Equipment
New for 2020, Callaway Jaws MD5 wedges boast more bite
Say hello to the new 2020 Callaway Jaws MD5 wedges from Callaway Golf. Redesigned from the ground up to create ultimate performance on all shots, the new Jaws wedges are being marketed as the most aggressive grooves in golf.
It’s been almost 10 years since we’ve seen the Jaws name used as part of the Callaway wedge lineup, but with the introduction of the new MD5 (Mack Daddy 5) Jaws wedges and their completely rethought-out groove design, Callaway felt that if there was a time to bring it back, it’s now!
Callaway Jaws MD5 wedges: The story
The Rules of Golf have limits set on everything, but when you have a lot of smart people trying to solve problems, those limits just mean you have to get creative with design. That’s exactly what the engineers have done with the new Callaway wedge and its Jaws grooves. By changing the overall shape compared to all previous models, they have increased not just spin but total control. That’s probably the most overlooked part of the wedge equation: creating greater control and consistency. Sure, more spin is great, but if it fluctuates from shot to shot, you are in no way better off.
The new proprietary groove design of the Jaws wedge is a change to the whole shape, including a different way to get the contact radius right to the limit, and when we say right to the limit, we mean it. In fact, when initially prototyped and brought to Callaway’s manufacturing partners for scaled-up manufacturing, the initial response from the factory after test runs was “sorry, we just can’t do this.” The reason? Fail rate was close to 50 percent becoming nonconforming which is a big no-go in the world of manufacturing. Such a situation would drive cost (because of losses) through the proverbial roof, especially when you consider each wedge’s face takes 10 minutes of machine time—not including the microgrooves.
The solution for Callaway? Changing the cutting tool every 15 wedges. Sure, you could attempt to get more life out of each tool, but when you have everyone from recreational players to the world’s best putting them in play, you can’t make sacrifices.
The end result is the MD5 Jaws spins over 10 percent more on shots hit around the green compared to the Callaway MD4 and launches lower by one degree (for those wondering if one degree matters: yes it does). Lower launch might not seem like something you want with a wedge, but if you talk to any short game coach with a launch monitor, or Roger Cleveland in Callaway’s case, you will quickly realize that being able to control launch with a wedge is just as important and is it with a driver. A lower-launching wedge means the coefficient of friction is higher since the ball isn’t riding/sliding up the face—and boom, you have a greater ability to hit the better-player-preferred “low checker.”
Now beyond the grooves, Callaway and the wedge team re-evaluated the whole shape and profile of the MD5 Jaws, along with the grind options. As the trend of more players swapping their stock pitching wedges for wedges that match the lower end of the bag (up to 45-46 degrees). Callaway designers decided to reshape the lower lofted wedges from the 46-56 degrees to have a smaller profile and flow better from the lowest to highest loft in the wedge set. Don’t think this is just for looks either—smaller heads allow for more concentrated mass and with a smaller shape comes better workability. There is no sense in trying to replace your stock set pitching wedge with a less versatile option.
The other reason for this change in the MD5 Jaws wedges is that data and player testing shows the 46- 56-degree clubs are used a lot more often for full shots compared to the higher lofted wedges, which are more likely than not to be hit with a more open face. This creates the ability to flight and control the ball better with the “full swing” clubs, yet still gives more face surface area to hit when the higher lofted “around the green” clubs and opened up. It’s a “best of both worlds” design philosophy. Instead of committing to a single size and shape for the whole line—which from a manufacturing perspective is less expensive—Callaway pulled out all the stops in making the Jaws wedges better, not just newer.
With all the talk of reshaping, the last part of this puzzle are the sole grinds. From the C Grind to the W (wide) sole wedges, everything has been tweaked. One of the best examples of this tweaking is the new lower bounce W (Wide) sole wedge. Mr. Roger Cleveland himself was doing a lot of customizing for tour players to tweak the stock MD4 W Grinds to reduce bounce and width of the soles, and after seeing this trend, the most popular tweak has now become a stock option on the MD5 Jaws.
There is even additional heel relief to help those players that want to open the face up for shots around the green. The opposite could be said about the new C Grind; with more effective bounce thanks to a wider center of the sole—but more playability with aggressive heel and toe relief. What seem like small changes are really a commitment to continued improvement by the wedge team at Callaway Golf, and I think with the MD5 Jaws wedges they have a winner destined to take a BITE out of the wedge market (Give me credit for taking this long to make a shark pun).
Customs
With the new MD5 Jaws, Callaway is upping its Customs game with 10 different “zones” to choose from, including the paint fill on the sole, the hosel, new medallion options (including emojis), and the back of the club. More ways to customize your wedge than ever before!
Callaway Jaws MD5 wedges: Availability and options
Shafts
Steel: True Temper Tour Issue 115 with a blue and silver shaft band
Graphite: Project X Catalyst 80g
Grip: Lamkin UTX Blue
Price: $159.99
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Equipment
Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (4/18/24): Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made.
From the seller: (@DLong72): “Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made. ?: $1150. ?? 100% milled collectors item from the limited releases commemorating when Ping putters won every major in 1988 (88 putters made). This was the model Seve Ballesteros used to win the 1988 Open Championship. Condition is brand new, never gamed, everything is in the original packaging as it came. Putter features the iconic sound slot.
Specs/ Additional Details
-100% Milled, Aluminum/Bronze Alloy (310g)
-Original Anser Design
-PING PP58 Grip
-Putter is built to standard specs.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made
This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules
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Equipment
Inside Collin Morikawa’s recent golf ball, driver, 3-wood, and “Proto” iron changes
As you probably know by now, Collin Morikawa switched putters after the first round of The Masters, and he ultimately went on to finish T3.
The putter was far from the only change he made last week, however, and his bag is continuing to change this week at the 2024 RBC Heritage.
On the range of The Masters, Morikawa worked closely with Adrian Reitveld, TaylorMade’s Senior Manager of Tour at TaylorMade, to find the perfect driver and 3-wood setups.
Morikawa started off 2024 by switching into TaylorMade’s Qi10 Max driver, but since went back to his faithful TaylorMade SIM – yes, the original SIM from 2020. Somehow, some way, it seems Morikawa always ends up back in that driver, which he used to win the 2020 PGA Championship, and the 2021 Open Championship.
At The Masters, however, Rietveld said the duo found the driver head that allowed “zero compromise” on Morikawa’s preferred fade flight and spin. To match his preferences, they landed on a TaylorMade Qi10 LS 9-degree head, and the lie angle is a touch flatter than his former SIM.
“It’s faster than his gamer, and I think what we found is it fits his desired shot shape, with zero compromise” Rietveld told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the RBC Heritage.
Then, to replace his former SIM rocket 3-wood, Morikawa decided to switch into the TaylorMade Qi10 core model 13.5-degree rocket head, with an adjustable hosel.
“He likes the spin characteristics of that head,” Rietveld said. “Now he’s interesting because with Collin, you can turn up at a tournament, and you look at his 3-wood, and he’s changed the setting. One day there’s more loft on it, one day there’s less loft on it. He’s that type of guy. He’s not scared to use the adjustability of the club.
“And I think he felt our titanium head didn’t spin as low as his original SIM. So we did some work with the other head, just because he liked the feel of it. It was a little high launching, so we fit him into something with less loft. It’s a naughty little piece of equipment.”
In addition to the driver and fairway wood changes, Morikawa also debuted his new “MySymbol” jersey No. 5 TP5x golf ball at The Masters. Morikawa’s choice of symbols is likely tied to his love of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.
Not enough changes for you? There’s one more.
On Wednesday at the 2024 RBC Heritage, Morikawa was spotted with a new TaylorMade “Proto” 4-iron in the bag. If you recall, it’s the same model that Rory McIlroy debuted at the 2024 Valero Texas Open.
According to Morikawa, the new Proto 4-iron will replace his old P-770 hollow-bodied 4-iron.
“I used to hit my P-770 on a string, but sometimes the distance would be a little unpredictable,” Morikawa told GolfWRX.com. “This one launches a touch higher, and I feel I can predict the distance better. I know Rory replaced his P-760 with it. I’m liking it so far.”
See Morikawa’s full WITB from the 2024 RBC Heritage here.
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Equipment
Why Rory McIlroy will likely use the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper at the RBC Heritage
Although we spotted Rory McIlroy testing the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper last week during practice rounds at the Masters, he ultimately didn’t decide to use the club in competition.
It seems that will change this week at the 2024 RBC Heritage, played at the short-and-tight Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head.
When asked on Wednesday following his morning Pro-Am if he’d be using the new, nostalgic BRNR Copper this week, McIlroy said, “I think so.”
“I like it,” McIlroy told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday regarding the BRNR. “This would be a good week for it.”
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According to Adrian Rietveld, the Senior Manager of Tour at TaylorMade, the BRNR Mini Driver can help McIlroy position himself properly off the tee at the tight layout.
Here’s what Rietveld told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday:
“For someone like Rory, who’s that long at the top end of the bag, and then you put him on a course like Harbour Town, it’s tough off the tee. It’s tight into the greens, and you have to put yourself in position off the tee to have a shot into the green. It kind of reminds me of Valderrama in Spain, where you can be in the fairway and have no shot into the green.
“I’m caddying for Tommy [Fleetwood] this week, so I was walking the course last night and looking at a few things. There’s just such a small margin for error. You can be standing in the fairway at 300 yards and have a shot, but at 320 you don’t. So if you don’t hit a perfect shot, you could be stuck behind a tree. And then if you’re back at 280, it might be a really tough shot into the small greens.
“So for Rory [with the BRNR], it’s a nice course-specific golf club for him. He’s got both shots with it; he can move it right-to-left or left-to-right. And the main thing about this club has been the accuracy and the dispersion with it. I mean, it’s been amazing for Tommy.
“This was the first event Tommy used a BRNR last year, and I remember talking to him about it, and he said he couldn’t wait to play it at Augusta next year. And he just never took it out of the bag because he’s so comfortable with it, and hitting it off the deck.
“So you look at Rory, and you want to have the tools working to your advantage out here, and the driver could hand-cuff him a bit with all of the shots you’d have to manufacture.”
So, although McIlroy might not be making a permanent switch into the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper, he’s likely to switch into it this week.
His version is lofted at 13.5 degrees, and equipped with a Fujikura Ventus Black 7X shaft.
See more photos of Rory testing the BRNR Mini here
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Sean
Oct 9, 2019 at 6:14 am
Great wedges. Well worth the investment.
chadj
Sep 10, 2019 at 8:13 pm
No LH 46 degree or 64 degree, but 5 different LH options for a 60 degree. Seems fair callaway….idiots
Milo
Sep 10, 2019 at 7:07 pm
Why are wedges so damn expensive?
gwelfgulfer
Sep 11, 2019 at 9:00 am
Because people continue to pay the prices. Lemmings will always lemming.
DB
Sep 10, 2019 at 3:10 pm
They look good, forged or cast?
Greg
Sep 10, 2019 at 12:31 pm
The steel shaft offering sucks.
Travisty
Sep 10, 2019 at 9:26 am
These are actually a nice step forward from MD4 (and MD3 before that). Callaway is doing great things in their wedge department. The black finish here IMO is much better than before too.
Off-Centre ChromeSoft
Sep 10, 2019 at 8:05 am
Find it, cut it.
Bradley
Sep 10, 2019 at 7:46 am
I wonder if Callaway clubs are off like there golf balls?