Drivers get the glory. Wedges, however, do the dirty work that not only can set up birdies but also help golfers get out of trouble and save strokes.
Finding the ideal wedge may seem like a daunting task because there are so many factors to consider, including loft combinations, bounce and how a club’s finish and design suits your eye.
Take heart, because there has never been a greater variety of well-made, versatile wedges available to recreational golfers. A good custom fitter can help you understand which clubs are ideally suited to your swing, the playing conditions you face most often and the short-game shots you play.
Here are 10 wedges you might want to consider, along with two designed to help higher-handicap players with specific needs.
Bettinardi HLX 3.0
Bettinardi HLX 3 wedge
Price: $190
Lofts: 50-60 degrees
Made with 8620 carbon steel for a softer feel at impact, Bettinardi’s High Helix Cut machining process helps create sharper, more-precise grooves for enhanced spin. The sole of each wedge is milled to guarantee the exact amount of camber and bounce is created every time. The look at address is timeless and reassuring. Available in two sole grinds.
Callaway JAWS MD5
Callaway JAWS MD5
Price: $159.99
Lofts: 46-60, 64 degrees
Cast from 8620 mild-carbon steel, Callaway designed the grooves in these wedges to have a tighter edge radius to grab the cover of the ball and increase spin. Between each groove is a series of raised microgrooves that boost surface roughness and friction, especially on shots hit from wet grass. Available in five sole grinds.
Cleveland RTX ZipCore
Cleveland RTX ZipCore
Price: $149.99
Lofts: 46-62 degrees
The inner portion of Cleveland’s newest wedges are made with less-dense steel, allowing designers to add mass high in the toe to elevate the center of gravity. That should help golfers flight shots lower for better control. The Ultizip grooves are packed tightly together and are complemented by laser-etched microgrooves and a circular milling pattern on the face for extra spin. Available in three sole grinds.
Cobra King MIM Black
Cobra King MIM Black
Price: $149
Lofts: 50-60 degrees
Created using a metal-injection-molding process that produces a more consistent structure and enhances feel, the King MIM Black wedges also have milled faces to ensure the hitting area is perfectly flat. Stronger lofts have iron-style grooves, while weaker lofts get wider grooves to channel water and debris away on greenside shots. Available in three sole grinds.
Mizuno ES21
Mizuno ES21
Price: $200
Lofts: 54-62 degrees
Mizuno designed these sand and lob wedges to be hollow, then removed material from the heel side to shift the ideal hitting area directly into the center of the score lines. The center of gravity is also farther back to increase spin. The Quad-cut grooves are aided by vertical mircogrooves, which Mizuno said do a better job of getting water off the face for more consistency. Available in two sole grinds.
Ping Glide 3.0
Ping Glide 3.0
Price: $160
Lofts: 46-60 degrees
Ping enlarged the custom tuning port behind the face of each Glide 3.0 wedge and filled it with a soft elastomer that soaks up excessive vibrations to enhance feel. Because the elastomer is lighter than the 431 stainless steel it replaces, more of the overall weight is pushed to the perimeter for increased stability. The Hydropearl 2.0 chrome finish helps repel water. Available in four sole grinds.
PXG 0311 Sugar Daddy Milled
PXG 0311 Sugar Daddy Milled
Price: $650
Lofts: 46-60 degrees
After being forged, every portion of these wedges is milled by a computer to create the desired shape. Tungsten and titanium weights in the sole and high in the toe area shift the center of gravity to optimize spin and launch angle. The Sugar Daddy also has plenty of heel and toe relief to make hitting a wide variety of shots around the green easier. Available in two sole grinds.
TaylorMade Milled Grind 2 TW Grind
TaylorMade Milled Grind 2 TW Grind
Price: $169.99
Lofts: 56 and 60 degrees
This version of the Milled Grind 2 was created with input from Tiger Woods. Behind the leading edge, a thin area has 25 degrees of bounce, but it only lifts the leading edge 5.3 millimeters above the ground. The middle and trailing areas have less bounce, and there is loads of heel and toe relief to make getting under the ball from tight lies easier. The raw steel faces will slowly rust with exposure to air and moisture. Available in one sole grind.
Titleist Vokey Design SM8
Titleist Vokey Design SM8
Price: $159
Lofts: 46-62 degrees
For the most-played wedges on the PGA Tour, Titleist lengthened the hosel and added tungsten in the toe, which shifted the center of gravity forward for more stability. The center of gravity also rises or lowers based on each club’s loft to enhance trajectory control. Every groove is inspected for sharpness, and microgrooves between the main grooves increase surface roughness. Available in six sole grinds.
Wilson Staff Model
Wilson Staff Model
Price: $129.99
Lofts: 50-60 degrees
Forged from 8620 carbon steel, the Staff Model wedges are designed to visually appeal to accomplished golfers. Packing a few extra grooves into the hitting area should create more bite on slow-swinging chips and pitch shots. The leading edge has been designed with some pre-wear, and there is ample heel and toe relief to boost greenside versatility. Available in one sole grind.
Need a little extra help?
Cleveland Smart Sole 4 C
Price: $119.99 on a steel shaft or $129.99 on graphite
Loft: 42 degrees
This club has an extra-wide sole design to keep the club from digging, extra bounce behind the leading edge, a putter-like length of 34 inches and the loft of an old-school 9-iron, 41 degrees. Using a putting stroke, the Smart Sole C pops the ball up and gets it rolling on the green easily for golfers who lack consistency when they chip.
Callaway Sure Out 2
Callaway Sure Out 2
Price: $119.99
Lofts: 56-64 degrees
The Sure Out 2’s face is covered from the leading edge to the top of the toe with 17 grooves, but its sole is the key for better sand play. It’s massive, has a very high bounce angle and is designed with extra camber (curvature) to ensure it will work through both wet and fluffy sand without digging.
