Equipment
Tech Talk: Callaway Mack Daddy 2 Wedges
“Nothing feels better than forged,” says Callaway wedge designer Roger Cleveland, which is why the company’s new Mack Daddy 2 wedges are forged from 1020 carbon steel.
But modern wedge design has become about much more than just the way the ball feels coming off the club face. Today’s wedges have to be able to provide golfers with the spin they need to control the ball from a variety of different lies, and their sole designs have to be adaptable to a range of golfer types and course conditions.
Callaway’s Mack Daddy 2 wedges derive their name from Callaway’s “Mack Daddy Grooves,” which were unveiled on Callaway’s X-Tour wedges in 2006 to allow golfers to put as much spin on their wedge shots as legally possible. The Mack Daddy 2 wedges carry on that tradition — Cleveland says that the new grooves are so good that they restore 85 to 90 percent of the spin golfers received from wedges created before the USGA’s 2010 groove rule, which shrunk the width and depth of the grooves that equipment manufacturers could put on their wedges.
[youtube id=”wptUpDYvg94″ width=”620″ height=”360″]
Click here to see the long-running discussion about the Mack Daddy 2 wedges in the forms.
According to Cleveland, the 56-, 58-, 60- and 64-degree wedges have grooves that are “right up to the legal limit of the USGA.” They have 5-degree sidewalls, and edge radiuses that are manufactured to extremely tight tolerances to ensure that they are conforming. But the lower-loft wedges (47-, 50-, 52- and 54-degree models) were purposely designed to create less spin than the higher-loft models. They have less aggressive 20-degree sidewalls, which Cleveland says gives the lower-lofted wedges more consistent spin rates on full swings.
The Mack Daddy 2 wedges are shaped much like the company’s “X Forged” wedges, which are still Callaway’s most popular wedge model on the PGA Tour several years after their release date. Cleveland says that many tour players held on to their X Forged wedges despite the release of new models because of their slightly larger size, which was larger than Callaway’s newer “Forged” and “Jaws” lines of wedges.
The Mack Daddy 2 wedges also aim to be more like the X Forged in the wide amount of grind options available. They’re being released in three different grinds, an S Grind, C Grind and U Grind, which are described below.
The “S Grind”
This “standard” grind has the straightest leading edge, making it a good fit for golfers who play most of their wedge shots with a square face. It also has some heel relief, and the lowest amount of bounce, 10 degrees, which means it works well in firm conditions. The S Grind is available on all of Callaway’s Mack Daddy 2 wedge models.
Translation: Try the S grind if you have a shallow angle of attack or play firm golf courses.
The “C Grind”
A “C Grind” creates a sole shape the resembles the letter C because of the ample relief on the heel and toe sections of the wedge. It also has a more curved leading edge as well, which keeps it sitting lower to the ground to make opened-face shots easier to execute. It has 14 degrees of bounce, which means it works well in soft conditions and for soft sand. The C Grind is available on the 58- and 60-degree models.
Translation: Try the C Grind if you’re a digger, a golfer who takes big divots, or play golf courses with soft terrain.
The “U Grind”
The U Grind, which is the same grind used by Phil Mickelson, has a concave sole that allows golfers the ultimate in versatility. It’s the most relieved wedge, with the roundest leading edge to help golfers like Mickelson get the club under the ball to hit high, soft shots from almost anywhere. It has 10 degrees of bounce in the square position, but like the C Grind, it’s playable when opened or closed because of its unique sole shape. The U grind is available on the 58- and 60-degree models.
Translation: Try the U Grind if you play a lot of specialty shots with your lob wedge — opened, closed, toe down, etc. Its 10 degrees of bounce and wider sole in the square position also makes it a good choice for golfers with moderate-to-steep angles of attack.
One of the most notable features of the new wedges is a lazered pattern on the face that gives the wedge a unique look at address. Cleveland says that the pattern will wear extremely fast with use, so it shouldn’t be counted on to provide extra spin.
“But it looks cool,” Cleveland says. “And it highlights our new grooves.”
The Mack Daddy 2 wedges come stock with True Temper’s Dynamic Gold S300 shafts and Lamkin Crossline grips. The will be available in two finishes, a milky chrome and a “slate,” which was buffed with a Scotch Brite to give it a raw, custom shop look.
The wedges will cost $119, and will be available in retail stores July 12.
Cameron Young’s WITB from his win at the 2025 Wyndham Championship. Cameron is a Titleist staff player but his bag is definitely filled with some unique clubs. Here are the clubs he used to secure his first PGA Tour win!
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus HB Black VeloCore+ 10 X
Irons: Titleist T200 (4), Titleist T100 (5), Titleist 631.CY Prototype (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F @57), WedgeWorks (60-K* @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom 9.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Prototype
- Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (10 degrees, C2 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Project X Denali Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 7 X
7-wood: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 8 X
Irons: Titleist T150 (4, 5), Titleist T100 (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper AMT Tour White X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F, 56-08M @57, 60-04T @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Fastback 1.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Yellow
We’re proud to once again partner with 2nd Swing Golf to bring you GolfWRX Members Choice 2025! 2nd Swing has more than 150,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.
What is the best driver in 2025? At GolfWRX, we take great pride in our online community and the cumulative knowledge and experience of our members. When it comes to the best driver of 2025, we want to know what our forum faithful think.
Since our founding in 2005, the bedrock of GolfWRX.com has been the community of passionate and knowledgeable golfers in our forums, and we put endless trust in the opinions of our GolfWRX members — the most knowledgeable community of golfers on the internet. No other group of golfers in the world tests golf clubs as frequently or as extensively, nor is armed with such in-depth information about the latest technology.
Below are the results of GolfWRX member voting for the 2025 best driver, along with the vote percentage for each club.
Best driver of 2025: The top 5
5. Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond: 6.02%
Callaway’s pitch: “For golfers looking for a fast, forgiving, yet workable driver, the Elyte Triple Diamond features a tour-inspired shape and is the preferred model by most Callaway tour players.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond here.
4. Ping G440 Max: 6.86%
Ping’s pitch: “The most forgiving G440 model, MAX has a hotter face to generate speed and distance, and a lighter overall system weight with a longer shaft (46″) for faster clubhead speed, higher launch and longer carries. The Free Hosel and Carbonfly Wrap crown save weight to create our lowest CG ever and increase forgiveness while contributing to a more muted, pleasing sound.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 Max here.
3. Ping G440 LST: 9.53%
Ping’s pitch: “LST is an especially good fit for faster swings, offering less spin and more control with a penetrating trajectory. A hotter face, lighter overall system weight and longer shaft (46″) deliver more speed and distance while maintaining tight dispersion.”
@phizzy30: “Not a fan of Ping drivers in general, but 440 LST takes the cake. It’s super forgiving across the face for a low spin head, looks and sounds good and the ability to make it play neutral or slightly fade biased through the hosel settings is very appealing.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 LST here.
2. Titleist GT3: 16.55%
Titleist’s pitch: “The GT3 Driver offers Titleist’s boldest combination of power and personalization through adjustable performance. Dial in the CG Track to your frequent contact location to make your biggest drives even bigger while taking total control over flight and shaping.”
@mrmikeac: “I’ve been Anti-Titleist for years and years and years (outside of Vokey, of course). With that being said, HOLY BEGEEZUS the GT3 driver is an absolute NUCLEAR MONSTER! This thing blew my G430 10K Max out of the water in every single category. Forgiveness is the biggest thing that stands out of me, the 3 model has always been one of the less forgiving models in the past but this GT3 can take bad shot after bad shot and still end up in the fairway, I think a ton of that has to do with the adjustability, it’s actually effective. Feel and sound is perfect, that solid crack is so addicting to hear and when you hit it out the screws this thing can absolutely bomb it. Titleist, I’m sorry for doubting you. You have converted me.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT3 here.
1. Titleist GT2: 22.91%
Titleist’s pitch: “Delivering impressive distance from any impact point, the Titleist GT2 Driver extracts maximum performance through a forgiving design. Get the stability and added confidence of a high-MOI driver without sacrificing speed.”
@DTorres: “The Titleist GT2 has proven to be the best driver of the year. Packaged in a classic profile, GT2 perfectly balances performance and forgiveness while consistently being a high performer across all categories.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT2 here.
Other drivers receiving >2% of the vote
| Driver | Vote percentage (%) |
|---|---|
| Cobra DS Adapt Max K | 4.85% |
| Ping G430 Max 10K | 3.85% |
| Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond | 3.68% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 | 3.51% |
| Callaway Elyte | 3.18% |
| Cobra DS Adapt X | 2.34% |
| Cobra DS Adapt LS | 2.17% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 LS | 2.17% |
View this post on Instagram
‘Why would anybody want to change that swing?’ – Brandel Chamblee says PGA Tour star was wrong to change his swing
‘The stupidest freaking thing I’ve ever heard’ – Billy Horschel slams Open idea suggested by Padraig Harrington
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Golfer proudly posts photo of ball mark on iron, receives immediate roasting
WITB Time Machine: Matthew Wolff’s winning WITB, 2019 3M Open
Oakmont Country Club bans Wyndham Clark over locker incident; Reveals specific conditions to earn reinstatement
Adam Scott puts Callaway blades in the bag at Wyndham Championship
Report: LIV star fires caddie and coach in shock shake up
Rickie Fowler makes equipment change to ‘something that’s a little easier on the body’
The championship formula: How 3 key stats separate winners from the field
Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
Pingback: Title Versace Square Grid
chris
Jul 3, 2013 at 10:13 pm
I like how it says the face will wear down quick. So don’t count on being able to spin the ball??!! Lol Ill stick with the mizuno’s
Gary
Jul 5, 2013 at 12:35 am
Funny how that works. Not sure why they design the face that way when it will where down very quickly anyway, same probably goes for the Cleveland and Rotex design as well as the Nike VR wedge design. Looks cool but doesn’t add to the performance much evidently anyway. Other than that I like the Mack Daddy wedges though and anticipate trying 3 of them at some point.
B
Jul 17, 2013 at 8:16 am
Wow your reading comprehension is terrible.
The article simply states that the face pattern wears down quick, and isn’t meant for spin in the first place. The grooves accomplish that on their own.
Gary Lewis
Aug 3, 2013 at 12:41 pm
Right. The face pattern will wear down fairly quickly but that isn’t a big deal. The grooves are the most important thing and they should hold up relatively quite well.
Nm
May 16, 2016 at 10:41 pm
It’s so one you test them at a course or shop they hit like monsters them slowly wear down and become regular clubs. 😉
Max2850
Jun 30, 2013 at 9:38 pm
Hi, I am confused. On the Callaway site Roger Cleveland and Randy . Peterson discuss these wedges. They stated that the C grind is made for more versatility in shot making.
The U grind is what Phil M. uses, as it stated here. It is described as having a wider sole and is for steeper swings.
That is the opposite of what is stated here.
Gary
Jul 5, 2013 at 12:37 am
That is the same message I got from the Cally website. Even though the C grind has more bounce it is still considered the most versatile of the 3 sole designs.
TigerEarl
Jun 29, 2013 at 11:25 am
Might be worth a try, as long as they feel better than the current line up. Although they are forged, and I liked the shape and versatility of the current wedges, they felt like concrete.
Hope they got it right this time, thus I can play Callaway from 4-LW 😉
Jgolf215
Jul 20, 2013 at 9:28 pm
I replaced my Vokey non conforming with 2012 forged recently and loved them. I thought they felt very soft coming from the Vokeys. But with all the hype, I’m going to have to try the MD2 in a 58, just for the new grooves. Also to have a higher bounce option.
cjb
Jun 28, 2013 at 11:57 am
BTW
According to callaway.com the C grind is available in -52 to -64 wedges.
cjb
Jun 28, 2013 at 11:47 am
Why limit the C grind to -58 and -60 wedges?
Would be better to have C grind in all high spin wedeges, I would like to have a -56 with C grind and a -52 with S grind..
Blanco
Jun 27, 2013 at 7:04 pm
Will Callaway step up behind this product and give lefties a choice in each loft? Or are we destined for a 52/56/60 standard grind? Hope its the former as these really look good to me. I hope I can buy a 60/U.
Adam
Jun 30, 2013 at 12:43 am
You can get the U and C grind in 60* for LH. Check the Cally website.