You’ve lost 2,500rpm of spin if your wedge is from 2017. Get it back and more with 2020’s best.
We considered 26 models; 12 made the list.
GOLD
LISTED ALPHABETICALLY
Callaway
jaws md5
Performance ★★★★½
Innovation ★★★★★
Look • Sound • Feel ★★★★½
Demand ★★★★
VERDICT
The MD5’s primary objective is providing more spin on the partial shots as you get closer to the green. Rather than traditional vertical-groove walls, the grooves on the higher lofts feature walls that angle away from the base, exposing the edges for better grab. Milled ridges between the grooves also help with spin. A new low-bounce version added to the company’s W-grind (wide sole) provides heel relief for the higher-lofted wedges.
COMMENT
“I could check it or roll it greenside. In the sand
or thick rough, the ball comes out effortlessly.”
Cleveland
cbx2 • full face
Performance ★★★★½
Innovation ★★★★★
Look • Sound • Feel ★★★★½
Demand ★★★
VERDICT
On this everyman wedge, the cavity-back and hidden, hollowed-out areas in the hosel and heel nudge the sweet spot towards the toe where Cleveland says average golfers hit it. The soles vary in width throughout the set to match average-player needs. This regular Joe wedge has a tour-pro face with milled and laser-etched surface roughness and grooves. High-loft options with larger faces and grooves that stretch across the face are available.
COMMENT
“Awesome divot action.
A lot of effort went into designing that sole. I liked the softness, too.”
Cobra
king mim
Performance ★★★★½
Innovation ★★★★½
Look • Sound • Feel ★★★★½
Demand ★★
VERDICT
Cobra uses a metal-injection moulding process to construct the head rather than the usual forging or casting. This method, which includes a custom blend of two kinds of steel, reduces hand polishing, leading to a softer metal and keeping the integrity of the sole shaping and weighting. The face’s spiral-milling pattern provides surface roughness on square and open-face shots. New for 2020: twice as many loft-sole options.
COMMENT
“The gunmetal is glare-free. The leading edge
sits clean; perfect turf interaction and good spin.”
Mizuno
t20
Performance ★★★★½
Innovation ★★★★½
Look • Sound • Feel ★★★★½
Demand ★★
VERDICT
When designing the face of its new T20, Mizuno looked at tyre treads for inspiration. The texture of the face aims to increase friction in dry conditions and channel moisture upward and away from the face when it’s wet. Mizuno’s loft-specific design – narrow and deep in the stronger lofts; wider and shallow in the weaker lofts – matches groove shape to the typical shots played by each loft. There’s also an extra groove low for better grab on partial shots.
COMMENT
“Nearly impossible to chunk.
Perfect, shallow little divots.
Easy to use the bounce how ever you want.”
Ping
glide 3.0
Performance ★★★★½
Innovation ★★★★★
Look • Sound • Feel ★★★★½
Demand ★★★
VERDICT
To enhance feel and forgiveness, the Glide 3.0 combines a stainless-steel head with a large elastomer insert in the rear cavity. “Wheel-cut” grooves, which feature two profiles based on loft, produce a sharper-edge radius to create more friction and spin. The higher lofts even add half a groove low on the face for better spin off the tightest lies. Finally, there’s an updated, bunker-friendly Eye2 look among the four sole grinds.
COMMENT
“The club’s weight goes fully through impact.
With any contact, the ball went where I wanted.”
TaylorMade
milled grind 2.0 • hi-toe
Performance ★★★★½
Innovation ★★★★★
Look • Sound • Feel ★★★★½
Demand ★★★★
VERDICT
The distinctive Hi-Toe look receives attention, but the update to the classic-looking Milled Grind might catch your eye even more, thanks to its raw, unplated face. The idea is that eliminating the chrome layer allows for a cleaner, sharper groove. The new raw face and groove construction – a narrow, deep shape based on Tiger Woods’ specs – offer twice the friction of a plated face for dramatic improvements when there’s moisture.
COMMENT
“One of the best in terms of feel. Consistent on
a variety of shots, and the trajectory was spot-on.”
Titleist
vokey design sm8
Performance ★★★★★
Innovation ★★★★★
Look • Sound • Feel ★★★★★
Demand ★★★★★
VERDICT
Past Vokey versions have focused on perfecting a progressive centre of gravity where the CG is higher as loft increases to control spin and trajectory. That philosophy continues here, but this club also pushes the CG forward by lengthening the hosel and adding tungsten to the toe. This minimises dynamic loft at impact for a consistently stable feel, particularly in half-wedge shots. As before, there are two groove shapes based on loft to optimise spin.
COMMENT
“An OK wedge if you’re into perfection. Answered every ask.
Modern update but still classic looks.”
SILVER
LISTED ALPHABETICALLY
Fourteen
dj-4
Performance ★★★★
Innovation ★★★★
Look • Sound • Feel ★★★★
Demand ★
VERDICT
The game-improvement appearance might cause you to overlook the subtleties of this players wedge. Notable is the versatile sole, which uses its leading-edge angle to facilitate clean contact on full swings from the fairway. It also relies on its width and ample bounce to power through deep rough and bunkers. The cavity-back provides forgiveness, and the thicker top of the blade raises the centre of gravity for better spin and trajectory control.
COMMENT
“Plows through the sand.
Plenty of spin whenever you need it. The weighting just feels right.”
Miura
tour wedge • hb • k-grind 2.0
Performance ★★★★
Innovation ★★★★
Look • Sound • Feel ★★★★
Demand ★
VERDICT
Miura’s heralded forging process is the foundation of these shapes, both classic and unique. The variable thickness on the back of the blade has more mass on the upper half for a higher centre of gravity to flatten trajectory. The distinctive “K Grind 2.0” features knuckle-size channels on the back of the sole to reduce resistance when in the bunker. For the first time in company history, the grooves are computer-milled for maximum volume and consistency.
COMMENT
“Those notches cut through everything smoothly.
Its stability on a variety of shots was apparent.”
Ping
glide forged
Performance ★★★★
Innovation ★★★★
Look • Sound • Feel ★★★★½
demand ★★
VERDICT
Compared to most wedges, the more compact shape and sole width fuels workability for skilled players and reduces turf resistance. A tapered, offset hosel harkens to Ping’s famous Eye2 wedge and helps the club skim through taller grass and sand. This also helps the face stay on its intended path so shots launch high and land softly. A “wheel-cut” precision-milled process results in sharp groove edges for increased friction.
COMMENT
“Easy to open the face.
The ball checks up beautifully and was smooth out of the sand.”
PXG
0311 forged
Performance ★★★★
Innovation ★★★★
Look • Sound • Feel ★★★★
Demand ★★
VERDICT
Hiding the weight redistribution was a cool trick. The slightly thicker toe section draws the centre of gravity higher and towards the centre of the clubhead for better transfer of energy and spin consistency. This weighting helps the playability on open-face shots and chips as well. The triple-forging process refines the head’s angles and curves, and the computer-milled face helps the grooves push the R&A/USGA limits on size and edge radius for better spin.
COMMENT
“Powerful feel with good distance control.
A nice rounded look with a sweet satin finish.”
Wilson
staff model • ht
Performance ★★★★
Innovation ★★★★
Look • Sound • Feel ★★★★½
Demand ★★
VERDICT
A higher-density groove pattern means tighter spacing. This allows the ball to engage more grooves (and more groove edges) at impact, creating spin and control, particularly on mid-range shots that don’t compress the ball as much. Constructed out of 8620 carbon steel for a softer feel, the Staff Model features a high-toe, wide-sole option with grooves that stretch across the face for more versatility and forgiveness around the greens.
COMMENT
“The low-profile is so clean, it’s hard not to have a soft touch.
Great backspin. Easy to flight low.”
Read on for more from the 2020 Hot List.
