Equipment
TaylorMade Tour Preferred EF wedges
TaylorMade’s Tour Preferred EF wedges use chemistry to offer golfers longer-lasting, higher-spinning grooves.
Instead of milling or casting the grooves, like most wedges on the market, TaylorMade uses a chemical process called electroforming — thus the “EF” — to make a face insert with grooves that are consistently sharper and more durable than their predecessors.
The science is complicated, so I’ll do my best to simplify it.
Nickel and cobalt materials go through an ionization process in an electrolytic solution, then ions get plated onto a master model. The “master” is a mold that forms the grooves and micro-milling of the face insert. When the nickel cobalt solution lifts off the master, what’s left is a sheet of material that has taken the shape of the mold.
Think of a loose leaf piece of paper, but the lines are grooves.
The material is 0.25 millimeters thick — about the size of a piece of paper. Face inserts are then laser-cut from the sheet, and adhered to the 1025 carbon steel body.
[quote_box_center]”The insert material feels like a credit card,” says Clay Long, TaylorMade’s Director of Product Creation for TaylorMade Putters and Wedges. “You can bend it with your fingers.”[/quote_box_center]
The electroformed nickel cobalt insert is about 50 times harder than carbon steel, but according to Long, the increased hardness doesn’t mean a harder feel than the TaylorMade’s previous wedge models.
[quote_box_center]”The feel of the face when hitting a shot is no different than carbon steel,” he says. [/quote_box_center]
Since the insert is made from a master mold, each of the grooves are consistently sharp and won’t dull as fast as milled or cast grooves. The dark PVD finish will show signs of wear, but the grooves will last “for what seems like forever,” Long says.
While PGA Tour players like Dustin Johnson and Sergio Garcia don’t have a problem getting their hands on fresh new wedges whenever they want, both players have put the new wedges in the bag. Johnson won the Northern Trust Open with three Tour Preferred EF wedges (52, 56 and 60 degrees).
The shapes and sole grinds of the EF wedges are consistent with the original Tour Preferred models. They’re offered in two sole grinds, “Tour” and “ATV,” although the ATV grind has a slightly more narrow sole than the original. Also, a few more loft and bounce combinations have been added.
Tour Grind
The Tour Grind will be available in eight lofts (47, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60 and 62 degrees) with bounce options ranging from 8 to 15 degrees.
ATV Grind
The ATV grind will be available in five lofts (52, 54, 56, 58 and 60 degrees).
The Tour Preferred EF wedges ($159) come stock with KBS Shafts, and will hit stores on April 10.
For more information, click on the spec sheet below.
See what GolfWRX members are saying about the wedges in the forums.
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% |
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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...
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Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
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Nevin
May 24, 2015 at 7:39 pm
I played with two friends who have these in their bags now. Both are extremely happy with them and they are clearly spinning it more with these grooves. I think I’ll keep my SCOR’s for now but the do look and feel great.
Desmond
Apr 19, 2015 at 4:13 am
The insert gives it an odd look at address. The grooves should extend more outwards towards the toe so you actually hit a groove when opening the club face. TM can’t hit a home run with wedges… they are always fishing.
Gary
Apr 10, 2015 at 1:26 pm
I am very much into the Cally Mack Daddy 2 wedges and also like the Vokey SM5 very much. If the spin on these wedges is pretty good and the grooves are indeed long lasting, would have to say they would be very much worth a try. Hopefully the feel would be pretty decent too.
MRC
Apr 8, 2015 at 11:22 pm
Sticking w my Mizuno wedges….their forged.
Ken N
Apr 8, 2015 at 6:39 pm
While I like the overall look of the wedge on the back, I can’t help but look at the insert on the face and think “plastic insert.” Maybe it’s because there’s a tiny space between the bottom edge of the face and the insert, but the thing just doesn’t look clean to me. I suppose I expected better execution from TaylorMade. But if it’s good enough for DJ, shouldn’t it be good enough for us (a)’s? I just wonder, if he wasn’t bound to contractual obligations, which wedges would he choose from Titleist, Cleveland, Ping, etc?
Tom Duckworth
Apr 7, 2015 at 4:26 pm
Really like the finish. It sounds like a good idea I’m not a TM guy but not a hater. I would give them a honest try. I like the ATV grind on a 58 or 60.
Tom Stickney
Apr 7, 2015 at 1:05 am
Have them in my bag…flatter trajectory as well.
Jason
Apr 7, 2015 at 11:26 pm
I wouldn’t think most of us average golfers would need a flatter trajectory, especially with a wedge. Is that a good thing in your case?
Dan
Apr 6, 2015 at 9:29 pm
Not that it has anything to do with the wedges, but DJ lost the Northern Trust Open in a playoff to James Hahn.
Jeffrey Trigger
Apr 7, 2015 at 12:56 am
So, you’re saying he has a second place, to go with his first place, and his sixth place, and his top ten world ranking…
Gary
Jun 8, 2015 at 7:11 pm
DJ played great in that tournament but the winner hit two great putts in the playoff.
Gubment Cheez
Apr 6, 2015 at 6:29 pm
These wedges are junk
Might as well be pinemeadow
R
Apr 6, 2015 at 5:20 pm
The science, rather chemistry, is far from complicated. It’s a very simple “positive is attracted to negative” process.
Matt
Apr 6, 2015 at 3:35 pm
Nothing bad to say about these, love the finish and how they seem to sit at address from the pictures. Props TM, thumbs up from me
Chuck
Apr 6, 2015 at 1:10 pm
Very nice looking wedges. Props to TM on some very thoughtful design.
I still wish I knew why TM gave up on its old replaceable-face wedge designs. I never bought one; I never even played with one! But I always admired it as a good design idea. It came and went so fast, I just never found the opportunity to try one.
sgniwder99
Apr 6, 2015 at 4:47 pm
Some of their tour guys still use them, too.
christian
Apr 7, 2015 at 4:38 am
Still? Are they an old model or?
Chuck
Apr 7, 2015 at 3:18 pm
Yeah, an old design. From about 2010-11. I seem to recall their being around for about two years or so. Cleverly built, such that you could use the standard TM hosel torque wrench to replace faces. Here’s the great Wade Liles from the TM tour van way back in 2009(!):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COPH6spfiKw
I always had a sneaking suspicion that both the introduction and the discontinuation had something to do with the 2010 groove rule. If I recall correctly, they came into the marketplace when the groove rule had been passed but had not yet gone into effect. Then there would have been the issue of whether you were using a conforming-groove wedge. Were the replacement faces marked for conformity? I don’t recall. Obviously, that is the whole idea, conforming or not; to be able to keep a wedge whose weight and shape and bounce and shaft were all perfect for you, but the grooves were worn out. So just replace the face. Still seems like a pretty cool idea to me.