Levels – Golfing Agency https://golfingagency.com Golf news & updates Wed, 14 Dec 2022 12:43:37 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.2 https://golfingagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/cropped-GA_favicon-32x32.png Levels – Golfing Agency https://golfingagency.com 32 32 TV documentary shines a light on women’s experience of golf at all levels of the game https://golfingagency.com/tv-documentary-shines-a-light-on-womens-experience-of-golf-at-all-levels-of-the-game/ Wed, 14 Dec 2022 12:43:37 +0000 https://golfingagency.com/tv-documentary-shines-a-light-on-womens-experience-of-golf-at-all-levels-of-the-game/
A TV documentary that examines the hidden histories and untold stories of women in golf is currently airing of Sky Golf, with input from some of the sport’s leading players, including Dame Laura Davies and Georgia Hall.

The documentary, called Women in Golf – Breaking with Tradition, which premiered on Sky Golf on December 12 – and is being aired again multiple times over the next six weeks – touches on a wide range of topics covering the women’s game from the perspective of Tour professionals, industry experts and amateur golfers.
Dame Laura Davies is one the many players interviewed for the documentary

The 52-minute documentary was produced by filmmaker Sandra ML Mesrine and industry expert Nicole Wheatley and is narrated by Sky Golf presenter Iona Stephen.

Mesrine said: “When we set out to make this documentary we wanted to break down barriers and show people what golf is really like. Having met so many incredible people who share the same passion, to get more women working and playing golf, has been so refreshing. Their stories deserve to be told and I have no doubt that they will surprise, shock and inspire.”

Wheatley added: “Over the course of three years, more than 60 men and women shared their insight and personal experiences of golf. It’s been a fascinating project as we have uncovered stories that have never been told such as the very first steps taken towards what we now know as the LET as told by the women who were there.

“We examine the impact that golf’s heritage continues to have on the sport and look at how the industry, governing bodies, golf clubs and golfers themselves are shaping the future of golf.  There are stories that will make you laugh, but there are also important messages that we will inspire and motivate people to continue to champion the women’s game.”

The documentary, which has been supported by The PGA, The British Golf Industry Association and the Cave Golf Resort in Kent, includes interviews with Laura Davies, Keith Pelley, Georgia Hall, Meg MacLaren, Aaron Rai and Inci Mehmet.  There are many firsts in the film including a previously untold story of the day 12 women gave up their amateur status to fulfil their lifelong ambitions to play golf for a living, forming what was to become the Ladies European Tour.

Tour players across three generations provide honest insights into the harsh realities of the modern professional game. Dame Laura Davies explains how the female game has been unexpectedly and irretrievably damaged by the phenomenal success of one golfer – Tiger Woods, while IMG’s Vicky Cuming, and Tour stars Meghan McLaren and Inci Mehmet describe how discrepancies in prize money, sponsorship and media exposure are all linked and can determine the fate of so many outstanding players.

The archival element of the film is made up of a mix of personal and press photographs, museum paintings, home-made videos provided from the interviewee’s personal archives, professional videos archives and print documents.

‘Women in Golf: Breaking with Tradition’ is being Sky Golf throughout December and January. Check your TV channel guides for further showings. It can also be viewed on the Sky Sport’s YouTube channel –  https://youtu.be/KdH9PMGxCas

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]]> 11 Best Chipping Wedges for All Skill Levels [2022 Edition] https://golfingagency.com/11-best-chipping-wedges-for-all-skill-levels-2022-edition/ Sun, 13 Nov 2022 02:02:26 +0000 https://golfingagency.com/11-best-chipping-wedges-for-all-skill-levels-2022-edition/
11 Best Chipping Wedges for All Skill Levels [2022 Edition]

Wedges are my favorite clubs because of their versatility. You can play approach shots, chips, bump and runs, flops, and bunker shots.

In this post, I reveal the best chipping wedges for all skill levels.

You’ll find that I have included super game improvement wedges to keep high handicappers straight. Additionally, I feature semi-forgiving, high-spinning wedges for mid-handicap players and buttery soft, playable designs for superior golfers.

 

What Wedge Degree is Best for Chipping?

The average golfer will enjoy superior control when chipping with a 54 or 56-degree wedge. These golf clubs feature ample loft and generate a lot of spin to help you gain control around the green. However, they do not carry excessively weak lofts that can cause your chip shot to balloon into a flop.

On the contrary, low handicappers may employ a variety of wedges for different chip shots. For example, they may use a 56-degree wedge for a standard chip and a 60-degree for shorter plays, with little green to work with.

 

4 Best Chipping Wedges for High Handicappers

Before you dive into the list below, I suggest bookmarking our review on the 10 best wedges for high handicappers.

1. Cleveland RTX ZipCore

Cleveland Golf RTX Zipcore

Cleveland Golf RTX Zipcore

ZipCore shifts the CG while raising MOI, adding spin, enhancing control, and boosting consistency on all your shots. UltiZip Grooves are sharper, deeper, and narrower. They bite harder, channel more debris, and they’re closer together for more groove contact per shot.

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Pros

  • Generates straighter shots
  • Increases friction at impact
  • Provides superb greenside control
  • Durable grooves
  • Optimal forgiveness

Cons

  • The design is chunky
  • It is not the highest-spinning wedge I have tested

The Cleveland RTX ZipCore emerges as a highly forgiving wedge that helps high handicappers produce straighter chip shots. In addition, I found that this cavity back design generated exceptional spin and the grooves were highly durable.

You’ll notice that the wedge takes its name from the Zipcore technology the engineers used to alter the center of gravity (CG). As a result, the wedge possesses an advanced moment of inertia (MOI) to remain stable at impact and reduce spin drop-off.

Next, the Ultizip grooves impressed me with their ability to boost friction at impact and impart increased spin on my ball. Cleveland engineers created the clubface grooves to be sharper, deeper, and narrower. They bite into your cover and impart consistent revolutions per minute on the ball.

Finally, you’ll appreciate the durability of the heat-treated grooves that will extend the lifespan of your wedge.

 

2. Tour Edge E522

Tour Edge Hot Launch E522 Wedge

Tour Edge Hot Launch E522 Wedge

The super-wide sole and heavier head weight of the E522 Wedge helps to eliminate flubs for superior contact. It is engineered to versatility by adding extreme performance benefits to chipping, pitch shots, explosion shots out of the sand, shots out of the rough, flop shots and with bump-and-run shots.

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Pros

  • Extremely affordable
  • Provides optimal turf interaction
  • Carries a high MOI
  • Prompts straighter shots
  • Reduces spin-drop-off on off-center hits

Cons

  • No alternative grind options
  • The oversized head construction does not appeal to everyone

Tour Edge E522 delivered superb performance during testing despite its entry-level price tag. In my experience, it offered reduced turf interaction, amplified forgiveness, and consistent spin across the clubface.

You’ll immediately spot the Super Wide Houdini Sole, which Tour Edge claim limits turf interaction by 35%. Whatever the figure is, I watched it glide over the turf and make consistently clean contact with my ball. This is helpful to high handicappers who struggle with chunking their shots.

Next, you’ll notice the E522 is equipped with an extra large clubface designed to elevate MOI for greater accuracy around the dancefloor. High handicap golfers will appreciate the added forgiveness to keep their ball on target on mishits.

Lastly, the Tour Edge engineers impressed me with the Full-Face Maximized Grooves construction. It produced impressive spin on strikes out of the sweet spot and preserved my revolutions per minute on off-center strikes.

 

3. Cleveland CBX 2

Cleveland Golf CBX 2 Wedge (56 Degrees)

Pros

  • It possesses a high MOI
  • Optimal forgiveness
  • Fights misses to the right
  • Engulfs vibrations on off-center strikes
  • Produces ample spin

Cons

  • Chunky profile
  • Only one sole grind option for sand wedges

Cleveland’s commitment to the average golfer is evidenced by this list. The CBX 2 is the second Cleveland wedge I recommend for high handicappers. It produces maximum forgiveness, a soft feel, and rampant spin across your clubface for a consistent chipshot result.

The first feature is the hollow cavity back wedge design, which shifted mass to the perimeter of the golf club. As a result, it elevated MOI and kept my clubhead square at contact for straighter chip shots and greater accuracy.

In addition, the engineers supported the high MOI by adding Enhanced Feel Balancing Technology to generate a toe bias CG. You’ll find this enables you to fight misses to the right if you are right-handed and left-for lefties.

Furthermore, the CBX 2 wedge is equipped with a Gelback pad to eliminate vibrations on off-center hits and shield my hands. I’ll leave the best for last, the 4th Generation Rotex Face Technology, which generated the sharpest tour zip grooves to prompt incredible spin on your golf ball.

 

4. Callaway Mack Daddy CB

Callaway Mack Daddy CB Wedge (56 Degrees)

Pros

  • Maximum Forgiveness
  • Delivers consistent spin
  • Produces crisp turf interaction
  • Prevents spin drop off
  • Perimeter weighting increases MOI for straighter shots

Cons

  • It is only available in one sole grind
  • The oversized profile is not pretty at setup.

The Callaway Mack Daddy CB is my final chipper recommendation for high handicappers. I found that it provided advanced forgiveness for accuracy and consistent spin on all shots. In addition, it gifted me with clean turf interaction to encourage a sweet strike from anywhere on the golf course.

You’ll learn soon enough that the Groove-in-Groove technology powers your spin and control with this wedge. I enjoyed maximum spin for a game improvement golf club, improving my control and consistency around the dancefloor.

My only gripe with this wedge is that the weaker lofted wedges are only available in a single-sole grind. This may upset some players like me, but it takes the guesswork out of the process for a beginner unsure of the best option.

 

4 Best Chipping Wedges for Mid Handicappers

1. Callaway Mack Daddy 5 JAWS

Callaway Mack Daddy 5 Jaws Wedge (54 Degrees)

Callaway Mack Daddy 5 Jaws Wedge (54 Degrees)

New tour-tested w and C grinds are both updated to make it easy to play a wider variety of greenside shots. Head shaping progresses from traditional shaped lob & sand wedges to a compact player preferred design in the gap & pitching wedges for a seamless transition into an iron set.

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Pros

  • Soft feel
  • Two sole grind choices
  • Generates enhanced friction
  • Prompts rampant ball speed
  • Moderate forgiveness

Cons

  • I do not enjoy the presence of the medallions on the back
  • Expensive compared to other mid-handicapper wedges

The Callaway Mack Daddy 5 JAWS is admired by the average golfer demanding aggressive friction and spin without sacrificing feel. I also found that the moderately sized clubhead enables an element of workability for improved control.

You’ll see that this wedge is constructed with 8620 mild carbon steel, which creates a soft feel for increased feedback at contact. I find this additional feedback helps me better judge the force required to execute my shot.

Furthermore, the Mack Daddy 5 JAWS offers you two sole grinds in the sand wedge department, the W and S-grind. You’ll find that the W-grind performs best on soft turf and aids golfers with a steep angle of attack. Conversely, the S-grind fairs superbly on soft to medium ground and suits all attack angles.

Lastly, you’ll produce enhanced friction off the clubface thanks to the JAWS MD 5 Groove Micro Features. The aggressive, sharp grooves appear closer to encourage increased traction and bite into your ball cover to impart heightened spin.

 

2. Cobra Snakebite

Cobra Golf King Snakebite Black Wedge (56 Degrees)

Pros

  • Produces rampant spin across the clubface
  • Prevents spin drop off
  • The Cobra Connect grip analyzes each shot for deeper insight into your game
  • Enhanced stability at impact
  • 3 sole grind options

Cons

  • Some golfers may not enjoy the oversized profile
  • The thicker Cobra Connect grip will not appeal to everyone.

Mid-handicappers will find the Cobra Snakebite wedge a high-spinning build designed to amplify your control on short game shots. Besides its exceptional spin rate, I enjoyed the feel, friction, and shot analysis from the Cobra Connect Grip.

You’ll see that the Cobra engineers employed Snakebite Groove Technology to strengthen groove tolerance for greater friction and spin. I felt the impact of the technology in the spin and could better control the roll and flight of my chip shots.

Moreover, I found the Progressive face grooves managed to optimize my spin and launch for the ideal flight and control. You’ll also notice that the sand and lob wedge in the series are fitted with full-face grooves to impart optimal spin on all shots with an open clubface. As a result, you avoid spin drop-off.

I also appreciated the three sole grind options afforded to us by Cobra. I feel more golfers will thrive with the versatile grind that suits various conditions and attack angles. However, players with steep and moderate attack angles should consider the wide-low or classic grind option.

 

3. TaylorMade Hi-Toe RAW

TaylorMade Milled Grind Hi-Toe Wedge (56 Degrees)

Pros

  • Classy-aged copper finish
  • 3 sole grinds to choose from
  • The sole cavity ensures optimal weight distribution
  • Prompts a low, controlled launch
  • Provides a soft feel

Cons

  • Reduced forgiveness
  • The face rusts over time which may not appeal to some golfers

The TaylorMade Hi-Toe Raw is an attractive wedge with an aged copper finish, built to produce low, controlled flight and rampant spin. It is ideal for mid-handicap golfers seeking controlled launch and elevated revolutions per minute around the green.

You’ll see the Hi-Toe design contains a higher, centered CG to prompt lower flight and increased spin. I felt it improved my distance control, as my ball launched lower and rolled as intended, compared to a ballooned shot that landed short of the mark.

Furthermore, you’ll find TaylorMade offers the Hi-Toe Raw wedge in 3 sole grinds, ranging from a low to mid and high bounce angle. Players with a shallow attack angle should consider the low bounce option. Conversely, those with a steep swing may prefer a high-bounce option.

Lastly, I noticed that the full-face scoring lines produced incredible spin around the green. However, a special mention must go to its performance from the thick greenside grass, as it glided through the turf and encouraged a clean strike for optimal friction and spin.

 

4. PXG 0311 Forged

PXG V2 0311 Forged Wedge (60 Degrees)

Pros

  • Single versatile sole grind
  • Generates optimal friction
  • Produces increased spin on short shots
  • Offers a soft feel
  • Delivers maximum feedback

Cons

  • The medallions on the cavity back wedge are an eyesore
  • The clubface is partially Precision milled

The PXG 0311 wedges are suitable for the average golfer seeking additional spin, a soft feel, and a consistent sole. PXG engineers decided it was tedious crafting different sole grinds for players, so they concocted a single versatile design that delivers crisp turf interaction.

You’ll notice that the 0311 is forged from 8620 carbon steel, which creates a soft feel for improved feedback off the clubface. I could feel the ball leaving the face, giving me a better idea of the force required to execute the chip.

Besides the superb feel and feedback, the Precision Milled Face punched above its weight, despite being completely milled. PXG engineers engraved score lines in the precision-milled face, creating a high-density pattern that promotes greater friction at impact. You’ll find this increases your spin on chip shots for precise results.

Finally, the single versatile sole worked well in all conditions by producing sufficient bounce for steep attack angles while lowering it for neutral swings.

 

3 Best Chipping Wedges for Low Handicappers

1. Titleist Vokey SM9 Tour Chrome

Titleist Vokey Design SM9 Tour Chrome Wedge (54 Degrees)

Pros

  • Compact profile
  • Encourages clean contact on all shots
  • Durable grooves
  • Produces rampant spin
  • 4 sole grinds to choose from

Cons

  • Reduced forgiveness on off-center hits
  • Expensive compared to other wedges

Titleist Vokey wedges need little introduction, and the powerhouse team continues its innovation with the SM9 Tour. I found this wedge delivered the perfect combination of soft feel, spin, and clean contact at impact.

Low handicappers will appreciate the forward CG position in the wedge that prompts a lower flight and aggressive spin for greater control on chip shots. The lob wedge has 5 loft options, while the sand wedge offers 4.

As a result, I notice a grind for every condition and attack angle. For example, players who take steep divots may opt for the high-bounce D-grind. Alternatively, the M-grind suits golfers seeking a versatile grind for various shots, lies, and turf firmness.

Furthermore, Vokey and his team heat-treated the grooves of the SM9 Tour Chrome to deliver a robust spin rate and enhance their durability. In addition, you’ll enjoy the compact profile of this wedge at address, but that means reduced forgiveness on mishits.

 

2. Mizuno T22 Satin Chrome

Mizuno T22 Satin Chrome Wedge

Mizuno T22 Satin Chrome Wedge

Carbon steel that features 30% greater strength. Fine tuned head geometry delivers ideal impact feel and feedback. Milled narrow/deep grooves optimized for stronger lofts and wide/shallow grooves optimized for higher lofts.

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Pros

  • Super soft feel
  • Prevents spin drop off
  • 4 sole grinds to choose from
  • Attractive tear drop profile
  • More affordable than other wedges for low handicappers

Cons

  • The glare was an issue with the satin chrome
  • The face may rust sooner rather than later, but it does not impact your greenside performance.

The masters from Hiroshima strike again, and this time it is with the T22 range of wedges. You’ll discover that these wedges offer 4 sole grinds, a compact profile, high spin, and a super delicate feel.

Mizuno engineers grain flow forged the T22 Satin Chrome wedge from 1025E pure select, mild carbon steel. This is where the buttery feel emanates from on clean strikes out of the sweet spot. Plus, it produces elevated feedback to improve your distance judgment around the green.

Low handicappers like yourself will thank the innovators at Mizuno for the compact, tear-drop profile the T22 carries. It was a privilege to look over at address and induced an air of confidence as I prepared my chip shot.

Despite working for superior golfers, this wedge offers an element of forgiveness by reducing spin drop-off. HydroFlow Micro Grooves are laser etched, helping them shed moisture and enhance friction.

Lastly, you’ll find that the Quad Cut Milled grooves generate maximum revolutions per minute at impact and are highly durable.

 

3. Wilson Staff Model

WILSON Staff Model Men's Golf Wedge

Pros

  • Produces a soft feel on all shots
  • Delivers clean turf interaction
  • Reduces spin drop off
  • More affordable than other tour-level wedges
  • Generates rampant short-game spin

Cons

  • The wider sole is unattractive
  • Limited forgiveness

I have always found that Wilson makes excellent value-for-money golf clubs and balls aimed at the average golfer. However, in recent years they have released equipment for superior golfers, and the Wilson Staff Model is one example.

Wilson soft forged the Staff Model wedges from 8620 carbon steel to create a muted feel off the clubface. The soft-touch enabled me to better judge my distance on each shot for greater consistency and enjoyment around the dancefloor.

You’ll see that the engineers crafted a Precision Milled Face to encourage consistent contact with the golf ball from any lie. Wilson engineers machine-engraved score lines into the precision-milled face for a higher-density pattern. As a result, you’ll enjoy consistent contact and less spin drop-off.

Finally, I did not enjoy the appearance of the wider sole. However, it soon proved me wrong as it provided clean turf interaction from the greenside rough and fairway.

 

Matt Stevens

Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini’s father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years.



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