Callaway Golf built its position in the golf business on the strength of its Big Bertha woods. The company later became a force in the irons market, its Odyssey brand of putters is a top-seller, and its golf balls are gaining traction at retail.
Wedges, however, probably aren’t what you think of in conjunction with Callaway. But the company’s lead golf club designer is a fellow named Roger Cleveland – the founder of Cleveland Golf and designer of many classic wedges, like the enduring 588 line. The X-Tour wedges are the third line of forged wedges he has designed for Callaway. Is the third time the charm?
Roger Cleveland left his namesake company and joined Callaway Golf in 1996. He combined with Big Bertha inventor Richard C. Helmstetter on several designs, including the X-12 irons. The duo collaborated on the Big Bertha Tour Series wedges in 1997, which were cast from stainless steel and aluminum bronze, and the cult favorite X-14 Pro Series wedges in 2000.
But it was big news when Callaway released its Cleveland-designed Forged Wedges in 2002. Years in the making as tour prototypes, the wedges weren’t carbon copies of Cleveland’s 588 wedges as many people had expected. Instead, the simply titled Forged Wedges had rather small heads and a very rounded leading edge – both design elements that were meant to help the wedges get the ball out of nearly any lie.
The X-Tour wedges (left) have a more square look and leading edge than the previous Callaway Golf forged wedges (right).
Well, if there’s one thing tour players like, it’s familiarity with their wedges. The Callaway Forged Wedges were just a little too far outside their comfort zone. Two years later, the line was revamped as the Forged+ Wedges, with slightly larger head sizes and a different sole grind.
In the meantime, Roger Cleveland’s old 588 wedges were still popular on tour and were facing a new challenge from Titleist’s Vokey Design wedges. The Vokey wedges had some unique design twists, but had a very 588-esque look at address – which made it easy for tour players to quickly feel comfortable with them.
Callaway and Roger Cleveland don’t seem content to let the 588s and Vokey wedges rule the Darrell Survey. After winning over many tour pros and better amateurs last year with the forged X-Tour irons, Callaway has released the X-Tour forged wedges. They offer something both old and new in an attempt to offer both performance and confidence. I’ve played several rounds with a 58° degree X-Tour wedge, and here’s what I found about how they look and how they play.
I’ve seen a face like yours somewhere before: The similar looks of a Vokey Oil Can wedge (left), the new X-Tour wedge (center) and an old Cleveland 588 (right).
Appearance
Forget the swooping, rounded teardrop look of previous Callaway forged wedges. At address, the X-Tour wedges are unmistakably a Roger Cleveland design. The straight leading edge, the squarish toe, the high heel – the X-Tour forged wedges look nearly identical to the 588s and Vokey 200 series. That removes a serious stumbling block for tour professionals and other players who trust the look of familiar equipment.
The X-Tour wedges are available in two finishes. The Satin Chrome finish is very rich-looking and less prone to glare than a more polished chrome finish. The Vintage finish is a dark, non-reflective finish that will wear off and rust over time.
Up close with a Vokey (top) and an X-Tour wedge (bottom). The X-Tour is a bit longer from heel to toe and has a slightly rounder toe area, but the leading edge and general shape are extremely similar.
The model I’ve been using has the Vintage finish. After two months in the bag, the finish is gone from the sole and lower part of clubface, quickly worn away after a couple full sand shots to reveal the raw 1020 carbon steel beneath. There’s a fair amount of rust already formed along the top half of the club face and on the back of the club, which I like. If you prefer a cleaner look, and more durability and a slightly firmer feel, go with the Satin Chrome finish. But if you like a darker, rougher look, the Vintage finish is for you.
Previous Callaway forged wedges had only a large V-shaped Callaway chevron logo on the back along with the club’s loft. The X-Tour wedges are a bit busier, as they have graphics (red and black on the Satin Chrome version, red and white on the Vintage models) that mimic the medallions in the X-Tour iron cavity. It’s not as clean as previous versions, but it isn’t over the top, and it doesn’t take away from the classic lines of the wedges. The loft of each wedge is on the back, with a circle and smaller number designating the amount of bounce for that wedge. The word FORGED is stamped on the hosel of each club, and there’s a neat little bit of knurling just below the ferrule for an old-school look.
The X-Tour wedge I’ve been using has already lost most of its Vintage finish, which is to be expected. After two months, the finish is completely gone from the sole and lower face, and rust is moving quick on the upper half and back of the club.
Technology
The X-Tour wedges are forged from 1020 carbon steel, a very soft, mild steel alloy. This allows the wedges to be bent to custom lofts and lies fairly easily, and the soft metal also leads to great feel at impact. Many popular wedges, including the aforementioned 588s and other Cleveland Golf models, as well as the Titleist Vokeys and TaylorMade RAC wedges, are cast from stainless steel. Many people can’t tell the difference between cast and forged, but some people find forging to have real benefits in terms of feel and sound.
While the X-Tour wedges have a look that looks back in Roger Cleveland’s career, the design is very forward-looking. Among the eight different loft and bounce angle options are two special versions of the X-Tour wedges. The 58-11 and 60-11 models have the PM Grind and MD Grooves, two design elements that are quite distinctive.
This stamping on the hosel identifies this X-Tour wedge as having the MD Grooves.
The PM Grind is named for Phil Mickelson, who worked with Roger Cleveland to create a wedge that had enough bounce to work well in bunkers, yet still be able to pick the ball cleanly from tight lies. The solution was to create a sole that is the opposite of the typical rounded sole design you see on irons and wedges. Instead, the PM Grind creates a concave sole, where the leading and trailing edges of the sole are lower than the center of the sole. As a result, the club plays differently from various lies. On a tight lie, the leading edge of the club gets to the ball easily before the trailing edge, thanks to the concave sole. But on explosion shots where the bounce is needed to power through sand or grass, the trailing edge has plenty of bounce to keep the club moving. It’s an ingenious solution, and it enables better players who prefer low-bounce wedges to get the best of both worlds on tight lies and explosion shots.
The MD Grooves are what Mickelson dubbed the “Mack Daddy” grooves. The grooves on the 58-11 and 60-11 X-Tour wedges are slightly larger and have more aggressive angles to them than the standard modified U-grooves on other Callaway wedges. Wedges with souped-up grooves are all the rage these days, with Titleist’s Vokey Spin Milled wedges and TaylorMade’s RAC TP wedges with Y-cutter grooves getting plenty of play. Callaway’s MD Grooves are also designed to improve trajectory and help regulate distance control.
X-Tour wedges without the PM Grind, like this 54° model, have a more traditional rounded sole and modified U-grooves.
The X-Tour wedges utilize True Temper’s Dynamic Gold S300 as their stock shaft, though other models are available by custom order, and the stock grip is the Golf Pride Tour Velvet.
Playability
As Erik noted in his review of the Vokey Spin Milled wedges last year, aggressive grooves can be a lot of fun. The MD Grooves of the X-Tour wedges generated tons of spin in the 58-11 model I’ve been using. It’s noticeable on full shots in the 75- to 80-yard range, as shots with a full swing tend to hit, hop and come back up to six feet (if you’re using a premium urethane-covered ball, that is) instead of just dropping and stopping.
But the extra spin is most pronounced on partial wedge shots and even on little chips around the green. On 40-yard shots, I’m used to having my 58° wedge hit the green and release forward a few feet. Not anymore. The X-Tour wedge lets me hit the same shot and have it hit, take a quick hop and spin back a foot or two. On chip shots, I can pick the ball cleanly (thanks PM Grind) and have the ball take one hop and stop. I’m not usually a big spinner of the ball, so this is both fun and productive, as I’ve been able to hit several wedge shots stiff that I wouldn’t normally have been able to stop the same way.
The 58-11 model of the X-Tour wedge has the PM Grind, which includes plenty of heel relief to help open the face of the club, plus a concave sole for versatility. The club is gradually fading from a dark gray to rusty brown.
The downside of the MD Grooves and other high-spin grooves is that they can shred urethane balls but good. If you’re hitting a full lob wedge shot, you’re picking slices of golf ball cover out of your wedges. That’s the tradeoff for being able to generate so much spin. If you don’t like it, go with the non-MD Grooves models and you’ll be fine. The two models that have the special groove/grind combo are designated by a MD GROOVES stamp on the hosel.
In terms of sound and feel, the X-Tour wedges are as soft and solid as you’d expect from a true forged blade. The Vintage model I’ve been using feels like butter on good swings, and even mishits aren’t too harsh. The sound at impact is a muted click that is very satisfying.
A word of caution to any 15-handicapper thinking about buying these or any other classically styled wedges: These are not forgiving clubs. These are great tools if you know how to use them. But if you struggle to find the center of the clubface even with your wedges, stick to cavity back designs and save yourself some strokes.
Overall
A friend of mine says Roger Cleveland is to wedges what Fender is to electric guitars. Namely, the maker of fully functional, esthetically pleasing designs that produce the exact results players want. And while I’m a hack with both guitars and golf clubs, I think my man is right on with is assessment.
Callaway’s X-Tour wedges are a formidable entry in the increasingly competitive premium wedge market. By refining the esthetics – and stealing a bit from his own design guide – Roger Cleveland has created a set of wedges that fits a player’s eye like a comfy old pair of jeans. And with the PM Grind and MD Groove options, there are some significant new performance wrinkles to set the X-Tours apart from the crowd. I’ve enjoyed having the 58-11 model in my bag, and it’s helped me hit some very satisfying shots. If you’re in the market for new wedges and want to add some spin to your short game, try one of the X-Tour wedges with the PM Grind and MD Grooves.
The X-Tour wedges are available in right-handed lofts of 50°, 52°, 54°, 56°, 58° in PM and non-PM versions and 60° in PM and non-PM versions. Lefties will have to settle for the 52°, 56° and 60° (with PM Grind and MD Grooves) options. MSRP for the Vintage models is $150 and the Satin Chrome lists for $135, but street prices are more like $120 and $110, respectively.
I like the look of the PM grind, and wish I could easily get something like that on my Vokeys. Having seen yours, I think I like the “oilcan” look more than the “Vintage” look.
I love mine and I’m a 21 handicap!
Erik: Agreed, the Oil Can finish is more aesthetically pleasing than the Vintage finish. It’d be the best of both worlds to have a PM Grind wedge with an Oil Can look.
Headtilt: Wedges are about the only clubs where a high-handicapper can use pretty much the same thing as a touring pro. A lot of people struggle with lob wedges, but I’m glad you’re not one of them! As a rule of thumb, I’d say higher handicappers should have pitching/gap wedges that are cavity backs, then try a blade-type wedge for a sand/lob wedge. That’s my setup (cavity back 46 and 50 wedges, blade 54 and 58).
This was one of the best reviews I’ve read on this site. You gave a clear and easy to understand comparison between the new Callaways and the Vokeys, as well as a comprehensive history of the Callaway wedge design. I tried the first Callaway wedges Cleveland designed and I could never get comfortable with the look of them. I then moved to the Vokey wedges, where I have remained ever since, eventhough I’m now using the spin mill version. As a higher handicap (17), I couldn’t agree more with the sentiment you expressed to Headtilt about using a cavity back pitching and gap wedge. I use the 56.14 Vokey SM for a variety of shots around the green and I own a 60.04 SM, less for playing with over 18 holes, more now for practice until my skill with it increases. Thanks for the great review – makes me want to go try the new X wedges.
These wedges are fantastic. I use the 54 to chip and it will fly 2/3 of the way and spin to a stop the other 1/3, even on really short chips, which I love.
Horrendusly good amount of spin and good look.
What a thorough and informative review! I wish I had gone to your site before buying my CG11. After reading your reviews I eBayed the Cleveland and bought the Callaway… all I can say is WOW. I love this wedge, it performs exactly as you described. I am a 9.5 handicap golfer and struggled to make short chips and putts check consistently. Watching a well struck shot run past and often over the hole 4 to 5 times a round was turning my hair grey. Those days are gone now.
Thanks Again!!!
RSZ
Thank you for a very accurate review. I have 54 and 58PM vintage. 58PM skins ProVx and spins back 8-10 feet on a full shot. Distance is very consistant and works well from tight lies, rough and bunkers. 54 is also a spinner but less aggressive, I find it drops and stops plus or minus a foot from 80-90 yards. I would thoroughly recommend these ahead of vokey, mizuno wedges I have used over last 3-4 years. 58PM worth the money just to impress your buddies when you fly it 8 foot past the pin and draw it back like a pro! 9 hcp.
I really like my Callaway X-Tour 54 and 60.11 PM wedges. Great feel, fairly user friendly and the grooves and face seem to hold up very well after a lot of use. It has been my experience that these wedges hold up through a lot of practice compared to the Vokey Spin Milled and TaylorMade Rac wedges too.
I have 2 of those forged+ wedges with vintage look. Some people say they like its rust, however that make me uncomportable to keep my bag and glove clean. 😕
I have the MD 60-11 wedge. I love it for everything except hitting out of a firm, flat bunker. The bounce, and relatively high leading edge (when open) might prove tricky for many. Curious to know if anyone else shares this concern?
Great clubs, i purchased a 60 and a 56 md 2 months ago, they have totaly transformed my game to the effect where i am now playing to a 10 from a 16. Being a left hander i found them harder to get hold of, and am now looking for a 52 just to fill that gap. Great review.
I’m a lefty so was force to go with the 60MD/PM. I’m an 8.8,
and getting better with this new weaponary.
Very nice soft feel with quiet click like the review said.
(very nice review, btw). I agree with Rick about firm bunkers.
It’s not nearly as good as a 60 with lower bounce.
It will take more practice to find the right angle of decent and distance behind the ball in the bunkers, even the softer ones.
But, bunker play needs touch up sessions anyway. The concave bottom kind of funnels more sand, and doesn’t glide thru quite as easily, so it takes getting familiar with swinging harder for an equal distance shot, without digging too deep, and without skulling it. I’m getting out, but coming up short quite often. That I can work on though, and will.
It’s much better, however on the rest of the greenside short shots.
I like to use it on tight lies next to or in front of the green, where I’m shortsided 5-15 feet away from the green, where it elevated 2-3 feet. If I putt, distance control is difficult with a 45deg up slope, when you need to stop the ball as soon as it climes the hill. Enter mack daddy. I don’t open it up, but a fraction if at all, put the leading edge at the bottom of the ball, and it comes out with a lower than usual (for a lob), but it hits, hops and stops. It really is easier distance control than putting, or hitting with a lower bounce lob. The pm grind doesn’t get in the way. So, I think it’s the combination of the grooves and grind that bring the advantage to greenside damage control. The center of gravity is a little higher. tight lie, short sided shorts are no longer a nightmare. From the rough around the green I still get some bite as the club easily gets the ball in the air with a more usual lob trajectory, usually with one or two hops and stop. (no back up here, but no running off the green either.) Full fairway lobs don’t happen all that much, but the times I’ve done it, it ends up within 5ft of divot.
I don’t swing very hard and my full lob swing is 3/4 at most.
The distance control is there for sure. I’ve used cg10’s and cg11’s, but this forged feel is nice. I’ve not used the vokeys, so can’t help compare there. I’m guessing they’re nice. I don’t care what wedge you’re using if you put your time in with it you’ll save more strokes than any other kind of practice. This club, however, can do things others can’t, and practice won’t change the design. If they had a 54MD for lefties I’d get it prolly. Btw, they’re getting rid of the pm grind for the 08 year from what I’ve heard and keeping the mack daddy grooves. Think I’m going to add a vokey spin milled 54/10 and get rid of the 52/56 tandem.
This extra effortless spin/stopping power I could get used to.
Too many wedge choices can confuse my motor skills. I only hope the vokey is a soft and buttery feeling as the forged MD/PM. If you want the pm grind you better get it now, cause it might be going away. I saw a custom grind vokey that had the same look the other day for righties, and the bidding was up to $435.
Good comments! I think the trajectory is somewhat lower compared to the CG12 and other wedges but over all a really good wedge. I think the 2008 models in the 58 and the 60 are going to have the MD grooves as an option if what I have read online.
9.5 out of 10, but poor ball strikers beware
These wedges are for good ball strikers especially people who like to spin the ball. I play chrome 52.11 gap and 60.11 PM bent to 58.9 and I love getting my 52 to just drop n stop. The 58 with the mac daddy grooves and shallow concave sole grind is good for taking slightly shallower divots and on tight lies and for workability especially opening the face for higher lofted shots or sand shots. From the fairway I can get the ball to just stick or spin back 4 yards. The feel is also great thanks to the wedge being forged and the soft “click” when hit on the sweet spot is nice feedback.
Thanks roger cleveland
I picked up a pair of X-forged wedges two weeks ago after trading in the cg12’s I bought earlier this year. I carry a 52 and a 56 degree wedge and have for years. Right off, I have to say the feel of these clubs is amazing! I’ve found it hard to find a forged wedge that I like, almost impossible, but these definately are those wedges. Also, I’m glad to see that Mr. Cleveland is back to doing what he does best. I’m only 22 now, and started playing seriously around 16, so the 588s were already old when I bought mine, but I couldn’t find anything better back then. And, until my UPS guy dropped these off, I still hadn’t. I never liked the overly rounded front line of most wedges, and I was never a fan of vokeys. Not for lack of trying, I have a garage full of clubs that couldn’t make the cut. These, however have already permanently replaced the 588s that carried me through numerous high-school, college, and club tourneys. Hopefully these will be just as kind to me.
Anyway, I am writing this to thank you for your review, because it was a key play in convincing me to break down and buy another callaway wedge. And I am very thankful that I did! I love the set-up, feel, and playability. An all-around great wedge. They have already improved what was a good short game to begin with. But, does anyone else find it odd that, you can’t get that PHIL MICKELSON grind in LEFT HAND?!?!? I’m a lefty, and I find it ironic that being the same orientation as the man who the design is named for is keeping me from actually getting to play it. Maybe next year…
In March of 2008 I purchased the X-Forged 60 9 MD. I did not choose C-Grind. My index is 13 and I wanted a little more spin than the stock X-20 Lob Wedge offered. Wow. This club (even though I chose regular grind) is awesome. It is aggressive from full swings to delicate down hill chips. Even a mishit has enough spin to help you out where the regular X-20 would roll off the green. I loved it so much, I just purchased the X-Forged 56 14 MD. I had it out last night and hit from 100 yds. It was fairly consistent but I think I need to work out the control and distance issue’s which is not attributed to the club. I practiced 30 yard pitches over a bunker to a medium tucked flag. It hits, checks and rolls very nicely to the flag. I loved my X-20 Sand Wedge but the spin on chips was not what I was looking for. I will make this X-Forged work on 100 yards and in with practice. One more thing, the Mack Daddy grooves do chew up Pro V1’s but hopefully a chewed up ball will be worth it to get to an single digit index.
Thanks for the great article and for making the differences in wedge design so understandable. I play the vintage 52 and 56 wedges from Callaway and absolutely love them. So much that I am now looking for the vintage X tour 60degree to replace my 59 degree Vokey which does have some glare from the finish (i also have the 60 degree lob wedge from a set of X-18 irons but hated it). I like the weighting of the X Tours and looking down at that bronze-look finish. I really think it has taken strokes off my game as birdies are now a realistic putt vs just getting to the green as I had been before.
Thanks again
Gary
I am so excited!
I have just recieved my 60/11, £20 from Ebay, and didn’t even think to see if it had the MD’s & PM grind! I searched “callaway x tour wedges” in google and up came your review.
Excellent info – I can’t wait till sunday now to try this baby out!
nice one!
I am a fifteen handicapper and I love these wedges (52-11,56-13), i can hit a variety of tajectories with my 56 and they have a nice click at impact. Since it’s winter I ave only been able to hit these wedges indoors, but after reading your comments am looking forward to seeing how these spin the ball.
Does anyone know if the 56/14 MD wedge has a “MD” stamp where it would indicate if it was right or left handed? Not on the tour series just on the X series
Matt, the X-Forged Wedges have “MD” on the hosel under the -R-, if it is Mack Daddy grooved.
In the X-Forged, I know have the 50-12, the 56-14 MD (bent to 55), and the 60-10 MD C-Grind. They are all awesome! Since my original reply in June of ’08 my index was 13. I know have my index down to 10. I guess it’s not much, but I am hoping for a few more shots lower this coming season. The X-Forged wedges were a great help in lowering my index. I also switched from Pro-V1x to the Callaway Tour ix. The Tour ix seems to tolerate the X-Forged MD grooves better that the Pro-V1’s.
I purchased the X wedges, 50,56 and the 60 MD. Truly great wedges.. the 50 is my favorite club. When I throw a ball at the green with my 60 , it stops cold. Took a while to get used to hitting the ball right to flag instead of playing for some run, but it was worth it to have my playing partners express their amazment. “Wow, what was that ?” ” That ? Well, that was a Titleist being eaten alive !” Yup, destroys the ball everytime.
I called Callaway and told them it was costing me a ball every shot. Just absolutely takes off strips of the cover. They said to hit 1000 shots and it would be fine. So, I hit a 1000 shots. Tore the yellow cover of many a practice ball. It did not help.
Callaway sent me a new 60 MD wedge for free. Same problem. Yes, maybe the Callaway ball is a little tougher, but not much.
So now, I carry a 60 degree Cleveland for fun play and to save balls! I put the X in the bag when I am playing for real. I need some money for new balls but the wedge really works.
Does Phil tear up a ball each time he hits his wedge ?
Cran C 😛
Hi, I just bought an x-tour wedge(60/11) with the ‘Mac Daddy grooves. I am a lefty, but I don’t know if i have the pm grind. Is there any way to tell????If you have the ‘Mac Daddy’ grooves, does that also mean I have the PM grind. HELP ME!!!!!!!!!! 😉
If you have the 60.11 with the MD grooves it should be the PM grind. It should say 60.11 PM or something like that on the hosel. If I remember correctly all X-Tour 60.11’s had the PM grind. The 60.09’s without the MD grooves did not have the PM grind.
Thanks a lot for the help. I just had a good look on the internet and I found out that all the lefty wedges with 60/11 have the pm grind like u said. Thanks!!!!!
I played a full set of these for one season– a 52,56 and 60. Higher bounce in the 56 for sand. I love them.
Pros: a very well matched set, spin great, feel great, hit longer than many traditional wedges, tweakable if needed, cheaper than other brands.
Cons: very heavy and stiff (not necessarily cons). Shiny in chrome but better than some. Might wear out as they feel soft.