Often dubbed as a "scoring tool," the right wedge can be a real lifesaver on the golf course. Whether it's a pitching, sand, gap or lob wedge, each can be used from a perfect lie in the fairway or a buried lie in the bunker. In fact, there's a reason why the distance from within 100 yards is called the scoring zone. It's the "make or break" area, where a great wedge shot can redeem a bad drive or poor approach to the green. Any miscue from this zone is considered an unforced error that should have been avoided (especially from the fairway). So, what's that mean? Choosing the right wedges can be the difference between one or more strokes on any given hole! To start, it's important to find a wedge that matches your needs, and luckily, if you're in the market for game-improvement models, '08 has plenty of options. The key, as with every other club, is in finding the right setup for you. Pay attention to loft, bounce angles (more bounce is better for soft surfaces or for those who tend to hit it heavy), and grooves, as well as sole grinds, since each are designed to perform differently from all sorts of lies.
Understanding Our Charts
Key Features: What distinguishes this wedge from the rest.
What We Like: We have our preferences, too. Basically, what impressed us in our review.
Who It's For: The type of player these wedges were made for.
Clubhead: The material used for head construction.
Clubface: Indicates the material used for the strike area.
Design:Indicates the club's general shape. Generally, wedges fall into two shape categories–blades or cavity-backs.
Custom Options: Whether or not custom options are available. This includes shafts, grips, etc.
Shafts: The stock shaft offerings from the manufacturer.
 Adams Watson
Key Feature: Two acoustical channels and a molded TPU insert lend a soft feel, and the Tour-inspired grind makes the Watson series one that better players will appreciate. |
 Ben Hogan Apex
Key Feature: Slight offset is handy to prevent slicing with irons, but on wedges, it appeals to a skilled player looking for total shotmaking and trajectory control from various distances. |
 Bridgestone WC Design
Key Feature: The wedges were produced with feedback from Tour player Stuart Appleby. |
 Callaway X-Forged
Key Feature: With a tighter heel-toe radius and unique C-Grind sole, the X-Forged is designed to help golfers become short game wizards. Any shot is possible with these wedges. |
 Callaway X-Tour
Key Feature: Forged carbon-steel construction, special PM (Phil Mickelson) grind and "Mack Daddy" grooves complement the head shape. |
 Cleveland CG12
Key Feature: The milled Zip Grooves mean these wedges pack a tremendous amount of spin and control. |
 Cleveland CG14
Key Feature: The CG14 has a Gelback insert in the trailing edge side, for enhanced feel and sound. Also, these wedges have Zip Groove technology and a slight offset for more discerning players who want better trajectory control. |
 Eidolon V-Sole
Key Feature: The dual-bounce sole allows golfers to adjust trajectory without compromising bounce angles. |
 F2 Series Plus
Key Feature: The f2 Plus series is 15-percent larger than the original f2 Series wedge, resulting in a larger sweet spot. |
 Fore Golfers Only! DW-1
Key Feature: The Tour-like shape of the DW-1 is very inviting and easy to align at address. |
 Infiniti IP-3 Pro
Key Feature: A precision-milled flat face produces maximum spin and helps your ball check when it lands "on the dance floor." |
 KZG RSS Wedge
Key Feature: An innovative notch and sole design that affords players the chance to open or close the club without altering its bounce. |
 Mizuno MP-R Wedges
Key Feature: Its "workshop grind" sole provides advanced playability. |
 Mizuno MP-T Wedges
Key Feature: A C-shape grind sole that makes it easier to hit a variety of different shots. |
 Nickent ARC
Key Feature: Its Accelerated Rebound Core technology, which consists of an internal core of compressed high-rebound elastomer positioned inside the clubhead directly behind the sweet spot. It eliminates vibration. |
 Nike SV Tour
Key Feature: Its milled flat face. It provides consistency and a clean, pleasing look. Its profile, bounce and groove contours came about from feedback provided by Nike's Tour staff. |
 Ping iWedge
Key Feature: A deep multi-layer cavity maximizes forgiveness and positions the center of gravity toward the center of the face for a low, solid feel. Vibration dampening is a plus. |
 Ping Tour Wedge Black Nickel
Key Feature: A slightly smaller head size and a ferrule for a traditional look. These wedges retain Tour-tested capabilities melded with playability. |
 Ping Tour-W Wedge
Key Feature: A dense tungsten toe weight and Custom Tuning Port increase the club's MOI. |
 Solus Tour 7.1
Key Feature: The Tour 7.1 design features subtle changes to the leading edge, toe area and trailing edge to deliver what world-class players are looking for in a wedge. |
 Sonartec T35 Wedge
Key Feature: Its "Yo-Yo" grooves will have your ball spinning, checking and backing up like never before. |
 Srixon WG-706
Key Feature:UV grooves whose sidewall angle has been reduced by 75 percent, increasing the total groove volume, allowing dirt and grass to channel away from the clubface. |
 Taylormade Z TP
Key Feature: The Y-cutter grooves have been upgraded to Z-cutter, meaning they're sharper and produce more spin and control than ever before. Other cool features include a sole and hosel design that make it a cinch to hit shots with an open face. |
 Titleist Vokey Spin Milled Oil Can
Key Feature: These wedges have 30-percent more groove volume when compared to other models. They spin the ball like crazy. |
 Tour Edge Exotics Xtreme Spin
Key Feature: A removable weight (2-, 4- and 6-gram screws included) allows players to adjust its swing weight based on their preferences. |
 Wilson Tw7 Tour Wedges
Key Feature: Deeper and sharper grooves than most wedges, Tw7's squared edges result in more spin, bite and better control. Related Articles |
