Group Test: The latest wedges

Lynton says:The clubhead sits well behind the ball and I liked the teardrop shaped head. The 14-degree bounce in this model made it hard to cut through the firm turf so I was more likely to thin the ball when trying to nip it off the top. Felt much better on full shots.

Lee says: Can’t quite put my finger on it but never entirely comfortable with this club. I wasn’t blown away by its finish and it just didn’t give me the feel that I got from some of the other models.

Nick says: I really liked the straight leading edge, which not only helped with alignment, but gave the impression that you could nip the ball cleaner off the surface than some of the more rounded edges of its rivals. The satin chrome finish made it look a little less flash than others but it’s by no means dull. The spin I was able to generate, especially when switching to a three-piece ball, was superb, with even short chips checking up quickly, though falling short of sucking back! It felt soft and solid as you’d expect from a forged head, with even miss-hits not feeling too harsh. Sound at impact was a muted ‘click’ and overall, a really good performer that offers something slightly different than other Tour-driven models.

Lynton says: I liked the compact, if slightly chunky head, which framed the ball nicely at address. Feel was exceptionally soft, probably enhanced by the insert in the back of the head. It was a solid all round performer, working well from the fringe and on full shots from 100 yards out. The clubhead also cut through sand - wet from overnight rain - get the ball up quickly and stop.

Lee says:Most golfers either love or hate Ping irons and wedges. Before this test I was definitely in the latter camp, having never really warmed to their chunky look. But this wedge has changed my opinion completely and I really enjoyed using it. It sat well behind the ball and had a comfortable weight to it. It checked the ball up quickly on both greenside chips and full shots into the green and was an efficient tool from the sand. My favourite club of the batch.

Nick says: As the current owner of a 52-degree Ping Tour wedge – albeit a two-year old model – I was keen to see how the W wedge compared. After a thorough test from all lies and distances I’ve no hesitation in saying that these are a marked improvement on what was already a pretty decent wedge. The look is pretty conventional, but the feel is much softer – almost forged-like - and I got none of the harsh contact that I sometimes get with the Tour model.

Spin was right up there with the best of them, and they felt really solid on full shots, flying high and stopping quickly. By far Ping’s best effort with a wedge.

Lynton says: Been seriously considering investing in a set of these wedges, as my old set of Snake Eyes wedges are coming to the end of their natural life. My thorough testing of these 56- and 60-degree models confirmed my expectations - seriously well made and performing brilliantly from all types of lie. The head slides under the ball easily to produce high floaters as well as hard-spinning knockdowns, offering bags control.

Feel great off the face and offer plenty of feedback so you immediately know when you've hit a good one (and a bad one!)

Half the attraction of Vokey wedges is making me aspire to being a better wedge player and in that respect I’ll be digging into my pockets very soon – especially as they have come down in price.

Lee says: I liked the overall classical look and feel and was impressed with the spin rates and bite-ability although they sometimes generated so much spin that I sometimes wished they’d run out a little more. It’s something I'd need to get used to but overall - they offered a solid, pure feel when hit out of the middle but not as forgiving as some of the others.

Nick says: Vokey wedges have inspired a cult-like following for many years among good wedge players - they're a true players’ wedges, offering spin-a-plenty in an eye-pleasing package. Placed in the hands of a 13 handicapper their powers are slightly dimmed, as my ability to spin it on a sixpence isn’t quite up there with the best of them. But the milled face – between the grooves – means that every part of the clubface is working towards generating more ball control and more spin. Even mid-handicappers will benefit from its design. Hard to fault on all performance fronts, it didn’t have the curb appeal of some other models. The opposition is catching up fast but Vokeys are still the golf industry standard in my opinion.

Lynton says: I love the overall look of the CG14 wedge, which I found both visually appealing and inspiring confidence at address. I was able to generate lots of spin on shots around the green, even though we were using two-piece Callaway balls in the short game practice area. I liked the gunmetal finish, which looked classy and gave me plenty of feel of the centre of the clubface.

Produced consistent trajectory and spin with plenty of height on full shots from either grass or sand. One of my favourite clubs from the group we tested.

Steve says: Already owner of a Cleveland CG10 wedge, I was really looking forward to judging the difference. In looks it was quite fussy for a Tour players' wedge, but not offensive as the yellow colouring in the back cavity is hidden from view at address. Had a nice weight and look to it at address and offered good levels of spin. Is this a feature of the new Zip Grooves or just that it was brand new? Wasn't the best performer in the sand for me but worked best with full shots and chips from the fringe. Overall not such a drastic improvement from my old set of CG10 wedges so not convinced to upgrade yet.

Nick says: Shape-wise looks less rounded than previous designs, which makes it seem more playable and in line with other Tour models. Slight cavity back is concealed well and the large face inspires confidence at address. Chrome finish on the model tested is very shiny but there’s also a black model for those that don't wish to risk reflection.

Gelback technology certainly made the club feel less harsh than other models and minor miss-hits weren’t punished too much. The sole and leading edge is very smooth and seemed to slide over the turf or through the grass quite nicely. With the low bounce it's more versatile and easier to pull off lob shots, too. The Zip Grooves deliver good bite with balls landing softly on full shots, while checking quickly on lower trajectory shots. A really nice club.

Lynton says: First impression is that the Z-TP is refreshingly heavier than other models we tested. The weight gave a better feel for where the clubhead is in the swing, as well as making it the most powerful when hitting full shots from the fairway. Exceptionally solid feel, especially from the sand, with the extra weight helping to dig the ball out from even plugged lies. Really impressed. Only just behind the Vokey and the Cleveland in overall performance.

Lee says: Clean looks, good feel with the twin cavities in the compact head inspiring lots of confidence. Even though it had 12 degrees of bounce I found it easier to hit off tight lies than models with less bounce and it was by far the best performer from the sand. My clear runner-up.

Nick says: I was really taken with the whole package - cool, retro looks and a classy gunmetal finish. Plenty of care has been taken in design to appeal to good players as well as aspiring players. Sets up well behind the ball

From short chips to full-swing approach shots, the ball left the face softly, with no sting from miss-hits. This 56-degree model functioned perfectly as a sand wedge yet still sat nicely on tight fairway lies. Nicely weighted and well balanced with Z grooves producing more than adequate stopping power. A great wedge.

Lynton says: Head looks large and quite cumbersome in comparison to other models on test. Higher handicappers might find this appealing but I found it a off-putting and too rounded. Both chrome and nickel finishes felt quite soft off the face but I had to hit the ball a tad harder to get the distance I achieved with other models. Plenty of spin, however, especially on those low trajectory chips from around the fringe, which delivered plenty of control for precise shots to the flag.

Lee says: The uncomplicated head framed the ball well at address and gave the feeling that it would be hard to miss-hit it. Gave me lots of spin around the greens and checked up well when struck crisply and firmly. It lost a bit of its control on the longer shots from 80 yards out, and wasn’t the most consistent performer, making you really work to get the maximum out of it.

Nick says: Traditional-looking, classy head with a soft feel at impact and plenty of spin from all lies and surfaces. The grind on the sole made it easy to open up the face and get the clubhead under the ball for high lob shots. Didn’t really set the pulses racing, it’s clearly a solid performer, without being top drawer.