This is our review of the best pitching wedges of 2023.
99.99999999% of irons sets come with their very own pitching wedge. (This makes perfect sense because the pitching wedge is primarily a full-swing club.) And, that’s the one you should use.
On the off chance you need to replace ONLY your pitching wedge, I’ve got your back.
Beware, only a few of the top iron and wedge manufacturers sell pitching wedges outside of their standard sets.
In this review of the best pitching wedges, we discuss the benefits and features of each, our recommendations, and any discounts we’ve been able to arrange for our readers.
Our #1 Recommendation for 2023 – Cleveland RTX ZipCore Pitching Wedge
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- Superior spin
- Superior playability
- Superior versatility
- Still looking
Rest of the Best Pitching Wedges in 2023
- Ping Glide 3.0 (1st Runner Up)
- Callaway JAWS MD5 (2nd Runner-Up)
- Callaway Mack Daddy CB (Most Forgiving)
- Cleveland Golf CBX 2 (Best Mid Handicap Wedge)
Best Pitching Wedges Reviewed
#1 Cleveland RTX ZipCore Wedge
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- Superior spin
- Superior playability
- Superior versatility
- Still looking
You know we think the world of Cleveland RTX ZipCore wedges is you’ve read any of our other wedge reviews. It is one of the best pitching wedges you can buy if you don’t already have one to match your set.
- It excels on full swings which is where you need your pitching wedge to shine
- It produces excellent spin, flight, and consistency shot to shot. A must in your scoring clubs
It’s pretty much the first placed we’d look if a wedge needed to be replaced and we feel comfortable recommending you do the same.
- The new ZipCore low-density material in the hosel, neck, and sole allows weight to be moved closer to the sweet spot to produce a more penetrating and consistently accurate flight in all their wedges.
- The new Ultizip grooves are deeper, sharper, and closer together so they were able to include two more grooves in the face.
- They’ve heat-treated the face for added durability to extend the life of the wedge.
Loft options: 46 degrees & 48 degrees
Bounce: 10 degrees
Finish: Satin or Black Satin
Customer reviews: ZipCore buyers love their wedges and give them an average of 4.9 out of 5 in their reviews.
Recommendation: An excellent choice, especially if you need a little forgiveness in your wedge.
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#2 Ping Glide 3.0 Wedge
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- Accurate and predictable
- Easy to flight and work
- Progressive weighting prevents ballooning and increases accuracy
- Soft feel and great balance
- Shaft options may be limited
The Ping wedge game has really come on in the last 5 years or so. We think the Ping Glide 3.0 is a great pitching wedge.
Extra feel and forgiveness come from the new cavity design and the larger Custom Tuning Port insert which allows Ping to push more weight to the perimeter, increasing MOI, and moving the center of gravity higher for a more penetrating ball flight with better spin.
Precision milled grooves are optimized on the lower lofted wedges (pitching & gap) for optimal spin on full shots.
The Glide 3.0 pitching wedge is designed to look like a player wedge while hiding all the game improvement technology.(1) We think it’s a great option for mid and even low handicappers.
Loft Option: 46 degrees
Bounce: 12 degrees
Customer reviews: Buying customers rate the Glide 3.0 at 4.9 out of 5 stars with 49 reviews so far.
Recommendation: A great choice if you want some “player” characteristics in your wedge.
For 8%-25% off from Global Golf – Check Current Deals
#3 Callaway MD5 JAWS Wedge
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- Excellent spin even on partial shots
- Versatile. Good on partial & full shots
- Look great
- Soft feel
- Complaints of the "tour grey" finish wearing off quickly
The Callaway MD5 wedges are some of the most popular wedges in golf and with good reason.
The MD5 pitching wedge follows suit as a great option for an after-market pitching wedge. It has great balance, consistency, and accuracy.
The head on the MD5 pitching wedge is more compact so it will blend in with your full set. It maintains the JAWS grooves and the offset Groove-in-groove microfeatures for added spin on partial shots.
The MD5 is also known for its soft feel, which better players prefer.
Finish: Chrome or Tour grey
Loft options: 46 degrees and 48 degrees
Bounce: 10 degrees
Customer Reviews: 96% of buyers would recommend buying the MD5 wedge and so do we.
Recommendation: Get this one if you want a wedge with no weaknesses.
For 8%-25% off from Global Golf – Check Current Deals
#4 Callaway Mack Daddy CB
- Most forgiving on list
- Jaws grooves for tour-level spin
- Matches well with game-improvement iron sets
- Not the most refined wedge
The Callaway Mack Daddy CB pitching wedge is a cavity back game improvement wedge meant to pair well with your game improvement iron set.
It’s got a thicker topline and sole mid and high handicap golfers like to see at address. Callaway included the Jaws grooves to make sure there is plenty of spin too.
This is our favorite wedge for the high handicap golfer
Loft options: 46 degrees and 48 degrees
Bounce: 10 degrees
Customer Reviews: 88 % of buyers recommend buying the Mack Daddy CB and so do we for golfers looking for more forgiveness from their pitching wedge.
Recommendation: Great wedge if forgiveness is your priority.
For 8%-25% off from Global Golf – Check Current Deals
#5 Cleveland CBX 2
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- Superior spin, control, and forgiveness
- Best game improvement wedge
- Retains classic look at address
- Great pricing
- Getting hard to find
The Cleveland CBX 2 is our favorite option for mid-handicappers or any golfer looking for a little forgiveness in their pitching wedge, but don’t want to give up feel, performance, or classic looks at address.
It’s got the Rotex face and Tour Zip Grooves for superior spin. The hollow cavity design allows them to add weight to the toe to increase MOI for greater consistency and forgiveness. The Gelback TPU insert gives a forged feel in a cast club.
Loft options: 46 degrees and 48 degrees
Bounce: 9 degrees
Finish(s): Tour Satin & Black Satin
Customer Reviews: 100% of buyers would recommend the CBX2 wedge and it has an average customer rating of 4.9 out of 5.
Recommendation: Perfect wedge if you want performance and forgiveness
For 8%-25% off from Global Golf – Check Current Deals
Verdict on the Best Pitching Wedges in 2022
The Cleveland RTX ZipCore is our favorite, yet again. But you have other strong choices on this page depending on your needs.
My #1 suggestion is to test before you buy. Either at your local golf store or take advantage of Global Golf’s Utry trial program. I use it and recommend it.
Thanks for checking out my review of the best pitching wedges on the market in 2022.
I hope you find the perfect fit for your game.
New & Used Clubs Available
Get 8% OFF at Global Golf with Code: GolferGeek
- Superior spin
- Superior playability
- Superior versatility
- Still looking
