Wide Sole Wedges have added an entirely new dimension to the forgiveness that a wedge can offer.
Before wide sole wedges, manufacturers relied almost exclusively on bounce angle to prevent a wedge from digging into the turf. However, forward-thinking clubmakers quickly identified that a wider sole further promotes the skimming quality of a wedge. Instead of digging into the turf like a knife, a wide sole wedge tends to skim and glide off the grass, which ultimately translates to far fewer fat shots.
You can basically get away with hitting 1-3 inches behind the ball, and still execute a reasonably good shot. This is not to say that you should aim to hit that far behind the ball. It simply means that if you do hit behind the ball with a wide sole wedge, the consequences of doing so tend to be far less severe than a traditional thin sole wedge.
Wide Sole Wedges For Low Handicappers
KING Cobra WideLow Snakebite Wedge 2021
The King Cobra WideLow Snakebit Wedge provides a wide, low bounce sole that works magic out of soft bunkers and medium rough, preventing the leading edge from digging.
Callaway Jaws MD5 Low Bounce W Grind
Shaped by Roger Cleveland, Callawy Jaws MD5 exudes quality and superiority from every angle, while also delivering a soft and satisfying feel no other wedge can match. Two high-end finish options: Platinum Chrome and Tour Grey.
The Low Bounce W-Grind version gives you the anti-digging qualities of a wide sole, without the leading-edge issues that can crop up when the bounce angle of a wedge is too high.
Titleist Vokey SM8 K Grind Wedge
The Titleist K Grind is the highest bounce wedge in the Vokey lineup and is the ultimate bunker club. The K Grind is a wide, full sole wedge with enhanced camber to make it forgiving from a variety of sand and turf conditions. The Vokey SM8 K Grind wedge is played by Justin Thomas, Adam Scott and Webb Simpson.
Taylormade Milled Grind Hi-Toe Wedge - ATV Grind
Featuring full-face scoring lines in the 56° to 64° options, the Taylormade High-Toe ATV Grind Wedge offers an expanded toe area to deliver high-spin performance whether you’re taking full swings on your approach or playing finesse shots around the green.
The Channel-cut ATV mid-sole is built with a bounce angle of 12°. The “V” shaped leading edge moves through the turf and sand more seamlessly for better contact.
Callaway PM Grind 19 Wedge
Co-created by Phil Mickleson and Roger Cleveland, the Callawy PM Grind 19 Wedge is built with increased Offset & a Higher Toe for Crisp, Flag-finding Knockdown Shots. The C-Grid sole configuration is designed for crisp contact from a broad range of lies. The higher toe also raises the center of gravity, which helps align with the impact point and better control the trajectory of the shot.
Wide Sole Wedges For Mid Handicappers
Ping Glide 3.0 Wide Sole Wedge
PING engineers took a grip-to-grind approach, redesigning every component of the new Glide 3.0 wedges. The end result is a higher-spinning, more forgiving, softer-feeling, lighter overall design. The Ping Glide 3.0 Wide Sole Wedges blends a players-style look at address with impressive game-improvement performance technology.
Callaway Jaws MD5 W Grind (Mid Bounce)
The Callaway MD5 W Grind employs a aew Jaws groove design with an extremely sharp edge radius to generate more spin and precise control. Signature Groove-in-Groove Technology features micro-positive surface texture with radius grooves raised off the face for more grip and maximum spin. Soft carbon steel construction, precise CG locations, and crisp turf interaction delivers a satisfying feel
Cleveland CBX2 C-Shaped Wide Sole Wedge
Built for the majority of golfers who play game improvement equipment, the Cleveland CBX 2 Wedge provides tour-level spin and control for players looking to upgrade their short game. Get spin, control, and all the forgiveness you need with the new Cleveland CBX 2.
The C-Grind is designed for versatility. It responds to lob shots with an open face, and a variety of other shots around the greens.
TaylorMade Milled Grind 4-Way Sole Hi-Toe Wedge
The 4-way cambered sole has more trailing edge and heel relief for players with average to steep swing in mid-bounce design. The expanded toe area along with full-face scoring lines deliver spin all across the club face. ZTP-17 grooves feature steeper sidewalls, machined for maximum spin.
Game Improvement Wide Sole Wedges For High Handicappers
Cleveland Smart Sole 4 Wedge
The Cleveland Smart Sole 4 makes the short game easier. Featuring an extra-wide sole and improved Feel Balancing Technology, the Smart Sole 4 delivers maximum forgiveness and easier bunker play for those needing more short game assistance.
TaylorMade Milled Grind Big Foot Hi-Toe Wedge
The Taylormade Big Foot asymmetric C-Grind sole is flatter and wider at 32mm. Combined with an anti-dig leading edge, this enhances playability and ease of use from the sand and rough. The 15° high bounce has a trailing edge and heel relief, keeping the leading edge low and allowing for versatility on the greens or from the sand.
C3i Game Improvement Wedge
The C3i lob wedge is extra-wide. Its auto-glide sole cuts through the sand without skipping or digging; This sand wedge is a high loft golf club for men and women that gets the ball up easily to clear the lip and stop it quickly on the green.
The design of the C3i sand wedge lets you set up and aim directly at your target; No opening your stance or the blade to hit high and soft; Just set up square and swing to get the golf club close to the pin from a variety of lies; Ease of swing promotes greater confidence when standing over the ball; Enjoy more tap-in putts for birdie and par.
Square Strike Wedge
NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO HIT FAT: The Square Strike Wedge pitching wedge has an extra-wide sole and beveled leading edge prevent digging; No more chunked pitch and chip shots reduces wasted strokes; Heavy, solid feel promotes greater confidence vs thin-faced wedges that dig and rotate; Less rotation with the Square Strike Wedge golf wedge for men and women makes clean contact easier and much more consistent.
Callaway Sure Out 2 Wedge
The Callaway Sure Out 2 makes it incredibly easy to hit good shots out of the bunker. The Sure Out 2 provides an enhanced sole design, increased heel relief, and a confidence-inspiring shape to help you get out of the sand, and play with more confidence on any short game shot.
Advantages of Wide Sole Wedges
- More forgiving than traditional wedges
- Far less likely to dig into the ground
- Very easy to hit out of the bunker
- Very easy to hit out of thick rough
- There are 'low bounce wide sole wedges' that are ideal for tight lies
- Biggest advantage - You don't have to make crisp contact every time you chip or pitch a ball. The wide sole gives you a much wider margin of error
In order to understand the benefits of a wide sole wedge, it is helpful to consider the polar opposite – pencil thin wedges with minimal bounce. The pencil thin wedge will dig into the ground like a Victorinox knife if you don’t make crisp contact with the ball before the grass. The wide sole wedge should glide off the surface of the grass, even if you hit 1-2 inches behind the ball. This
Key Metaphor - Like Skimming A Stone Off Water
Let’s imagine that you’re standing at the edge of a perfectly still lake and you’re looking for a stone to skim off the water. After looking around for a while, you can only find two stones.
- Stone 1 = Long and narrow
- Stone 2 = Wide and flat
Of these two stones, which do you think has the better chance of skimming beautifully across the water?
Obviously, the wide and flat stone is more likely to skim across the water, whereas the long and narrow stone is more likely to clip the water too sharply and plummet into oblivion.
Now let’s bring this metaphor back to the crux of this article. A traditional thin sole wedge is the equivalent of a long and narrow stone. Your throw needs to be almost perfect for the stone to skim.
Conversely, a wide sole wedge is like a wide and flat stone. It is far easier to skim off the surface of the water. You don’t need to be athletically gifted to make it skim consistently. You just need to focus on delivering the wedge with a reasonably good angle of attack, and the club will take care of the rest.