Wedges have to be versatile due to the different shots that have to be played around the green. One of those is the lob shot, which can be one of the hardest, but most satisfying shots, when pulled off correctly!
In this guide, we detail the best the market has to offer as you search for a lob wedge to fall in love with.
Watch: Best Players Wedges 2024
To play that Phil Mickelson-style shot, one which sees the ball land like a butterfly with sore feet, requires no small amount of skill - as well as a club with lots of loft (typically 58°-64°). The best golf wedges don't just give you the power to play a crowd-pleasing flop, but with the spin it creates, this club offers you a lot of options around the green.
We've been busy testing the best lob wedges on the market to help you decide which one will suit your game, so be sure to read our full reviews to see how they performed. Some images below are for the 56° models, although these same wedges are available in higher lofts. For more wedge buying advice check out our other guides on other facets of the short game - such as the best wedges for chipping, the best sand wedges, or the best gap wedges.
The Quick List
Subtle yet effective changes have been made to the Vokey SM10 wedge over the previous model. The more centrally placed CG, higher spin and lower launch, all enhance the predictability and control with this wedge.
The Ping S159 wedges look as good as any other on the market and have the performance to match. The spin produced when chipping and pitching was exceptional and they also produced a strong consistent ball flight when firing from a little further out.
The Cleveland RTX Full-Face 2 wedge is a good blade-style wedge option. Featuring full-face grooves that provide higher spin when manipulating the club face to hit a variety of shots around the greens, you also get a consistent ball flight when making full swings with this wedge.
A classic looking wedge that is designed to be extremely versatile and please golfers of all abilities. The compact head will certainly suit the eye of the better player.
The Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore wedge brings more forgiveness and wet-condition spin to the course in a classy looking head. A new low bounce option adds to the full range of lofts and grinds so there should be one for everyone.
TaylorMade's Hi-Toe 4 is a versatile wedge that delivers plenty of spin and control from the rough. It's available in a range of grind and bounce options for universal appeal to golfers.
The new Opus wedges from Callaway are the perfect combination of performance and aesthetics. The Opus delivers extreme spin and control from the rough and difficult lies too.
The Wilson Staff Model wedge looks very classic behind the ball and delivers a lovely soft feel at impact. It was stable and went through the turf nicely on full shots and offered a good amount of versatility and finesse.
A great looking wedge that spins at a consistently high level regardless of conditions. A raw face is contrasted nicely by the outer body of the wedge to boost confidence behind the ball.
Best Lob Wedges
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Titleist Vokey SM10 Wedge
Although the changes made, aesthetically, have been fairly subtle, Titleist have introduced new design benefits like a more centrally placed CG, which has been shifted forward and further from the heel. In testing, this translated to lower launch and higher spin numbers, all of which help to hone gameplay and precision.
On the lower lofts, from 46° through to 52°, we noticed a smaller head shape compared to the higher lofted options available. The higher lofted options have less of a straight leading edge than lower lofts, but the marginally bigger heads will inspire confidence for players standing over tricky chips from difficult positions or bare lies when a lob wedge is forced into their hands.
- Read our full Titleist Vokey SM10 Wedge Review
Ping S159 Wedge
Our testers loved the simple design of the Ping S159 lob wedge. The topline of the wedge is both slim and compact, but the overall shape of the wedge is slightly bigger than rival lob wedges on the market. We liked the size, which we felt helped add to confidence levels when chipping from tricky spots.
The S159 adds exceptional spin levels to the clean look, arguably the best on the market. Wheel-cut grooves are precision milled which provides consistency with spin and how the ball will react on the green, making it one of the best wedges for chipping on the market.
- Read our full Ping S159 Wedge Review
Cleveland RTX Full-Face 2 Wedge
For improving wedge play, the Cleveland RTX Full-Face 2 is a really great club choice. This blade-style wedge features full-face grooves for increased hitting space, which makes it a really smart option for newbie golfers. The traditionalists may not love the full-face aesthetic, but it'll work for those who care more about results that looks.
This wedge - which does have a slight spoon-like appearance at address - is compact enough to work for players with a little more finesse to their gameplay, in addition to those who are new to golf. It's not just a wedge made for the higher handicapper players, it can produce superb results for players of all handicap ranges - beginners, mid-range handicaps and even the low men and women!
- Read our full Cleveland RTX Full-Face 2 Review
Mizuno T24 Wedge
For competent golfers looking to upgrade their lob wedge, the Mizuno T24 is worth considering. Forged from one-piece Grain Flow Forged HD Boron in Japan, the T24 model has seen a number of refinements made to it to help set it above its predecessor, the T22, enhancing look, feel and performance.
Mizuno's wedge works beautifully no matter the lie, slope or playing conditions. The T24 comes with five different bounce options to suit your game, while the raw finish will develop natural rust for extra spin and control on chip and pitch shots. The raw finish does cut up quite quickly, though, which is worth noting before purchase. The wedge looks wonderful in your bag and is as good as any on the market right now.
- Read our full Mizuno T24 Wedge Review
Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore Wedge
Thanks to the unmistakable C grind of the Cleveland RTX 6 Zipcore, there’s no arguing with the fact that it is one of the very best golf wedges available to buy. What impressed us about the RTX 6 was it's playability - it's not necessarily tailored to less or more experienced players, its truly a wedge that can be used by all skill bases and produce nice results.
What we noticed when testing this club out is how it offers additional balance, bounce and grip. This is thanks to the UltiZip grooves on the clubface which are embedded at deeper and sharper angles than previous iterations of this wedge. This helps spin control, a key factor in the best lob wedges. This wedge is on the heavier side of things, so if you prefer lighter clubs or have a particularly steep downswing, this wedge might not be the one for you.
Overall, there is very little to fault in the RTX 6 ZipCore wedge. It has every option covered and the balance, bounce and grip means it is one of the best Cleveland wedges on the market.
- Read our full Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore Wedge Review
TaylorMade Hi-Toe 4 Wedge
The TaylorMade Hi-Toe 4 wedge offers a number of fantastic upgrades on its predecessors. Naturally, we were keen to test this new iteration...
The Hi-Toe 4 bottom groove is filled with golf paint designed to help with alignment, alongside the reduced offset. In testing, we felt the offset wasn't overly noticeable but the colored groove definitely helped aligning the face to the target.
Speaking of which, you might notice the face and groove pattern is the same as those found on the TaylorMade MG4 wedges, which we thought were some of the the best wedges for spin control. We weren't huge fans of the overall shape of the head but that's obviously a matter of personal preference. We loved the Hi-Toe 4's aesthetic. Its copper finish stays consistent with the previous Hi-Toe models and for a good reason too—the raw face and the finish helps reduce glare on sunny days and is popular amongst tour players.
Ultimately, these are seriously versatile wedges. The Spin Tread technology delivered high levels of spin and control from both the fairway and the rough. Plus, the laser etching helps to repel water from the clubface.
- Read our full TaylorMade Hi-Toe 4 Wedge Review
Callaway Opus Wedge
The Opus wedges are being called the most-tour validated wedges in Callaway's history by the brand itself. Of course, we were eager to get our hands on these beautiful new wedges and put them to the test...
Straight away, we were blown away by the aesthetics—they just look awesome. We weren't particularly fond of the shaping or the design of the Jaws Raw wedges so we elated to see Callaway revert back to a more classic looking bladed wedge. The design is based completely on tour-player feedback. The result is a higher toe peak and radius on the leading edge.
The Opus also features Spin Gen Face Technology— a combination of three factors to enhance spin and control. There's also diagonal grooves across the face between the main grooves more friction when looking to cut across the ball. Plus, there's an aggressive face blast has been used for extra bite on shorter chip and pitch shots.
The Opus performed exceptionally well when coming from the rough. It produced remarkable levels of spin and we saw the ball check up lots when hitting shots from thick, buried lies.
- Read our full Callaway Opus Wedge Review
Wilson Staff Model Wedge
The Wilson Staff short-game offering has undergone a serious overhaul, with the introduction of the Staff Model and the Staff Model Hi Toe, both of which are fantastic clubs to play with - and have beautiful looks to match.
We've gone with the Staff Model here, as we were extremely impressed with how it delivers such a great combination of look and feel to gameplay, also helping to increase confidence at address. What we found was that, at impact, this lob wedge is extremely stable and forgiving, which makes it a good choice for players of a diverse range, from newer golfers to more experienced players.
A lack of bounce and grind options is a little disappointing, especially in comparison to the likes of the Vokey SM10s, but this is still a wedge we really liked in testing.
- Read our full Wilson Staff Model Wedge Review
TaylorMade MG4 Wedge
The casual golfer may think of drivers and woods more so than wedges when it comes to Taylormade golf clubs, but the manufacturer have made some of the best wedges available on the market today.
The Raw face technology of the MG4 wedges means that they’re able to maintain high spin generation in even the wettest of weather conditions - once the Raw face has been exposed to the elements and has had the chance to rust over time, that is.
This wedge also features raised micro-ribs between each groove, to help improve spin and precision during gameplay. There’s also the introduction of the new tread technology that helps to push moisture away from the point of impact to optimise speed further.
The look is simple but clean and attractive, and with the wedge coming in two different finishes (chrome and black), it's a wedge that will sit pretty in your golf bag and over the ball.
- Read our full TaylorMade Milled Grind 4 Wedge Review
How we test
When it comes to wedges, we take the testing process very seriously. Whether we are sent a product or buy it ourselves, we put everything through its paces to ensure we can provide thorough and reliable advice. Every member of the Golf Monthly team is an avid golfer and as such, knows what does and doesn't make for a good wedge.
We pride ourselves in our reviews because they are made for golfers, by golfers. With decades of experience testing golf equipment, our process is built on this experience and genuine love for the game - meaning if a product is good or bad, we'll tell you in full honesty. There are no links to manufacturers, nor the opportunity for them to 'buy' a good review, we simply call it how we see it after testing each bit of equipment.
As far as our methodology goes, we review all wedges properly, which means we have used each one across multiple rounds and in practice to assess every aspect of performance in all conditions. For example, if a brand claims its wedge is the ultimate bunker club, we will test that theory from any and all lies possible.
Specific to the best lob wedges, we tested every one thoroughly to assess the consistency when it came to spin, feel and distance control on offer. We were also keen to find out how easy it was to hit full shots with each model was and analyze differences in flight and dispersion.
What to consider when buying new wedges
As wedges are some of the most technical clubs in your bag, getting the right wedge for your swing and the kind of golf you want to play can be a tricky task. That's why we here at Golf Monthly always recommend anyone buying a new wedge or club attends a club fitting session, to get a club that is tailored to your needs as a golfer. But we also have a some helpful tips you should keep in mind when looking to get a new set of wedges.
1. Gapping
It's vitally important to fill yardage gaps in your golf bag. There is nothing worse than facing a yardage that you don't have a specific club for, so filling each gap will put you in the best place for success. If your pitching wedge flies 130 yards, it's crucial to get a wedge that can then fly 120 yards or so. Fill those gaps and shoot low scores, it's that simple.
2. Bounce
Low bounce wedges are more suited to hard fairways and tight lies, while high bounce wedges are better for softer ground conditions and bunkers. The most bounce you will ever see on a wedge is about 18°, but it can be as low as 2°. The type of bounce you opt for should largely depend on things like your normal angle of attack, the firmness of your fairways and the type of shots you like to hit around the greens.
3. Finish
Look good, feel good, play good. We're sure you've heard that expression before. If your wedge looks nice at address, that boosts your chances of hitting a good shot. The same work the other way - not liking the look of a club is a bad start to your relationship with it. Pick the right look and finish to set yourself up for success with your wedge game.
4. Grooves
While grooves are now tightly regulated and less spinny than they used to be, it is still well worth keeping up to date with the latest designs that now use new milling processes and groove shapes to help move water and dirt away from the ball at impact to create extra spin and improve control. Clubs with full face grooves can prove more forgiving and produce higher spin rates than those without full face grooves, so it's worth trying them all out to see what you like.
5. Forgiveness
Playability is a huge factor that any golfer needs to bear in mind when buying a new lob wedge. We all know how unforgiving wedges can be and how infuriating it can be to fluff your chip shot after playing a smashing drive right down the middle of the fairway.
Even some the professionals struggle with wedge shots around the green given how unforgiving they can be compared to other clubs in the golf bag. So for that reason, if you're less experienced, you want to need to sacrifice a bit of control in your wedge game to gain a little more consistency. And if you fall into that category of player, you may want to look out for wedges that come with a wider sole and a cavity-backed design.
For more advice on some of the best wedges on the market, visit our in-depth guides to the best pitching wedges, best sand wedges and best high-bounce wedges.
FAQ
What is the best lob wedge degree?
The most traditional loft when it comes to lob wedges is 60° but that doesn't mean to say it's the best. Nowadays, brands manufacture lob wedges that range from 58° all the way through to 64°, meaning golfers have more options than ever. If you find yourself needing to play a lot of flop shots, you might find a model on the higher end of the loft scale would suit your game best.
What makes a good lob wedge?
A good lob wedge should inspire confidence at address, allow golfers to play an array of short-game shots, and produce plenty of spin. All of these things come down to personal preference so make sure and do some testing to find your ultimate lob wedge.
What is the easiest 60-degree lob wedge to hit?
There aren't really any bad lob wedges made nowadays, meaning each model offers great forgiveness and consistency. However, lob wedges featuring a cavity-back design and a high MOI will generally be the easiest to hit.
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