Sam De'Ath from Golf Monthly details the most forgiving wedges of 2024.
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00:00Now, forgiveness is talked a lot about,
00:01especially at the top end of the bag
00:03with drivers and fairway woods,
00:05but I don't think enough is said about it
00:07when it comes to the wedges.
00:08I've picked out some of the most forgiving wedges of 2024
00:12that will help you get up and down more often
00:14from around the greens.
00:15Okay, so yes, these are some of the most forgiving wedges,
00:22but that doesn't mean they aren't
00:23some of the best looking wedges at the same time.
00:26Now, wedges are one of those that you really have to like
00:29the look of behind the ball, but also in your hand,
00:31because the more confidence-inspiring they look,
00:35the more likely you are to execute better golf shots.
00:37Now, I've picked out three of the most forgiving wedges
00:39that I think also feature some really good looks,
00:41what I think they look best in the bag,
00:43but also down behind the ball,
00:45and the first of those is the Cleveland CBX4 ZipCore Wedge.
00:49Now, this features the same ZipCore technology
00:51that is found in the likes of the RTX6 ZipCore Wedge as well,
00:56which is a really cool thing to have
00:58on a more forgiving wedge.
01:00They have quite a thin top line,
01:01considering it's actually an oversized head,
01:04but you can actually see the milling on the toe as well,
01:06which I think gives it that real premium look
01:09for a more forgiving head.
01:10Now, secondly, I'm gonna go into
01:11the TaylorMade High Toe 3 Wedge.
01:15Now, this is, it is much more of a player's wedge,
01:18but it also features an abundance of forgiveness,
01:21and that is largely due to the high toe
01:23and the full-face grooves,
01:24and these offer superb forgiveness, but they look great.
01:27You can get them in a couple of different colors.
01:29This is the copper kind of finish,
01:32but they also do it in a satin finish as well.
01:35Now, my third and kind of final pick
01:37on the looks category is the Cobra SBX Wedge.
01:40Now, this, again, is a really forgiving wedge.
01:43It features full-face technology,
01:45so it's got those grooves that run the whole way across.
01:47Now, funnily enough, this is actually
01:49a larger cavity-back wedge with an insert behind,
01:52but it almost appears smaller at address
01:55than the likes of the high toe,
01:56so this might be perfect for that golfer
01:58that maybe is a better golfer
02:02who likes the look of a smaller wedge,
02:04but wants the forgiveness that is offered
02:07from a cavity-back wedge,
02:08but if I was to pick a best-looking, most forgiving wedge,
02:12it would be the Cleveland CBX for Zipcore.
02:15I think the cavity-back design is very well-hidden,
02:19and so for that reason, it still looks really premium
02:21and a player's wedge, but down behind the ball,
02:23the leading edge is just raised off the ground,
02:25so it'll really boost confidence
02:27for those who might get a little steep
02:28or a little heavy on the ball occasionally,
02:30and this will help glide off the turf
02:32and help you hit better golf shots.
02:38Okay, now, when you think about the most forgiving wedges,
02:41you probably think about larger heads and cavity-backs,
02:43which may deter people from purchasing these
02:46down to the lack of feel,
02:47but that's where you may be wrong.
02:49Brands have made big strides to make sure
02:52that these wedges feel just as good
02:53as their players' wedges.
02:54I've highlighted three that I think feel and sound superb, but for their own different ways.
02:59Now, the first of those is the Ping Glide 4.0 wedge. Now, this has a elastomer CTP insert in
03:06the back here. The cavity is almost disguised. It still looks like a forged wedge. It looks very
03:12much like the Glide Pro that we saw released a couple of years ago, and now they've moved on
03:16to the S159. They're similar in shape actually down behind the ball as well. That's something
03:21I really like that Ping do, but let's talk about the sound when we're actually hitting a golf shot.
03:26So, the first shot I'm going to hit here, we're about 120 yards out here. So,
03:32we're on the practice hole at Brockett Hall Golf Club in Welwyn Garland City.
03:36I'm going to hit one here, and you'll just be able to hear there's a slight difference
03:40compared to some of the more blade-style wedges on the market, and that's a slightly
03:45louder sound. Let's just give one a whack. That's a lovely strike there, and that's exactly where
03:55these wedges work perfectly. Like I said, they're the most forgiving wedges on the market, and I've
04:00come in a little behind the ball there, but taken a really nice divot. It got through the turf really
04:06nicely, but the sound of it, it was actually a more muted sound when it goes through the ground.
04:10If I was to flick a ball up here and start doing some keep-yuppies,
04:15don't know if you can hear that, it's quite tinny. Now, some people may like that, some people may not.
04:20Okay, now this is my next choice for sound and feel, and this is the Mizuno S23. Now, this is
04:27really clever. So, Mizuno have actually incorporated a cavity, but it's here towards the hill, and the
04:33reason for that being is that they can then shift weight out towards the toe, which then through
04:38impact allows the ball to stay on the face longer while the face is rotating. Now, that's really key
04:44for golfers seeking more forgiveness because the more time the ball is on the face, the more
04:50spin they're going to create, the more control they can create. But this has a slightly different feel
04:55and sound towards than the Ping Glide 4.0 that we just checked out. This is a much more muted
05:01sound, and it's got that classic Mizuno feel. Let's give one a hit here.
05:07Hopefully, you'll notice the sound here, and this is picked up quite nicely,
05:11that it's much more muted than the Ping.
05:17Well, again, a very good strike. Nice divot again, but that was much more thud-like through the ball,
05:23and we don't often see the difference between kind of tinny and more thud-like sounds when it comes
05:28to wedges. We normally leave that to the drivers, but there is a distinct difference between these
05:32two. Now, the next wedge that I think actually falls perfectly in the middle is the Callaway CB.
05:40Now, this is a much larger head than the previous two. Those two are almost better player wedges in
05:46disguise with a cavity back, where this one, there's no hiding it. It's a big cavity back head.
05:51It's a large oversized base, and when this is set up down behind the ball, it looks distinctly
05:57different compared to the other two. This has full-face grooves, which does make it appear much
06:03larger than it probably is, but there's urethane microspheres that are placed behind the back here
06:08on the insert, which actually dampen the sound and feel massively, take away all the vibrations,
06:13and allow for a really pleasant experience when this club glides through the turf. Let's give one a hit.
06:19That is exactly why this wedge is in the most forgiving wedges, because I've actually caught
06:23that one a touch thin, touch skinny bottom groove, but as you can hopefully see there
06:28from the ball flight, it still climbs up nicely into that wind and sounded really well. It didn't
06:33leave my hand stinging, which most players' wedges would, and that's largely down to that insert.
06:38Right, so if I was to pick a winner for best sound and feel, it has to be the Callaway CB.
06:44If I was to pick a winner for best sound and feel, it has to be the Mizuno S23. Now, this is
06:50available in two finishes, the cobalt finish like you see here, and also a satin finish,
06:55two finishes that look superb behind the ball, but the sound and feel of this wedge is immense.
06:59It's got that soft Mizuno-like feel that we're used to with their irons, and for that reason,
07:04I think this is the best for sound and feel. Before we move on, if you like what you're
07:08seeing in this video, make sure you like the video and subscribe to Golf Monthly's YouTube
07:12channel so you don't miss any future videos. Okay, now a wedge can look as nice as it wants
07:20to look. It can sound and feel as good as you want it to sound and feel like, but ultimately,
07:24if it doesn't perform, it probably isn't going to end up in your bag. Now, there's three that
07:29I've picked out that I think are standouts in terms of their performance. As you can see
07:33from the data here to the right of me, I've broken down, I've tested all of these on a 50-yard pitch
07:38shot on a Rapsodo launch monitor. I've done it into a net to take out a few variables using a
07:43tightless RCT golf ball, so the spin rates are as accurate as they can be. The first wedge I'm
07:49going to mention is the Ram Easy Out. Now, this might be a surprise inclusion to many,
07:54but this wide sole is just a godsend sole. It's so wide, and it's in this strange V-like position
08:03where, yes, if you want to open and close the face and be a bit more versatile with your wedge shots,
08:08it probably isn't for you, but if you're simply looking to just make sure that you get the ball
08:12on the green in one take, this is the option for you. Yes, the upper wedges do have CNC milling
08:19and face blasting to ensure the duration of the grooves stay sharp for much longer. This doesn't
08:24have that, so it may deteriorate a lot quicker over time, but think about it. You're saving so
08:28much money in the first place. It's just such a great option. Now, the next wedge I'm going to
08:33talk about, again, is the Cobra SPX. Now, as you can see here, it produced the most spin by an
08:38absolute mile. These grooves are phenomenal, these snakebite grooves. It's got milling across the
08:43grooves as well, so you're getting spin no matter what condition you're playing in or where your
08:49ball may end up on the golf course, whether that's a tight lie, out the rough, or out the bunker.
08:53I found this to be such a stable performer. The wide sole makes it so easy to get in and out of
08:59trouble wherever you're needing to hit a high shot, close the face over, and maybe just nip one
09:04into the wind a little. The wide sole also just glides through the turf perfectly. My third option
09:10is, once again, the Cleveland CBX4 Zip Core Wedge. Now, it's not as wide of a sole as some of the
09:17other models that I've talked about in this video, but it's wide enough that I feel like you get so
09:22much forgiveness on strikes that you might come in a touch behind the ball. It will really just help
09:27pop that ball up regardless. It's actually a more compact-looking head than a lot of the other
09:34high-forgiveness wedges on the market, but as you can see from the data,
09:37produce really solid spin and actually quite a high launch for a 50-yard shot.
09:43If I was to pick a best-performing wedge out of the most forgiving wedges in 2024,
09:48it would have to be the Cobra SBX. Now, the reason for that is these grooves are 11% deeper and 40%
09:54sharper than previous models, so you generate spin no matter what lie you face on the golf course,
09:59but also the TPU insert on the back really helps with dampening vibrations and giving you really
10:04good feel when striking your shots. It's time that I pick my top three for the most forgiving
10:09wedges in 2024. I'm going to start with the Mizuno S23. This cavity-back design really
10:17helps with forgiveness when striking from range, but also feels amazing around the green thanks to
10:22its smaller, more compact head. Now, the second of my options is the Cobra SBX. Like I just said,
10:29it won my performance category because of the amount of spin it was generating from multiple
10:33lies. It also feels great when hitting from range, and it's got a really good sound to it as well,
10:38but if I was to pick one overall, it would have to be the Cleveland CBX4. Now, this thing just
10:44looks superb, hides the cavity-back really well, looks great behind the ball, and it looks small
10:49enough that it will inspire better players to use it who want a bit more forgiveness out of a wedge,
10:54but also it's big enough and large enough and confidence-inspiring behind the ball that higher
10:59handicappers will benefit from this club too. If you've liked any of the products in today's video,
11:03the links to purchase them will be down in the description box below.