Soulcare Golf

For more spin and control, the grooves are cut sharper and deeper than any Callaway has made since the USGA rolled back grooves. There are also more options (20) than ever, including five new Tour Grind lofts from 52 to 60 degrees. Some will even find the straighter leading edge of the Tour Grind lofts easier to aim.

Why charge $10 more for the Tour Grind version?

Every player wants as much spin as possible on shots hit from the rough. Cleveland's idea was to sharpen its groove edges and add multiple levels of surface roughness to the space between the grooves. Three sole grinds and 18 loft options mean there's a wedge to meet just about every need, and Cleveland's wedge-fitting app helps handle the decision- making for you.

Laser-etching "Rotex 2.0" around the face 10 times seems excessive.

Mizuno led the trend of matching groove design to the loft on its forged wedges. The reason is spin control: more on short shots, not too much on full ones. Now the company is expanding its line to match lofts to one of five sole grinds. That includes high and low bounce options for every loft from 54 to 62 degrees.

We'd like to see this same inventiveness applied to surface roughness.

There's more spin, and then there's more control of your spin, getting all shots to land predictably. That is Ping's smart move here: Grooves on higher lofts launch the ball lower but with maximum spin, especially from the rough. Grooves on lower lofts produce high spin on full-swing shots from dry conditions.

Personalization has become a thing in wedges. Not so much here.

The SM5 is available in 21 loft and bounce configurations on six sole grinds. It also gets creative with its grooves: The narrow grooves on the lower lofts emphasize trajectory control, and the deeper scorelines on the higher lofts are meant to produce spin from the rough.

Even some retailers struggle to understand the nuances of the wedge's S, M, K, F, L and T grinds.

It doesn't matter how good your groove technology is if you don't make clean contact. So Bridgestone shaved an area around the heel on this forged design to help the leading edge stay tighter to the ground through impact. More important, it's built into the shape so there's no post-production grinding (meaning the geometry is consistent from wedge to wedge).

One bounce option for each of its six lofts isn't broad enough.

The cavity-back construction might have a game-improvement look, but the rear stabilizer bars provide the right amount of feel. The large face and generous sole should be useful to average players, particularly on bunker shots. This wedge also features the same deep grooves and face texture as Cleveland's other RTX.

Why not make it from the same soft 8620 steel as the standard version?

Fourteen emphasizes distance control by seeking to maximize spin and optimize trajectory. To create more spin, the RM-21 features a wider groove than previous company models. And the upper portion of the iron is thicker behind the face to keep the ball's trajectory from ballooning.

The addition of a wide-sole option for higher lofts is welcome, but we're not sure there's a need for a 42-degree model.

Hopkins offers the ultimate in Web-based wedge-fitting. The CJ-1 line features 10 lofts and seven sole grinds. Don't know where to begin? Finding the right sole grind is as simple as choosing your region of the country. You can also tweak the loft, lie, grip and shaft. Custom colors and engraving are also available.

We'd be even more excited if the groove design featured a cutting-edge technology story.

You won't notice it, but Nike shortened the hosel by a quarter inch. This tweak allowed Nike to shift the weight more in line with the center of the face for maximum stability. Nike believes more stability produces improved feel and consistency. Three sole shapes, plus sharper, wider grooves and a rougher blasted face complete the package.

Encasing the heads in a sealant at retail (to preserve the raw finish) seems a little much.

A wedge works through the turf properly only if the sole of the club is a perfect match with your swing. Scratch's well-deserved cult following is rooted in the sole design of these forged wedges. The three shapes and six sole grinds across the six lofts feature high volume grooves.

You really should be custom-fit for these sole grinds. Unfortunately, that option might be tough to find outside the company's headquarters.