Remember the pitch shot you hit the last time you played golf that flew a little higher than you anticipated, bounced a few times and then rolled 15 feet past the hole? Technique plays a big role in the short game, but if the grooves are worn because your sand wedge or lob wedge is three or four years old, it’s time to consider investing in a new set of wedges.
Most recreational golfers buy their wedges one at a time right off the rack. A 56-degree wedge needs to be replaced, just drive to the store and buy a new one, right?
Maybe, maybe not. Many pros and elite golfers tend to swap out their sand wedges and lob wedges at the same time for two reasons: they wear out both clubs equally fast and they don’t pay for their wedges.
Meanwhile, you do pay for wedges and probably don’t practice and play half as much as the pros do, so it could be tempting to replace clubs one at a time. If your financial situation dictates that, then do it, but replacing your higher-lofted wedges together means you can expect the same type of spin and performance regardless of which club you use.
Pitching wedges and gap wedges are a little different. Those clubs are extensions of your iron set, and you might even use the pitching wedge that came with your irons. That’s fine, just be aware of the distance gaps as you move from your irons to your wedges. Some game-improvement pitching wedges can have as little as 41 degrees of loft, so a typical gap wedge with 52 degrees of loft would create a massive gap in your scoring clubs. A good custom fitter can help you find the ideal mix of irons and wedges, and even manipulate lofts if necessary, to make your gaps logical and systematic.
Lots of research goes into wedges, with new groove designs and head shapes constantly being tested. However, while several companies come out with updated wedge models every year, other companies run wedges on two-year product cycles.
It is also common for brands to introduce a new wedge family but keep the previous generation of wedges available for a second season.
Checking out the clubs below is a great way to start your journey to more spin and better performance around the greens.
Callaway JAWS Full Toe wedge (Callaway)
Price: $169.99 each (at Carl’s Golfland and Dick’s) with True Temper Dynamic Gold Spinner steel shaft or Project X Catalyst Wedge graphite shaft and Lamkin UTX grip.
Specs: Cast stainless steel. Available in even lofts between 54 and 60 degrees, plus 64-degrees. Chrome and raw black finishes.
The back, neck and sole of the clubs are chromed, but every JAWS Full Toe wedge comes with a sticker over the hitting area because the faces are raw steel. After the sticker is removed and the face is exposed to air and water, the face will rust over time. Callaway said the rust boosts surface roughness and spin production.
By raising the height of the toe and extending the groove pattern all the way up the face, players can open the face on bunker shots and pitch shots and have a larger grooved area to hit the ball. At the same time, compared to the PM Grind, the JAWS Full Toe wedge does not pull the center of gravity as high because it has less mass at the top of the head. Therefore, when players keep the face square, it should produce a more traditional wedge flight. More …
The Callaway JAWS MD5 wedge family (Callaway Golf)
Price: $159.99 each (at Carl’s Golfland) with True Temper Tour Issue 115 (steel) or Project X Catalyst 80 (graphite) shaft and Lamkin UTX grip.
Specs: Cast 8620 mild-carbon steel. Available in even lofts between 46 and 60 degrees, plus 64 degrees in Platinium Chrome and Tour Grey finish
“Callaway said the grooves designed into the JAWS MD5 wedges are the most aggressive in the game. They are more V-shaped and the edge radius is tighter, which should allow them to grab the cover of the ball more effectively for greater spin on chips, pitches and approach shots.
Between each groove is a series of raised microgrooves protruding from the face. In wet conditions they add surface roughness and friction, complimenting the main grooves in generating more spin.
Callaway said the combination of the new grooves and the micro-positive grooves in JAWS MD5 wedges, which are cast from 8620 carbon steel for soft feel, help the clubs generate about 500 rpm more spin on a 40-yard pitch shot while the launch angle decreased by 1 degree.” More …
Callaway PM Grind wedges (Callaway)
Price: $159.99 (at callawaygolf.com) with KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 steel shaft and Lamkin UTX grip
Specs: Cast 8620 carbon steel. Available in 54, 56, 58, 60 and 64-degree lofts
“Like the first PM Grind wedge, the 2019 edition has a uniquely high toe and grooves that cover the entire surface of the hitting area. The added face height is designed to make it easier to open the face and still expose a large hitting surface to the ball on pitches, bunker shots and delicate greenside chips.
The most important new feature designed into these PM Grind wedges is the addition of micro-grooves in the face that are set at a 20-degree angle to the main grooves. The micro-grooves are positive and stick up because the material on either side of the grooves is shaved away instead of the grooves themselves being cut into the face. This helps them grab the ball more effectively. By adding them at an angle, when the face is opened in hopes of maximizing spin, the micro-grooves are turned toward the ball to expose more groove edges.” More …
Callaway Mack Daddy CB wedges. (Callaway)
Price: $129.99 each (at Carl’s Golfland and GlobalGolf) with KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 shaft and Golf Pride SG-1 grip
Specs: Cavity-back wedges in even lofts from 46-60 degrees
“The Mack Daddy CB is larger than most conventional wedges, including Callaway’s Mack Daddy JAWS wedges. By giving the club a cavity-back design, shifting more weight to the outer portions of the head, Callaway enhanced the moment of inertia (MOI) and made the clubs more stable on mishits. The perimeter weighting also helps to reduce spin and promote more backspin.
To further increase backspin, Callaway designed the Mack Daddy CB with the same JAWS grooves found in the company’s premier wedges instead of the grooves commonly found in iron sets. In the sand wedges and lob wedges (54-60 degrees), the grooves completely cover the face to create a confidence-inspiring look and better performance when the face is opened.” More …
Cleveland CBX ZipCore wedges. (Cleveland Golf)
Price: $149 each (at Carl’s Golfland and GlobalGolf) with True Temper Dynamic Gold Spinner Wedge shafts and Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 grips. $159 each with Project X Catalyst 80 Spinner graphite shaft.
Specs: Multi-material steel wedges with polymer back pieces. Even lofts of 44 to 60 degrees
“This is the third generation of CBX wedges and the first to incorporate Cleveland’s ZipCore design. ZipCore removes some of the steel inside the head and replaces it with a lightweight but strong material. That helps create more perimeter weighting, increases the moment of inertia and boosts stability.
Cleveland also designed an empty chamber in the heel area and added more weight to the toe area to pull the ideal hitting location into the center of the face. To further enhance feel and reduce excessive vibrations, Cleveland added a thermoplastic polyurethane piece called Gelback, and it should make impact feel softer.” More …
Cleveland RTX ZipCore wedges (Cleveland Golf)
Price: $149.99 each (at Carl’s Golfland and GlobalGolf)with True Temper Dynamic Gold Spinner shaft and Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 grip.
Specs: Cast 8620 carbon steel. Even lofts from 46 to 62 degrees.
“The overall shape of the RTX ZipCore wedges appear familiar, but it’s what is not seen on the inside that separates them from previously made Cleveland wedges.
Instead of the entire wedge being made from a single material, the inner portion of the ZipCore wedges features a low-density material. That allowed designers to shift more of each head’s overall weight in different directions. In so doing, the centers of gravity were shifted to different spots.
Cleveland said the new RTX ZipCore wedges have a 9 percent greater vertical moment of inertia than the previous generation. That should help golfers more easily flight shots down for added control. The sweet spot is also closer to the center of the hitting area, which should enhance feel.” More …
Cleveland RTX Full-Face wedge (Cleveland Golf)
Price: $159.99 each (at Carl’s Golfland and Dick’s) with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Spinner shaft and Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 grip.
Specs: Cast 8620 carbon-steel heads with surface-roughening treatment.
Lofts: 50-60 degrees and 64 degrees (Tour Satin); 56-60 and 64 degrees (Tour Rack)
“As the name implies, the higher toe is not the only thing that makes these wedges unique. The entire hitting surface is covered in Cleveland’s UltiZip grooves from the leading edge to the topline. Like the grooves in the original ZipCore wedges released last year, these grooves are deeper with sharper edges, and designers have packed them more tightly in the hitting area. This should ensure that more groove edges grab the ball on chips and pitch shots to help generate more spin.
There are also microgrooves between the main grooves to increase surface roughness and friction to help golfers create more spin.” More …
Cobra King wedges (Cobra)
Price: $149 each (at Carl’s Golfland and Dick’s) with KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 shaft and Lamkin Crossline Smart grip.
Specs: Cast stainless steel with CNC-milled face and grooves and three sole grinds. Even lofts from 48 to 60 degrees.
While the logo on the back is a throwback to Cobra’s old-school past, the grooves that are CNC-milled into the faces of these clubs are high-tech. First, the grooves vary in size and depth based on the club’s loft. Pitching wedges and gap wedges (48-54 degrees) have iron-like grooves that are narrower and deeper, while the sand wedges and lob wedges (56-60 degrees) have wider, shallower grooves to channel water and debris off the face more effectively.
Cobra also designed each wedge’s face differently, filling the entire hitting surface of the 56-degree, 58-degree and 60-degree models with grooves because players often open the face of their sand wedges and lob wedges. If contact is made high or in the toe, the clubs can impart more spin on the ball.
However, all the new Cobra King wedges have Snakebite grooves utilizing a new cutting method that the company said produces an edge radius that is 40-percent sharper than Cobra’s previous wedge groove. More …
Mizuno T22 wedges (Mizuno)
Price: $159.99 each (at Carl’s Golflandand Dick’s) with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Wedge shafts and Golf Pride Z Grip.
Specs: Forged 1025 boron-steel with milled grooves and four sole grind options. Lofts from 45 to 62 degrees.
Available: Oct. 14.
The T22 wedges are grain-flow forged using 1025 carbon steel that has been infused with boron, like several of Mizuno’s irons since 2016. Boron is harder than the carbon steel, and using it strategically helped Mizuno designers create grooves that maintain the durability of their sharpness without sacrificing feel.
The CNC-milled grooves in the T22 wedges vary based on loft. The pitching wedges and gap wedges (45-53 degrees) have grooves that are deep and narrow to mimic the grooves found in irons. The grooves in the sand wedges and lob wedges (54 to 62 degrees) are wider and deeper to help get water, sand and debris off the hitting surface for increased consistency. More …
Mizuno ES21 wedges come in a Standard sole (left) and Wide sole. (Mizuno)
Price: $149 each (at Carl’s Golfland and GlobalGolf) with KBS Hi-Rev 110 Black Wedge shaft and Lamkin ST Hybrid grip
Specs: Forged 1025, boron-infused carbon steel faces attached to hollow-bodied 431 stainless steel body with a wide sole and a standard sole option. 54, 56, 58 and 60 degrees.
“While the black ion plating is eye-catching, it’s what you don’t see that makes all the difference with this wedge. It’s hollow, with the grain flow forged boron-infused carbon steel face and neck portion welded to a 431 stainless steel body. The boron blends with the carbon steel to make it harder, which should prolong the grooves’ sharpness without sacrificing the soft feel.
However, Mizuno said, it is the hollow-body design that makes the most difference. It allowed designers to remove material from the heel area inside the head and shift more weight toward the toe. That offsets more of the hosel’s weight and, combined with the higher toe design, pulls the center of gravity into the middle of the hitting area.
Mizuno said the sweet spot also was pulled back and elevated relative to previously released wedges, and that should help increase spin.” More …
Ping Glide Forged Pro wedges (PING)
Price: $197 each (at Carl’s Golfland) with Ping Z-Z115 steel shaft and Golf Pride Arccos Lite Tour Velvet 360 grip.
Specs: Forged 8620 carbon-steel with milled face and grooves and water-repellant finish. Two sole grinds with even lofts between 50 and 62 degrees, with special options available through a custom program and a special 59-degree club.
Ping machined each groove in the Glide Forged Pro and designed the grooves differently for each club based on its loft. The gap wedges (50 and 52 degrees) have grooves with a 20-degree sidewall, which is similar to the shape found in most irons, because golfers will tend to hit these clubs from the fairway. However, the sand wedges and lob wedges (54 to 62 degrees) have wider and shallower grooves that are designed to remove water and debris from the hitting surface.
Every Glide Forged Pro wedge also has a new emery-blast, surface-roughening treatment in the hitting area to add friction. Ping said the grooves and surfacing-roughening elements help the Glide Forged Pro wedges create lower-flying, higher-spinning shots, especially in wet conditions for improved consistency. More …
Ping Glide Forged wedge (Ping Golf)
Price: $197 each (at tgw.com)with True Temper Dynamic Gold S300 steel shafts and Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips; $232.50 with Alta CB graphite shafts
Specs: Forged 8620 carbon steel and tungsten. Available in 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60-degrees versions.
“The Glide Forged wedges, which were made using the feedback of Ping’s tour staff, are made from 8620 carbon steel, an exceptionally soft material that should enhance golfers’ sense of touch and feel around the greens. A small amount of tungsten has been positioned in the toe to counteract the weight of the hosel and pull the ideal hitting are into the middle of the face.
The grooves are all milled into the faces using the same method first found in the Glide 2.0 wedges. The company said that the process allows Ping to make sharper edge radius, which should help players generate more greenside spin.” More …
Ping Glide 3.0 wedge (Ping)
Price: $149 each (at GlobalGolf) with Ping Z-Z115 wedge shaft and Ping 360 Dyla-wedge Lite grips
Specs: Cast 431 stainless steel with elastomer insert
“In the back of the Ping i210 irons is a large Custom Tuning Port, a chamber filled with a soft elastomer. It’s so soft you can press into it with your thumb. Look behind the new Glide 3.0 wedges and you will see the same CTP. By filling that area with elastomer, Ping can achieve two important things.
The elastomer soaks up excessive vibrations created at impact to enhance feel. The more significant benefit, however, is that filling the area with elastomer, which is lighter than the 431 stainless steel used to make the rest of the head, shifts more of the overall weight to the edges. That increases the perimeter weighting and makes the Glide 3.0 more stable.” More …
PXG 0311 Sugar Daddy wedges. (PXG)
Price: $499 each (at pxg.com)
Specs: Forged and milled 8620 carbon steel with tungsten weights. Even lofts from 50-62 degrees. Available in Chrome and Xtreme Dark finishes
“Each 0311 Sugar Daddy II starts as a billet of 8620 carbon steel that is forged three times to create the basic shape of the head. Then, using a high-speed, computer-controlled bit, they are CNC-milled to create the precise shape and specifications that designers envisioned. PXG said forging enhances the feel produced at impact, while CNC-milling produces a more consistent product than hand grinding and polishing.
To ensure the hitting surface is perfectly flat and the grooves are made as sharp as the USGA and R&A allow, PXG also mills the hitting area of each Sugar Daddy II.” More …
TaylorMade Milled Grind 3 wedges (TaylorMade)
Price: $179.99 each (at Carl’s Golfland and Dick’s) with True Temper Tour Issue S200 shafts and Lamkin Crossline 360 grips.
Specs: Cast 8620 carbon steel in low-bounce, standard-bounce and high-bounce versions. Even lofts 46, 50-60 degrees.
To enhance the MG3’s grooves and create more friction around the greens, TaylorMade added a series of raised micro-ribs to the raw-steel hitting area. TaylorMade debuted the raw-steel hitting area in the MG2, shipping wedges with a peel-off sticker over the hitting area. The new MG3 wedges are also being shipping with covered faces, because after the non-chromed steel is exposed to air and water, it starts to rush and creates a rougher texture.
That rust is now complemented by the micro-ribs between each groove that create more friction and spin on pitches and chips shots hit inside 50 yards. TaylorMade said the combination of the raw face and micro-ribs adds about 200 rpm of spin. More …
TaylorMade Milled Grind 2 wedges (TaylorMade)
Gear: TaylorMade Milled Grind 2 wedges
Price: $149.99 each (at Carl’s Golfland) with True Temper Dynamic Gold S200 shaft and a Golf Pride Tour Velvet Burgundy 360 grip
Specs: Cast 8620 carbon steel with thermoplastic polyurethane insert. Even lofts between 48 and 60 degrees
“While the clubs are cast from soft 8620 carbon steel, the soles and leading-edge areas are milled using a computer-controlled tool that gently passes back and forth across the club, shaving tiny strips of metal away from the head. This process, which leaves behind the lined pattern seen on the bottom of the club, more accurately reproduces the exact specs that TaylorMade engineers designed. Handwork and human error are taken out of the equation.
Where the MG2 wedges differ most from the previous version is on the hitting area. The faces were given a raw steel design, meaning there is no chrome plating. TaylorMade said that by eliminating the plating, the grooves can be made deeper and with sharper edges to help golfers generate more spin and control. The raw steel will rust after being exposed to air and moisture, so each MG2 wedge comes with a sticker on the hitting area. Once removed, the oxidation and rusting process begins.” More …
TaylorMade Milled Grind High Toe wedge (TaylorMade Golf)
Price: $179 (at taylormadegolf.com) with KBS High-Rev 2.0 115 Wedge shaft and Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 GEC grip.
Specs: Cast 8620 carbon steel. Available in even lofts from 50 to 62 degrees
“When experienced wedge players are faced with awkward lies, little green to work with or are forced to hit a flop shot, they often manipulate their sand wedge or lob wedge to expose more bounce and add loft. Years of practice teach them how to slide the club under the ball and use the whole hitting surface to pull off a variety of shots. With the release of the Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedge, TaylorMade believes it has created a lob wedge that gives short-game artists a tool to maximize their creative powers.
Cast from soft 8620 carbon steel, the Hi-Toe has, as its name suggests, more hitting area high and in the toe section of the face. That is where the ball often makes contact with the face on flop shots and pitch shots, so designing the head this way makes it easier to produce solid contact.” More …
The wide sole makes the Big Foot perform better in the sand. (TaylorMade)
Price: $179.99 (at Carl’s Golfland) with KBS Hi-REV 2.0 steel shaft or UST Recoil w/SmacWrap graphite shaft and Golf Pride Tour Velvet burgundy 360 GEC grip. Available in 56, 58 and 60-degree options
Specs: Cast 8620 carbon steel; 58 and 60 degrees. Right-hand only
“Wedges with a higher toe have regained popularity because when the clubface is opened, they present a larger hitting area. Several TaylorMade staff players – including Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy – have carried Hi-Toe wedges in their bags. With the Hi-Toe Big Foot, the company is releasing a version designed for bunker play.
The sole of the Big Foot wedge is massive. While traditional sand wedges have a sole that is about 26 millimeters wide, the Big Foot’s sole is 32. It also has an asymmetric C-Grind, with relief in the heel and toe, and 15 degrees of bounce. When golfers open the face in a greeenside bunker, they not only get the advantage of the Hi-Toe’s extra hitting area, the club keeps moving through the sand very easily and avoids digging.” More…
Vokey Design SM9 Wedges. (Titleist)
Price: $179 each (at Carl’s Golfland and PGA Tour Superstores) with True Temper Dynamic Gold S200 shafts and Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 White grips
Specs: Cast stainless steel with six sole grinds available. Even lofts from 46 to 62 degrees.
Wilson Staff Model Tour Grind wedge. (Wilson)
Price: $139.99 each (at Carl’s Golfland) with True Temper Dynamic Golf X100 120 shaft and Golf Pride Tour Velvet grip
Specs: Forged 8620 carbon steel with milled face. Available in 56-, 58- and 60-degree versions.
Forged from 8620 carbon steel for a soft feel at impact, the Staff Model Tour Grind wedges are available only in sand wedge and lob wedge lofts and have moderate bounce (10-12 degrees). A significant amount of material has been ground out of the heel and toe areas, which should make it easier to open the face, get the leading edge under the ball and still receive the benefit of the bounce. More …
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