The game of golf is often regarded as a highly technical sport because you need to be fully aware of what is used for every stroke of the game. There are several fundamental methods when it comes to playing the game that includes using specific irons for specific situations.
Getting to know the clubs
One of them is known as the wedge. Typically, wedges are irons as they are very specialized. The types of wedges usually used by golfers are sand, lob and gap wedges respectively.
There is another iron known as the pitch wedge which is commonly sold together with the full set of clubs. The pitch wedge is actually the 3-iron while the gap, sand and lob wedged are usually sold separately.
A wedge for every skill level
In most situations, the 3 wedges are sold as a 3-club item. Golfers like to call wedges the ‘scoring clubs’ Wedges are very popular with seasoned or experienced golfers. Beginner golf club sets usually come with a pitching wedge which will be suitable if you are starting out in the game.
Here, sand wedges are most common for all players while advanced golfers will use the gap and lob wedges especially when they want to get accuracy in their shot. What makes wedges so unique is that they have the shortest shafts among the clubs.
From there, they get the highest lofts which very much determine the name of the club. As such, a lob wedge could be called a ‘0-degree wedge’ that tells the golfer what to expect from this iron.
A log edge allows the player to hit the ball high and then drop steeply onto where he wants the ball. On top of that, he wouldn’t want many rolls at the point of contact.
Meanwhile, a sand wedge is, as the name implies designed to make shots out of sand bunkers which could be a simple 56-degree wedge.
The sand wedge is the iron that experienced golfers like to use because for them, getting the ball out of the sand bunker is actually one of the easiest (with the right equipment of course).
After all, the wedge if used properly is able to produce a shot that is high and elevated and very useful if you are trying to get over a tree or over a pond.
Best Wedges for the coming year
Each year, new models are released by the top golf brands. When it comes to wedges, brands will go to great lengths to ensure they have the latest in the market.
If you are serious about your game, you would find the best wedge club to suit your game. The Pros will typically keep their sand and lob wedges separately.
Here are some of the wedges that would be interesting for the coming year.
Callaway JAWS Full Toe
This classy club comes with cast stainless steel and chrome finishes at the sole, back and neck. Because they use raw steel on the faces, they put a sticker over it which might rust. According to them, the rust could be favorable as it would improve the roughness of the surface.
This one comes with a raised toe where the groove pattern extends to the face. The face can be opened when hitting at the bunker so that players can have a larger grooved (and probably rusted) area.
Callaway PM Grind
Callaway’s wedges are just taking the year by storm and with their Callaway PM Grind, this would be yet another cool addition to the bag.
Made with 8620 carbon steel, it comes with several lofts (54, 56, 58, 60 and 64). It has a high toe which will cover a much larger surface.
For this edition, they have added micro-grooves in the face which are designed to grab the ball on impact.
Cleveland CBX ZipCore
The Cleveland CBX ZipCore will be the third generation of the CBX series. On this, they have put in Cleveland’s revolutionary ZipCore design elements where they have replaced some steel with some strong but much lighter material in the head.
With this, perimeter weighting can be created while offering better stability.
Cobra King
Cobra clubs are undeniably known for quality and style. With their Cobra King, they now come with stainless steel with CNC face and groves. They also make it with 3 sole grinds where they have maintained the retro Cobra design, especially when they put the logo on the back.
The grooves vary in size and depth which depends on the loft of the club. They put in iron-like grooves on their pitching and gap wedges. This is unlike their sand and lob wedges which are wider and have shallower grooves.
Mizuno T22
The new Mizuno T22 wedges come with forged 1025 boron steel and lofts between 45 and 62 degrees with 4 grind options for the sole.
Boron is not a new thing with Mizuno clubs which have been doing this since 2016 onwards. Since it is harder than the common carbon steel, Mizuno is able to give more durability with its clubs while creating more grooves.
They make the grooves deep and narrow on their pitching and gap wedges so that they can give you the irons feel while making it wider and deeper with their sand and lob wedges to overcome sand and water.
Ping Glide Forged Pro
The Ping Glide Forged Pro is made with 8620 carbon steel finished with a milled face and grooves. This water-repellent face comes with 2 sole grinds.
They made the gap wedges that look like most irons with wider and shallower grooves on their sand and lob wedges designed to stop water and debris from contacting the surface on impact.
TaylorMade Milled Grind 3
No list is ever complete with TaylorMade and next year, get set for the TaylorMade Milled Grind 3. Made with 8620 carbon steel, they come with 3 bounce versions namely low, standard and high.
They included raised micro-ribs on the hitting area (raw steel) so that there can be more friction. The raw-steel technology was first introduced when they launched the MG2 and has become a popular inclusion now. Besides the Milled Grind 3, TaylorMade also has several others like their Milled Grind 2, Milled Grind Hi-Toe Raw and their TaylorMade Hi-Toe Big Foot Raw.
Wilson Staff Model Tour Grind
Wilson golf has the Staff Model Tour Grind wedge to offer. This is made with forged 8620 carbon steel which will give you a soft feel but strong one when hitting. They only come in the sand and lob wedges. They have rounded out the heel and toe areas which means it is easier to get out of sand and water.
