Gear expert Sam De’Ath runs through the best golf wedges on the market right now to help you identify the right model for your game!
► Find the best price for the wedges featured in your region:
Avoda W2: https://avodagolf.co.uk/products/w2-wedges-chrome?srsltid=AfmBOor2XD7KlSKiBedcsS2u6yETJgVn529pg7b9aBpFG3Jug6bt9nAQ
Callaway CB12: https://hawk.ly/m/callaway-cb-12-wedge/i/golfmonthly-youtube-best-wedges-2025
Callaway Opus SP: https://hawk.ly/m/callaway-opus-sp-wedge/i/golfmonthly-youtube-best-wedges-2025
Cleveland CBZ: https://hawk.ly/m/cleveland-cbz-wedge/i/golfmonthly-youtube-best-wedges-2025
Cleveland RTZ: https://hawk.ly/m/cleveland-rtz-tour-satin-wedge/i/golfmonthly-youtube-best-wedges-2025
Cobra King: https://hawk.ly/m/cobra-king-wedge/i/golfmonthly-youtube-best-wedges-2025
Fourteen FRZ: https://hawk.ly/m/fourteen-frz-wedge/i/golfmonthly-youtube-best-wedges-2025
Mizuno Pro T-1: https://hawk.ly/m/mizuno-pro-t-1-wedge/i/golfmonthly-youtube-best-wedges-2025
Ping S159: https://hawk.ly/m/ping-s159-wedge/i/golfmonthly-youtube-best-wedges-2025
Protoconcept RR: https://protoconceptgolf.com/products/rr-forged-wedge?srsltid=AfmBOor7p-46EC2qYeKuv22ItZmsp9VbiAOMte2fGTixkjO6lvxcRwjj
PXG Sugar Daddy III: https://hawk.ly/m/pxg-sugar-daddy-iii-wedge/i/golfmonthly-youtube-best-wedges-2025
Rife SCS1: https://hawk.ly/m/rife-scs1-wedge/i/golfmonthly-youtube-best-wedges-2025
Takomo SF002: https://takomogolf.com/products/skyforger-002-wedges?variant=44931593437381
TaylorMade MG5: https://hawk.ly/m/taylormade-mg5-wedge/i/golfmonthly-youtube-best-wedges-2025
Titleist Vokey SM10: https://hawk.ly/m/titleist-vokey-sm10-wedge/i/golfmonthly-youtube-best-wedges-2025
Wilson Staff Model ZM: https://hawk.ly/m/wilson-staff-model-zm-wedge/i/golfmonthly-youtube-best-wedges-2025
We may earn an affiliate commission when using some of the links in this description.
► Skip to the section that most interests you:
Introduction 0:00-0:36
Looks 0:36
Feel/Sound 3:24
Performance 8:15
Forgiveness 12:12
Value 14:47
Verdict 16:14
► For full reviews of all these wedges, be sure to check out the reviews section on the Golf Monthly website: https://www.golfmonthly.com/reviews/wedges
► Which wedge are you most excited to try? Let us know in the comments below! 💬
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I’ve tested 17 of the best wedges in 2025. Which one is best for you? Let’s find out. [Music] So, we are down here at the beautiful North Golf Club in Hampshire where we’re conducting the biggest wedge test we have ever done. I’m testing 17 different models across five different categories. testing them both inside on a GC3 launch monitor as well as outdoors on the practice area to determine which one is best for your game. Right, let’s get into the video. Okay, so we’re going to break this video down into five sections. The first section is the looks. Now, I’m going to start with the Tailor-Made MG5. This is new for this summer, in fact, so it’s one of the latest releases, and I just think they’ve done a really good job in keeping this looking simple. It’s got the mill grind sole here, which I think gives it a really premium look. Obviously, your loft and bounce on the toe there. But what I also really like about this club is down behind the ball. It’s got a raw face on it that goes so well against this kind of satin chrome finish. I just think it frames the ball superbly at dress, will inspire confidence, and that minimalistic look is something that I really like. Now, we’ll move on to something that’s slightly more loud, and I wouldn’t say it is minimalist in terms of what’s actually on the club, but this is the Mazuno Pro T1. Now, it’s an absolutely stunning bit of artwork. I mean, this cobalt blue finish is ridiculously nice. It might not be to everyone’s taste, but they do offer this wedge in a black ion finish as well as a satin chrome finish. Um, but when you do turn it over and lay it down behind the ball, you do have the kind of satin gray face, which like the MG5 frames the ball really nicely. It’s a bit out there, but I think it’s pretty cool. When I go through these categories, I don’t want it to all just appeal to one style of golfer. So, I’m someone who does like a slightly more compact, smaller looking bladed wedge, but I know not everyone does. And so if you are looking for a slightly larger head, something that might inspire a bit more confidence down behind the ball, then the Cleveland CBZ is definitely, I think, the way to go. I think this looks really premium considering it is a large forgiving wedge. And then when you flip it over, you actually have full face grooves. So despite it being a more forgiving looking wedge, I do think down behind the ball, you’ve got the oversized footprint, which will inspire confidence. And those oversized grooves actually even stretch the face further. So, for that reason, I think this is the perfect wedge for those um who want a premium looking wedge, but also want that forgiveness that comes with it. Now, if I was to pick a winner for the best looks, that would have to be the 14 FRZ wedge. This kind of gray smoky finish, I think looks superb. They are available in chrome as well, but I think this um this gray charcoal finish just like reduces glare, especially when down behind the ball. Again, quite a small compact looking head. Quite rounded, which I quite like. And it’s got a slightly rounded leading edge which um will help those who like to open and close the face and just keep the bounce and the head um sitting flush to the turf. It’s paired with a black KBS. Um this is Dollar Taper shaft and matched with this Z quad grip that I’ve got on it. I just think it’s hard to beat this wedge. So for that reason, I think this is the best looking wedge of 2025. The next section we are going to be talking about is the feel of a wedge. And like the looks, how a golfer interprets a wedge’s feel is very much subjective. So, out of all the wedges that I did test this year, the best kind of for firm feel, I thought was the Cleveland RTZ. Now, I’m going to clip a few away here using my Foresight GC3 launch monitor to get some data, but also hopefully you’ll be able to kind of pick up on the sound and just how clicky this kind of sounds through impact. Now, I think it probably feels firmer than it sounds, but let’s see if the mic will just pick this up. I’m going to go to this yellow flag out here, which is about 60 yards away. And even just straight away there, you can hear that kind of click as it leaves the face. Now, what I have noticed throughout my testing is that it does offer a slightly faster ball speed, which is probably a good indication of that firm feeling face. So, if you are someone who likes that clicky feel through impact, then the Cleveland RTZ might be the way to go. Now, moving on to I would say a medium kind of feeling, medium sensation wedge, and that is the Ping S159. This has this kind of face blasting on the grooves here to kind of enhance the duration, which you would think actually makes it feel a bit firmer, but I I thought these were still pretty soft. They do have this insert on the back here as well, which um actually feels like it dampens vibrations, which might maybe give it the sensation that it is a bit softer than it actually is. But again, I’ll clip one away here and um hopefully you guys can get an understanding of how this sounds. I mean, it feels really good. It actually feels like it kind of stays on the face um for longer than it does. It feels like it just kind of rides up the phase creating lots of spin, but not quite as much as this next wedge. This is the Proto Concept RR. Now, again, might not be a wedge that many of you have heard of. It’s quite a premium wedge, quite a niche brand. Um, but testing this wedge, I mean, just feels like a knife through butter. It is so soft off the face. Again, made from an SC20 carbon steel, so it’s a really, really soft metal. And my only concern about that is that it might uh kind of ding up a little as you hit stones in bunkers and and of you know if you hit it into the rough like me, you’re often playing off some pretty nasty lies. So I’m a bit concerned about these wedges and how they might hold up over time. But initially off tight grass like this, I mean they just feel absolutely superb. They sound soft as well. And um I noticed they produce a decent amount of spin, which again highlights the fact that it is quite a soft feeling wedge. Comes out, you know, as tour pros would like it, that kind of low fizzing ball flight with plenty of spin. So yeah, if you’re liking a soft feeling wedge, then I think that is the way to go. However, I’m going to throw in one wild card here, and that is the Aoda W2 wedge. Now, I know what you’re thinking. What on earth is going on here? Well, that is down to the fact that Avoda, they’re the people that make Bryson Dashambo’s irons, the ones that he won the US Open with at Pinehurst last year. So, the idea behind these wedges is well, the combo set of these um Avoda clubs is that lob wedge to eight iron actually run at the same length. So, as you can see, if I hold this up against one of the other wedges I’ve got here, you can see it’s it’s got a good extra inch and a half on it. Now, in order to counteract the length and make sure that the ball doesn’t just fly miles, they actually make these heads much lighter. So, as you can see, I’m in a graphite 110 g shaft as well with a larger Jumbo Max Zenite grip. But what that does, I mean, it’s hard to explain how light and soft these wedges feel. It feels like you can really just attack the golf ball knowing that you’re not going to get the ball speed that some of the other wedges produce due to the kind of lightness of the head. So, for that reason, these are definitely worth checking out. If I was to pick my personal favorite, obviously, like I said, this is a matter of opinion. It would have to be the Ping S159. I just think they offer it offers such a good feeling off the face. It’s not too soft, not too firm, delivers just that right amount of spin and ball speed, and they are offered in 25 different loft and lie bounce configurations. So, if you’re in the market for kind of that perfect allrounder when it comes to feel and sound, then the Ping S159 is the way I would go. If you’re enjoying today’s video, make sure you hit the like button down below. Hit the subscribe button as well so you don’t miss any future Golf Monthly YouTube videos. And if you like any of the products that you’ve seen in today’s video, I’ll make sure I put the handy link in the description box down below for the best prices in your area. So, making sure that you get the right performance in your wedges is crucial to playing better golf, lowering your scores, and reducing your handicap. The idea behind my testing was that I hit 50 yard shots. I managed to get a sample size of six shots. They all had to land within two yards of 50 yards, so anywhere between 48 and 52. And then from there I got my averages of um as you can see on the screen kind of launch spin ball speed as well as the carry number and peak height. So let’s dive into it. The first one I think is worth a shout is the 14 FRZ wedge. Now this was the wedge that produced the most spin out of any wedge that I tested this year. And while spin isn’t everything, it is a massive factor when it comes to performance. You want this to be able to spin not just only off a tight kind of fringe or fairway, but also when it comes to out the rough and out the sand as well. Uh these wedges, like we’ve touched upon before, look absolutely exceptional and producing over 7,800 revs of spin. I was nearly taking the cover off the ball from 50 yards. So that I thought was a really, really good option. And if you’re wanting a premium looking wedge that offers superb amounts of spin, then that 14 is the way to go. Now, the next wedge that I’m going to talk about is the Callaway Opus SP wedge. Now, SP stands for spin pocket. So, what Callaway have done this year compared to the Opus from last year is create a two piece construction head where essentially they’ve managed to save some weight in behind the face, move it further up the head, create a higher CG placement, which then lowers the ball flight while producing a lot of spin. These wedges look spectacular. They are available in a couple of different colors as well, as well as multiple grind and bounce options. So, you’ll have to scan through those or go and have a fitting to identify which kind of combination of those is going to be best for you. But, I really like this black kind of mist head. I think it looks really smart, really premium, and as you can see from the data, produced some really reliable numbers. Now, the next wedge is one that is a carry-on product from last year and one that this video wouldn’t be worth putting out there if it didn’t feature it. And that is the Titless Voki SM10 wedge. Arguably the most popular wedge on tour. They often dominate the wedge count across the PJ tour and DP World Tours. Just produced exceptional numbers. Really, really reliable. Consistent spin from a multitude of lives. I found that when I went out on the course as well, I was able to stop the ball exactly how I wanted. and predictability is key to consistent scoring. They are available also in seven different grind options as well. So depending on if you’re someone who likes to get a bit steep or you’re a shallow picker of the ball, then there are bounce and grind options um for anyone and everyone. But if there was one wedge that I thought was the most I guess consistent across the board, an all round performer, that would have to be the Tailormade MG5. We’ve touched upon this mill grind sole when it came to the looks. But I also think that helps just glide through the turf really nicely. Again, six different grind options. So depending on if you’re steep or steep or shallow or if you like to be a bit more versatile and creative with your chipping. Opening the face up, there’s some heel and toe relief. This one I’ve got here is the SB grind in a 54 degree head. So it has 12 degrees of bounce, but actually sits quite tight to the ground even when you open or close the face in. Again, it’s got this new kind of spin tread pattern this year, which has helped with moisture management. That was something I noticed particularly in the dew and rain. And I’ve managed to put these wedges finally to the test in damper conditions. And I’ve seen exceptional performance. Really haven’t noticed much drop off in spin and control when coming from wet rough. So, that was an absolute banker for me. But, it also produced really, you know, generous numbers. Like, I got a good amount of launch. I sometimes struggle when weight is moved too high and the flight is a bit too low, but I can fly this around quite a lot. Gained really good traction off the face. Really, really good numbers. It’s a premium looking wedge that feels amazing. So, from an all round perspective, um the performance of this wedge is one that I thought couldn’t be beaten this year. So, the short game is often a part of the golf game where a lot of people struggle. Whether that’s duffing or thinning chip shots, chipping and pitching around the green can often be extremely difficult depending on the lie at hand. But there are a few wedges that have been released this year that I think really make it easier for golfers to play their best golf and get up and down more often. Now, the first of those is the Cleveland CBZ. Now, I’ve know we’ve spoken about this earlier in the video. This particular model is a 54°ree with 12° of bounce. a really really wide sole particularly towards the toe end. It’s a large cavity back head here. Um, and it actually features the same hydrozip and ultzip grooves that the RTZ, the more premium kind of offering from Cleveland, um, has as well. So, these full face grooves mean you can kind of hit it off the heel and toe a little. You’re still going to catch plenty of groove, generate plenty of spin, and therefore a consistency of ball flight. A really, really forgiving club. But there are a few more in this category as well that I think deserve a mention. And that is the Cobra King X. Now, this has this really nice um it features MIM technology. It actually looks more like a premium wedge down behind the ball. It’s not quite as large as the Cleveland um CBZ um which I think will appeal to a lot of golfers. The fact you’ve got a cavity packed design, some relief on the leading edge here, and um a really nice versatile sole. I mean, it I would say it is suited to those who prefer hitting squareface chip shots and don’t want to get too creative and bring in the leading edge or the bounce, but um yeah, the Cobra King X Wedge is a wedge that I thought also feels really good um through impact um considering it is a larger cavity back model. If there was one winner in this category, that would have to be the Callaway CB12 wedge. Now, I really liked the Callaway CB wedge over the last couple of years, and I thought it was an amazing forgiving wedge. But they’ve just kind of one up to themsel here. Um 56° this one. So, slightly more loft, but 14° of bounce and a really, really wide kind of tricole design again. So, similar to the Cleveland, but it’s got urethane microsphere insert here behind the face to really dampen vibrations. So, it feels really really uh soft through impact, but you get all of that in a really forgiving wide sole wedge with plenty of bounce. So, if you’re struggling with your games, um particularly around the greens, with your chipping, your pitching, and if you like to hit full shots, but see the flight that you would get out of a, you know, a standard bladed wedge, then the Callaway CB12 is the wedge that I would choose. If you’re new into the game, you don’t want to spend quite as much money or you want to refresh your wedges for the next season, then there are three great options to give you some pretty solid performance at a cheaper price point. Now, the first of those is the Refe SCS1 wedge. This is only $79.99. Under £100 a wedge nowadays is is pretty rare, but there are a few kind of discrepancies with that. It’s a very headheavy wedge, which is unlike any of the other wedges really. But, I mean, that might be a case of personal preference. you might actually like a heavier head. There’s a few different options, but for $79.99, I don’t think you can go too wrong. The next one I want to talk about is the Tacomao SF002 wedge. Now, you’ve got this kind of milled groove pattern, full face grooves as well, so there’s plenty of opportunity to kind of cut across the ball and not lose any spin performance down behind the ball. I think they look pretty good. It’s quite a compact looking wedge, so it may suit the eye of that golfer that doesn’t want to spend a lot of money, but wants a premium looking wedge with decent performance. But if I was to pick one wedge that I would class as the best value wedge for the year, it would have to be the Wilson Staff Model ZM. And the reason behind that is it’s actually a carry-on product. And while I might be cheating this category a little, they were initially available at around £149, but you can now get them for about £129. So, a touch more than the others, but we’re talking uh 5060 saving on some of the other premium wedges out there. And I thought the performance on these wedges were absolutely superb. So, there you have it. We have tested 17 models across five different categories, all of the best manufacturers that release wedges over the last year, and we have come to a verdict. It is the Tailormade MG5. I’ve talked about it. It won the performance section. It featured in a few others. I think it looks great, feels amazing, and those spin numbers and control that I had from distance and close range around the greens was unrivaled. So, remember, if you did like this video, make sure you hit the like button down below. Subscribe so you don’t miss any future Golf Monthly YouTube videos. And if you do like any of the products that you’ve seen in today’s video and you want them for the best price in your area, I’ve put the handy links in the description box down below so you don’t have to go searching. But that’s all from me here at the beautiful Northance Golf Club. We’ll see you next time.
