TaylorMade's Hi-Toe 5 wedges are all about forged forgiveness

They're not for everyone, but the Hi-Toe wedge has, for some time now, been TaylorMade's ultimate IYKYK club.

Gamed by everyone from higher-handicappers to one Tommy Fleetwood (who has a Hi-Toe 4 gap wedge in the bag), the Hi-Toe has always presented a more unconventional, overtly player-friendly option in TaylorMade's short game line. The added forgiveness, larger footprint and higher CG of the high-toe design makes for fantastic versatility if you like opening the face of the club or simply want a bigger contact area to aid toe strikes.

"Hi-Toe has always been designed to be different," says Matt Bovee, TaylorMade’s Senior Director of Product Creation, Irons & Wedges. "The expanded toe, the full-face grooves, the willingness to look different in the bag. Those are the unique features that drew players to this wedge line in the first place."

Now, the Hi-Toe is back, with even more premium features than ever bringing the range into march with the flagship MG5 range. Here's what's new with the Hi-Toe's fifth generation release.

New forged feel

Easily the biggest update to the new Hi-Toe line comes in the form of its new forged construction – a first for the range. The Hi-Toe is now made with the same materials and process as the MG5 range, bringing both into the same family and rounding out TaylorMade's forged offering more comprehensively.

"The carbon steel construction delivers a softer, more responsive feel at impact," says Bovee, "and the precision tolerances of a forged head produce the kind of consistent feedback that allows golfers to dial in distance and trajectory shot after shot."

Grip it and rip it

Also new to the Hi-Toe 5 is a revised face configuration, with a new groove and milling profile that matches that of the MG5.

The first new addition is the new saw-milled grooves debuted in the MG5, which in typical Hi-Toe fashion cover the entire face of the club. The saw-milling process creates grooves with steeper sidewalls and sharper internal radii, resulting in increased friction at impact and more spin and control.

The other major update to the face is the addition of Spin Tread Technology, a system of laser-etched micro-channels integrated into the face. This, combined with the raw face that's offered as standard on the Hi-Toe range, helps disperse moisture from the point of impact, improving spin in wet conditions.

A grind for everyone

Like the Hi-Toe 4, the 5 will come in five distinct grind configurations. "There's a configuration in this lineup to help everyone play with more confidence around the green," says Bovee, and the one that fits you will largely depend on how steep or shallow you are in attacking the ball.

ATS is TaylorMade’s most popular grind, the most versatile and forgiving, engineered to fit a wide variety of swing types and playing styles.

ATV combines a concave sole shape with asymmetric bounce and a beveled leading edge, designed to aid player who struggle with digging prior to ball contact.

ATX is a mid-high bounce that generates forgiveness for steeper attack angles

ATW is the widest, highest-effective-bounce sole in the family, engineered for maximum forgiveness, especially in soft conditions and out of bunkers, particularly for players that like to play with a square face and are looking for the most error-tolerant configuration in the lineup.

ATC is a low-bounce configuration, improving stability and contact quality on tight lies, firm turf and for players with shallow angles of attack

How can I get some?

The TaylorMade Hi-Toe 5 will hit store shelves on September 3, with an RRP of £179. It'll be offered as standard in the Hi-Toe's classic aged copper finish, but three additional custom head finishes, along with a bevy of customisation options, are available through the MyHi-Toe 5 option on the TaylorMade website.

You can pre-order now at the links below.

GolfMagic may receive a small advertising or affiliate commission if you buy via our links. Pricing may vary.