Hot List
Best Wedges: Innovation
The best clubs in each category of the Hot List reflect excellence across an array of criteria. In Wedges, the most innovative clubs feature grooves close to the USGA limit for maximum spin, face treatments to reduce flyers in wet conditions, sole grinds to accommodate numerous types of swings, and options galore on lofts and bounces. Here is how our editors and academic panel evaluated clubs in the criteria of Innovation, with each achieving a minimum of 4.5 stars.
Cleveland
RTZ
$170
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Golf Galaxy
GD SCORE
GD HOT LIST SCORE
Hot List Gold
$170
Cleveland uses a proprietary steel alloy that features a tighter grain structure for a softer feel. It also saves six grams.
In its raw state, the alloy has the benefit of not rusting over time as other steel alloys tend to do, preserving the look and performance of the grooves.
The ZipCore material in the hosel saves weight, some of which is moved low and toward the toe where golfers tend to it hit. The rest of the saved weight is used to make the hosel longer and wider to increase forgiveness.
A refined face-milling process for the lower lofts enhances carry-distance consistency.
The leading edge on lower-bounce models is sharper and more rounded on higher-bounce options. This improves turf interaction based on the type of shots and the attack angles typically played with those bounces.
Its three finishes include Tour Satin, Black Satin and a raw "Tour Rack" option ($190, shown)
A new groove design features sharper, tighter-spaced grooves to maximize contact and channel debris for more spin, particularly on shots hit from the rough.
Top 5 in Performance, middle- and high-handicaps.
20 options (46-64 degrees), 4 sole grinds, 3 finishes
Callaway
Opus/Opus Platinum
$180/$230
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Golf Galaxy
GD SCORE
GD HOT LIST SCORE
Hot List Gold
$180/$230
Tighter-spaced grooves mean more groove edges on the ball for increased spin but with a lower, more controllable launch.
The offset groove-in-groove design creates spin when opening the face.
A new face blast provides extra bite on partial shots, especially out of the rough or wet grass when you need surface roughness and friction to prevent the ball from sliding up the face.
The tour-inspired shape is more rounded with a softer leading edge that players prefer when they open it up around the green.
Four grind offerings include the lower-bounce T-Grind for firmer turf conditions.
The Platinum model has a 18-gram tungsten weight in the topline to pull the center of gravity up higher to create a lower launch.
Top 5 in Performance, middle- and high-handicaps.
Opus: 17 options (48-60 degrees), 4 sole grinds, 2 finishes. Opus Platinum: 8 options (54-60 degrees), 2 grinds, 2 finishes
Cleveland
CBX 4 ZipCore
$170
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Golf Galaxy
GD SCORE
GD HOT LIST SCORE
Hot List Gold
$170
Most everyday players use cavity-back irons that are lighter weight and more forgiving. Cleveland believe golfers should use cavity-back wedges, too.
The larger, cavity-back design minimizes the loss of ball speed on mis-hits. In other words, they are uber forgiving.
The club features a toe-bias sweet spot where average players tend to hit it.
The lightweight ZipCore material in the hosel area allows the removal of 14 grams that is relocated to achieve the optimal center of gravity and stability.
The V-shape sole stretches from heel to toe for smoother turf interaction. The amount of trailing-edge relief varies depending on the loft.
Each wedge features a loft-dependent face finish that adds friction at impact and works with the sharper, deeper and tighter-spaced grooves to maximize spin .
9 options (44-60 degrees), 3 sole grinds, 1 finish
Ping
s159
$197
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Golf Galaxy
GD SCORE
GD HOT LIST SCORE
Hot List Gold
$197
Ping’s most extensive and versatile wedge offering features 25 loft/grind options based on feedback from the company’s tour-pro staff.
Grooves on the 54- to 62-degree lofts are tightly spaced for improved spin but less so on the 46- to 52-degree lofts for maximum ball-flight control on full swings.
The “Starblast” face blast adds surface roughness for additional friction.
Ping added two grinds to the s159 line that weren’t part of the Glide 4.0 family. The H (half moon) works well in soft conditions or for players with a steep angle of attack. The B is a low-bounce, wide-sole wedge that is effective in firm conditions. The E grind, based on the iconic Eye2 wedge, is great from bunkers and remains in the lineup.
With options comes the potential for confusion. What grind do I need? What should my loft gaps be? Ping understands this concern and has developed its WebFit wedge app to offer golfers a quick and easy process to narrow their choices.
Top 5 in Performance, low- and middle-handicaps.
25 options (46-62 degrees), 6 sole grinds, 2 finishes
TaylorMade
Milled Grind 4
$180
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Golf Galaxy
GD SCORE
GD HOT LIST SCORE
Hot List Gold
$180
The fourth generation of TaylorMade’s Milled Grind wedges continues the consistency benefits of the machined-sole shaping of its predecessors with three new options at the higher lofts for seven total.
The grooves are supported by laser-etched diagonals on the flat area between each scoreline to increase spin on partial shots and prevent spin loss in wet conditions.
By increasing the thickness of the flange in an area more in line with the center of the face, TaylorMade was able to improve the sound.
The stock shaft—True Temper’s Dynamic Gold Tour Issue—is 115 grams or about 15 grams lighter than a standard steel shaft.
Fifteen paint fills, personalized lettering and logos, and additional finishes are available through TaylorMade’s custom-wedge program.
Top 5 in Performance, low- and high-handicaps.
23 options (46-60 degrees), 7 grinds, 1 finish
Titleist
Vokey Design SM10
$190
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Golf Galaxy
GD SCORE
GD HOT LIST SCORE
Hot List Gold
$190
To promote a slightly lower, more controllable ball flight, the SM10 line features shorter hosel lengths and a smaller-head profile to create a progressive center of gravity in the 46- through 52-degree lofts.
Tour-player feedback resulted in shifting the center of gravity on those lofts slightly closer to the center of the face for a solid feel and to reduce a draw bias.
By using longer hosel lengths and thicker toplines in the higher lofts (54 degrees and up), Vokey was able to shift the center of gravity up (for a lower trajectory) and slightly forward, which enables the face to square more easily.
Straighter leading edges on the pitching and gap wedges and more rounded leading edges on the sand and lob wedges provide the right amount of flexibility players need to execute a variety of shots.
A “spin-milled” cutting process uses a cutter that creates the entire scoreline instead of a partial scoreline. The result is tighter manufacturing tolerances for a more consistent scoreline-edge radius, allowing the grooves to be sharper and closer.
Micro-grooves cut between the grooves add spin on partial shots.
Top 5 in Performance, all handicaps.
27 options (46-62 degrees), 6 grinds, 3 finishes.