Callaway is billing the MD3 as the most complete wedge line they’ve ever created. The new clubs will leverage three distinct grinds (S- Grind, C-Grind and the new W-Grind) and will be available with even more custom options for shafts, grips and finishes.

“This is the biggest line that we have ever come to market with,” says Callaway wedge designer Roger Cleveland. “We’ve learned a lot from the MD2 and there was one grind that we were missing - a wide sole grind that we’re obviously calling the ‘W’.”

The wide-sole or W-Grind is designed for play in softer turf conditions or for those golfers who strike the ball using a steep angle of attack. The new grind is available on both the sand and lob wedge models (54 through 60 degrees) with 12 degrees of bounce in the lofter lofts and 11 degrees on the higher lofted wedges.

“The ‘W’ is for conditions that are a little bit softer like the Northeast and for softer conditions that are wet,” says Cleveland. “[It’s] really going to be your friend and helpful to you because the width is going to add effective bounce.”

The new wide sole MD3 wedge is designed for play in softer turf conditions

The two additional grinds on the MD3 are staples of a Callaway wedge product and have been available for some time now in the Mack Daddy lineup. The S-Grind is the most versatile option. It’s playable in a variety of conditions and performs admirably for all kinds of shot types. The S-Grind is available throughout the entire wedge line including Callaway’s new 46- degree model (8 degrees of bounce).

As for the C-Grind, Cleveland says the sole has been modified slightly to be wider from front to back. It helps the leading edge sit lower to the ground so that golfers can attack the ball on firmer conditions, especially when opening the face for high-lofted shots.

“You have relief in the heel and the toe which allows you to be creative and open the face and not add too much bounce, while allowing the leading edge to still get under the ball,” says Cleveland. “ The ‘C’ is really for conditions that are a little firmer; not only turf conditions, but sand conditions as well.”

Along with the three unique grinds, the new MD3 wedges benefit from a progressive groove pattern that Cleveland has been optimizing with each major release in the Mack Daddy line. In the pre-existing wedge product, Callaway used more aggressive and narrower grooves in their higher-lofted models for increased spin for shots played closer to the green. Lower-lofted clubs such as the company’s pitching and gap wedges had higher-volume grooves that imparted less spin on the ball for better consistency on full shots.

Callaway's MD3 wedge features an optimized groove configuration for a wide range of shots

“We had a form of this groove optimization where we had the most aggressive groove allowed for our lob wedges,” says Cleveland about the older Mack Daddy 2 wedges. “And that’s what you want - you want as aggressive a groove as possible to wick out as much material when you short side yourself and get into rough around the green.”

“But that type of groove is not ideal as you go down in loft through your sand wedge and gap wedge,” he continues. “What we did with the MD3 line is we progressively opened up the sidewall of the groove. So your flow of spin really matches up well all the way through your set up to the point where you need the most spin.”

To clarify the point Cleveland is making, the new wedges have three new groove breakpoints to add an even more balanced transition from the pitching wedge to the lob wedge. The 30V grooves in the pitching and gap wedges are built for shots that require a steep angle into the ball. The sand wedge uses the 20V grooves for a combination of full shots, chips and bunker shots, while the 5V grooves Cleveland described as the most aggressive groove possible under the USGA limit is reserved for the lob wedge where you need maximum spin coming out of green-side rough.

While the modifications to the grooves and sole grinds naturally deserve the biggest headlines, the redesigned shape on the new wedge is also worth noting. It was only a few months ago that Callaway made their speciality wedge, the Mack Daddy PM Grind, widely available for purchase. The special collaboration between Callaway staffer Phil Mickelson and Cleveland featured an enlarged toe with grooves that extended all the way through the face of the club. To accommodate the high toe and wide sole, Callaway engineers introduced weight ports into the back of the club to save weight. The PM Grind allowed tour players and recreational players alike to execute even the most difficult short-game shots with relative ease.

The MD3 incorporates some of the engineering concepts introduced in the PM Grind. The new wedge is designed with a semi- straight leading edge and a high toe profile, which while not as pronounced as the PM Grind, is slightly larger than the MD2. And like the speciality wedge Mickelson helped design, the MD3 uses those same weight ports in the back giving Callaway the freedom to reposition weight as needed to create a better balanced wedge.

The MD3 milled wedge will be available for purchase in store and online starting on September 4th. It will come in eight lofts from 46 to 60 degrees and retail for an MSRP of $129.99. Given the expanded selection of grinds, bounce and loft options available along with the improved groove optimization, golfers will have no problem selecting a set of wedges that are ideally suited for any style of play.