The Best Pitching Wedges in 2023
You have put in the time at the range to get your long-game up to par so to speak. You have practiced with your irons and dialed in a set that meets the needs of your game off the deck. Now what? Now it’s time to start thinking about your short-game.
Wedges often get lumped in with iron sets but the truth is that in most cases, they should be thought of as separate clubs – especially your pitching wedge. They are extremely versatile clubs that should be used for approach shots 100 yards in, run shot, chips and short pitches.
The best pitching wedges will be viable when you need high lofted shots to land dead on the green and from the bunker or rough. That’s why most pros use pitching wedges with a loft of 46 degrees.
The specific loft you will need will depend on your style of play but for a pitching wedges, you will generally be looking for lofts between 42 and 46 degrees. Of course, some players prefer pitching wedges with lofts as strong as 60 degrees.
No matter what your preferences or needs may be, you will generally want a pitching wedge with tight face grooves to allow for maximum spin control because spin control is very important to the kind of short approaches that you would use a pitching wedge for.
Forgiveness may also be a factor for you. In the following article, we will be taking a look at the best pitching wedges for different levels of need.
AT A GLANCE
-
#1 – Cleveland Golf CBX 2 Pitching Wedge – (Best Choice)
-
#2 – Callaway Golf Mack Daddy 5 JAWS Wedge – (Best Premium)
-
#3 – LAZRUS Premium Golf PW – (Best Budget)
-
#4 – TaylorMade SiM 2 Max Wedge Mens – (Best For High Handicappers)
-
#5 – Mizuno T22 Golf Wedge – (Best For Mid Handicappers)
-
#6 – Square Strike Pitching Wedge – (Best For Seniors)
-
#7 – Cleveland Golf – RTX ZipCore Tour Satin Wedge
-
#8 – Callaway Mack Daddy CB Wedge
-
#9 – Mazel Pitching Wedge
-
#10 – Cobra Golf- King Cobra SB Chrome Wedge
THE TOP 3
#1 – Cleveland Golf CBX 2 Pitching Wedge – Best Choice
Selling Points:
- Hollow body design
- Toe-bias CG
- Polyurethane layer
The Cleveland Golf CBX 2 Pitching Wedge comes in lofts from 46 to 60 degrees and the bounce angle ranges from 9 to 12 degrees. The exquisite milled face makes for acute short-game control whether you are swinging from the rough, the fairway or even the bunker.
The sole has a unique shape with a recessed leading edge making it a very viable play from tough lies. It sports a sleek muscle back design that mid to low handicapper will love. And when you do find yourself in a tough lie, the polyurethane insert provides smooth impact that dampens vibration.
What our testers like the most about the Cleveland Golf CBX 2 Pitching Wedge was that it was an effective option for all kinds of lies. The alloy steel construction feels nice and solid and will help a wide variety of players putt less.
Pros:
- Very versatile
- Good forgiveness
- Good turf interaction
Cons:
- Not completely duff-proof
- Limited shaft options
Overall Rating: 98/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
#2 – Callaway Golf Mack Daddy 5 JAWS Wedge – Best Premium
Selling Points:
- 8620 carbon steel
- 5 grind options
- Offset Groove-in-Groove design
Talk about performance. The Callaway Golf Mack Daddy 5 JAWS Wedge is one of the most controllable pitching wedges you are likely to come across in 2022. It comes in C, W, X, S and an additional W grind with a 12 degree bounce angle.
You can choose from 8, 10 and 12 degree bounce options with the different grinds and lofts that range from 46 to 64. The 8620 carbon steel design imparts a soft feel to these wedges and the extremely tight grooves allow for the utmost in spin control.
Whether you need to pop the ball up high for a fast green or you are staring down an elevated green from 90 yards out, this wedge is the one that will give you the control to land dead on. This is a great wedge to have in the bag for low handicappers.
Pros:
- Very accurate
- Great feel off the face
- Muscle back design
Cons:
- Pricey
- Turf interaction is lacking
Overall Rating: 99/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
#3 – LAZRUS Premium Golf PW – Best Budget
Selling Points:
- Stepped shaft
- Deep groove design
- Muscle back design
If you are buying on a budget, you would do well with the LAZRUS Premium Golf pitching wedge. It imparts great forgiveness and distance so it would be perfect for mid to high handicappers. On longer approaches it goes surprisingly far and will help set you up for more eagles.
At address, this pitching wedge looks very forgiving with pronounced offset. But on shorter approaches it handles very impressively. You can feel the ball against the grooves and it provides great feedback.
The LAZRUS Premium Golf pitching wedge is available in 45 degrees of loft and a custom Lazrus golf grip.
Pros:
- Amazing price
- Good spin control
- Plays long
Cons:
- Launch is a little low
- Only one shaft option
Overall Rating: 95/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
#4 – TaylorMade SiM 2 Max Wedge Mens – Best For High Handicappers
Selling Points:
- Cap Back design
- Speed Pocket
- Inverted Cone Technology
This is one of the most forgiving wedges we have ever tested. The SIM2 Max has an oversized face profile so there is plenty of sweet spot to work with. And if that weren’t enough this wedge also includes the Inverted Cone technology which uses an asymmetrical sweet spot shape.
The shape extends out towards the toe where many players mis-hit so this would be a great buy for high handicappers seeking max forgiveness. The fluted hosel and ultra-thin face allow for more weight to be seated low in the head to make for an incredibly effective and comfortable swing.
Our higher handicap testers noted that the SIM2 Max PW made it easier for them to turn their shoulders and get a more powerful swing on longer approaches. The Speed Pocket also increases ball speed on low-face misses.
Pros:
- Great for beginners
- 7.8 degree bounce angle
- 43.5 loft
Cons:
- Grooves don’t feel tight
- Hard to work
Overall Rating: 96/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
#5 – Mizuno T22 Golf Wedge – Best For Mid Handicappers
Selling Points:
- Grain flow forged
- One-piece construction
- 1025 boron
The Mizuno T22 Golf Wedge is available in S, D, C and X grinds and 3 different finishes all with their own advantages. We tested the denim copper finish and the first thing our testers remarked was how soft the finish makes an already soft feeling wedge feel.
The Mizuno T22 Golf Wedge also has quad-cut grooves whose narrowness depends on the loft you choose. Speaking of loft, you can choose anywhere between 46 and 60 degrees with bounce angles that run the gamut from 6 to 12 degrees.
The Mizuno T22 Golf Wedge have a muscle back design with a beveled top edge which makes the topline appear thinner. There is even a copper underlay that increases control at the moment of impact.
Pros:
- Incredibly tight spin control
- All 3 finishes look awesome
- Good forgiveness
Cons:
- Expensive
- Not great for beginners
Overall Rating: 96/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
#6 – Square Strike Pitching Wedge – Best for Seniors
Selling Points:
- Extra wide sole
- Beveled leading edge
- Very unique design
This may be the simplest wedge to swing with. The design makes it so you don’t need to open the face at all at impact. It has a heavier head weight than normal and a lie angle of 68 degrees! This means you will not have to rotate your swing at all!
For that reason this is a great choice fro seniors who’s swing has become less dynamic over the years. Even our slow swing speed players were able to get their chips up in the air and shot effectively from 100+ yards out. It’s available in 45, 55 and 60 degree lofts.
Pros:
- Swings almost like a putter
- Great turf interaction
- Tournament legal
Cons:
- Impossible to work
- Poor spin control
Overall Rating: 94/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
#7 – Cleveland Golf- RTX ZipCore Tour Satin Wedge
Selling Points:
- Low-density core
- Sharp, deep, narrow grooves
- Heat treated
The Cleveland Golf- RTX ZipCore Tour Satin Wedge would be a great investment for anyone looking for a wedge that will hold up season after season. The unique heat treatment these wedges undergo makes them incredibly durable while imparting a solid, satisfying feel.
Our testers were also impressed with the performance of the Ultizip grooves. Debris channeling was optimal while spin rates remained crisp even from tight lies. These were also surprisingly forgiving wedges as we we were getting more distance from lies where a full swing was impossible.
The Cleveland Golf- RTX ZipCore Tour Satin Wedge is available in lofts from 46 to 62 with bounce angles ranging from 6 to 12 degrees.
Pros:
- Muscle back design
- Great turf interaction
- Great from the rough or tight lies
Cons:
- Easy to overshoot
- A bit heavy
Overall Rating: 93/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
#8 – Callaway Mack Daddy CB Wedge
Selling Points:
- Larger head
- W grind and full grind
- JAWS grooves
The Callaway Mack Daddy CB Wedge comes in lofts between 46 and 60 degrees with 2 grind options: a W grind and a full sole grind. The W grind provides more bounce so it’s the ideal option if you are working out of a tough lie or a bunker.
The full sole grind makes this wedge play almost like an iron. The Callaway Mack Daddy CB Wedge is a cavity back wedge so it would be a better choice for high handicappers or any player seeking forgiveness and distance from their wedge.
It comes in a nice satin chrome finish and the higher lofted versions even come with full face grooves for more control.
Pros:
- Good game improvement wedge
- Bridges the iron/wedge gap nicely
- Tight spin control
Cons:
- Lacks an offset groove design
- No variable weight port
Overall Rating: 94/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
#9 – Mazel Pitching Wedge
Selling Points:
- 330 gram head
- Putter length
- Anti-chunk sole
Number 9 on our list would be another great choice for senior players. The squared, anti-chunk design of the sole makes for a much smoother swing and turf interaction even from tough lies and bunkers. This wedge makes digging virtually impossible.
While some golfers will take exception to the putter length, this makes for a much easier swing for seniors or anyone with a slower swing speed. It’s available in lofts from 35 to 60 degrees.
Pros:
- Milled face
- Great distance
- Great for seniors
Cons:
- Unworkable
- Clips deep bunker rims
Overall Rating: 92/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
#10 – Cobra Golf- King Cobra SB Chrome Wedge
Selling Points:
- High groove volume
- Sharp groove edges
- 3 grind options
Cobra doesn’t mess around with branding. The Cobra Golf- King Cobra SB Chrome Wedge with “Snake Bite Grooves” really does help you bite onto even the fastest greens. The unique groove design with increasingly sharp edges channels debris very well and allows you to slice through the thickest rough.
All while generating as much spin as you need for any kind of chip, bump and run or pitch shot. You cn get in in lofts from 48 to 60 degrees with versatile, classic and wide-low grinds.
The Cobra Golf- King Cobra SB Chrome Wedge would be a great choice for mid to low handicappers looking for the utmost in short-game spin control.
Pros:
- Amazing spin control
- Great launch angles
- Performs very accurately from the rough
Cons:
- Distance is a bit of an issue
- Loft can be a bit hard to control
Overall Rating: 95/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
Final Thoughts
The above list has a wedge for every level of need and playing style. However, if we had to choose one as our favorite it would be the Callaway Golf Mack Daddy 5 JAWS Wedge. This wedge had it all: precise distance control, spin control and amazing feel.
While it would be our recommendation for most types of players, our list has something for everyone so check out these wedges today!
Aidan is a low-handicap golfer who came from over 110 to breaking 80 in less than 1 year.
Aidan has become obsessed with becoming a scratch golfer and plays golf on every possible occasion, even in the snow!
