Gear: Wilson Staff Model ZM wedges
Price: $149.99 each with True Temper Dynamic Gold Spinner stock shaft and a Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips
Specs: Forged 8620 carbon steel with face-roughening treatment. Even lofts from 50 degrees to 60 degrees, with 46, 48 and 64-degree versions available through custom order.
Available: April 2 (pre-order March 19)
Who it’s For: Golfers who love the look and feel of a traditional wedge with enhanced spin generation.
The Skinny: Wilson has made the grooves in the Staff Model ZM wedges sharper to complement the soft, forged feel while also adding a high-toe option.
The Deep Dive: For several seasons, Wilson offered a wide variety of clubs made to appeal to a broad audience, like the D Series and the Dynapower woods and irons. However, in recent years, the Chicago-based brand has turned out some of the most admired clubs for accomplished golfers and low-handicap players, like the recently released Staff Model Blade and Staff Model CB irons and Staff Model putters. These clubs are not for everyone, but they demonstrate that Wilson knows what elite golfers want to see, hear and feel on the course, and with the release of the new Staff Model ZM wedges, Wilson is continuing that trend of offering aspiring club champions and good ballstrikers short game tools that look and feel like they belong on tour.
Forged from 8620 carbon steel for a soft feel at impact, the Staff Model ZM wedges have a straighter leading edge and gentle heel relief so golfers can open the face and get the leading edge under the ball when chipping and pitching from a tight lie.
Wilson designers kept the center of gravity (CG) location relatively low in the gap wedges (50 and 52 degrees) by leaving the area behind the topline thin, but extra mass was added in that area in the sand wedges (54 and 56 degrees) to lift the CG, and even more, mass has been added in the lob wedges (58 and 60 degrees). This progressive CG location helps golfers flight their approach shots lower for more control.
The addition of a new face milling and surface-roughening treatment helps the grooves grab the cover of your golf ball more effectively and keep it on the face longer, which should result in increased spin, especially in wet conditions.
The standard Staff Model ZM wedges have a very traditional look and are available in lofts from 50 to 60 degrees, with 46 and 48-degree clubs available through custom order. Wilson is also offering a high-toe version in 56 and 60-degree options, with a 64-degree club available through custom order. The high-toe model gives players extra hitting area when they open the face on shots around the green.
