Wilson Staff Model ZM Wedges

The new Wilson Staff Model ZM wedges are something we haven’t seen from Wilson Staff in a long time: wedges that come with an actual wedge story.

For the company that’s credited with inventing the modern sand wedge, that’s kind of astounding.

Seriously, for the last decade and a half, Wilson has produced serviceable, decent-enough, non-descript wedges. Functional, but not cutting-edge. It was almost like, “Oh, yeah, we have wedges, too.”

But friends, the past is just that: the past. It’s there but the only bearing it has on the here and now is between our ears. And, for the first time in at least that last decade and a half, Wilson has wedges that check off the “story” boxes.

A groove/face milling/face blast/wet-dry spin story? Check.

A bounce story? Check.

A grind story?

Well …

Not so much. But as Meatloaf once told us, two out of three ain’t bad.

Wilson Staff Model ZM Wedges

“This is a ground-up revamp for us,” says Harry Nodwell, Wilson’s Pro Performance Equipment Manager. “We’ve completely scrapped our old wedges. This new line is saying you have to take us seriously in the wedge business.”

The “ZM” in the Wilson Staff Model ZM wedges nomenclature stands for Zip Manufactured, the proprietary process used to mill the grooves into the clubface. Since Cleveland already owns all things Zip in the golf space, Wilson is left with initials.

“The grooves are milled deeper than our previous wedges,” says Nodwell. “They’re milled in a way that allows the ball to sit in the grooves a little bit more and a little bit longer, but still within the USGA limits.”

The new Wilson Staff Model ZM wedges feature a new face milling as well as what the company is calling a “high-tech garnet face blast.” It’s pretty much what it sounds like – little beads of material blasted onto the face after milling to provide extra texture. The goal is to not only maximize spin in normal conditions but also to minimize spin loss in wet conditions.

“In our testing, we lose only about 18 to 20 percent of our spin going from dry to wet,” Nodwell tells MyGolfSpy. “Our previous models would lose about 50 percent. It’s one of the main reasons we struggled to get our Tour players into a 58- or 60-degree wedge. It’s a lot easier now. They saw the results instantly.”

Wilson Tour players Kevin Streelman, Brendan Steele and Kevin Kisner (when he’s not in the booth) have the new Staff Model ZM wedges in their bags. And Padraig Harrington gamed them last November when he won the TimberTech Championship on the PGA Tour Champions.

Forgings, Bounces and Grinds

The new Wilson Staff Model ZM wedges are, like the new Staff Model CBs and blades, forged from 8620 carbon steel. Wilson has used this process for years. Instead of being hammer-forged from a single billet of steel, Wilson casts the 8620 into a rough head shape and then hammer-forges the club into its final shape. Wilson says the process is more consistent and minimizes material waste.

You probably won’t geek out over the new Staff Model wedges if you’re a sole grind geek. While there are three distinct sole grinds, Wilson instead is focusing on bounce. While Vokey seemingly has one sole grind for every letter of the alphabet, getting the right grind requires the help of a fitter. Bounce, it seems, might be a simpler story to tell.

“We have three different sole grinds,” says Nodwell. “But we want to talk with consumers about bounce, how to use that bounce and what to look for when it comes to bounce.”

The standard Staff Model ZM wedges feature bounce options ranging from six to 12 degrees, while the HT (High Toe) models feature 10 degrees of bounce.

“The six-degree ZM 60 is a really versatile wedge,” adds Nodwell. “It sits low to the ground and the leading edge doesn’t rise up when you open the face.”

That model features noticeable heel and toe relief, while the higher-bounce models have more of a traditional sole.

“You have less heel and toe relief in those models so you can use the bounce in softer conditions or if you’re not as versatile around the greens,” Nodwell explains. “And once you get to 12 degrees, well, bounce is your friend.”

Wilson Staff Model ZM Wedges: On The Course

A quick, non-scientific launch monitor test comparing a new Wilson Staff Model ZM 54-degree to a nearly new Vokey SM9 54-degree showed the Vokey with maybe 400 to 500 rpm more spin on a full shot. On the course, however, we found the Wilson 50- and 54-degree standard models and especially the 60-degree HT model were more than adequate.

I don’t usually carry a 60-degree wedge (a man has to know his limitations) but I did find the 60-degree HT particularly versatile and easy to use around the green. I’ve always found high-toe/full-face wedges of marginal use on full shots but it was quite effective on partial shots and tricky chips around the green. The added heel and toe relief made it easy to open the face when needed.

It was a fairly moist day but the grooves did retain spin nicely with several surprising hop ‘n’ stop shots.

The lower-lofted models performed as needed on full shots. The new Staff Model ZM wedges feature a straighter leading edge than the previous models, as well as a graduated center of gravity. The CG shifts progressively higher as lofts get higher to improve trajectory control.

Final Thoughts

Wilson has released an impressive array of golf equipment so far this year. The new Staff Model CBs and blades are nothing if not attention-getters while the new Dynapower Forged is the next man up in Wilson’s high-performing player’s distance category. The new Staff Model balls look promising and even the new “naked” shield is starting to grow on me.

And the new Wilson Fit AI fitting system is starting to make its way out into the market.

If it looks to you like Wilson is getting a bit more serious about golf, you’re not mistaken. Wilson’s ownership views golf as a growth opportunity for the company, particularly in Asia. Meanwhile, Wilson’s relatively tiny market share in North America can be looked at one of two ways. A cynic might say the brand is an afterthought and, since its market share is so small, it’s hardly worth the bother.

Someone slightly less cynical, however, might take a different approach. A small market is an opportunity to grab a nibble here and a nibble there out of someone else’s apple while also appealing to new golfers who don’t have any golf brand loyalty yet. They may not know Wilson Golf but they might know Wilson tennis, football, basketball or pretty much another other sport.

In January, Wilson’s parent company, Amer Sports, introduced an IPO offering, raising nearly $1.4 billion in a matter of days. In addition to Wilson, Amer owns baseball and softball bat companies Louisville Slugger and DeMarini, ski equipment companies Salomon, Atomic and Armada, Arc’Teryx and Peak Performance outdoor apparel and ENVE high-performance cycling gear.

Wilson Staff Model ZM Wedges: Specs, Price, Availability

The standard Wilson Staff Model ZM wedges will be available in 50- to 60-degree models in two-degree increments. Wilson is also offering a 46-degree and 48-degree model that’s available only through the company’s custom order department. The 52-, 56- and 60-degree models will be available for lefties.

The Staff Model ZM HT (High Toe) wedges with full-face grooves are available in 56- and 60-degree models. A 64-degree model is available through custom order. The HT is available for righties only.

The True Temper Dynamic Gold Spinner is the stock shaft and the Golf Pride Tour Velvet is the stock grip.

If you want an attention-getter, here’s one: the new Wilson Staff Model ZM wedges will retail for $149.99. While not as low as some direct-to-consumer brands, it’s noticeably lower than PING, Vokey, Callaway, TaylorMade or Cleveland. Wilson is clearly – and intentionally – getting aggressive with its premium equipment pricing.

And perhaps not coincidently, the new Staff Model ZM wedges are available for presale starting today on Wilson.com. They won’t hit retail until April 2.

For more information, visit the Wilson Golf website.