Best Sand Wedges

Is there ever a better time to update your golf bag than now? The most effective way to lower your score is to improve your game from 100 yards-in. This means you’ll need to work on your short game, including bunker shots. In this article, I’ll break down the top-rated new wedges from the most popular golf brands in order to help you find the best sand wedge or lob wedge for your game.

Every golfer has strengths and weaknesses on the course but everyone could benefit from improving their sand wedge skills. In recent years, golf companies have changed the way wedges perform with amazing new technologies. For example, one of the hottest trends in wedges at the current moment is groove-in-groove technology and increased surface roughness in order to promote spin and feel.

Another great innovation in wedges is the new methods for distributing weight. Wedge developers do this by putting weights in the heel or increasing the length of the toe. As a result, the center of gravity (CoG) is improved and the golfer will experience a better feel from all lies.

The goal of most golf equipment makers is to help the average golfer enjoy himself more on the course and become more consistent from 100 yards-in. This has been achieved in the past few years by ground breaking innovations. Top of the line groove technology and precision milling is the industry standard these days and there are many excellent sand wedges to choose from.

Best Sand Wedges

1. Callaway Golf Men’s Chrome Mack Daddy 4

Callaway uses milled groove-in-groove technology to increase the amount of spin in its fourth version of the Mack Daddy series. For getting out of bunkers first go, this sand wedge comes highly recommended.

Key Features

• Soft Carbon Steel
• Groove-In-Groove Technology
• Your Choice of Four Sole Grinds
• Precise Center of Gravity to Improve Feel
• Platinum, Chrome, or Matte Black
• Lofts Range from 46-64 Degrees
• Increased Surface Roughness to Encourage Spin

The Callaway Mack Daddy 4 is made of soft carbon steel which gives the player a soft feel when striking the ball. The groove-in-groove technology combined with Callaways increased groove roughness, makes these wedges spin more than ever.

The Mack Daddy 4 offers the player more options with lofts ranging from 46-64 degrees, it gives you the choice of a lob wedge or sand wedge.

✅ Pros

• Groove-In-Groove
• More Spin
• Callaways Most Tested Wedge Ever
• Wide Variety of Options
• Clean Contact on Tight Lies

🚫 Cons

• Awkward Look at Address
• Feels Hard on Contact

I would recommend this sand wedge for any player that is looking for more spin around the greens.

2. Cleveland Golf Men’s RTX 4 Wedge

The RTX 4 is the newest Cleveland sand wedge to be introduced to the market and it features deep grooves and aggressive face milling to increase spin.

Key Features

• 4th Generation Rotex Face
• Progressive Feel Balancing Technology
• Aggressive Face Milling
• MID V shape sole

The Cleveland RTX 4 is their best model to date. The 4th Generation Rotex Face Technology generates more spin than the previous models. The RTX 4 boasts the most aggressive face milling that Cleveland has ever had for a sand wedge.

The Progressive Feel Balancing Technology balances the center of gravity for better feel and control. The V shaped sole improves feel around the green on steep angled swings. This club gives the buyer a choice from 46-64 degrees.

✅ Pros

• More Spin
• Better Feel on Neutral and Steep Shots
• Tour Preferred Shape
• 4 Grind Options

🚫 Cons

• Harder Feeling Strike

I would recommend the Cleveland RTX 4 sand wedge for a golfer of any skill level because of its increased spin and exceptional feel.

3. Mizuno S18 Blue Ion 60 Degree Wedge

The Mizuno S18 wedge is made from boron – a carbon steel that is 30% stronger. The S18 wedge offers more control and consistency than ever with increased roughness on the face to promote grab and spin. Mizuno offers a metallic blue finish on this model.

Key Features

• Boron Carbon Steel
• More Surface Roughness
• Milled Groove design
• Loft Specific Head Shapes
• Loft Specific Grind

The Mizuno S18 wedges offer more versatility than ever before. This versatility comes in the form of loft specific bounce angles, sole grinds, grooves and center of gravity. The CoG moves to the top of the higher lofts in order to improve trajectory control.

Increased roughness on the face and milled grooves improve the spin around the greens. This club is offered between 46-60 degrees.

✅ Pros

• Loft Specific Bounce Angles
• Loft Specific Sole Grinds
• Loft Specific Grooves
• Loft Specific Center of Gravity Placement
• Better Feel Around Greens
• Increased Spin

🚫 Cons

• Mostly suited For Lower Handicap Players

I would recommend this sand wedge to a skilled player because of its trajectory control and increased spin around greens and bunkers.

4. Ping Glide 2.0 Sand Wedge

The Ping Glide 2.0 changes the game with new innovations. The grooves on these wedges are milled precisely and vary by loft in order to improve spin and control for the purpose of each club. The wedges with higher lofts have two more grooves than the previous Ping Glide model.

Key Features

• Hydropearl Finish to Repel Water
• Milled Grooves
• Groove Variation by Loft
• More Grooves than Before

The grooves on the Ping Glide 2.0 are closer than before for more spin. Based on your attack angle, four options of sole grinds allows the player to get the most out of this wedge.

A hydropearl finish repels water from the club for a cleaner strike between the clubface and the ball and more consistency between dry and wet conditions. This club is offered between 46-60 degrees and offers four grind options.

✅ Pros

• Milled Grooves and Face
• Customization Options
• Improved Consistency
• Water Repellent Finish

🚫 Cons

• None

The Ping Glide 2.0 is a great wedge for a player of any skill level, it offers improved consistency and the newly developed grooves will improve your feel around the green.

5. TaylorMade Milled Grind Hi-Toe Wedge

The Taylormade Milled Grind Hi-Toe Wedge is another example of Taylormade’s innovation. Each wedge is computer-milled to ensure precise specifications and the hi-toe design promotes a higher center of gravity.

Key Features

• Hi-Toe design
• Face Scoring Lines
• Double Sole
• Computer-Milled Face

This wedge is offered from 50-64 degrees with four sole grind options. The Hi-Toe design makes it more controllable from all lies and double sole gives the player two bounce surfaces and keeps the club from excessively digging into the turf.

The bevel on the Hi-Toe wedge is increased to reduce the leading edge and improve the strike. This wedge comes with a bronze finish.

✅ Pros

• Increased Control
• Double Bounce Angles
• Increased Bevel to Reduce Leading Edge

🚫 Cons

• One Finish Option
• Finish Wears Off

The Taylormade Hi-Toe wedge is an excellent fit for anyone who struggles from the rough and is looking for more consistency.

6. Titleist VOKEY SM7 WEDGES

Titleist Vokey wedges are back this year with the SM7 design. New and improved loft specific grooves set this wedge apart from the previous Vokey models. The center of gravity of each wedge varies by loft in order to get the best out of the player and the club.

Key Features

• Parallel Face Texture for More Consistent Grooves
• Specific Groove Design Depending on Loft
• Center of Gravity is Aligned With Impact Position
• Six Grind Options

Titleist releases a new series of wedges every two years, all designed by Bob Vokey. This series offers several new technological advancements. The lower lofts (46-54) have narrower and deeper grooves while the higher lofts (56-62) have wider and shallower grooves.

This gives the SM7 better spin and control for all players.  The center of gravity has been moved up slightly on the higher lofted wedges to increase consistency.

✅ Pros

• #1 On Tour
• Great Feel and Control
• Clean Look
• Finish Options

🚫 Cons

• It may be tough to find the correct wedge for your game without being fitted

Titleist makes the most popular wedges in the game of golf and they delivered quality and innovation once again with the SM7.

7. Callaway Mack Daddy PM Grind Wedge

This wedge was designed by Phil Mickelson with the purpose of improving short shots. The high toe design is similar to the new Taylormade wedge and raises the center of gravity which creates lower trajectory shots.

Key Features

• High Toe
• Raised Center of Gravity
• Surface Roughness to Increase Spin
• Offset Clubhead
• Groove-in-Groove

Phil Mickelson teamed up with Callaway designer Roger Cleveland to create the Callaway PM 19 Wedge. This high toe wedge has an offset that makes it more controllable on knock down shots. Surface roughness and micro-grooves allow this wedge to spin more around the greens. Available in platinum chrome our tour grey with lofts from (54-60+64).

✅ Pros

• Great Feel on Greenside Shots
• Offset Club Head Allows for More Control
• Micro-grooves and Groove-in-Groove Technology to Increase Spin
• Relief in the Heel

🚫 Cons

• Less Loft Options Than Most
• Better Suited for Mid-Handicappers

If you’re looking for a quality wedge that you can trust to perform around the green, look no further than the Callaway PM 19 Wedge.

8. World Tour Honma TW-W4 Wedge

The new Honma Tour World TW-W wedge is made with precision to deliver consistency. This forged wedge has a clean look with a higher toe to allow the player to get through the ball.

Key Features

• Improved Toe
• Triangular Shape Increases Consistency
• Raised Heel
• Moderate Bounce

Honma has recently become more popular because of their top-notch products. The Honma New Tour World TW-W wedge has a raised toe, a triangular shape, a raised heel, and a moderate bounce in order to promote consistency and playability on any lie.

The grooves are as sharp as legally possible to ensure spin. This club is offered from 52-60 degrees with three bounce options.

✅ Pros

• Hand Made With Precision
• Carbon Steel Head, Forged Not Casted
• Soft Feel
• CNC Milled Face

🚫 Cons

• None

These handcrafted forged wedges offer the player a soft consistent feel with spin.

9. TaylorMade Golf Milled Grind Satin Nickel Chrome Finish Wedge

The Taylormade Milled Grind wedge has a CNC milled sole that allows for a penetrating strike through any length of grass making any golfer more consistent.

Key Features

• CNC Precision
• New ZTP-17 for Maximum Spin
• 10g Weight in the Heel to Improve Center of Gravity
• Sole Geometry
• Carbon Steel

The Taylormade Milled Grind wedge is one of the most precise and well-balanced wedges that Taylormade has ever produced. The CNC milled sole and improved center of gravity make this club versatile around the green and offers better feel on full swings. This wedge is offered from 50-60 degrees with three loft options and three different colored finishes.

✅ Pros

• Machine Milling for Precise Details
• More Spin
• Unique Sharp Look
• Well Balanced
• Color Options

🚫 Cons

• Expensive
• FInish Wears Off Quickly

The Taylormade Milled Grind Wedge is one of the sharpest looking wedges that Taylormade has ever produced and the CNC precision milled sole makes it glide through any lie.

10. Mizuno JPX919 Lob Wedge

The new Mizuno JPX919 wedge uses increased surface roughness in order to generate more spin and their soft feel and control on full swings make them versatile around the course.

Key Features

• Rough Surface
• Face Milling
• Mizunos Quad Cut Grooves
• Pearl Finish to Reduce Glare

Mizuno continues its reputation of sharp-looking golf clubs with this pearl finished wedge. The quad cut grooves increase spin and the soft steel gives this club extraordinary feel. This club is offered from 50, 55, and 60 degrees with several bounce options depending on the loft.

✅ Pros

• Lower Lofts Have Wider Grooves
• Quad Cut Grooves
• Improved Feel
• Clean Look with Pearl Finish
• Easily Bendable for Customization

🚫 Cons

• Gaps in Loft Options

This sand wedge series is perfect for the player that is searching for more spin and improved feel.

11. 2018 Cobra King Black Wedge

The Cobra King wedge features CNC milled grooves with Progressive Spin Technology. The lower lofted wedges have wider grooves in order to provide more consistent spin between all the wedges.

Key Features

• Progressive Spin Technology
• 8620 Carbon Steel
• CNC Milled Face
• Face Roughness

This new wedge from Cobra offers all handicaps improved spin with a soft feel. The CNC milled face and variable face roughness combines with 8620 carbon steel offers a soft feel with more stopping power on the green. These wedges are offered from 52-60 degrees with three different grinds. This wedge also comes with various colored finishes, including black.

✅ Pros

• Increased Spin
• Precision Milled for Better Feel
• Durable
• Improved Control
• Color Options

🚫 Cons

• Expensive

The Cobra King wedge uses Taylormade’s Progressive Spin Technology to produce wedges that will check up and perform how you want them to. The various color options suite everyone’s preferences.

12. Ben Hogan TK Wedge

The Ben Hogan company set out to make a wedge that was consistent on full and partial shots and that goal was completed with the TK wedge. These wedges are versatile around the greens, from the rough, and form the fairways.

Key Features

• Evenly Distributed Mass Across the Back of the Club
• Quality Forging
• V Sole (high bounce leading edge, low bounce sole)
• Loft Specific Weighting

Ben Hogan believed that wedges should not be played from outside 40 yards and shouldn’t be played with a full swing. The Ben Hogan company set out to solve both of those problems with the TK wedge.

A forged wedge with mass distribution throughout the back to encourage consistency. The TK wedge has a clean look and is offered from 44-62 degrees.

✅ Pros

• Clean Look
• Good-Feel on Full Swings
• Weight Distribution Varying by Loft
• Made of Carbon Steel

🚫 Cons

• Small Sweet Spot
• Tends to Dig in Wet Surfaces or Dirt
• One Finish Option

The Ben Hogan TK wedges offer the player a quality wedge with a beautiful look and will perform better than competitors on full swings.

Key Information about Sand Wedges

Common trends between wedge makers have become apparent to me after researching them, there are important new innovations that I thought were important to learn about. With advancements in technology, golf clubs have improved massively and golf equipment producers are constantly working towards being the best. Wedges are no exception to these improvements. Whether it’s multiple grooves, added weights, or a lifted toe, wedge makers attempt to set themselves apart from their competition by making promises to consumers about how these clubs will improve their game. Below is a breakdown and examination of my favorite wedges from the reviews above.

Most Popular Wedges

Vokey

The most popular wedges in the golf industry today are the Vokey wedges from Titleist. Designed by Bob Vokey, these wedges are the industry standard. These wedges offer golfers top of the line innovations and sharp design features. The newest release from the Vokey series is the SM7.

The SM7 has an improved center of gravity and spin milled grooves. These new wedges offer more spin, control, and consistency than ever before. The sharp look and exceptional control is what makes these wedges the most popular in golf.

Callaway

Callaway is an example of a company that is producing high-quality sand wedges with high tech improvements. Callaway’s most popular player, Phil Mickelson and one of their designers, Roger Cleveland, teamed up together to design one of Callaway’s most impressive wedges to date. This wedge was designed with the hopes of improving people’s games around the green and on shorter shots.

The increased groove area allows for better spin and proper contact on all lies. The slight offset allows for a more pure strike and the raised toe allows for more proper weight distribution and center of gravity improvements.

The Callaway Mack Daddy wedge is another recent release that showcases their attention to detail an improvement. The Mack Daddy 4 is excellent value for the price and has groove-in-groove technology and increased face roughness to promote spin. These sand wedges will improve the game of every skill level.

Taylormade

Taylormade is another company that continues to impress the golf industry with its impressive equipment. Taylormade’s newest wedges are their best wedges to date for various reasons.

First is the Taylormade Hi-Toe sand wedge which features a raised toe and full face scoring lines in order to increase spin. The features of this club make it incredibly versatile from shots that are close to the green.

The other hot release from Taylormade is their Milled Grind sand wedge which offers a precision CNC milled sole that performs on all shot types. Taylormade put a weight in the heel of this model in order to perfect weight distribution on the club. Adjusting and fine-tuning the center of gravity is a popular process for wedge makers and Taylormade’s Milled Grind wedge is no exception. The center of gravity is important for making consistent shots, especially on full swings.

Mizuno

On the topic of innovation and sand wedges, Mizuno must come into the discussion. In recent years Mizuno has released clean looking wedges that perform among the competition. Mizuno’s new wedges, the S18 and the JPX919 have great feel and feedback.

The S18 has quad cut grooves that will improve the average players spin and leave them closer to the hole. This wedge is offered in blue, gunmetal, and grey which makes it suitable for anyone’s needs.

The Mizuno JPX919 wedge was designed to cover the distance gaps of the JPX919 irons. These sand wedges follow the trend of precision-milled grooves.

Honma

The final wedge that I wanted to discuss is from a brand that has recently blown up in the golf industry. The Honma TW-W wedge is larger than the average bladed wedge which offers the user more forgiveness and better feel.

These wedges perform well and give the user feedback upon strike. A raised heel and triangular shape allow this club glide through any lie with ease and promotes consistency.

Innovative Technology

Wedge makers today have a heavy task at hand when it comes to pleasing the consumers. With the incredible innovations in golf club making, each wedge must be made to precise specifications. Although all companies claim to have the best products, most of them follow popular trends that are prevalent throughout the industry. One of the most popular repeated trends in wedges today is the improvement of grooves.

Many companies have developed grooves inside of grooves in order to generate more spin than ever before. This makes balls spin off the face and stop quicker on the greens. Another common improvement in wedge making is face roughness amongst the grooves. The face roughness is done to grab the ball more on impact which also generates more spin.

Weight Distribution

Another common trend in wedge making that we briefly discussed earlier, is weight distribution. Wedge manufacturers and designers have found amazing ways to distribute weight throughout the entire club head with the goal of improving the center of gravity. Improving the center of gravity not only makes you more consistent, but it also allows the player to perform better with full swings. There are numerous ways to distribute and perfect the weight of a wedge and many companies are exploring these methods. Taylormade is leading the pack with these innovations by using weights in the heel and a hi-toe model to bring more weight to the toe.

Bottom Line

The final popular trend in sand wedge making has little to do with the actual performance of the wedge and more to do with the aesthetics. With all the customization options in modern golf, it’s no surprise that golf club makers have started offering different colored finishes. Companies like Taylormade, Titleist, Callaway, Cobra, and Mizuno are all making wedges with unique colored finishes for those who want to spice up their golf bag. Whether it’s a rust color from Taylormade, a chrome blue from Mizuno, or matte black from Titleist, you have more options now than ever.

In order to determine which wedge fits you best, you must first understand what part of your short game needs the most help. If you dig into the ground and chunk shots, you’ll want to find a wedge with better weight distribution, like the Honma TW-W wedge. If you’re looking for more spin and stopping power on the green, look no further than Callaway PM Grind wedge. After looking through the top wedges from this year, it seems as if you can’t go wrong with any of them. Check out our detailed wedge reviews here, along with the C3i Wedge!