If you are a mid-handicap golfer, you have reached a point where your game requires more precision around the greens to create better scoring opportunities. When you are less than 100 yards out, you need to rely on wedges that will help you create the spin to get your ball to stick close to the pin. To accomplish this, you need a reliable set of wedges in your bag.
With a seemingly endless number of choices that mid-handicappers have to choose from, we have analyzed the best wedges for mid-handicappers. We took into account bounce options, sole grinds, feel and feedback, and spin. Now, without further ado, check out our recommendations for the best wedges for mid-handicap golfers!
- Callaway Jaws MD5
- Titleist Vokey SM9
- Cleveland RTX Zipcore
- Cleveland CBX Full-Face 2 Wedge
- Taylormade Hi-Toe 3
- Ping Glide 4.0
Our Six Wedge Recommendations for Mid-Handicap Golfers
Callaway Jaws MD5
Shaving off a few strokes from your short game comes from controlled, accurate shots with your wedges. The Callaway JAWS MD5 wedge can help you hit crisp shots from any lie, with maximum spin and control. After all, you want a wedge that works for you, not against you.
This is a wedge that gives you options. Five different sole grinds to match your swing and turf conditions. Five ways to attack the pin with confidence and precision.
What To Know About Callaway Sole Grind Options
Here are the available sole grinds for the Callaway JAWS MD5 wedge:
- C-Grind: More heel relief for open-face shots. Good for low swings and hard turf. (8° Bounce)
- S-Grind: Medium sole with slight camber and heel relief. Good for solid contact on open-face shots. (10° Bounce)
- W-Grind: Wide sole at center and toe, narrow at heel. Moderate heel relief and camber. Good for open-face shots and different turf conditions. (12° Bounce)
- Low Bounce W-Grind: More playability around the green. Moderate heel relief and camber. Good for various greenside shots.
- X-Grind: Narrow, high-bounce sole with low point at front. Good for steep swings and soft turf. (12° Bounce)
Callaway’s “secret sauce” is the JAWS groove design. It creates more friction and bite on the ball, giving you more spin and stopping power on every shot. Whether you’re hitting a full swing from the fairway, a half swing from the rough, or a delicate flop shot from the sand, you’ll get the results you want.
The Callaway JAWS MD5 wedge is also a pleasure to hit. It’s made of soft 8620 carbon steel that feels great at impact and sounds even better. It has loft-optimized weighting and milled aluminum medallions that optimize the center of gravity for consistent performance. And it comes in a range of lofts, from 46 to 64 degrees, so you can dial in your distance and trajectory.
The Callaway JAWS MD5 wedge is a game-changer for mid-handicap golfers who want to take their short game to the next level. It’s a wedge that combines performance and forgiveness in a sleek and elegant package that will make you look and feel like a pro.
Titleist Vokey SM9
The mid-handicap golfer who wants to improve the wedge game will definitely be interested in the Vokey SM9 wedge. This wedge is the creation of master craftsman Bob Vokey, who has been making the best wedges on tour since 2004.
The Vokey SM9 wedge is designed to give you more versatility, spin and control on every shot. It features a new forward center of gravity (CG) design that raises the CG even higher than before, resulting in a more controlled ball flight and solid contact. It also has new grooves that are cut to the edge to maximize spin and durability.
This wedge also offers you a choice of seven different sole grinds (more on that below) to suit your swing type and course conditions. Whether you need more heel relief, more bounce, or more camber, you can find a wedge that matches your needs. Each grind is handcrafted by Bob Vokey himself, who has over 40 years of experience in grinding wedges.
What to Know About Titleist Sole Grinds Options
- T Grind: The narrowest sole in the lineup with maximum heel, toe and trailing edge relief. Good for firm conditions and players who like to create shots around the green. (4° Bounce)
- S Grind: A medium-width sole with slight camber and moderate heel relief. Good for keeping the leading edge low on open-face shots and players who have a square-face style. (10° Bounce)
- F Grind: A full sole that is ideal for full shots and shots hit with a square face. Good for neutral to firm conditions and players who prefer a traditional wedge sole. (8° Bounce)
- M Grind: A narrow crescent sole with heel, toe and trailing edge relief. Good for versatility and players who like to rotate the club face open and closed. (8° Bounce)
- D Grind: A full sole that has been narrowed by a trailing edge grind. Good for faster feel through the turf and players who like to play shots from different face positions. (12° Bounce)
- K Grind: The highest bounce wedge in the lineup with a wide, full sole and enhanced camber. Good for bunker play and players who have a steeper angle of attack. (14° Bounce)
- L Grind: The lowest bounce option in the lineup with heel, toe and trailing edge relief. Good for firm conditions and players who have complete control at impact. (4° Bounce)
The Vokey SM9 wedge is made of quality materials and comes in three different finishes: Tour Chrome, Brushed Steel and Jet Black. It also has a variety of lofts you would expect from one of the top wedge makers. From 46 to 62 degrees, you will be able to customize the wedges to your distance and trajectory.
The Vokey SM9 wedge is a solid choice for mid-handicap golfers who want to take their wedge game to the next level. It combines technology and craftsmanship in a wedge that will help you hit more shots closer to the hole.
Cleveland RTX Zipcore
We highly recommend checking out the Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore wedge. This innovative wedge is designed to unlock maximum spin performance across the golf course, regardless of lie. Yep, that includes the fairway, rough, sand, and even in wet conditions.
How does it do that? By combining three key technologies: HydraZip, UltiZip, and ZipCore. Here’s what you need to know about these technologies:
- HydraZip is a new face technology that features a dynamic blast and laser-milled line system designed to maximize spin in wet or dry conditions and from anywhere around the green.
- UltiZip is a new groove design that equips the wedge with a specialized sequence of deep groove lines with the sharpest groove radii ever. Tighter grooves offer a more serious bite, while deeper grooves create space for grass, sand, dirt, or water to evacuate the impact zone.
- ZipCore is a proprietary, low-density core technology that sets the center of gravity right where you strike the ball, giving you more consistent performance and enhanced forgiveness. It also adds an abundance of high/low and heel/toe MOI into every loft in the line, increasing spin, consistency, feel, and control.
The Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore wedge also gives you four versatile sole grinds to choose from LOW, LOW+, MID, and FULL. You may notice that there are fewer sole grind options in this wedge than others, but Cleveland’s innovation in its wedge design can surely give you a leg up in your game around the green.
Overall, the RTX ZipCore wedge is a game-changer for mid-handicap golfers who want to take their spin game to the next level. It combines performance and forgiveness in a sleek and elegant package that will help you get on the path to a low-handicap or scratch golfer.
Cleveland CBX Full-Face 2 Wedge
Yes, another Cleveland wedge in our recommendations. There’s a good reason for that! The CBX Full-Face 2 wedge helps mid-handicap golfers hit more challenging shots with confidence. This wedge features heel-to-toe grooves across the largest striking area ever in a CBX wedge, so you can hit more extreme, open-face shots with ease. Whether you need to hit a high flop shot over a bunker, a low punch shot under a tree, or a delicate chip shot from a tight lie, you can do it with this wedge.
Much like the RTX Zipcore the CBX Full-Face 2 also has the HydraZip technology that boosts spin from any condition. Cleveland says the face of this wedge has dynamic blasts and laser-milled lines that create more friction and spin consistency in wet or dry conditions. The wedge also has different blast media and laser patterns for lower and higher lofts.
The CBX Full-Face 2 wedge also has ZipCore technology that improves the center of gravity and increases the MOI for more feel, control, consistency and forgiveness. The wedge also has a new full-sole design with different bounce options for different lofts, so you can get the best turf interaction for your swing and course conditions.
Taylormade Hi-Toe 3
Taylormade has a great wedge known as the Hi-Toe 3 wedge. It has full face scoring lines and Tour-proven raised micro-ribs that create more friction on the ball, especially when you open up the face. This means you can hit more extreme shots with ease, such as high flops, low runners, or delicate chips. Mid-handicap golfers need to be able to execute more complex shots with wedges and Taylormade made a wedge to make this possible.
Here are some of the features of the Hi-Toe 3 that make it stand out from the crowd:
- Higher center of gravity than a normal wedge, which helps you launch the ball lower and spin it more on full swings.
- A four-way camber that allows for a wide sole with a low leading edge, which improves your performance on all types of lies and conditions.
- Looks great in your bag and feels great in your hands.
- Two different available finishes: Satin Chrome and Black Satin with a range of lofts, from 50 to 64 degrees
The Hi-Toe 3 wedge is a game-changer for mid-handicap golfers who want to take their short game to the next level. It combines spin and control in a wedge that will help you hit more shots closer to the hole.
Ping Glide 4.0
As the third most used brand for wedges on the PGA Tour, mid-handicap golfers can rest assured that the Ping Glide 4.0 deserves a spot in your bag. Ping’s wedges are a great upgrade for your wedges so that you can hit shots with more spin, consistency, and versatility.
The Glide 4.0 wedge has a new Emery face blast that creates more texture on the face, giving you more friction and interaction with the ball for more spin and lower launch. After all, loft is the name of the game when it comes to hitting with a wedge (in most cases) The wedge also has precision-milled grooves that are tailored for different lofts, giving you more control and performance on full and partial shots.
Here are some other features that you should know about the Ping Glide 4.0:
- Made of multi-material construction that combines 8620 carbon steel with a larger and softer elastomer insert to provide a soft and responsive feel. Allows for more face contact, which improves ball speed and distance.
- Four different sole grinds to choose from: S, W, T, and E. These grinds are designed to match your angle of attack and turf conditions, so you can find a wedge that suits your style.
The Glide 4.0 wedge is a game-changer for mid-handicap golfers who want to become a low-handicap or scratch golfer. It combines spin and feel in a wedge that will help you hit more shots closer to the hole.
FAQs
What loft should my wedges have?
The loft affects how high and far the ball goes as well as how much spin and control you have. The loft you choose depends on your skill level, swing type, course conditions, and preference. If your iron set has a pitching wedge or gap wedge, take a look at the loft and then determine the other wedges you need by adding 4 – 6 more degrees.
You should also decide how many wedges you want: one, two, three, or four. And you should choose what types of wedges you want: pitching wedge (PW), gap wedge (GW), sand wedge (SW), or lob wedge (LW). Each wedge has a different purpose and function. You should aim to have a consistent gap between each club and choose the wedges that suit your style and goals.
As a mid-handicap golfer, you are likely comfortable with the number of wedges you have in your bag but may be looking to change the loft on a few of your wedges at this experience level.
What is the ideal bounce for my wedges?
Bounce is the angle between the leading edge and the lowest point of the sole of your wedge. It affects how the club interacts with the turf and how much it digs or glides through the ground.
The bounce for your wedges depends on your swing type and course conditions. You will want more bounce if you have a steep swing or play on soft turf, and less bounce if you have a shallow swing or play on firm turf. As you decide which wedges to keep in your bag, you will likely have different bounce for each wedge. Consider the type of shots you want to hit with your wedges. For example, you might want more bounce for bunker shots or full swings, and less bounce for flop shots or tight lies.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer for bounce, but you can find the best option for you by testing different wedges or even consulting a fitter. You should aim to have a wedge that gives you confidence and versatility on every shot.
How can I get good spin with my wedges?
To get good spin with your wedges, you need to create friction between the wedge face and the golf ball. Here are some tips to help you achieve that:
-Keep your grooves clean and dry. Dirt, sand, grass, and water can reduce friction and spin. A good golf towel and brush can help keep your wedges clean during play.
-Add more friction at impact by choosing a wedge design that has additional textures on the face, like face milling marks or microgrooves.
-Find the right sole grind for your swing style. A shallow divot or nipped divot is better for spin than a steep divot.
Conclusion
As a mid-handicap golfer, you have a lot of great options to choose from when it comes to which wedges take a spot in your bag. Keep in mind the spin, bounce, club face and loft options available to you and play wedges that bring out the best in your skillset.
For more on how to improve your game day-by-day, check out more of our tips and guides!