The high-lofted clubs known today as pitching wedges were once called lofters and jiggers—and later 10-irons. Gene Sarazen is credited with having invented the sand wedge in 1932, and it quickly grew in popularity. We have Dave Pelz and PING founder Karsten Solheim to thank for the concept of the even-higher-lofted lob wedge. And with all those choices showing up in pro shops, it was only natural that the gap wedge would come along next to fill in the gap between the other lofted-club options.
It makes sense that more and more kinds of wedges would emerge as players realized how many strokes they’re taking within 125 yards of the green. Knocking it close from wedge range is one key to making more birdies—and getting it up and down more often from around the green can save a lot of pars.
The crop of new wedges for 2024 expands on this trend of offering players a myriad of choices. The loft, bounce, and sole grind combinations available today allow every player to customize their wedges to their swings and preferences. And that’s before you even get to all the advancements in weight distribution, groove and micro-groove technology, shaft options, and aesthetic considerations.
Whether you carry two wedges or four, whether you prefer normal wedges with center grooves or like the benefits offered by full-face wedges, you’re sure to be able to find new wedges that can elevate your short game and lower your scores in the season to come.
Titleist Vokey Design SM10
Master Craftsman Bob Vokey identifies three keys to great wedge play: shot versatility, precise distance and trajectory control, and maximum spin. Vokey Design’s new SM10 wedges for 2024 have been designed to deliver all three—and to offer a lower, more controlled ball flight, improved feel, and spin galore. To support shot versatility, the SM10 family includes six different tour-proven sole grinds (F, S, M, K, T, and D). Collectively, the SM10 line offers a mind-boggling total of 25 unique loft, bounce, and grind combinations, so you can absolutely find the precise wedge setup that’s best for you and dial-in your short game. The SM10 wedges also feature new progressive center of gravity placements through the different lofts to give you lower, more controlled, and consistent trajectories; more solid feel; and tighter dispersion from the lowest-lofted wedge to the highest. And Vokey Design’s patented Spin Milled process has been further refined for 2024 to deliver higher, more consistent spin rates. Each TX9 groove is individually cut based on the club’s loft and finish, and treated with high-frequency heat to maximize durability. (BUY NOW)
Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore
Cleveland’s new RTX 6 ZipCore wedges offer a world of configuration options, too: three different finishes (Tour Satin, Black Satin, and Raw), nine loft choices, and four sole grind designs. But their focus for 2024 has been on dialing-up spin. These RTX 6 blade wedges are designed for better players and feature several improvements aimed at increasing spin in a variety of playing conditions. Chief among these is their new HydraZip faces, with dynamic blast effects for added friction and laser-milled line patterns that are specific to the various loft groupings for maximizing spin in wet or dry conditions. Lower lofts receive a blast that’s less rough, while higher lofts get a rougher blast and more laser lines so that they’ll impart a bit more spin. The grooves themselves sport Cleveland’s sharpest groove radii to date, and their deeper grooves create space for grass, sand, dirt, and water to evacuate the impact zone. They’ve also shifted the center of gravity and increased MOI (moment of inertia: designed to reduce face-twisting) to give them more consistent performance and enhanced forgiveness on off-center hits. And if you’re looking for full-face wedges with grooves from hosel to toe, Cleveland’s RTX Full-Face 2 can give you the spin you’re looking for on open-faced shots like flop shots. (BUY NOW)
Callaway Jaws Raw
Callaway’s new Jaws Raw wedges are the latest from legendary wedge-design guru Roger Cleveland. For 2024, their lineup includes not just a full-face option, but eight loft options, six different sole grinds and two style choices: Chrome and Black Plasma. It adds up to 28 loft/bounce combinations ranging from 48 degrees to 62 degrees. Callaway named them “Raw” because they removed the plating in the faces’ scoring zone, which lets them rust over time in that area and produce even more spin, particularly in wet conditions. And their “groove-in-groove” technology positions the milled micro-grooves at 20-degree angles to the main grooves, which gives them additional spin on open-faced shots. New for 2024 is the use of tungsten weights behind the flanges of the sand and lob wedges to enhance feel and control. Also new: a Z-grind option, and a C-grind option with a crescent-shaped sole. The Jaws Raw’s straighter leading edge and smooth hosel connection without any notch near the heel give them a pro appearance that matches their pro performance. (BUY NOW)
PXG 0311 Sugar Daddy II
PXG’s new high-spinning Sugar Daddy II wedges are made with 8620 carbon steel, so they have a nice, soft feel. They all feature full-face grooves, and there’s some logic to that. Almost everyone is going to play open-faced flop shots at some point, at least with higher-lofted wedges. Why wouldn’t you want grooves near the toe to help create spin on those shots? To assist with that even more, the Sugar Daddy II wedges feature an adjustable weight behind the face, along with high toe weighting, which positions their center of gravity farther toward the toe—something that’s especially helpful on those open-faced shots. They come with two grind options, but just two bounce options, both of which are on the high side (10 and 13 degrees), which may give some players trouble on tight lies. They’re available in Chrome and Xtreme Dark, and loft choices range from 50 to 62 degrees. (BUY NOW)
Honma T//World W5
The Honma brand is renowned for its craftsmanship, its attention to the smallest detail, and the resulting performance that its high-end clubs consistently deliver. Honma’s new T//World W5 wedges are no exception. New for 2024, the T//World W5 wedges have slightly larger heads than Honma’s prior offerings, which has allowed their designers to redistribute weight and create a wider sweet spot for increased forgiveness. Standing over them, they inspire confidence. Honma’s painstaking milling process has brought increased spin rates to shots played with these wedges, too, thanks to a double-milling approach to the face’s milling pattern, and additional “Bite Rib Lines”—protusion-shaped ribs that are positioned in between the deeper scoring lines and provide added spin on all shots, and especially on open-faced ones. They’ve also been fitted with the VIZARD IB shaft—a shaft specifically designed for wedges. Choose from two styles, chrome and copper, and three different sole grinds: the I-Sole, with slight trailing edge relief; the C-Sole, with more aggressive heel and toe trailing edge relief and a flatter bounce; and the S-Sole, a wider choice that’s more forgiving in a variety of sand and turf situations.
Bettinardi HLX 5.0
Bob Bettinardi may be more well known for his company’s putter designs, but he’s been making wedges for a while, too, and these HLX 5.0 forged wedges, which premiered in late 2023, deliver excellent feel and ball control. They’re made with soft carbon steel, so their faces may feel slightly softer to you than some other wedges, and they provide excellent feedback. In those faces you’ll find High Helix Cut grooves that are cut at a sharp angle for added spin. In the HLX 5.0s, Bettinardi raised the center of gravity by five degrees to produce lower, more consistent ball flights. And the soles are micro-milled to provide added consistency in a range of turf conditions. They’re available in lofts from 50 degrees to 64 degrees, but you’ll have to choose between just two grind options, a C grind with a narrower sole and less bounce, and an RJ grind with more bounce. You’ll also have two finish choices: forged chrome and a black forged graphite PVD. They’re designed for better players—but they can make anyone a better player. (BUY NOW)
Mizuno T24
Mizuno’s T24 wedges debuted in late 2023—but that’s close enough for this story. One-piece, grain-flow forged in Japan with HD 1025 stainless steel/boron, they offer the kind of feel you expect from Mizuno. These new beauties build on the performance of prior Mizuno wedges with a refined topline, new shaping with loft-specific profiles, and loft-specific groove designs. The lower-lofted wedge choices have 17 grooves that are narrower and deeper toward the top and bottom of the face, while the higher-lofted wedges feature just 15 grooves that are wider at the top and bottom. The idea is to optimize spin according to the situation the wedge is most likely to be used in. The grooves themselves have a new design, too, which gives them more bite without straying into banned “square-groove” territory, and the additional milled micro-grooves are again wedge-specific, appearing at more of an angle on the higher-lofted wedges for better performance on open-faced shots. Choose from five sole grinds, including a new V-grind, and three finish options: Soft White Stain, Denim Cooper, and Tour Raw. (BUY NOW)
TaylorMade Milled Grind (MG) 4
The TaylorMade Milled Grind 4 wedges have been out for a few months now—long enough for them to have shown up in the bags of more than a few tour pros. Their heads are a bit rounder than past TaylorMade wedges, and their appearance inspires confidence. As does their tech. The MG 4s feature what TaylorMade calls Spin Tread technology, where angled, laser-etched micro-grooves support the mission of the larger grooves to create spin. They also help channel away moisture the way tire treads do water in wet weather, so you get more spin than with clubs that can’t boast such a feature. Like Callaway’s Jaws Raw, the scoring areas are unplated and will rust over time to provide even more spin, particularly in wet conditions. Available in lofts from 48 degrees to 64 degrees, and with eight different sole grinds, you’re sure to find a setup that will work for your game. (BUY NOW)
Wilson Staff Model ZM
Like the PXGs, Wilson’s Staff ZM wedges are forged from 8620 carbon steel—so their feel and feedback are excellent. They’ve been designed to provide maximum spin, both with the scoring grooves in their face and their wedge-preferred shafts. Every ZM comes standard with a True Temper Dynamic Gold Spinner shaft, which has a softer tip that can generally help produce higher RPMs than many other wedge shafts. You have three bounce options in the ZMs—low (6 degrees), mid (8-10 degrees), and high (12 degrees)—and lofts from ranging from 46 to 60 degrees. (BUY NOW)
Are you thinking of purchasing new wedges this year? Tell us about what clubs you will be buying in the comment section.
