Buying Guides: Best raw wedges

Buying Guides

Oct 13, 2022

Want a wedge that rusts over time? Check out these beautiful raw golf wedges to up your short game

You’ve probably noticed that the finish on some wedges have a rusty look to them. It’s true, some wedges do go rusty, but how and more importantly, why?

Otherwise known as a ‘raw’ wedge, these unique types of wedges are build without using a protective chrome coating. This leaves the wedge ‘unfinished’ and causes the face of the club to rust over time.

Cleveland were the first brand to create a wedge that rusts over time to make the wedge look more appealing at address.

But does this actually offer an advantage? Odds are you’ve probably heard the rumours about a rusted wedge allowing for more spin off the face. Spoiler alert: they don’t.

The reason why many professionals such as Jordan Spieth use raw wedges is simply down to personal preference. They agree the face looks great at address and even allow them to better dial in the grind of the wedge.

Related: Which wedge grind is right for you?

A raw wedge will rust by itself over time – the more you play, in fact. However, if you’re desperate to speed up the process, just dip them in a pond or lake and avoid drying them.

So what are the best raw wedges that you can buy? We’ve selected our favourite ones so you don’t have to do the searching yourself.

Best raw wedges

Best raw wedges: TaylorMade Hi-Toe Golf Wedge

The TaylorMade Hi-Toe RAW Golf Wedge features one of Taylormade’s latest technologies, the RAW finish. The RAW finish offers increased spin, precision and feel on full shots from the fairway and on finesse shots around the greens. The clubface has ZTP RAW grooves which have been specifically designed to excel in wet conditions as they are shaper, narrower and deeper than standard grooves. The TaylorMade Hi-Toe RAW Golf Wedge has a high CG location that produces a lower launch with huge amounts of spin allowing golfers to play the super-impressive low checking wedge shots. The oversized face area allows for greater creativity around the green even on lies that are less than perfect.

Pros:

Looks great at address
Lovely copper finish adds to rusty appearance
High bounce

Cons:

Can be a little difficult to keep the grooves clean

Best raw wedges: Titleist Vokey SM9 Golf Wedge

The Titleist Vokey SM9 range of wedges represents their most technologically advanced design to date, and they have been created to provide a lower flight with higher spin. The performance is further enhanced by the variety of grinds available to the consumer, with each one providing distinctive features and benefits to allow for fine tuning of your wedge game in a way previously only available to tour players.

Pros:

Brilliant levels of spin and trajectory control
Lots of bounce and grind options to suit all swings
Unrivalled looks

Cons:

A custom fitting is a must to get the best set make up

Best raw wedges: Callaway Jaws Golf Wedge

Created by legendary wedge designer, Roger Cleveland, Jaws Raw Wedges feature the most aggressive, razor sharp grooves in golf, now presented on a raw face for ‘one hop and stop’ spin into greens. Callaway have removed the plating on the face which allows for rusting over time in the scoring zone, while maintaining a premium look throughout the rest of the clubhead. Removing the plating enables a more direct connection between ball and the face at impact. The addition of Groove-in-Groove Technology, where milled micro-grooves sit at a 20° angle, also further promotes spin on chips, pitches and lob shots.

Pros:

High levels of spin
Consistent out of bunkers
Lower leading edge makes thinned shots less of an issue

Cons:

Sound is a little clicky on short shots

Best raw wedges: Cleveland RTZ Zipcore Golf Wedge

Push the boundaries of wedge performance, traditional in design with ZipCore. This is a unique performance enhancer with a low-density core that sits at the heart of RTX. ZipCore shifts the centre of gravity while raising MOI, adding spin, enhancing control, and boosting consistency on all your shots.

Pros:

Soft feel at impact
Surprisingly forgiving on full shots
Lofts of loft and grind options

Cons:

Better players may want a straighter leading edge

Best raw wedges: Mizuno T22 Golf Wedge

The new Mizuno T22 Golf Wedges combine an incredibly soft feel with a classic finish and provides aggressive bite and spin like no other wedge. With distinctly classic Mizuno styling and Quad Cut Laser Etched groove technology you will be able to produce spin control and unmatched shot-making around the greens. Painstakingly constructed in Japan through their Grain Flow forging process, the T22 wedge offers exquisite feel at impact thanks to its combination of HD Boron infused carbon steel and a thin layer of copper plating beneath the nickel-chrome.

Pros: