For those in a hurry, here is our top choice for Best Wedges For High Handicappers & Beginners:
#1 Recommendation: The Best Wedge For Beginners
Cleveland CBX ZipCore
The Cleveland CBX ZipCore is bar-none the best wedge for a beginner golfer. The cavity back design gives that extra forgiveness that they need.
On their website, Cleveland sums it up nicely by saying, “All you wanna do is chunk a little less. Skull a little less. Duff a little less. CBX ZipCore helps you hit better shots around the green by striking it true and clean more often.”
Golfers who are just starting out need a little help from their wedges. Beginners and high handicappers have a hard time hitting those thin, blade wedges that PGA Tour players and lower handicappers use. The key characteristics we looked for in a wedge for a beginner were:
- Forgiveness, forgiveness, forgiveness
- Did we mention forgiveness?
- Turf interaction to prevent chunks and skulls
There are a few wedges on the market that a beginner or high handicapper should stay far away from. Those wedges that look really cool on the shelf, but are super hard to hit solidly. I was once a high handicapper and I wanted to hit the cool wedges and the blade irons, but my game suffered from it.
Beginners should choose the clubs that will give them the best chance to hit the ball well and shoot lower scores out on the golf course. The following list of golf wedges are the best wedges for high handicappers on the market in 2023!
Best Wedge For Bunkers
Maximum forgiveness
Extra wide sole
Assistance out of bunkers
Best Wedges For Beginners & High Handicappers 2023
- Cleveland CBX ZipCore (Best wedge for high handicapper overall)
- Callaway Mack Daddy CB (Best wedge for chipping)
- Cleveland Smart Sole 4.0 (Best wedge to get out of bunkers)
- Ping Glide 4.0 (Premium brand wedge)
- Titleist Vokey SM9 (Best wedge for better players)
- Wilson Harmonized (Best budget option)
Best Overall Wedge For Beginners
Cleveland CBX ZipCore
The Cleveland CBX ZipCore is bar none the best wedge for a golfer who is just starting out. The cavity back design gives that extra forgiveness that they need.
There is also a hollow chamber near the heel of the club that makes heel shots fly better. High handicappers often hit the ball near the heel of the club so this is a big help.
On their website, Cleveland sums it up nicely by saying, “All you wanna do is chunk a little less. Skull a little less. Duff a little less. CBX ZipCore helps you hit better shots around the green by striking it true and clean more often.”
- Cavity back design for added forgiveness
- Added bounce for better turf interaction
- Less chunks and less skulls
- Solid contact more often
Basically, these cavity back wedges are pretty hard to chunk or skull. They just make it easier to make solid contact with the ball. For beginners, I can’t think of a better attribute for a golf club to have than to be easy to hit.
Best Wedge For Chipping 2023
Callaway Mack Daddy CB
The Mack Daddy CB are cavity back wedges (sensing a pattern here?) that make the game easier for you. Chipping the ball off of tight lies is difficult for high handicappers, but these clubs make it easier.
I felt like the turf interaction of these wedges was really really good. You kind of just clip the ball off the ground on chips. No more chunks or skulls on those chips around the green!
Best Wedge For Sand Bunkers
Cleveland Smart Sole 4.0
The Smart Sole 4.0 came out on top for best wedge out of the sand. This club aims to make the short game easier, especially out of bunkers.
The new aggressive milled grooves give you more spin on your bunker shots, helping you get the ball closer to the hole.
These come with a wider sole than normal wedges, offering maximum forgiveness for the beginner golfer.
Hit Better Shots With Cavity Back Wedges
By now you should have gotten the point. We think you should be playing cavity backed wedges if you have a high handicap or are just starting out in the game of golf. There is just no downside to using a cavity back. So stop trying to look cool with blade irons and wedges and start playing the clubs that you can hit the best shots with.
How To Choose The Right Wedge
The things you need to take into consideration when deciding on a wedge are:
- Loft
- Bounce
- Grind
- Blade or cavity back
What Loft Wedges Should A Beginner Carry?
The number one wedge a beginner should carry is the 56 degree sand wedge. This is a versatile club that can be used to chip, pitch, and hit bunker shots out of the sand. I don’t think a high handicapper needs to carry a 60 degree wedge. The 60 degree wedge is a little too difficult to hit properly for those just starting out, and the 56 degree wedge serves the same purpose. Stick with the 56.
How Much Bounce Should My Wedge Have?
The typical bounce on a wedge is around 10 degrees. This fluctuates among the different manufacturers but they are usually somewhere around 10 degrees. A high handicapper should have at least 10 degrees of bounce as this adds a little bit of forgiveness and results in less chunks around the green.
What Is The Grind Of A Wedge?
The grind on a wedge refers to how the sole of the wedge is shaped. The grind helps the club interact with the ground better. Club makers use a grinder to form how they want the wedge to be shaped on the sole, or bottom, of the club.
Should I Play Blades Or Cavity Back Wedges?
This is very simple. If you are a beginner or high handicapper you should absolutely be playing cavity-backed wedges.
What Now?
If you are looking to get better and learn more about the game, head over to our beginners section. Or you can read some of our most popular posts here:
- Fundamentals Of Golf
- Best Putter for Beginners
- Best Putter for Mid Handicappers
- Best Driver for Beginners
- Best Hybrids
- Masters Winners By Year
- Best Irons for Seniors
- Best Golf Gloves for Sweaty Hands
- 11 Best Golf Instruction Books
- 8 Best Golf Books for the Mental Game
Our #1 Recommendation: Best Wedge For High Handicappers & Beginners
Cleveland CBX ZipCore
These cavity back wedges are pretty hard to chunk or skull. They just make it easier to make solid contact with the ball. For beginners, I can’t think of a better feature for a golf club to have than to be easy to hit.
- Easy to hit
- Chunk less and skull less
- Cavity back design for forgiveness
FAQ
What are the different types of wedges?
The different types of wedges are the pitching wedge, gap wedge, sand wedge, and lob wedge. The difference in these wedges is the amount of loft they each have. For a more in depth description of each golf club, check out our post here.
What does the loft on the club mean?
The number on the wedge is the amount of degree of loft the club has. So if your club has a “56” on the bottom, that means it is a 56 degree wedge. The 56 degree wedge is a standard sand wedge.
The higher the number, the higher degrees of loft the club has. The higher the loft, the higher you can hit the club, but you will also hit the higher lofted clubs shorter than lower lofted clubs.
How many wedges should a beginner carry?
Your iron set will probably already have a pitching wedge, so you’re covered there. A beginner and high handicapper should also carry a sand wedge at the least. A gap wedge and a lob wedge are not really necessary for the complete beginner.
If I had to choose only one, which wedge should I carry?
If I had to choose only one, I would carry a 56 degree sand wedge. The sand wedge can be used to chip around the green, for pitch shots further away, and also for shots out of the sand. The sand wedge is a very versatile club.
What is bounce on a wedge?
According to Vokey.com: “Wedge bounce is the angle created between the leading edge and the lowest point of the sole or trailing edge. This is the area of the club that hits through the ground as it contacts the ball.”
Basically, when you rest your club on the ground at address, the space between the leading edge and the ground is the bounce of the club.
