive winner.
Titleist claims the heat treatment doubles groove durability, but the corpus contains no long-term wear data. A side-by-side spin-retention test after 50 and 75 rounds would settle whether the 'double durability' claim translates to real scorecard impact.
TGW and Golf Digest present this as a major engineering achievement, but every reviewer also notes the SM11 gains are subtle. We'd need launch-monitor data from 10-to-18 handicap players switching grinds within the same loft to know if this matters beyond the scratch golfer.
Golf Monthly's SM11 review recorded 7,213 RPM on a 50-yard pitch, comparable to the MG5 (7,158 RPM) and Opus SP (7,199 RPM). But direct side-by-side testing across multiple lofts, lies, and conditions would give a clearer picture of whether Vokey still leads the spin race or has been caught.