If you're looking for a sand wedge that will help you get up and down more often, you've come to the right place. In this article, we'll take a look at the best sand wedges for getting up and down on the market today, and help you choose the one that's right for your game.
TaylorMade MG2
If there’s a surface to be found, TaylorMade is going to put grooves on it. The MG2 sand wedge features raw face technology and a grooved sole. This combination adds extra spin off the face and makes it easy to hit the ball off varying lies.
The idea behind this design is to produce consistency. Besides all the grooves, there is an insert on the back of the face designed to absorb vibrations. This may seem like a small detail, but softening vibrations up the shaft provides a consistent feel. If your swing and results vary, the TaylorMade MG2 makes up for a bit of that and will help you find a steady swing on short shots.
Callaway Mack Daddy CB
The “CB” at the end of Callaway Mack Daddy stands for cavity back. This is the equivalent of a game improvement iron and resembles it quite clearly. Beginner golfers are learning to do a lot of things at once and need to simplify certain parts of their game. One of the main areas is chipping.
Picking the Callaway Mack Daddy CB is a compromise that does not cost much. This is the best sand wedge for beginners because it is the traditional loft of a sand wedge and effective for chipping. Where it benefits beginners is that it is more forgiving and your margin of error is bigger.
Cleveland Golf RTX Zipcore TS
There is a lot to like about Cleveland RTX Zipcore wedges, but nothing more that the trailing edge. The sole has a c-shaped grind making it perfect for open face shots. Whether you’re looking for a big flop shot or something small around the green, this grind helps avoid the club grabbing as you make contact.
Advanced groove patterns also make it easy to generate spin on any part of the face. Even slight misses will play nicely with Zipcore wedges.
What are the main qualities of a good sand wedge?
The best sand wedge is a separate purchase from your other irons. While your pitching wedge and up and look the same, a sand wedge has a different, slimmer look. The design is practical, built to cut through rough, sand, and everything else. The thin edges help launch the ball in the air.
Many players struggle to play normal shots due to the level of precision required. But, a player with general sand wedge competency recovers from mistakes and keeps themselves in holes others cannot.
So, what should I actually be looking for when shopping this club? Proper loft and flex are obvious ones. Bounce is a secondary consideration, but can make a club easier to hit when selected properly.
Wedge Flex
Wedges have their own flex, which is slightly stiffer than regular. The shaft itself is a bit heavier as well. Since wedges are not swung hard, the actual flex is less important. What does matter is wedge flex helps you stay down and is heavy enough to get through sand or grass.
Unless you’re a senior golfer, wedge flex is your best option.
What loft is a sand wedge?
One thing we should make clear is exactly what a sand wedge it, which is a club between 54 and 58 degrees. The most common loft is 56 degrees. For comparison, a pitching wedge is between 44-48 degrees, a gap wedge is 48-54 degrees, and lob wedge is 58-64 degrees.
Bounce
If you play on hard surfaces, choose a low bounce. If you play on softer, fluffier surfaces, go with high bounce. If you play on a mix, a mid-bounce wedge is best.
Bounce is how high the leading edge of the club sits above the ground. Because of this, it’s also recommended that the steeper your swing, the higher the bounce you need.
How to choose right sand wedge for beginners?
If you’re on here looking for the best sand wedges for beginners, you’re really looking for the simplest one. As we mention in our product reviews, the Callaway Mack Daddy CB is your best choice because of the continuity between irons it offers. You’re looking to learn irons at this point, not all types of irons. It is why clubs come in sets, rather than individual pieces.
You will not get up and down regularly, so you need to limit damage. An iron with sand wedge loft is the best option for you to get the ball on the green. As you improve, you’ll be able to start going at the hole, but this club requires less precision, especially when you expand your landing area. This design also makes it more difficult to blade and skull the ball.
How to pick the best sand wedge for average golfer?
An average golfer has their sights set higher than getting the ball on the green. They want the ball close enough for a makable putt. To do this, they need to take on a bit of risk—in the form of higher bounce.
Higher bounce wedges produce more spin and allow you to land the ball softer. When you can rely on yourself to consistently get underneath the ball and hit targeted landing spots, you can afford the added risk.
If you regularly hit the ball fat or have inconsistent contact, it is smart to stay with a mid-bounce sand wedge.
How to improve bunker shots with the right wedge?
Soft hands, belt buckle towards the hole, easy swing. All of these are points of emphasis when trying to improve your play from sand bunkers. Unfortunately, it’s not something explainable in a single paragraph. Instead, we’ll use this space to focus on setting yourself up for success. If you have the proper swing, we want the results to follow by explaining what club is best for the type of sand you’re in.
Use any one of the best sand wedges and your bunker play will improve a little. Select the correct bounce and your sand game will improve even more. Picking bounce relies on analyzing the type of sand you play on the most. Sometimes this is geographically, other times it’s what your favorite course has.
If the sand is compact, you need your wedge to cut into the sand. This is why low bounce is better. Because the front edge is barely off the ground, it goes directly into the surface.
If you’re used to fluffier sand, your club has no problem getting underneath the ball. If this is the case for you, choose a higher bounce that will help sweep underneath the ball.
Best Sand Wedge Takeaways
Wedges are the club needed when things go wrong. A player that goes perfectly from tee to green will never need one. Unfortunately, that player does not exist—especially at the average and beginner levels. We all need the right sand wedge.
When you have the easiest sand wedge to use, you’re able to recover from mistakes and keep scores low. In reality, that’s exactly what the best sand wedge is. It’s not one specific brand or anything like that.
The best sand wedge is the club you can effectively use to get up and down from anywhere. By reading our article above, you should be able to figure out the best option for you and on your way to elite level wedge play.
Mike Regan
Mike is a weekend golfer from Connecticut and a devoted fan of the game who turned his passion into the writing experience. Any day he keeps it under 80 is a cool day. When he's not writing about golf his is playing it.