Callaway Mack Daddy CB Wedge

The Callaway Mack Daddy CB wedge offers a perimeter-weighted cavity-back design. That alone differentiates it from the majority of specialty wedges on the market today.

If you play game-improvement irons and have never felt comfortable with blade-style wedges or you’ve gotten wise to the fact that your set-matching A, G, S or L wedges don’t spin worth a damn, you’re exactly who Callaway is hoping to reach with its new wedges.

Contradictions in the Wedge Market

You may have never considered this but the wedge space is rife with contradictions. They’re mostly of the industry’s own making. The topic has been covered before by Cleveland and Mizuno but the conversation is relevant again with Callaway entering the fray.

It’s indisputable that the majority of golfers plays game-improvement or super game-improvement irons. Equally true is that the overwhelming majority of wedges sold are blade designs like Vokey and Mack Daddy JAWS.

It’s at least possible that the contradiction between the most popular irons and the most popular wedges can be traced to a lack of options.

Game-improvement players who aren’t comfortable with blade wedges often choose set-matching wedges.

Game-improvement players who want greater versatility and more spin around the green will typically choose a blade wedge.

The reputable options for game-improvement players who want the best of both worlds can be counted on one hand.

Shouldn’t there be more?

Mack Daddy CB DNA

Callaway thinks so. That’s why it took a bit of JAWS MD5, some PM Grind and, I suppose, a less off-putting touch of Sure Out, and made the Mack Daddy CB wedge.

You get soles designed to work for the specific need of the target golfer and full-face JAWS grooves that are capable of generating real spin around the green – even when you miss the middle of the face by more than a little.

By the numbers, the Mack Daddy CB is only four percent larger than JAWS MD5. There’s size, and then there’s shape. The point is the CB looks big enough to differentiate itself from a blade but not so big as to look ridiculous.

Before anyone says it, this type of wedge isn’t new and it’s definitely not unique to Callaway. We covered similar offerings in our discussion on set-matching pitching wedges. Cleveland is two generations deep with its CBX line and Mizuno, with the S-series, has dabbled in this space as well.

That said, just because someone else has, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. COVID’s golf boom has created a flood of new and returning golfers. A higher-handicap demographic looking for more forgiveness in the short game is the ideal audience for the Mack Daddy CB. And, not for nuthin’, the big specialty wedge category presents an opportunity for Callaway to play in a sandbox where market leader, Vokey, doesn’t.

Mack Daddy CB Wedge – Two Grinds

One of the stated goals of Mack Daddy CB offering is to take the guesswork out of your short game. That includes finding the right grind. And while I’m tempted to rephrase that as limiting your options, the argument is that the target player isn’t necessarily using his pitching and gap wedges around the green. He’s probably not manipulating the face of his higher-lofted wedges either. Callaway’s thinking is the Mack Daddy CB golfer isn’t looking to do anything much fancier than getting the ball on the green.

So, with that in mind, pitching and gap wedge lofts feature a full sole design. It’s intended to work in much the same way as the sole on your irons. You get plenty of forgiveness from the cavity-back design without giving up forgiveness in the way the sole interacts with the turf. The performance benefit should prove to be more spin and greater stopping power on full shots into greens.

Sand and lob wedge lofts offer a modified version of Callaway’s W grind. It’s not open it up and flop it versatile but it’s designed to give you a bit more versatility around the green. That’s especially true for golfers who struggle to escape bunkers.

It’s not about style points; it’s about getting up and down more often.

With that in mind, eight bounce/grind combinations seem reasonable. The lineup isn’t nearly as robust as the mainstream JAWS MD5 but it covers 46 to 60 degrees in two-degree increments.

Mack Daddy CB Wedge – Stock Shafts and Grips

The stock steel shaft in the Callaway Mack Daddy CB is the KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 105. It’s quite a bit lighter than the typical wedge shaft. That speaks to the reality that the target player is likely playing something in the 85- to 105-gram steel range. It’s one thing to play a heavier shaft in your wedges; it’s another to play one that is, by comparison, obnoxiously heavy.

The graphite option is the KBS Hi-Rev G. It’s an 80-gram option that should pair well with lighter-weight graphite iron shafts.

A 60-gram version is available for women. The stock women’s build is one inch shorter.

The stock grip is the Golf Pride SG-1. The 1 indicates the grip is one-inch longer than standard, giving you the option of choking down a bit.

The women’s grip is the Lamkin Sonar Women.

Pricing and Availability

The retail price for the Callaway Mack Daddy CB is $129.99. Availability begins Sept. 24.

For more information, visit Callawaygolf.com.