Mizuno T24 Wedges

The new Mizuno T24 wedges pull off a pretty neat trick. They represent the same answer to two completely opposite questions.

The answer to both questions is simple, yet cryptic: “Well, cowboy, the new Mizuno T24 wedges aren’t going to change your mind.” 

But the two questions are diametrically opposed. The first question asks, “Do you never think of Mizuno when it comes to wedges?”

The answer? “Well, cowboy, the new Mizuno T24 wedges aren’t going to change your mind.”

On the other end of the spectrum, the question, “Are you one of the enlightened few who has gamed – and liked – Mizuno wedges?” can be answered with the exact same sentence.

“Well, cowboy, the new Mizuno T24 wedges aren’t going to change your mind.”

So, whether you’re an enthusiastic Mizzy fanboy/fangirl or a Vokey/Callaway/Cleveland/TaylorMade wedge snob, the new Mizuno T24 wedges aren’t going to change your mind, shift your thinking or alter your opinions.

But that doesn’t mean they aren’t good sticks.

New Mizuno T24 Wedges

From 2017 to 2019, Mizuno had a pretty spirited run in MyGolfSpy’s Most Wanted wedge testing. The T7 copped the top honors in ’17 while the S18 and T20 had strong second-place finishes in ’18 and ’19. Since then, Mizuno has only entered the T22 two years ago and it finished a respectable seventh overall. It finished third for spin that year and, in wet testing, it was one of only a handful of wedges that maintained at least 85 percent of its dry spin.

Not a stellar performer but it was no doorknob, either.

So for the new T24 wedge, Mizuno’s challenge is pretty straightforward: keep the good stuff, improve the iffy stuff and eliminate the bad stuff. We said it’s straightforward. We didn’t say it was easy.

To improve both dry and wet spin performance, the new Mizuno T24 wedges feature updated loft-specific grooves. You’ll also see a more compact head shape with a thinner topline and greater versatility in the line as you transition from lower-lofted to higher-lofted models.

And the new shaping has the added benefit of shifting some mass slightly higher on the toe to help with vertical MOI, bring down the launch angle and improve spin.

And, as you’d expect, the new Mizuno T24 wedges are grain-flow HD-forged from 1025 stainless with a boron kicker. The HD stands for High Density which basically means there’s more material density right behind the hitting area for the kind of feel you expect from Mizuno.

Lines and Shapes

There’s only so much reshaping you can do with a classic player’s-type wedge. No matter what, it still has to look like a wedge. And also no matter what, there’s still going to be a clunky transition from your last set-matching iron and your first wedge.

To mitigate the clunk, Mizuno is pulling a page out of the Wedge Designer’s Handbook and going with an “improved, more compact head shape.”

First is a thinner topline (because who, pray tell, doesn’t want some thinner topline?) and less meat on the upper toe area. Mizuno also trimmed material from the transition from topline to hosel.

Where did those trimmings go? Much of it is higher on the blade for what Mizuno is calling Spin Weighted Blade Design. That top-heavy mass raises the CG ever so slightly which brings down the launch angle a touch and boosts spin a tad.

The wedge-to-wedge transition is also getting some refinement. The 46- through 52-degree wedges feature straighter lines. Mizuno says they’ll visually flow more seamlessly from your, presumably, Mizuno iron set.

The 54- and 56-degree wedges feature more of a traditional teardrop shape so you’ll feel comfortable using them on both partial and full shots. And the higher-lofted 58- and 60-degree wedges are full teardrop. When combined with Mizuno’s grind options, the idea is to give you full versatility around the green.

Mizuno wedges have traditionally had a somewhat busy look to them with loft and bounce prominently displayed on a badge on the back of the blade. The new T24s look a good bit less busy with the loft and bounce engraved more traditionally, and less conspicuously, on the toe.

A Groovy Kind of Love

Wedges are all about spin. And, to be taken seriously in the wedge game, an OEM has to have a groove story. The Mizuno T24 wedges feature newly optimized loft-specific grooves. The lower-lofted wedges have 17 grooves on the face which are narrower at the top and the bottom and slightly deeper – all the better to spin you with on full shots, my dear.

The 58- through 60-degree wedges are optimized for partial swing performance. The grooves are wider at the top and bottom to better move moisture and debris out of the way. They’re also slightly shallower and are wider apart with only 15 grooves.

Both grooves have been redesigned to have a more conical shoulder shape and an increased side taper. Mizuno says that effectively makes them a bit sharper while still staying within USGA rules and regs.

And OEMs also need a wet-performance story in order to be taken seriously in the wedge game. Mizuno’s wet performance has been solid ever since it introduced Hydroflow Micro Grooves in the T20 back in 2019. Hydroflow Micro Grooves are Mizuno’s take on an additional laser-milling pattern on the face to channel away even more moisture when it’s wet.

Mizuno is going loft-specific here, as well. For the 46- through 52-degree wedges, the milling has a more vertical pattern since those wedges are used typically for straight-on full shots. The milling is slightly tilted by about 10 degrees on the higher-lofted wedges. The idea is to have the Hydroflow  Micro Grooves at more of an angle to work better with a glancing blow from an open club face – anything to squeeze out a few more rpm in moist conditions.

Playin’ Those Grind Games

Another requirement in the “Let’s Be Taken Seriously In The Wedge Business” game is a grind story. Bland grinds equal bland sales. Grind options don’t necessarily mean you’ll sell a lot of wedges. Grind options are like jacks or better to open. You have to have them to play the game.

The Mizuno T24 wedges have the four requisite sole grinds but the line is adding an interesting fifth one. The 46- through 52-degree models feature the S-Grind with a straight bevel across the trailing edge and moderate heel relief for full shots. The D-Grind is a mid-bounce sole with moderate relief on the heel and toe which Mizuno says provides good versatility. It’s available in the 54-through 58-degree models.

The C-Grind is a higher-bounce version of the D-Grind with more aggressive heel, toe and trailing-edge relief. As such, Mizuno says it provides more versatility than the D- or the S-grinds. It’s available in the 56- through 60-degree models.

Mizuno’s X-Grind is the lowest bounce of the bunch with extreme (hence the “X” label) heel, toe and trailing-edge relief. It offers maximum versatility around the green and is available only in the 58- and 60-degree versions.

New to the party is what Mizuno is calling its V-Grind available in the 56-, 58- and 60-degree models. As the name suggests, it features very aggressive trailing-edge relief to create a V-shaped sole. This type of grind tends to have a higher bounce than the C-Grind while maintaining a high degree of greenside versatility.

Mizuno T24 Wedges: Final Thoughts, Price and Availability

As we mentioned at the top, if you’re a Mizuno wedge fan, there’s nothing about this new offering that’s going to change your mind. You still have the dead-sexy Denim Copper finish as well as the Raw finish. And Mizuno has updated its Soft White Satin finish to cut glare. Add to that a thinner topline, a more compact look and tilted Hydroflow Micro Grooves and you have a winner.

But if you’ve been largely indifferent to Mizuno wedges, there’s also nothing here to change your mind. I’m willing to bet all of Warren Buffett’s money, all of Jimmy Buffet’s money and most of Tony Covey’s money that the T24 will be a solid, potentially top-five performer in next year’s MyGolfSpy wedge testing. But even if it takes top honors, cracking the Vokey-Callaway-Cleveland market stranglehold is tough. Even with a wedge as strong as the MG3, TaylorMade still sits at maybe a 14-percent wedge market share.

It’s a tough business. And big brands spend a lot of money to make it even tougher.

Be that as it may, the Mizuno T24 wedges will come at a premium, priced at $180 each. The Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 is the stock men’s shaft while the Recoil ESX 460 F1 is the stock shaft for the women’s model. The black/gray Golf Pride MCC is the stock grip.

All three finishes and all lofts will be available in right-handed models. Lefties can have any finish or loft they want as long as it’s the Soft White Satin finish and between 50 and 60 degrees.

They’ll be available at retail and online starting Sept. 14.

For more information, visit the Mizuno website.

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