Lob It Like a Pro: Top 9 Best Lob Wedges of 2023

At Front Nine, we love the versatility of the Vokey M-Grind wedge. With its pronounced heel, toe, and trailing edge grind, it offers high handicappers the ability to tackle a wide range of shots around the green. The fact that Bob Vokey himself loves this grind is just the cherry on top!

If you're looking for a one-stop-shop lob wedge, the Vokey SM8 M-Grind is a fantastic choice. Designed by a seasoned golfer, trusted by the pros, and made by one of the leading brands in the game, this wedge can handle almost any approach shot you throw its way. And with its versatility, you can feel confident tackling any shot, whether you need to hit it low and skipping or high and lofting.

The highest-bounce wedge in the Vokey SM8 lineup (14 degrees), the K-grind has a wide, full sole with enhanced camber and is the preferred wedge of Tour pros Justin Thomas, Adam Scott and Webb Simpson.

If you're looking for a forgiving lob wedge for soft playing conditions, including sand, then the Vokey SM8 K-Grind was made for you. It has the same tech and reputation as other clubs in the Vokey SM8 lineup but offers the most forgiveness and is great for golfers who routinely dig up the turf.

The upgraded version of the original Milled Grind first released in 2017, the Milled Grind 2 is available from 48-60 degrees of loft and can be found on our lists of the best lob wedges, best sand wedges and best gap wedges. Its signature feature is TaylorMade's new ZTP RAW grooves, which provide more points of friction for improved backspin and control.

While TaylorMade's new ZTP RAW grooves stand out as an obvious improvement over the original, the best feature of the Milled Grind 2 is right in the name: the precision-milled sole, which ensures consistency with each and every club so the specs you want are the specs you get.

It also comes with different finishes: matte black and satin chrome. Typically, the chrome finish leads to plenty of glare, especially with a brand new club, but the ZTP RAW face minimizes that. Plus, the grooves rust beautifully for both improved performance and awesome aesthetics.

The other notable change from the original Milled Grind is a thicker face, measuring 6.5 mm compared to 5.1 mm with the previous generation. Paired with a TPU insert in the back cavity, the MG2 offers a more solid, positive feel at impact with a more forward center of gravity.

The TaylorMade MG2 jams a lot of tech into a simple-looking wedge and comes in a wide variety of lofts and grinds for golfers of all handicaps.

The TaylorMade Milled Grind Hi-Toe expands upon the Milled Grind 2 with a larger toe that stretches 5 mm higher and offers a higher 64-degree loft option with TaylorMade's ATV grind for gliding performance on extreme flop shots.

TaylorMade's Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges are designed for maximum versatility with several features every golfer should love:

• 5 mm elevated toe (hence the name) for a larger face, higher center of gravity and more spin
• Full-face scoring lines on 56-64 degree lofts (traditional scoring on 50-54)
• KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 wedge flex shaft for better tip action

Over the years, TaylorMade's Milled Grind wedges have become increasingly popular, and they've continued to expand their selection by developing niche variations. Currently, TaylorMade makes three types of Hi-Toe wedges, which feature four types of soul grind:

1. Standard Grind: All-purpose for most playing surfaces and play styles
2. 4-Way Cambered Grind: Blunter contour, increased trailing edge and more heel relief
3. ATV Grind: Mid-sole channel and high bounce for gliding contact
4. Wide C-Grind: Flatter, wider, 32 mm sole for enhanced playability on tough surfaces

Milled Grind Hi-Toe

The original Hi-Toe model ranging from 50-64 degrees of loft and 9-12 degrees of bounce with three different grinds available on the following lofts:

1. Standard Grind: 50-54 degrees
2. 4-Way Cambered Grind: 56-60 degrees
3. ATV Grind: 58-64 degrees

Milled Grind RAW Face Hi-Toe

Similar to the TaylorMade Milled Grind 2, the Milled Grind RAW Face Hi-Toe features a rougher face with more friction on contact, less slip and better spin. It only comes lob wedge lofts, both 58 and 60 degrees, with 9-12 degree bounce and three different grinds:

• Standard Grind: 60 degrees
• 4-Way Cambered Grind: 60 degrees
• ATV Grind: 58-60 degrees

Milled Grind Hi-Toe Big Foot

The Hi-Toe Big Foot has a flatter, asymmetric, 32 mm Wide C-Grind sole with a rounded leading edge and 15 degrees of bounce to improve playability from the sand and rough. It comes in both 58 and 60 degrees of loft and either a D3 graphite or D5 steel shaft and features the full-face scoring lines of every other Hi-Toe wedge (except the original, lower-loft Hi-Toe gap wedges).

Bridgestone isn't a household name in golf like Titleist, TaylorMade or Callaway, but that isn't a reason to overlook this well-made and precise lob wedge with precision-milled grooves and a lighter swingweight.

The Bridgestone Tour B XW-1 is made from forged steel with a forward-sitting center of gravity and exceptional feel that's offered in three different grinds:

• M-Grind: Multi-purpose sole for better control and versatility around the green
• A-Grind: Not as flat as the F-grind and designed for open-face shots around the green
• F-Grind: Flat sole for stability on impact on full shots from the fairway

Only the M-grind is available in lob wedge lofts of 58 degrees or greater with the A-grind available as a 56-degree sand wedge loft.

The new Tour B XW-1 has Bridgestone's Biting Rail Milled Grooves with a micro-milling pattern that places five micro-grooves between every major groove and improves spin rates by 300 rpm over its predecessor. This upgraded model also has a slimmer clubhead for better weight distribution, which makes off-center shots feel crisper than they used to.

"The most aggressive groove in golf" according to Callaway, the Callaway Mack Daddy 5 features the JAWS groove-in-groove design with 84 points of contact for improved friction and better backspin. The MD5 introduces a new raw finish for better feel and less glare and is a popular choice for both amateurs and pros alike.

Callaway's high-end offering, the Mack Daddy 5 lob wedge offers a supremely satisfying experience that makes solid shots feel crisp with just enough feedback on mishits so you can tell what to improve for next time.

The signature feature of the Callaway MD5 is the JAWS groove design, which uses micro-positive ridges and 84 total points of contact for tons of friction and elite backspin, even for beginners and high handicappers. It's almost like having razors on your club, so bring plenty of balls.

And with five different sole grinds for all sorts of playing conditions, all of which are available on lob wedge lofts, there's a Mack Daddy wedge with your name on it:

• C-Grind: Increase heel and toe relief and 8 degrees of bounce
• S-Grind: Medium-width sole with slight camber at the back and 10 degrees of bounce
• X-Grind: Aggressive C-grind with more heel and toe relief and 12 degrees of bounce
• W-Grind: Wider center and toe area with moderate heel relief, generous camber and 12 degrees of bounce
• W-Grind (Low Bounce): Same idea as the standard W-grind but with 8 degrees of bounce

If you're looking for one club to improve your spin overnight, you want the Callaway Mack Daddy 5.

Callaway partnered with Phil Mickelson to create a wedge that makes it easier to hit the three shots Lefty think every golfer should master: knockdowns, short pitch shots and flop shots. The result is the Callaway PM Grind ("PM" for "Phil Mickelson"), which comes in five lofts including 54-56 degree sand wedges and 58-64 degree lob wedges.

The Callaway PM Grind features a C-grind sole with significant heel and toe relief for smooth, clean turf interactions, allowing you to make solid contact on all types of surfaces. It comes with the stock KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 wedge flex steel shaft with D4 swing weight for a more active tip and improved spin, aided by the same machined groove-in-groove JAWS design as the MD5 with 84 points of contact, which Callaway claims has resulted in 12% more spin than its predecessor.

The PM Grind is a Lefty-approved lob wedge for improved performance around the green, especially for beginners and high handicappers, and is one of the best lob wedges on the market.

Tour-level spin and control for mid and high handicappers with a great combination of features and tech with the forgiveness you need. That's the Cleveland CBX 2 in a nutshell.

The Cleveland CBX 2 line of wedges include two lob wedges, both with 10 degrees of bounce and a C-grind sole, which allows you to manipulate the face for a wide variety of shots.

The signature feature of the CBX 2 is its cavity-back design with additional weight in the toe, which increases the number of shots hit from the sweet spot by 25% and provides more forgiveness for those that don't. That's something amateur golfers need, but the CBX 2 still delivers enough backspin to hit strong shots that amateur golfers want.

If you're looking for an easy-to-play game improvement wedge that's comfortable to swing, forgiving, delivers strong spin rates and is relatively affordable, add the Cleveland CBX 2 to your shortlist.

The Cleveland RTX ZipCore replaces heavy steel with a lightweight core (does the name make sense now?) for a smooth, comfortable, consistent playing experience with improved control and spin.

The only low-bounce lob wedge on our list, the Cleveland RTX ZipCore has a rather unique set of specs among lob wedges, including the stock Dynamic Gold Spinner wedge flex shaft under 35" in length. But that isn't the only standout feature, as the ZipCore is made with low-density steel that's a true joy to swing. They're also fun to look at with a clean, modern design that hints at all of the golfing tech Cleveland crammed in.

The Cleveland RTX ZipCore also features Cleveland's new UltiZip grooves, which they claim are their sharpest grooves yet with deep channels that cut through grass for added spin in tough conditions. The whole face is heat-treated for added durability.

The club also comes with three different sole grinds for all types of playing conditions:

• Low Sole: Low-bounce, C-grind with heel, toe and trailing edge relief for superior versatility (6 degrees of bounce)
• Mid Sole: V-shaped with trailing edge relief for a low leading edge on open-face shots (10 degrees of bounce)
• Full Sole: Classic design for stable full shots with added bounce when you open up the face (12 degrees of bounce)

All soles, including the low sole with 6 degrees of bounce, are available as 58-60 degree lob wedges. The 62-degree wedge is only offered with the low sole.

If you're looking for a game improvement wedge that can transform your short game overnight, the Cleveland RTX ZipCore with the stock Dynamic Gold Spinner shaft is a winning choice and one of the best lob wedges on the market.