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.
- Callaway Wedge Selector
- Cleveland Wedge Selector
- Ping Web Wedge
- TaylorMade Wedge Selector
- Titleist Vokey Design Wedge Selector.
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.
Callaway JAWS Raw wedge. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
Price: $179.99 each with True Temper Dynamic Gold Spinner steel shaft and Lamkin UTx Charcoal grip. $189.99 with Project X Catalyst 80 graphite shaft.
Specs: Cast stainless steel with tungsten insert. Available in even lofts between 48 and 60 degrees and in four sole-grind configurations.
Who it’s for: Golfers looking for extra spin around the greens and wedges that look like they came straight off a PGA Tour van.
Excerpt: “To further improve performance, Callaway added two tungsten weights to the toe area of the lob wedges and one tungsten weight to the sand wedges. Adding more mass in that area helps counteract the weight of the hosel and pulls the ideal hitting area into the center of the face. The gap wedges and pitching wedge do not have tungsten.”
The Callaway JAWS Raw Full Toe J Grind wedge. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
Price: $179.99 each with True Temper Dynamic Gold Spinner steel shaft and Lamkin UTx Charcoal grip. $189.99 with Project X Catalyst 80 graphite shaft.
Specs: Cast stainless steel. Available in 54-, 56-, 58-, and 60-degree options. Chrome and raw black finishes.
Who it’s for: Golfers looking for extra spin around the greens and wedges that look like they came straight off a PGA Tour van.
Excerpt: “The Full Toe design is a high-toe wedge, but the peak in the toe area is not as severe as it is in the Callaway PM Grind. They are designed to create a larger hitting area, especially when you open the face, but for golfers who have never played a high-toe wedge, the look in the address position is not as jarring.”
Callaway CB wedge. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
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
Who They’re For: Golfers who struggle in greenside sand and from the rough around the green, but who also way some shortgame versatility.
Excerpt: “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.”
Cleveland RTX Full-Face 2 wedges. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
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
Who It’s For: Golfers who want versatility on open-face shots around the green.
Excerpt: “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.”
Cleveland CBX 4 ZipCore wedges (David Dusek/Golfweek)
Price: $169.99 each with KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 115 steel shaft and Lamkin Crossline 360 grip, $179.99 with UST Recoil Dart 80 Wedge graphite shaft
Specs: Cast stainless steel heads with vibration-dampening gel insert
Who It’s For: Mid- and higher-handicap golfers who rely on cavity-back irons for forgiveness and want the same thing in their short game.
Excerpt: “They have a traditional look in the address position, but by making the heel area lighter thanks to the ZipCore material and added mass around the perimeter of the head, the RTX 6 ZipCore wedges will “play bigger” than traditionally-weighted wedges like Cleveland’s RTX 6 ZipCore. Compared to the previous CBX ZipCore wedges, Cleveland claims these clubs feature a 7 percent increase in heel/toe moment of inertia (MOI) and a 5.8 percent increase in high/low MOI.” 
Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore wedges. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
Price: $169.99 each with True Temper Dynamic Gold Spinner shaft and Lamkin Crossline 360 grip.
Specs: Cast stainless steel. Available in four sole grinds and even lofts from 46 to 60 degrees.
Who It’s For: Golfers who want to maximize spin around the green from a variety of lies.
Excerpt: “Cleveland said the combination of the new HydraZip treatment and UltiZip grooves produces slightly more spin on dry shots, while in wet conditions the new RTX 6 ZipCore wedges can create up to 43 percent more spin for added control.”
Mizuno T24 wedges. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
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.
Who It’s For: Golfers who love a traditional-looking wedge designed to enhance feel, consistency and spin.
Excerpt: “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.”
Mizuno S23 wedges (David Dusek/Golfweek)
Price: $160 each with KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 115 shafts and Golf Pride Z Grip
Specs: Forged 1020E mild carbon steel infused with Boron. White Satin or Copper Cobalt finishes in four sole grind options. Lofts from 45-62 degrees.
Who It’s For: Golfers who want more stability and spin with custom-grind options for greenside versatility.
Excerpt: “Between each groove, Mizuno has added its Hydroflow microgrooves, which are a series of laser-etched grooves that cover the entire hitting area. The microgrooves add roughness and increase friction for added spin. The pattern of microgrooves changes based on the club’s loft, with the pattern getting more tightly packed in the sand wedge and lob wedges (54 to 62 degrees).”
The Ping s159 wedge. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
Price: $197 each with Z-Z115 steel shafts and Dylawedge grips. $212 each with Alta CB Black graphite shaft.
Specs: Cast 8620 carbon stainless steel with water-repellant coating and vibration-absorbing polymer. Available in even lofts from 46 to 62 degrees in Chrome and Midnight finishes.
Who It’s For: Golfers who want variety around the green and spin retention in wet conditions.
Excerpt: “while most wedges tend to lose a few hundred rpm of spin and launch the ball on a higher angle in wet conditions, the s159 wedges do something interesting. The combination of the grooves, surface-roughening treatment and the Hydropearl 2.0 finish in the Chrome wedges works so well that Ping’s internal studies showed that on 50-yard pitch shots, the Chrome s159 wedge created about 200 rpm more spin and launched on a slightly-lower lower angle in wet conditions than dry conditions.”
Ping Glide 4.0 wedges (David Dusek/Golfweek)
Price: $200 each
Specs: Cast 8620 carbon steel with an elastomer insert. Available in four sole grind options and even lofts from 46 to 60 degrees.
Who they’re for: Golfers who want softer-feel wedges and a variety of sole grinds.
Excerpt: “The elastomer piece, positioned on the back of the hitting area, is so soft you can press it down with your thumb. It soaks up excessive vibrations and, along with the 8620 carbon steel, enhances the sensation a player feels when the ball hits the face.”
PXG 0311 3X Forged wedges. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
Price: $179 each
Specs: Forged 8620 carbon steel in Chrome or Xtreme Dark finish. Even lofts from 50 degrees to 62 degrees.
Who it’s For: Golfers who want a clean, classic-looking wedge with forged feel.
Excerpt: “The PXG 0311 3X Forged wedges have a high-toe design and grooves that cover the entire hitting area. Forged three times using 8620 carbon steel, the 0311 3X Forged wedges have a high-toe design that many players prefer because it provides a larger, more versatile hitting area, especially when you open the face on flop shots and in bunkers.”
PXG 0311 Sugar Daddy wedges. (PXG)
Price: $499 each
Specs: Forged and milled 8620 carbon steel with tungsten weights. Even lofts from 50-62 degrees. Available in Chrome and Xtreme Dark finishes
Who It’s For: Golfers with deep pockets who will spare no expense to get more feel and control around the greens.
Excerpt: “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.”
TaylorMade MG4 wedges. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
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.
Who It’s For: Golfers who want more shortgame spin, especially in wet conditions, along with several sole grind options.
Excerpt: “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.”
TaylorMade Hi-Toe 3 wedges. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
Price: $179 each with KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 shaft and Lamkin Crossline 360 Round grip.
Specs: Cast 8620 stainless steel with raw-steel hitting area and milled sole. Even lofts from 50 to 60 degrees.
Who it’s For: Golfers looking for increased spin and a larger hitting area on open-faced shots around the greens.
Excerpt: “Behind the face at the top of the toe area is a small weight pad. Combined with the hollowed-out portions in the lower-back region of the club, it helps elevate the center of gravity, which should help golfers flight their pitch shots and fuller-swing approach shots lower for increased control.”
Titleist Vokey Design SM10 wedge. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
Price: $189 each
Specs: Cast 8620 carbon steel stainless steel. Even lofts from 46 to 62 degrees, six sole grinds and three finishes.
Who It’s For: Golfers who want to maximize spin and versatility around the green while enhancing feel.
Excerpt: “Since the release of the SM6 wedges in 2016, the center of gravity (CG) location in Vokey wedges gets progressively higher as lofts increase. While extra mass low in the stronger lofts helps them produce a ball flight that extends a player’s iron set, adding mass to a higher position behind the topline, in the higher-lofted clubs, pulls the CG location up and encourages a lower flight.”
