We take a closer look at some of the best sand wedges currently on the market
Best Sand Wedges
One avenue of the short game that the best golf wedges have to be able to deal with is the sand. Playing from the sand can be very difficult because of the rules and the challenge of the shots needed to be played around the green.
Finding the right sand wedge is vital to help with your scoring and having a club that gives you confidence around the greens and out of bunkers can really help change your mindset on the course and lead to making more up-and-downs.
What Makes A Sand Wedge?
As the name would suggest, the sand wedge – a club with a loft typically between 54° and 58° – was created to help golfers escape from bunkers. The best sand wedges use design and technology to help make this as easy as possible for a wide range of abilities.
Additionally we don’t just use sand wedges to pop the ball out of the sand – they are more versatile than that.
Often it’s the best, or only, choice of club when you need to hack it out of thick rough; it’s the club you’ll go to from 80 yards and for many it’s the club they’ll reach for immediately whenever greenside.
How To Choose The Right Sand Wedge?
When thinking about which sand wedge is right for you, there are a couple of key questions you need to ask.
Firstly, where do you most commonly use your current sand wedge? Do you use it exclusively out of a bunker? Do you chip with it greenside? Do you primarily use it as an approach club from 60 yards out?
Next, what irons do you currently use? If you use cavity back irons, find a sand wedge that matches them closely as possible that will offer you similar forgiveness. While if you use bladed irons or something similar, look for a sand wedge that has a similarly thin topline and is made from a softer, forged metal.
Finally, what loft do you need? As we mentioned above, sand wedges are traditionally lofted between 54° and 58° and the loft best suited for you will depend on your current iron set. We recommend researching the loft of your current pitching wedge and gap wedge – if you have one – and make sure they are all separated by 4-6 degrees of loft.
For example, if your pitching wedge is 46° and your gap wedge is 50°, a sand wedge of 54° or 56° would be ideal.
Bearing all of these important factors in mind, we have tested the latest models to give you an idea of the best sand wedges on the market right now and how they vary from brand to brand. If there are other facets of the game you want to find a wedge for, check out our guides on the best wedges for chipping, best gap wedges, or if you are new to the game, the best golf wedges for beginners.
Best Sand Wedges
TaylorMade Milled Grind 2 Wedge
+ High performing in every department
+ Rusty face reduces sun glare
– Rusty look won’t be for everyone
Image credit: TaylorMade
The theory with rusty wedges is that they create more spin – and who doesn’t want more of that?
So TaylorMade’s innovative Raw Face technology sees its Milled Grind wedges rust over time, and whilst the appearance won’t appeal to everyone, if more spin is what you’re after then these could well work for you.
These wedges have found themselves in the bags of pretty much all of the TaylorMade Tour players, but we feel these wedges aren’t exclusively for the single figure player and can be utilised by a lot of golfers.
Overall we were hugely impressed with the performance in all departments which makes it not just one of the best sand wedges on the market, but one of the best golf wedges full stop.
TaylorMade Milled Grind 2.0 Wedge Review
Titleist Vokey SM8 Wedge
+ Classic address profile and finishes
+ Versatility and aggressive spin control
– Premium price (£450 for a set of three) a big investment
Image credit: Titleist
The key technology to note with the SM8 is the longer hosel and high-density tungsten toe weight, which increases MOI by seven per cent and moves the CG to help the face square more naturally.
We compared its performance with the SM7 from 80 yards, and found that the SM8 flew slightly higher, whilst the grouping around the hole got tighter – which could well have been down to that design change.
In terms of using a SM8 as a sand wedge, we enjoyed having a little more margin for error with the D-Grind, but with 23 loft and bounce options across six different sole grinds, we’re confident everyone has the tools to perfect their wedge line-up to get the ball closer from 120 yards and in.
The newer K-Grind is also a great option if you have a tendency to chunk and fat greenside chips often.
Titleist Vokey SM8 Wedge Review
Callaway Jaws Mack Daddy 5 Wedge
+ Two superb-looking finishes
+ Wide variety of loft and sole grind options
– Some golfers may prefer less taper in the hosel area
Image credit: Callaway
Callaway has been making some of the best sand wedges in the game for a while now. These MD5 wedges continue that trend and feature new Jaws grooves, designed with a 37 degree wall angle to make them sharper for maximum grip and spin from all types of lie.
In addition, three raised micro-ridges between the grooves increase the number of contact points with the ball to 84, which creates added spin.
We were most impressed with the spin this wedge created on longer pitch shots and full shots. We switched between the different offerings, and they all felt buttery soft, which is a down to the mild carbon steel, the muscleback design and the soft grip.
If you’re not comfortable with your current sand wedge, we recommend trying the high-bounce W-Grind for the most forgiveness possible.
Callaway Jaws MD5 Wedge Review
Cleveland RTX ZipCore Wedge
+ Wonderful soft feel
+ Tour satin finish looks stunning
– Some players may prefer to see a straighter leading edge
Image credit: Cleveland
This wedge will catch the attention of low handicap players, with a beautiful muscleback design offering a soft feel. A unique core at the heart of this plays it part in creating a larger sweetspot, which is better aligned with the impact location.
We tested a couple of different options on the Foresight Sports GCQuad against other current wedges, and from a variety of distances the RTX ZipCore proved to be one of the highest-spinning wedges on the market.
Despite the high spin levels, we didn’t suffer with balls ballooning through the air and distance control was very consistent, even on shots that weren’t quite out of the sweetspot.
In summary, RTX ZipCore is one of the most comprehensive wedge offerings right now and represents excellent value for money. As such it also features in our guides on the best lob wedges and best golf wedge for mid handicapper golfers.
Cleveland RTX Zipcore Wedge Review
Ping Glide Forged Wedge
+ Excellent spin control
+ Easy to manipulate face
– £200 RRP will deter some
Image credit: Ping
Ping’s Glide Forged wedge is aimed at skilled golfers who demand high levels of spin control and versatility.
It looks more compact behind the ball than a lot of other models, and it’s the smaller profile that will appeal to the better player.
Featuring a tungsten toe weight for increased forgiveness, we certainly noticed that little bit of extra weight behind the face, and overall it’s hard to pick out any real weaknesses. In fact, as you’d expect given the premium price, it delivers excellent control, versatility and soft feel.
For anyone who enjoys being creative around the greens, this is a club that demands a place on your trial list.
Ping Glide Forged Wedge Review
Mizuno ES21 Wedge
+ Stable feel
+ Narrow topline is really pleasing to look down on
– Limited loft and bounce options.
Image credit: Mizuno
Mizuno’s latest wedge is designed to be more stable and consistent, thanks to a more central sweetspot.
Whilst we’re yet to really put this wedge through its paces, we’ve been mightily impressed with the soft feel it offers.
Traditional wedge designs tend to have a sweetspot that is slightly towards the heel due to long wide hosels and high lofts, which can make achieving a consistently good strike difficult for some players.
With the hollow cavity design, players should be able to deliver a squarer strike and greater levels of controllable spin.
Honma T//World Wedge
+ Looks and feels great
+ Variety of sole shapes available
– Compact shape may be intimidating for some
One of the finest looking wedges on the market, Honma’s T//World wedges, pack a compact look at address which will suit the better golfers looking for a thinner top line.
The thinner top line is not to say these wedges are unforgiving, in fact Honma have added aluminium back inserts to improve the CG location and make these wedges more forgiving from off-centre hits.
When we tested the T//World wedge, we loved how consistent the ball flights were with the 52° wedge, ideal for a club you’ll be using for full shots more often.
There are three sole shapes available too, allowing you to custom fit these to suit your swing or turf conditions you most commonly play on.
The C-SOLE, which is across the 56°, 58° and 60° wedges, has a thicker design on the upper portion of the head for greater versatility – a great option for your sand wedge
Cobra King Snakebite Wedge
+ Full face grooves are ideal for a sand wedge
+ Three grinds on offer make these a great option to get custom fit for
– Fairly similar to the MIM wedges
What makes the Cobra King Snakebite wedge a great option for a sand wedge are its full face grooves.
On the 56°, 58° and 60° wedges, the grooves are full face and are wider and shallower than the lower lofts to create more spin on the wedges you’d be using with an open blade around the green.
There are three grind options so there is plenty of scope to get the sand wedge that most suits your swing and the turf conditions you most commonly play on.
It is also a friendly wedge to look down on and will really appeal to the mid-high handicapper looking for a sand wedge that closely mirrors a cavity back iron set.
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