Wet Conditions Wedge Test

OUR JOB IS YOUR GAME

Whether from rain, dew or juicy grass, moisture is almost inevitable during a round of golf. The ability to control your golf ball during the variety of situations you’ll face during the round is crucial to shooting lower scores. After 160 hours of research and more than 17,000 shots, we found the average wedge lost about 35 percent of its dry spin. The worst-performing wedges in wet conditions saw more than a 60-percent reduction.

The good news is that the best-performing wedges are almost identical under wet conditions. It’s unlikely many of you have been fitted for wedges in wet conditions but you might want to start thinking about it after reading these results.

Our wedge testing revealed some significant changes in spin rates and launch angles when moisture is introduced. Here are your comprehensive head-to-head wet/dry wedge test results.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

In order to ensure a real-life scenario, moisture was applied to both the turf and the ball for all shots in our test.

1. SPIN WILL CHANGE

The most impactful effect is that, in wet conditions, typically there will be less spin.  A fair number of wedges see minimal loss of spin with moisture present. Our outlier, the best-performing wedge, PING Glide 4.0, actually spins more in wet conditions. Mind-boggling.

Whether it is retaining or even gaining spin (PING), more spin leads to better distance control.

2. LAUNCH ANGLE WILL CHANGE

In most cases, launch angle is going to increase in wet conditions. In our testing, the poorest-performing wedges averaged a 4.64-degree increase in launch angle.

Why does this matter? Because it introduces unpredictability. Precise distance and spin control are lost when launch angle is affected. A higher trajectory can equate to uncertain yardage and inconsistent spin.

Here, once again, the confounding PING Glide 4.0 offers another unlikely result. In wet conditions, its launch angle actually decreased by 0.5 degrees.

3. SPIN RETENTION IS IMPORTANT

Trusting your yardages is key to scoring. But unless you play only when it’s warm and dry, at some point moisture is going to affect your usual yardage with your wedges. Consistent spin is vital. It will assist with distance control and how the ball will react on the green. It can make the difference between a five-foot putt and a 20-footer. Our testing demonstrated how critical spin retention is and which wedges offer effective spin retention in wet conditions.

If a wedge loses no more than 10 percent of its normal spin, it is performing effectively. In total, 11 of the 18 models tested were able to retain at least 90 percent of their optimal spin.

However, in wet conditions, you can lose up to 65 percent of spin depending on which wedge you are using. If you are losing that much spin, consistent distance control is unlikely. Furthermore, if an approach shot is not spinning, you’ll probably see your ball end up farther from the hole than you expect.

WET CONDITIONS RESULTS

The table below displays the spin differential for each wedge in wet conditions versus its dry spin number.

WET CONDITION RESULTS

	PRODUCT	SPIN RESULTS
	PING Glide 4.0 Check Price	+174 rpm
	Jucie tH Check Price	-132 rpm
	PXG 0311 Sugar Daddy II Check Price	-207 rpm
	Cleveland CBX ZipCore Check Price	-297 rpm
	TaylorMade Milled Grind 3 Check Price	-371 rpm
	Cleveland RTX Full-Face Check Price	-421 rpm
	Titleist Vokey SM9 Check Price	-504 rpm
	Proto Concept ProtoC Forged Check Price	-537 rpm
	PXG 0311 3x Forged Check Price	-560 rpm
	Edison Forged Wedge Check Price	-619 rpm
	Callaway JAWS Full Toe Raw Check Price	-635 rpm
	Honma T//World W21 Check Price	-905 rpm
	Jucie tT Check Price	-1664 rpm
	Sub 70 JB Full Groove Check Price	-1879 rpm
	Tommy Armour 845 CB Check Price	-1934 rpm
	New Level SPN Forged Check Price	-2371 rpm
	ArGolf AR-F18 Check Price	-4156 rpm
	Haywood Signature Wedge Check Price	-4381 rpm

BEST WEDGES FOR WET CONDITIONS

1. PING GLIDE 4.0

For two years now, we’ve seen PING excel in wet conditions. This year, PING Glide 4.0 wedge is without a doubt the best wedge for wet conditions. During testing, Glide 4.0 produces more spin in wet conditions versus normal conditions. This is borderline unbelievable. However, it is a phenomenon that PING confirms is true. Although the Glide 4.0’s overall performance isn’t near the top of our ranking, it is unique in this scenario.

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2. JUCIE tH

A newcomer this year, the Jucie tH performs exceptionally in wet situations. If you’re in the market for a wedge that spins consistently under all conditions, this is worth your consideration.

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3. PXG 0311 SUGAR DADDY II

Although the price might make you hesitate, the PXG 0311 Sugar Daddy II is a model of performance consistency. Not only does it rank third for wet conditions, it ranked third overall in the 2022 Most Wanted Wedge Test. If price isn’t a factor, the Sugar Daddy II is certainly a strong option.

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4. CLEVELAND CBX ZIPCORE

Once again, Cleveland has produced a wedge with exceptional performance. The CBX ZipCore proved to be the fourth-best wedge for wet conditions.

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5. TAYLORMADE MILLED GRIND 3

The TaylorMade Milled Grind 3 (our 2022 Most Wanted Wedge) was the fifth-best wedge for wet conditions. Not only did it excel across several metrics, it also maintains spin consistency in wet conditions.

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BOTTOM LINE

At MyGolfSpy, our job is to provide independent, unbiased and objective testing so you can make more confident purchasing decisions. We hope our 2022 Most Wanted Wedge Test is an indispensable guide for the off-the-rack buyer or for anyone looking for insight before their next fitting.

We are committed to a data-driven approach with each test we conduct. Our data shows just about every wedge is negatively affected by wet conditions—something to consider when buying a new golf wedge. The wedges that perform well in wet conditions have the potential to help you score better because they retain spin more effectively. Keep this in mind next time you’re in the market for a new wedge.