Wilson Staff Model ZM wedges

Wilson Staff Model ZM wedges are designed to create more spin and enhanced feel around the greens.

Gear: Wilson Staff Model ZM wedges
Price: $149.99 each with True Temper Dynamic Gold Spinner stock shaft and a Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips
Specs: Forged 8620 carbon steel with face-roughening treatment. Even lofts from 50 degrees to 60 degrees, with 46, 48 and 64-degree versions available through custom order.
Available: April 2 (pre-order March 19)

Who it’s For: Golfers who love the look and feel of a traditional wedge with enhanced spin generation.

The Skinny: Wilson has made the grooves in the Staff Model ZM wedges sharper to complement the soft, forged feel while also adding a high-toe option.

The Deep Dive: For several seasons, Wilson offered a wide variety of clubs made to appeal to a broad audience, like the D Series  and the Dynapower woods and irons. However, in recent years, the Chicago-based brand has turned out some of the most admired clubs for accomplished golfers and low-handicap players, like the recently released Staff Model Blade and Staff Model CB irons and Staff Model putters. These clubs are not for everyone, but they demonstrate that Wilson knows what elite golfers want to see, hear and feel on the course, and with the release of the new Staff Model ZM wedges, Wilson is continuing that trend of offering aspiring club champions and good ballstrikers short game tools that look and feel like they belong on tour.

Forged from 8620 carbon steel for a soft feel at impact, the Staff Model ZM wedges have a straighter leading edge and gentle heel relief so golfers can open the face and get the leading edge under the ball when chipping and pitching from a tight lie.

Wilson designers kept the center of gravity (CG) location relatively low in the gap wedges (50 and 52 degrees) by leaving the area behind the topline thin, but extra mass was added in that area in the sand wedges (54 and 56 degrees) to lift the CG, and even more, mass has been added in the lob wedges (58 and 60 degrees). This progressive CG location helps golfers flight their approach shots lower for more control.

Wilson Staff Model ZM wedge
With sharper grooves, updated milling and a surface-roughening treatment, the Staff Model ZM wedges help golfers generate more spin. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

The addition of a new face milling and surface-roughening treatment helps the grooves grab the cover of your golf ball more effectively and keep it on the face longer, which should result in increased spin, especially in wet conditions.

The standard Staff Model ZM wedges have a very traditional look and are available in lofts from 50 to 60 degrees, with 46 and 48-degree clubs available through custom order. Wilson is also offering a high-toe version in 56 and 60-degree options, with a 64-degree club available through custom order. The high-toe model gives players extra hitting area when they open the face on shots around the green.

Best golf wedges you can buy in 2024

Check out Golfweek’s list of the best golf wedges available to purchase in 2024.

Wedges are the most confusing and intimidating golf club category because there are so many options to choose from and many players don’t really understand how to properly use wedges to hit chip shots, bunker shots, flop shops and pitch shots. They hear terms like bounce, sole grind, heel and toe relief and camber and nod, but in the back of their minds they are thinking, “What the hell does that mean?”

To make matters worse, iron lofts have become stronger over the last decade, with many game-improvement sets coming with a 9-iron that has a loft of around 38 degrees and a pitching wedge at 42 degrees. If a recreational golfer has a 56-degree sand wedge, which is typical, that’s a 14-degree gap between wedges, which can put you in between clubs on lots of short game shots.

To reduce the intimidation factor and help golfers find the right wedges more easily, many manufacturers have developed online fitting tools. With just a few clicks to tell these systems about your game and the conditions you encounter on the course, they can provide you with club, loft and sole grind recommendations.

Of course, the best way to discover your ideal wedges is to work in-person with a custom fitter who can evaluate your performance with several different wedges.

The list below is intended to act as an educational starting point and help you get familiar with the most popular wedges and the clubs you will likely see in pro shops and golf specialty stores right now.

Best golf wedges you can buy in 2024:

Cleveland RTX Full-Face 2 wedges

Cleveland RTX Full-Face 2 wedges combine versatility and spin to help golfers performance better around the greens.

Gear: Cleveland RTX Full-Face 2 wedges
Price: $179.99 each (Tour Satin) with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Spinner shafts and Lamkin Crossline 360 grips; $199.99 (Tour Rack)
Specs: Cast stainless steel heads in even lofts from 50-60 degrees (and 64 degrees) in two sole grinds
Available: NOW

Who It’s For: Golfers who want versatility on open-face shots around the green.

The Skinny: The RTX Full-Face 2 wedges have a high-toe design and unique weighting system that combine with sharp grooves and surface-roughening treatments to give players the ability to generate more spin and hit a wider variety of shots around the green.

The Deep Dive: No company has more pedigree in the wedge category or offers more short-game options than Cleveland Golf. From wedges designed specifically for high-handicap golfers who struggle with chipping and bunker play to instruments designed for elite players like Brooks Koepka, Keegan Bradley and Hideki Matsuyama, Cleveland’s stable of wedges has it all.

For 2024, Cleveland is expanding its wedge lineup further with the release of the RTX Full-Face 2, which will be available in even lofts from 50 to 60 degrees, along with a 64-degree option, and these wedges are designed specifically for the most delicate shots players hit around the green.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Cleveland RTX Full-Face 2 wedges” link=”https://worldwidegolfshops.pxf.io/g1k3og”]

Cleveland RTX Full-Face 2 wedges
The addition of ZipCore material in the hosel pulls the center of gravity into the middle of the hitting area. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

When faced with a flop shot over a bunker, an escape from thick rough or a tricky pitch shot from an awkward lie, golfers often open the face of their wedge and swing from out to in, clipping the ball up instead of hitting it solidly from a square stance. With that in mind, Cleveland developed the RTX Full-Face 2 wedges with a higher toe to create extra usable hitting area. Weight was also removed from the hosel area by engineering it with a lighter, low-density material. Cleveland calls it ZipCore, and by reducing the weight of the hosel and making the toe area higher, the ideal hitting area and center of gravity are pulled more into the center of the face for better performance. ZipCore is not new, but the RTX Full-Face 2 has 96 percent more ZipCore material than previously released ZipCore wedges, so the effect is magnified.

To help golfers generate more spin, Cleveland gave the RTX Full-Face 2 grooves over the entire hitting area, along with HydraZip. This new surface roughening treatment combines laser-milled lines between the main grooves and a blasting treatment to increase friction.

The gap wedges (50 and 52 degrees) are designed with an S-shaped sole that has 8 degrees of bounce, making them play more like an extension of a player’s irons and ideally suited for full-swing shots from the fairway and greenside chips. The sand wedges (54 and 56 degrees) have soles with the same shape, but they come standard with 10 degrees of bounce. Lob wedges (56, 60 and 64 degrees) have extra material removed from the heel and toe areas and feature a C-shaped sole that has 8 degrees of bounce.

In addition to the Tour Satin finish, Cleveland is making the RTX Full-Face 2 wedges available in a raw-steel version the company calls Tour Rack.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Cleveland RTX Full-Face Tour Satin Wedge” link=”https://worldwidegolfshops.pxf.io/2194K0″]

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Cleveland RTX Full-Face Tour Rack Wedge” link=”https://worldwidegolfshops.pxf.io/zN9Jj0″]

Titleist releases WedgeWorks 60 A Grind wedge

Wyndham Clark is among the players on the PGA Tour who routinely carry an A Grind wedge.

[mm-video type=video id=01gs6py4tf3zkqhy3pmp playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gs6py4tf3zkqhy3pmp/01gs6py4tf3zkqhy3pmp-0409f1107b10a8850b1fc4ac51d0ad50.jpg]

Titleist has just announced the release of the 60-degree Vokey Design SM9 A Grind through its WedgeWorks program, a club that is rooted in Australia but has become a go-to short game tool for 2023 U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark.

Bob Vokey, Titleist’s wedge guru, has said for years that bounce is your friend and that most golfers need to have more bounce in their wedges. Bounce, the back flange that extends below the leading edge of the club, helps a wedge avoid digging in turf and sand, adding a level of forgiveness. However, in some specific instances, having too much bounce designed into a wedge can be detrimental. For example, if the ground is hard, or the sand is compacted, the bounce on the back of a sand wedge or lob wedge can make the club ricochet off the ground and result in thin contact.

The A Grind wedge, offered to the public for the first time, has 60 degrees of loft and just 4 degrees of bounce.

Titleist’s PGA Tour rep for Vokey wedges, Aaron Dill, developed the A Grind after discussing classic Australian courses with Geoff Ogilvy.

Titleist Vokey A Grind
Titleist Vokey A Grind wedge. (Titleist)

“I asked him some specific questions which resulted in an idea to design another lob wedge grind option that complemented the firm links-style conditions that players face, not just in Australia and Europe, but globally,” Dill said. “Geoff has always been a low bounce player in his 60-degree, so I took his 60.04L wedge and removed the ribbon, resulting in a grind that moves through the turf quickly with very little resistance.”

The ribbon Dill referred to is the seam in the metal that divides one area of the sole from another. Taking it out of Ogilvy’s 60-degree L Grind wedge resulted in a wider sole with a smooth bottom that retained its low bounce. So, on tight lies, in bunkers with little sand or very hard, compacted sand, skilled players can still get the leading edge of the A Grind lob wedge under the ball and achieve cleaner contact.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CtmPe6WxOaA/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Wyndham Clark is among the players on the PGA Tour who routinely carry an A Grind wedge.

“The most important club for me, probably in my bag, is this A grind,” he said, noting that its versatility allowed him to use the club on tight lies, in wet conditions and hard lies to create the trajectory and spin he needed.

Max Homa used an A Grind at last season’s British Open at Royal Liverpool and Tom Kim has used an A Grind in his PGA Tour wins.

The Titleist WedgeWorks A Grind is only available in a right-hand version in a raw-steel finish and can be purchased for $225 at vokey.com.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4 category=1364]

Best affordable wedges for 2023

Update your short game without breaking the bank.

The importance of nice wedges in amateur golf flies under the radar a bit. Many weekend warriors complain about not getting enough spin around the greens, hopelessly watching their chip shots run 10, 20, or 30 feet beyond the hole.

To be honest, the bad result may not be your fault.

If your wedges are starting to get wear marks, or if they’re approaching 5, 6, or 7 years old, it’s time to get some new wedges in your bag.

And because they can be expensive — new releases can get close to $200 per club — we’ve searched the internet for the best deals you can find on wedges from brands like Cleveland, Callaway, TaylorMade and more.

If you’re interested in saving more money throughout your bag, check out our recently released affordable drivers list.

Tour Edge Exotics Wingman wedges

Tour Edge’s new Exotics Wingman wedges have a high-toe design, offset and polymer inserts to soften the feel.

Gear: Tour Edge Exotics Wingman wedges
Price: $139.99 each with True Temper Dynamic Gold 115 Wedge shaft.
Specs: Forged stainless steel with polymer inserts and an adjustable weight. Even lofts from 50 degrees to 60 degrees in three sole grinds with five different bounce options
Available: Oct. 2

Who It’s For: Golfers who want a softer feel and more forgiveness on shots around the green.

The Skinny: Tour Edge designed a high-toe wedge with weight removed from the back flange, then added thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) to soften the feel.

The Deep Dive: Elite golfers rarely want to look down at their irons and see a significant amount of offset because the more offset an iron has, the more challenging it can be to curve the ball intentionally and shape shots. However, back in the day, wedges were designed with offset, and many golfers who were elite in the 1980s and ’90s still love to use wedges with offset because it can help them keep their hands in front of the leading edge and promote solid contact on chips. Bernhard Langer is among them, and he recently asked Tour Edge to make him some wedges that had extra offset. The company’s R&D team got to work and developed wedges that pleased the German Hall-of-Famer, and now those clubs, the Exotics Wingman wedges, are being released.

Tour Edge Exotics Wingman Wedge
The Exotics Wingman wedge’s offset pushes the leading edge back so your hands stay forward at impact. (Tour Edge)

Each Exotics Wingman wedge is forged for an enhanced feel and features a new Triple-Traction face design. After Tour Edge mills the main grooves into the high-toe-shaped hitting area, microgrooves are milled between each main groove to add surface roughness and increase friction. The combination of the high-toe and multi-groove pattern on the face is designed to allow golfers to get more spin on a wide variety of shots and increase their ability to be creative around the greens.

To further enhance the feel, Tour Edge removed some of the stainless steel in the heel and toe areas of the back of the heads and replaced it with a polymer called Vibrcor. The material soaks up excessive vibrations and softens the feel of impact.

Tour Edge Exotics Wingman Wedge
Adding TPU inserts to the back of the head and extra mass high in the toe softens feel and helps to create lower-flying approach shots. (Tour Edge)

Removing the steel on the bottom of the heads, and adding more material high in the toe area, pulls the center of gravity (CG) location up. Combined with the addition of the offset, Tour Edge feels that golfers should benefit from solid contact and a lower, more-controlled flight on approach shots and pitch shots.

Golfers will see an adjustable weight on the back of the Exotics Wingman wedges. It is not meant to be changed by players, but fitters can swap the standard 5-gram weight for other weights to adjust the club’s swing weight based on its length and golfer preferences.

Tour Edge Exotics Wingman Wedge
The Exotics Wingman wedges are available in three sole grinds. (Tour Edge)

Finally, the Exotics Wingman wedges will be offered in three different sole grinds:

  • M/N Grind (Medium Turf/Neutral Path): Available in lofts from 50 to 60 degrees, this wedge grind is highly versatile and has 10 degrees of bounce.
  • F/S Grind (Firm Turf/Sweeping Path): Available as a sand wedge or lob wedge in lofts from 54 to 60 degrees, this low-bounce option (6-8 degrees) is designed to get the leading edge under the ball on tight lies.
  • S/D Grind (Soft Turf/Digging Path): Ideally suited to golfers who play in soft conditions or who have a steep angle of attack, this high-bounce option (12-14 degrees) should help players keep the club moving through impact in fluffy sand and thick rough.

Mizuno T24 wedges: Discover how they create more spin and versatility

See how Mizuno T24 wedges combine more spin and greenside versatility.

Gear: Mizuno T24 wedges
Price: $180 each with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts and Golf Pride MCC grips
Specs: Forged 1025 carbon steel infused with Boron. Available in even lofts from 46 degrees to 60 degrees in three finishes (Raw, Soft White Satin, Denim Copper) and in five sole configurations.
Available: September 14

[mm-video type=video id=01h97d5zrbx1yw0dgme3 playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01h97d5zrbx1yw0dgme3/01h97d5zrbx1yw0dgme3-1dc0d6614d4982bc998181b5c12d131b.jpg]

Who It’s For: Golfers who love a traditional-looking wedge designed to enhance feel, consistency and spin.

The Skinny: The combination of a thinner topline, shorter blade length, loft-specific grooves and five different sole grinds makes the T24 wedge family the most versatile in the brand’s history.

The Deep Dive: Over the past several seasons, Mizuno has tried several innovative ways to help golfers get better performance around the greens, going so far as to offer the larger, hollow-bodied ES21 wedges. The release of the new T24 wedges blends several different features and design elements in a classic-looking wedge that has been made to appeal to a wide range of players.

The T24 wedges are made using grain flow forged 1025 carbon steel that is infused with Boron. Mizuno has added Boron in some irons since 2014 because it makes the carbon steel harder without sacrificing the soft feel. In wedges, that means the edges of the grooves should be more durable, so spin deterioration will not happen as quickly.

Compared to the T22 wedges they replace, the T24 wedges have a thinner topline and a more compact shape. The pitching wedges and gap wedges (46-52 degrees) have iron-style looks and are slightly-more angular than the sand wedges and lob wedges (54-60 degrees), which have a more-rounded shape. All the T24 wedges and have extra mass designed behind the top of the hitting area to elevate the center of gravity location, which should make it easier to flight approach shots down for more control.

Mizuno T24
The Mizuno T24 has extra mass located high in the back of the head, but golfers cant’ see it when they address the ball. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

Mizuno was the first manufacturer to design different grooves for different wedges based on their lofts, and that benefit is found in the T24. Pitching wedges and gap wedges (46-52 degrees) have thinner, deeper, iron-style grooves because golfers tend to use those clubs from the fairway as extensions of their iron set. Sand wedges and lob wedges (54-60 degrees), however, get wider, shallower grooves to help channel water and debris off the hitting surface and protect spin. In the T24 wedges, the grooves themselves have been modified to be sharper, to create more spin, while staying in the USGA groove rule restrictions.

Mizuno T24
Grooves in the Mizuno T24 san wedges and lob wedges are wider and shallower to move water and debris off the hitting surface. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

Mizuno has also changed how many grooves each T24 wedge has, with pitching wedges and gap wedges now having 17 grooves packed tightly on the face while, like an iron. At the same time, the sand wedges and lob wedges have 15 grooves. According to Mizuno, having numerically fewer grooves on the higher-lofted wedges allows them to grab the golf ball’s cover more effectively and generate extra spin.

Between each groove, Mizuno has added a microgroove pattern to increase friction. The microgrooves are under the chrome plating, so you can’t see them, but they are visible on the Raw finished wedges. Keeping the microgrooves under the chrome plating increases their durability.

Mizuno T24
Mizuno T24 wedges come in five different sole configurations. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

The T24 wedges are available in five different sole grinds, with each designed to excel in different conditions and ideally suited for different styles and shot types.

  • S Grind (46-54 degrees): Think of this as a standard, straight sole with some heel relief the S Grind will perform like an extension of a player’s iron set, but the heel relief should allow it to be used on chip shots more effectively.
  • D Grind (54-58 degrees): A versatile grind with heel and toe relief and moderate bounce in the center of the sole for players who want traditional versatility around the greens.
  • C Grind (56-60 degrees): Thin offering combines the heel and toe relief of the D Grind but with less bounce for players who sweep the ball or who are faced with firm conditions and wet, packed sand.
  • X Grind (58-60 degrees): For skilled players, this is the lowest-bounce option among Mizuno’s lob wedges. It has extreme heel and toe relief to help golf clip the ball off tight lies. The X Grind is the widest sole, making it a good option for players who struggle in bunkers.
  • V Grind (58-60 degrees): A new grind for Mizuno, the V is a high-bounce option with trailing edge relief. A seam running from heel to toe creates a V-shape on the bottom of the club to help this wedge pop out of sand and turf more easily.

Below are several close-up images of the new Mizuno T24 wedges.

Discover how TaylorMade MG4 wedges create more spin

TaylorMade MG4 wedges excel in wet conditions and generate loads of spin.

Gear: TaylorMade MG4 wedges
Price: $179.99 each with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue 115 Wedge shaft and Lamkin Crossline 360 grip.
Specs: Cast 8620 carbon steel with a raw-steel hitting area and seven different milled sole grinds. Even lofts from 46 degrees to 60 degrees.
Available: NOW

[mm-video type=video id=01h7zqhwhjdyz44ajasw playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01h7zqhwhjdyz44ajasw/01h7zqhwhjdyz44ajasw-39e57d2f11345c88391d3f163a4a2a71.jpg]

Who It’s For: Golfers who want more shortgame spin, especially in wet conditions, along with several sole grind options.

The Skinny: TaylorMade designed a new surface-roughening pattern to the raw steel face of the MG4 wedges to help golfers create more spin, especially in wet conditions. That spin, combined with more sole grind options, should create more shortgame versatility for golfers.

The Deep Dive: While TaylorMade’s driver designers work hard to create low-spinning options to help golfers hit straighter, longer tee shots, wedge makers constantly seek ways to increase spin. Around the greens, the more spin players can generate on chips, pitch shots and approach shots, the more control they have over the golf ball. With the release of the new MG4 wedges (Milled Grind 4), TaylorMade feels that it has the highest-spinning, most versatile family of wedges yet, which should lead to more short-game options for golfers.

Each MG4 wedge ships with a sticker that covers the hitting area. It is designed to be peeled off after you buy the club because, while the chromed back and hosel are exposed, the raw steel hitting area will start to rust with exposure to air and moisture.

The MG3 wedges that TaylorMade released two years ago featured Raised Micro-Ribs between each of the main grooves. Those are gone, replaced in the MG4 with a new surface-roughening pattern that TaylorMade calls Spin Tread. TaylorMade uses a laser to etch the design at a 45-degree angle to the central grooves, and if you rub your thumb back and forth over the hitting area, you can feel how scratchy the hitting area is compared to the smooth chrome areas of the head.

TaylorMade MG4 wedges
The Spin Tread is designed to get water off the face more effectively, to protect spin in wet conditions. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop TM MG4 wedges” link=”https://globalgolf.pxf.io/y29RmV”]

However, the Spin Trend design’s most significant advantage is revealed in wet conditions. The laser-etched pattern allows water to get off the face more effectively, so on shots you play from fairways that are damp with morning dew and from wet rough, the MG4 is designed to help you generate more spin. Compared to the MG3 wedge it replaces, TaylorMade’s research showed the MG4 creates a nearly-identical spin rate on 56-degree pitch shots but almost 1,000 rpm more spin in wet conditions with a slightly lower launch angle. That means the ball slides up the face less in wet conditions and retains more spin, which should translate to more control and consistency.

TaylorMade’s research also showed engineers that the Spin Trend helped increase spin durability compared to the Raised Micro-Ribs in the MG3.

To enhance feel, TaylorMade thickened the back flange, the lower portion of the head directly behind the hitting area and removed mass from high in the toe. The tweaks are subtle, but staff players like Collin Morikawa and Rory McIlroy said the impact feels softer, deeper and more solid when compared with MG3. 

Finally, TaylorMade is still milling the sole of each MG4 wedge to increase the manufacturing consistency from club to club, but now the brand is offering several more sole-grind options.

TaylorMade is still offering its standard four sole grind options, along with three new sole grinds:

  • Low Bounce: 56-60 degrees of loft with 8 degrees of bounce
  • Standard Bounce: 46-60 degrees of loft and 9-11 degrees of bounce
  • High Bounce: 54-60 degrees of loft with 12-14 degrees of bounce
  • Tiger Woods Grind: 56 and 60 degrees of loft with 11-12 degrees of bounce
  • (NEW) Standard Bounce C-Grind: The new SBC comes as a 58- and 60-degree lob wedge with 9 degrees of bounce. It is designed with extra bounce and curvature (camber) in the middle, with heel, toe and trailing-edge relief.
  • (NEW) Low-Bounce V Grind: Available as a 58- and 60-degree lob wedge, the LBV has 7 degrees of bounce and is ideally suited to players with a shallow attack angle and who play in firm conditions. Scottie Scheffler and Tommy Fleetwood have tested this model, and it requires precision.
  • (NEW) High-Bounce W Grind: The HBW comes as a 58- and 60-degree lob wedge with 13 degrees of bounce. It has the widest sole of any MG4 wedge, making it the most forgiving choice in soft conditions, greenside bunkers and deep rough.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop all versions of the TM MG4 Wedge” link=”https://globalgolf.pxf.io/y29RmV”]

Here are several close-up looks at the new TaylorMade MG4 wedges. 

See close-up images of Titleist’s limited-edition 54-degree M Grind wedge

Titleist is making a limited-edition 54-degree M Grind wedge available through its WedgeWorks program.

[mm-video type=video id=01gs6py4tf3zkqhy3pmp playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gs6py4tf3zkqhy3pmp/01gs6py4tf3zkqhy3pmp-0409f1107b10a8850b1fc4ac51d0ad50.jpg]

Asking Titleist’s wedge guru, Bob Vokey, which of the numerous wedge designs that bare his name is his favorite is like asking parents which of their children they love the most, but pushed a little, the man they call “Voke” confesses that the M Grind probably tops his list.

“M stands for most favorite,” he confessed to Golfweek a few years ago.

The Vokey Design M Grind wedge has historically been available in 56, 58, 60 and 62-degree versions, but now Titleist is making a limited-edition 54-degree M Grind wedge available through its WedgeWorks program. WedgeWorks is the boutique division of the Vokey wedge business that allows golfers to customize their clubs, get unique grinds and buy Vokey-branded merchandise.

“The M grind is a medium bounce wedge that features a heel, toe and trailing edge sole grind,” Vokey said. “It is for players who want a sand wedge to play in medium to firm soil conditions or firmer bunkers. It is also ideal for the golfer with a shallower, neutral, or more sweeping delivery who likes to play shots around the greens with the face in a variety of orientations or positions.”

The limited-edition WedgeWorks 54-degree M Grind wedge will only be available in a right-hand version with a raw steel finish that will gradually rust over time with exposure to air and water. It will come standard with a True Temper Dynamic Gold S200 shaft and a Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 grip for $225. Through the WedgeWorks program, custom stamping and paintfill options are available

Below are several close-up looks at the WedgeWorks 54-degree M Grind wedge.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4 category=1364]

Callaway CB Wedges

Callaway CB Wedges are game-improvement wedges for mid- and high-handicap golfers.

Gear: Callaway CB Wedges
Price: $159.99 each with True Temper Elevate 95 Wedge steel shaft or Project X Catalyst graphite shaft and Golf Pride Tour Velvet grip
Specs: Cast stainless steel with urethane insert. Even lofts from 48 degrees to 60 degrees
Available: July 7

Who They’re For: Golfers who struggle in greenside sand and from the rough around the green, but who also way some shortgame versatility.

The Skinny: With an ultra-wide sole, perimeter weighting and vibration-dampening technology taken from Callaway’s game-improvement irons, the updated CB wedges should help mid- and higher-handicap golfers gain consistency around the greens.

The Deep Dive: Callaway staff players such as Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele use the company’s JAWS Raw wedges to maximize spin, control and feel on chip shots, pitches and bunker shots. In the hands of shortgame artists such as those, the wedges can make a golf ball dance like Shakira.

But there are plenty of recreational golfers who struggle to get the ball out of greenside bunkers consistently, who lack touch on pitch shots and who either chunk chips or skull them across the green. These types of players use game-improvement irons for extra forgiveness, and Callaway just released an update to its CB wedges to offer similar forgiveness around the greens.

Replacing the Mack Daddy CB that was released in 2020, the CB wedges have perimeter weighting to increase stability on every shot and the same JAWS grooves found in Callaway’s muscleback wedges to help golfers maximize spin. On the pitching wedge and gap wedges (48, 50 and 52 degrees), the grooves are arranged like iron grooves, but on the sand wedges and lob wedges (54, 56, 58 and 60 degrees), the grooves cover the entire hitting area.

The biggest upgrade, however, is the addition of urethane microspheres to the back of the heads. This is a technology that Callaway has used to absorb vibration in many of its hollow-body irons for years, but it has never been added to a wedge before now. Encased in a black piece behind the club, the urethane microspheres make the impact sound more solid, and the sound itself is shorter in duration.

The soles of the CB wedges are very wide, and the bounce transitions with loft, going from 10 and 12 degrees in the pitching wedge and gap wedges to 14 degrees in the 54- and 56-degree clubs and back to 12 degrees in the 58- and 60-degree models.

While golfers will not have sole grind options in the CB family, Callaway designed each CB wedge with a tri-sole design that has multiple bounce areas. There is a subtle C-Grind behind the leading edge that should help when golfers hit chip shots with a neutral stance and putting stroke, but the more significant bounce is farther back. Combined with the heel and toe relief and an open stance, it should help prevent the leading edge from digging into sand or thick rough.

Below are several close-up images of the new Callaway CB wedges.