Tl;dr: With the release of the MG4 wedges, it is an exciting time to look at TaylorMade if you are in the market for some new wedges. But it can be hard to know what the best wedge configuration is. Are the MG4 wedges the best option for you? Should you use the Hi-Toe 3 wedges? A combination?

TaylorMade announced the release of their new MG4 wedge lineup, which joins the Hi-Toe 3 in the current model lineup. The MG4 wedge makes some improvements over its predecessor to provide even higher and more consistent performance. This, along with the Hi-Toe 3 wedges, makes TaylorMade an ideal brand to look at if you are in the market for some new wedges.

In this article, I hope to hit everything that you need to know about the current TaylorMade wedge lineup to help you make an informed decision on the best wedges to choose. I’m a golf expert with Curated and have had the privilege of fitting hundreds of people for clubs over the years and hope to make the world of TaylorMade wedges more understandable for you.

What is a Wedge?

What a complex question. There are a lot of things that could be said to define what a wedge is, but simply put, wedges tend to be the clubs with the highest degree of loft in any golfer’s bag. They generally tend to be used on shorter approach shots and around the greens. The lofts generally range around 42-47 degrees, which would be a pitching wedge, to 58-60 degrees for a golfer’s lob wedge. Part of what makes the world of wedges so complex is that there are so many variations of grind and bounce options.

Grind is, as you may be able to deduce, the way/shape the sole of the club is ground. Each grind is designed to interact with the turf differently. Some are ideal for shots with an open face around the green, while others may play better out of the bunker. These are just two examples, but the variation in grinds can make connecting with a Curated Golf Expert and getting fit for your wedges important.

Bounce is the other aspect of wedges that can make choosing the right one more complex than grabbing one off the rack at your local sporting goods store. Bounce is the degree between the leading edge and the sole of the club. A higher bounce may provide more forgiveness if playing in soft conditions, while a lower bounce may provide more ability for creativity around the greens, but the turf interaction may be less forgiving if you aren’t precise.

With all the complexity that can come with the world of wedges, an expert in the field can help make it simple and understandable quickly for you as you consider new wedges.

What’s New With the MG4s?

TaylorMade has been using the milled grind technology in their wedges for four generations, hence the name “MG4.” The milling process allows TaylorMade to control the tolerances on the grinding of the sole to a much greater degree, making sure that every wedge that they produce with a certain grind is the same.

In addition to using a milling process to produce the grind on their wedges, TaylorMade also mills vertical lines on the sole of the club (as shown in the image above) to improve overall turf interaction.

The biggest improvement made to the MG4 wedges is what TaylorMade calls their Spin Tread technology. This refers to laser-etched channels in between the grooves of the clubface. The major benefit this provides is that it improves spin in wet conditions.

Normally, when playing in wet conditions, spin is greatly reduced because the small amount of water between the cover of the golf ball and the clubface prevents the grooves of the club from grabbing the cover at impact, which is the very thing that produces spin with irons and wedges. These small, laser-etched channels provide a place for some of that water to funnel into so that the grooves of the club face can still grab the golf ball to create spin, despite wet conditions. This makes spin rates much more consistent regardless of the conditions. The consistency of how a club performs is huge for golfers, making this an important upgrade to an already solid lineup of wedges.

Another exciting thing about the release of the MG4 wedges is that they come in four different finishes: chrome, black, raw, and a personal favorite of mine, aged copper. Aged copper wasn’t available in the MG3 wedges. If talking about finishes excites you, keep reading as I will discuss at the end of this article if finishes really matter or not.

MG4 vs. Hi-Toe 3

The main difference between the Hi-Toe wedges and the standard MG4 wedge is their shape. The Hi-Toe wedges have a larger footprint visually at address because of the higher shaping at the toe of the club. They also have a wider sole than MG4 wedges with a four-way camber to the grind that allows for shots to be played with full swings and a square face or with open-faced finesse around the greens. Beyond the shape of the wedges, there are a few other key differences between the Hi-Toe wedges and the MG4s.

The most obvious visual difference in the Hi-Toe wedges is that they feature full-faced grooves for all wedges with 54 degrees of loft or more. Seeing grooves that extend across the clubface can provide the golfer with confidence at address. It makes for more consistent spin across the entirety of the clubface, so if the golfer hits a shot off of the toe of the club, they won’t experience a huge spin dropoff like they would with a wedge that does not have full-faced grooves.

In between these full grooves, there are milled micro-ribs that create additional spin for the golfer. The difference between these and the Spin Tread in the MG4s is that these micro-ribs are not designed to divert moisture, so you will still experience a dropoff in spin in wet conditions more so than with the new MG4 wedges.

Additionally, you will find a difference in center of gravity (CG) with these wedges. The raised toe in the Hi-Toe 3 wedges raises the CG higher than what is in the MG4 wedges. A higher center of gravity means that it produces more of a flighted trajectory in comparison to what you experience with the MG4 wedges.

Both wedge options have RAW Face options, meaning that the face will naturally rust over time to maintain spin rates over the lifetime of the club. Both wedge options are also offered in various bounce options to build out a set easily. Additionally, both wedges are offered in chrome, black, and aged copper, so creating a combination set between the MG4 and Hi-Toe wedges is more consistent visually than in years past.

This is of huge benefit because many golfers may love the look of full-faced wedges around the greens, but it may not suit their eye for full shots into the green. This is the case for me, so if I were to build out a combination set of wedges for myself, I would have a 52 degree and 56 degree in the MG4 wedges and have my 60 degree as a Hi-Toe 3 for the increased performance around the greens.

Regardless of your configuration, both of these wedge options can provide a ton of benefits for all golfers. If you are a mid- to high-handicap golfer looking for new wedges, I would recommend first taking a look at the Hi-Toe wedges, as they will provide slightly more forgiveness than the MG4 wedges with their full-faced grooves and larger footprint with the higher center of gravity.

Does Finish Matter?

The age-old question: Does finish matter in wedges? In terms of actual performance, no, it doesn’t. Each of these different finish options will perform the same as the other across the range of wedges. One thing to consider with the finishes on wedges, however, is the glare from the sun. With lob wedges especially, from time to time, the sun will hit your clubface at the exact right angle to reflect it right into your eyes, which can make it challenging to hit a shot while being blinded by the light.

If this is something that you want to nearly eliminate, you may want to consider a black finish on your wedges. The matte black finish on these MG4 and Hi-Toe 3 wedges will mitigate glare much more than your standard chrome-finished wedge will. If you are not bothered by this, then you should play whatever finish gives you confidence at address. For me, if I were to put these wedges in my bag, all day long I am going to choose the aged copper MG4 wedges because I think they look absolutely stunning!

Find the Right TaylorMade Wedge for You

If you are looking to put some new wedges in the bag or are interested in chatting with an expert like me about how these wedges could improve your game, connect with me or any one of our Curated Golf Experts. You will be well on your way to getting personalized, free expert advice and recommendations quickly.