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 will 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, but 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.
02:54Now, I've highlighted three that I think
02:57feel and sound superb, but for their own different ways.
02:59Now, the first of those is the PING Glide 4.0 wedge.
03:03Now, this has a elastomer CTP insert in the back here.
03:07So, the cavity is almost disguised.
03:10It still kind of looks like a forged wedge.
03:11It looks very much like the Glide Pro
03:13that we saw released a couple of years ago,
03:15and now they've moved on to the S159.
03:17And they're similar in shape, actually,
03:19down behind the ball as well.
03:20So, that's something I really like that PING do.
03:23But, let's talk about the sound
03:24when we're actually hitting a golf shot.
03:26So, the first shot I'm gonna hit here,
03:29we're about 120 yards out here,
03:32so we're on the practice hole at Brockett Hall Golf Club
03:35in Whirlwind Garden City.
03:36I'm gonna hit one here, and you'll just be able to hear,
03:39there's a slight difference compared to some of the more
03:42blade-style wedges on the market.
03:44And that's a slightly louder sound.
03:46Let's just give one a whack.
03:48That's a lovely strike there.
03:50And that's exactly where these wedges work perfectly.
03:54Like I said, they're the most forgiving wedges on the market
03:56and I've come in a little behind the ball there,
03:58but taken a really nice divot.
04:00It got through the turf really nicely.
04:03But the sound of it, it was a,
04:04it's actually a more muted sound
04:05when it goes through the ground.
04:06If I was to flick a ball up here
04:09and start doing some keep-yuppies,
04:12so if you can hear that, it's quite tinny.
04:13Now, if I was to flick a ball up here,
04:16if you can hear that, it's quite tinny.
04:17Now, some people may like that, some people may not.
04:20Okay, now this is my next choice for sound and feel,
04:24and this is the Mizuno S23.
04:27Now, this is really clever.
04:28So, Mizuno have actually incorporated a cavity,
04:31but it's here towards the heel.
04:32And the reason for that being is that they can then shift
04:35weight out towards the toe, which then, through impact,
04:38allows the ball to stay on the face longer
04:41while the face is rotating.
04:43Now, that's really key for golfers seeking more forgiveness
04:47because the more time the ball is on the face,
04:50the more spin they're gonna create,
04:51the more control they can create.
04:53But this has a slightly different feel and sound
04:55towards than the Ping Glide 4.0 that we just checked out.
05:00This is a much more muted sound,
05:02and it's got that classic Mizuno feel.
05:04Let's give one a hit here.
05:07Hopefully you'll notice the sound here,
05:09and this is picked up quite nicely,
05:11that it's much more muted than the Ping.
05:13Let's give it a go.
05:18Well, again, a very good strike.
05:20Nice divot again, but that was much more thud-like
05:23through the ball, and we don't often see the difference
05:25between kind of tinny and more thud-like sounds
05:28when it comes to wedges.
05:29We normally leave that to the drivers,
05:30but there is a distinct difference between these two.
05:33Now, the next wedge that I think actually falls perfectly
05:37in the middle is the Callaway CB.
05:40Now, this is a much larger head than the previous two.
05:44Those two are almost better player wedges in disguise
05:47with a cavity back, where this one, there's no hiding it.
05:50It's a big cavity back head.
05:51It's a large oversized base,
05:53and when this is set up down behind the ball,
05:56it looks distinctly different compared to the other two.
05:59This has full-face grooves,
06:00which does make it appear much larger than it probably is,
06:05but there's urethane microspheres that are placed
06:07behind the back here on the insert,
06:09which actually dampen the sound and feel massively,
06:12take away all the vibrations
06:13and allow for a really pleasant experience
06:15when this club glides through the turf.
06:17Let's give one a hit.
06:23And that is exactly why this wedge
06:26is in the most forgiving wedges,
06:27because I've actually caught that one a touch thin,
06:29touch skinny bottom groove,
06:31but as you can hopefully see there from the ball flight,
06:34it still climbs up nicely into that wind
06:36and sounded really well.
06:38It didn't leave my hands stinging,
06:40which most players' wedges would,
06:42and that's largely down to that insert.
06:44Right, so if I was to pick a winner
06:46for best sound and feel,
06:47it has to be the Mizuno S23.
06:50Now this is available in two finishes,
06:51the cobalt finish like you see here,
06:53and also a satin finish,
06:55two finishes that look superb behind the ball,
06:58but the sound and feel of this wedge is immense.
06:59It's got that soft Mizuno-like feel
07:02that we're used to with their irons,
07:03and for that reason,
07:04I think this is the best for sound and feel.
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07:14Okay, now a wedge can look as nice as it wants to look.
07:21It can sound and feel as good
07:22as you want it to sound and feel like,
07:24but ultimately if it doesn't perform,
07:25it probably isn't going to end up in your bag.
07:28Now there's three that I've picked out
07:29that I think are standouts in terms of their performance,
07:32and as you can see from the data here to the right of me,
07:35I've broken down,
07:36I've tested all of these on a 50-yard pitch shot
07:39on a Rapsodo launch monitor.
07:41I've done it into a net to take out a few variables
07:43using a tightless RCT golf ball
07:45so the spin rates are as accurate as they can be.
07:48And the first wedge I'm going to mention is the Ram Easy Out.
07:52Now this might be a surprise inclusion to many,
07:54but this wide sole is just a godsend sole.
07:59It's so wide,
08:01and it's in this strange kind of V-like position
08:03where, yes, if you want to open and close the face
08:06and be a bit more versatile with your wedge shots,
08:08it probably isn't for you,
08:09but if you're simply looking to just make sure
08:11that you get the ball on the green in one take,
08:13this is the option for you.
08:15Yes, the upper wedges do have CNC milling and face blasting
08:20to ensure the duration of the grooves
08:21stay sharp for much longer.
08:23This doesn't have that,
08:24so it may deteriorate a lot quicker over time,
08:27but think about it.
08:28You're saving so much money in the first place.
08:30It's just such a great option.
08:32Now the next wedge I'm going to talk about,
08:34again, is the Cobra SPX.
08:35Now, as you can see here,
08:37it produced the most spin by an absolute mile.
08:39These grooves are phenomenal, these snakebite grooves.
08:42It's got milling across the grooves as well,
08:44so you're getting spin no matter what condition
08:48you're playing in or where your ball may end up
08:50on the golf course, whether that's a tight lie
08:52out the rough or out the bunker.
08:53I found this to be such a stable performer.
08:57The wide sole makes it so easy to get in and out of trouble
09:00wherever you're needing to hit a high shot,
09:02close the face over,
09:03and maybe just nip one into the wind a little,
09:05but the wide sole also just glides
09:07through the turf perfectly.
09:09My third option is once again,
09:11the Cleveland CBX4 Zip Core Wedge.
09:14Now, it's not as wide of a sole
09:16as some of the other models that I've talked about
09:18in this video, but it's wide enough
09:20that I feel like you get so much forgiveness on strikes
09:24that you might come in a touch behind the ball.
09:26It will really just help pop that ball up regardless.
09:29It's actually a more compact looking head
09:31than a lot of the other high forgiveness wedges
09:35on the market, but as you can see from the data,
09:37produce really solid spin and actually quite a high launch
09:41for a 50 yard shot.
09:44But if I was to pick a best performing wedge
09:46out of the most forgiving wedges in 2024,
09:48it would have to be the Cobra SBX.
09:50Now, the reason for that is these grooves are 11% deeper
09:53and 40% sharper than previous models.
09:56So you generate spin no matter what lie you face
09:58on the golf course, but also the TPU insert
10:00on the back really helps with dampening vibrations
10:03and giving you really good feel when striking your shots.
10:07Okay, it's time that I pick my top three
10:09for the most forgiving wedges in 2024.
10:11Now, I'm going to start with the Mizuno S23.
10:15This cavity back design really helps with forgiveness
10:18when striking from range, but also feels amazing
10:21around the green thanks to its smaller, more compact head.
10:24Now, the second of my options is the Cobra SBX.
10:28Like I just said, it won my performance category
10:31because of the amount of spin it was generating
10:32from multiple lies.
10:33It also feels great when hitting from range
10:36and it's got a really good sound to it as well.
10:39But if I was to pick one overall,
10:40it would have to be the Cleveland CBX4.
10:43Now, this thing just looks superb,
10:45hides the cavity back really well,
10:47looks great behind the ball,
10:48and it looks small enough that it will inspire
10:51better players to use it who want a bit more forgiveness
10:54out of a wedge, but also it's big enough and large enough
10:57and confidence inspiring behind the ball
10:58that higher handicappers will benefit from this club too.
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