If you ask golfers what their favorite golf club in their bag is, many will admit it is the pitching wedge. A pitching wedge is so versatile. It can offer a higher flight similar to the lob wedge, a bit of a longer approach to the green than the sand wedges, and some more distance than the gap wedge.
Obviously, all of the wedges that we carry in our bag are important, but the pitching wedge may serve the most purpose. It can be hard to find the perfect pitching wedge for your golf bag, but we have you covered with these top pitching wedges for 2022.
Our list of the BEST Golf Pitching Wedge
- Cleveland Golf RTX Zipcore (Best Overall Pitching Wedge)
- Callaway Mack Daddy 5 Jaws Wedge (Best Pitching Wedge For Feel)
- Callaway Mack Daddy CB (Best Pitching Wedge For Average Golfer)
- Callaway Apex Pro Individual Iron (Best For Low Handicapper)
- Callaway Ladies Reva Individual Iron (Best Pitching Wedge For Women)
Best Overall: Cleveland Golf RTX Zipcore
The first dilemma that you will run into as you look for a new pitching wedge is that golf wedges are often only sold up to about 52 degrees of loft. A golf pitching wedge will be closer to the 43-49 degree range. This means that you may struggle not just to find the best pitching wedges but also to find something that matches the lofts in your set.
The Cleveland golf wedge is always a great place to look because of the number of loft combinations they offer with their wedges. Almost all of the wedges that Cleveland offers come in about eight to ten different loft combinations.
The Cleveland Golf RTZ Zipcore is one of the best options on the market as it has a newly designed center of gravity and a higher MOI. The result is more spin and control for the player while increasing the spin you can get.
The Cleveland Zipcore wedges are a progressive design so that the pitching wedges will have plenty of distance and forgiveness technology. In addition, the UltiZip grooves ensure the ball will stop directly on the green.
Pros
- Three sole grinds to choose from
- Heat treatment to improve durability in the wedge
- UltiZip grooves for a faster and harder bite on the greens
Cons
- It has a bit of a thicker look to it, not as clean as a true blade style wedge
Best Pitching Wedge For Feel: Callaway Mack Daddy 5 Jaws Wedge
The Callaway Mack Daddy 5 Jaws Wedge is a premium wedge in a blade style design. This is an option that will stand out as a choice for a better player, but higher handicappers can absolutely learn how to play with a Mack Daddy golf wedge. The great thing about this is that you can get the sand wedge, gap wedge, and even lob wedges in various grinds to put together a perfect set of wedges for your game.
This year Callaway released new W and C grinds to help golfers change some of the performance they can get around the greens. The stock shaft options from the Callaway Mack Daddy Wedge are also quite impressive, and those who need graphite shafts can easily get them.
The feel in this wedge boils down to the 8620 mild carbon steel used in the clubhead. A few pitches with these wedges, and you will see what we mean about the feel.
Pros
- Traditional compact head shaping
- Good stock shaft options
- Impressive sole grind choices
Cons
- Higher priced wedge with very little forgiveness
Best Pitching Wedge For Average Golfer: Callaway Mack Daddy CB
The Mack Daddy CB takes some of the feel from the Mack Daddy Jaws wedges and adds in a tremendous amount of forgiveness and ease of use. This cavity back style pitching wedge comes in the 48 and even 46 degree loft that you may need for your bag.
We love the Mack Daddy CB in the Black Matte Finish as it will help to reduce glare around the greens and increase overall performance. In addition, the center of gravity in the Mack Daddy CB is low and in the middle. If you want to ensure that you eliminate your misses with your pitching wedge, this is a great option to consider.
Pros
- Also available in other wedge lofts
- Groove in Groove technology for more spin
- Sole grinds and bounce combinations to find the perfect fit for your game
- Great turf interaction
Cons
- It won’t spin around the greens quite like a blade style wedge can
Best For Low Handicapper: Callaway Apex Pro Individual Iron
Some lower handicappers like wedge style pitching wedges, and some like iron style pitching wedges. If you are trying to take the lower irons in your bag and turn them into more blade style performance type clubs, then the Callaway Apex Pro individual irons can do the trick. These pitching wedges are very clean-looking, have excellent workability, and will be offered in the lofts that you need.
The great thing about an iron style pitching wedge is that they offer impressive distance control in the iron set. In addition, the versatile wedge will allow for both pitch shots and full swing approaches. If you think your golf game may be ready for a more advanced type set of irons, start with the pitching wedge like these Callaway Apex Pro’s and then work your way up from there.
Pros
- Artificial intelligence used to design the club
- Soft feel from a 1025 hollow body construction
- Pitching wedge loft is strong but will not create issues with spin
- Can purchase the entire matching iron set as well
Cons
- Not much forgiveness on off-center strikes
Best Pitching Wedge For Women: Callaway Ladies Reva Individual Iron
Women golfers tend to rely on their wedges quite a bit. Sometimes it is hard to hit a green, and having great golf pitching wedges that allow women golfers to get up and down from any location is a great benefit. The Callaway Ladies Reva Pitching Wedge is a cavity back wedge with a lightweight graphite shaft and impressive overall launch.
With the Callaway REVA Pitching Wedge, golfers can get increased distance and confidence. When you stand over these wedges, you will feel as though it is easy to get them up in the air and fly towards your pin. Of course, this type of pitching wedge won’t have the same clean look as a Titleist Vokey, but it certainly gets the job done.
Pros
- Great feel for women golfers
- Can be part of an entire set
- One of the best golf wedges for forgiveness
- Both the Pitching Wedge and Approach Wedge lofts would work with a traditional women’s golf club set
Cons
- Spin characteristics around the green are not great
Pitching Wedge Buying Guide
If you are looking for the best overall pitching wedge, there are some things that you should keep in mind. Some pitching wedges will match your iron set, and some will match your wedges; this can be a tough decision for some players.
Wedge Loft Configuration
The most important part of the wedge buying process is to ensure that you choose the proper lofts for your wedges. If you have a 58 degree sand wedge, a 60 degree lob wedge won’t make much sense. The important thing is to space out the lofts of your golf wedges to have a variety of performances on the golf course. Before purchasing a golf wedge, make sure to check the lofts of the other wedges in your bag.
Iron Style or Wedge Style
Many golf wedges are the wedge style that will match your gap, sand, and lob wedges. Other pitching wedges are part of the complete set of irons in the bag. This will come down to personal preference. Many golf professionals are switching to a pitching wedge that matches the wedges more than the irons.
Shaft
The shaft of your wedge should easily transition you into the shaft that you have in the rest of your clubs. Essentially if you play graphite shafts in all your clubs, use them in your wedges as well. Consistency in the game is so important.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a few of the most commonly asked questions about the pitching wedges we reviewed.
Do Pros Use A Pitching Wedge?
Almost all professionals will have a pitching wedge in their golf bag. However, many of the pros are going with a wedge that matches the style of their other wedges and moving away from the wedges that match the iron set. This is likely being done to increase feel and precision around the greens.
What Is The Best Brand Pitching Wedge
The best brand pitching wedge is typically a Callaway, TaylorMade, or Cleveland. These three companies have made many improvements in the last few years to set their pitching wedge technology apart from the crowd.
What Degree Wedge Is Best For Pitching?
Anywhere from 44 to 48 degrees is typically quite good for a pitching wedge. Many of the newer sets with the decreased lofts will have the pitching wedge in the low forties for the loft. This is fine, but it can cause some shots to roll through the green as opposed to stopping where you need it to.
Final Thoughts
We hope you feel confident that you can find a pitching wedge to work for your game. There are many great options on the market, but the Cleveland ZipCore stands out as the best overall option. With the ZipCore in your hands, you will have control over what the club can do and, at the same time, get the distance and forgiveness that you need. Be careful when choosing the shaft for your pitching wedge and ensure that it is the right fit for your golf swing speed.
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