The Six Best Wedges for High Handicappers of 2025

On the surface, it looks like wedge design doesn’t vary too much, but there are a few key levers that OEM’s can pull to tailor a wedge to a specific type of player.

Variables like grind, bounce, and groove profile can all be dialed in to suit different skill sets. Just like some irons are more forgiving for higher handicappers, wedges can also be suited for players who shoot higher scores. With that in mind, we rounded up six of the best wedges for high handicappers.

• Cleveland Smart Sole Full-Face
• Edison 2.0
• Ping BunkR
• TaylorMade Hi-Toe 4
• Callaway Jaws Raw Full Toe
• Takomo Skyforger

So what makes a wedge forgiving and better for high handicappers? A larger surface area with more groove coverage can certainly help. For those who don’t find the sweet spot all the time, a full-face, high-toe wedge provides a wider margin for error while retaining spin characteristics. For players who tend to hit behind the ball, more bounce and a beveled leading edge can also be beneficial.

That’s the concept behind some of the specialty wedges you may have seen on the internet, like the BX-1 designed by respected YouTube instructor Clay Ballard. The BX-1 is especially good out of the bunker because players can set up with a square clubface. Because of the beveled leading edge, high bounce, and extra loft, you can set up square for bunker shots and simply hit the ball slightly fat.

While we didn’t profile that particular wedge in this article (we did not have an opportunity to test it first-hand), you’ll see some of those characteristics in a couple of the wedges on this list.

Finally, wedges with a wide sole tend to be more forgiving because they’re less likely to dig in the sand or soft turf.

With all that said, we think these are some of the best golf wedges for high handicappers, or even better players whose short game isn’t on pace with the rest of their game.

Pros:

• Might be the most forgiving wedge system on the market
• Full-Face grooves is a nice addition
• New lob wedge adds versatility

Cons:

• Anyone who likes to manipulate their wedges won’t benefit

I’ve played with previous versions of the Smart Sole wedges from Cleveland (this is the fifth edition), so I’ve got a pretty good idea of their advantages. As someone who struggles with my wedge game from time to time, I put them in the bag when I want to simplify things. 

You play these straight up, no manipulating the face or your stance, even in the bunker. You don’t want to lay the face open given the wedge's sole and big flanges in the design.

I have no problem recommending these wedges for high handicappers and anyone who struggles with their wedge game. If you tend to scoop or hit behind the ball, the wide soles will help you glide into the ball without digging (though if the miss is bad enough, you can chunk the Smart Sole, too). 

If you get the full set, there’s also a chipper, which is designed to be used with a putting stroke. That can be a game changer for anyone who has the yips. The sand wedge is a simple design meant to be used with a square club face. Just swing and hit it a little heavy, and you’re golden. 

The new lob wedge at 64 degrees is a nice addition, as is the new full-face design, which Cleveland claims adds up to 46 percent more usable surface area to hit the ball. Speaking of surface, the new Cleveland Smart Sole Full Face wedges also feature a Hydra Zip Face blast to create lots of friction and spin in all conditions. All in all, you’d be hard pressed to find a more forgiving wedge system, although if this is a little too much forgiveness, the Cleveland CBX Wedges are pretty easy to hit, too.

Pros:

• Very versatile
• Lots of loft options
• Very customizable; can order heads only

Cons:

• Not available left-handed

If you’ve never heard of Edison wedges, you might be missing out. I’ve played these wedges and can attest to their feel and forgiveness. 

Brought to you by Texas-based Terry Koehler (AKA The Wedge Guy), an industry veteran who also founded Reid Lockhart and owned the Ben Hogan brand for a while, Edison offers some of the best wedges in the business, and they are designed to benefit everyday golfers.

First off, they feel great with their 5X forged construction. Beyond that, the way the weight is distributed and the design of the sole make them very versatile and forgiving. The bounce characteristics are unique, combining more bounce in the leading edge and less in the trailing edge, meaning these wedges work in just about every turf condition. 

The design also places more clubhead mass above the point of impact to maximize spin, offer more forgiveness, and lower ball flight for more control. 

They are a bit pricey, starting at around $200 each, but they are also highly customizable for that price, offering a variety of shafts, grips, and lie adjustments for example. They also come with a full 30-day satisfaction guarantee.

Pros:

• Super easy to use out of bunkers
• Retro Ping Eye2 shaping is both cool and useful
• Sets up square in bunkers

Cons:

• Could be tricky out of a bunker with a thin layer of sand

If you struggle out of bunkers, the BunkR, as its name implies, is designed to make that shot much easier. It’s designed specifically for bunker shots, without having to lay the club open to expose more bounce. 

One of the cool aspects of this club is that its design resembles the old Pine Eye2 clubs, which, in their heyday, defined game improvement. I know a former tour player who played his Ping Eye2 irons for nearly three decades. I can still recall how easy it was to hit my old Ping Eye2 sand wedge out of bunkers, but the BunkR takes it to a whole new level. 

First off, it has a full-face design with a high toe, so there’s all kinds of forgiveness built in. The biggest trait for helping you with bunker play is the 14.5 degrees of bounce (which prevents digging) and a wide sole. It also has 64 degrees of loft, so there’s no need to open the clubface to get height. Plus, it produces plenty of spin with its full-face MicroMax grooves.

The BunkR also comes with a lightweight wedge shaft and Dyla-Wedge Lite grip, which is a little longer than traditional grips to allow players the ability to choke down a little more.

Pros:

• Works well out of bunkers
• Full-face grooves (in four lofts) provide more margin for error
• Lots of grind options

Cons:

• Only one finish offer unless you upgrade to MyHi-Toe Wedge program

The truth is, I think the TaylorMade Hi-Toe 4 is a great wedge for all levels of golfers, including high handicappers. Just because it’s forgiving doesn’t mean it doesn’t suit low handicap players, too. After all, many of them also want a little margin for error.

This latest version of TaylorMade’s Hi-Toe wedge offers the kind of margin many high handicappers can benefit from. The high toe means a higher center of gravity and more surface area to hit the ball or glide through the bunkers. 

That brings us to the other appealing aspect of these clubs for high handicappers. With five different grinds, you can find one that maximizes your strengths and weaknesses. (The ATX grind, or All Terrain Extra, is a new grind that works best for players with steep swings, i.e., most high handicap players.)

The raw face reduces glare, and full face grooves on four lofts with Spin Tread technology provides plenty of stopping power. The bottom groove has gold infill and helps golfers center the ball and ensures the face is aimed square to the target. The precision milling process and copper finish are really cool, too.

Pros:

• Full-face grooves means more spin on off-center hits
• Wide sole helps club glide through turf and sand
• Can customize look

Cons:

• Full Toe feature won’t appeal to everyone

I’m not sure a raw face really adds spin when they start to oxidize, but it has a unique feel that a lot of players love. 

More importantly when it comes to forgiveness, there’s a lot of surface area for the Jaws grooves on the Callaway Raw Full Toe, meaning you can hit it higher on the face and get really good results. The design also inspires more confidence out of the bunker.

With its J grind (it has a pre-worn leading edge) and just 10 degrees of bounce, it’s also pretty good from tight lies on the fairway, but if you are a player who hits a little behind the ball, not so much in soft conditions. 

This high toe also shifts the center of gravity a little higher, plus a tungsten weighting system on the back shifts the CG away from the heel, making it even more forgiving. A wide sole makes it play a little easier out of the bunker as well.

Pros:

• Really good value
• Nice forged feel
• Glides well through the sand

Cons:

• Direct to consumer with no customization options

One of the reasons the Skyforger wedges from Takomo are so well suited for high handicappers is that they are a great value. While many golfers who shoot high scores are avid golfers, many are either beginners or occasional players, and for $89, this wedge is pretty hard to beat, especially considering that they are forged.

They are also beautiful, which inspires a certain degree of confidence in any player. I’ve played with these wedges a lot and also had other players use them, and we all felt like the weighting made routine shots easier. The lob wedge and sand wedge both have 12 degrees of bounce, and work very well out of bunkers and soft turf conditions. The D6 weighting on the lob wedge, for example, seemed perfect for sand play.

They also feel great. And feel is great for inspiring confidence in all players, including high handicappers. 

These wedges are also designed with progressively tapered blade thickness. For example, the higher lofted wedges have more weight on top to promote spin and bring down ball flight for better control. The face features precision-milled grooves with micro-milling in between the grooves, which produces plenty of spin. Whether you’re a good player or a high handicapper, wedge spin is valuable.