When we reviewed the Callaway Mack Daddy 2 wedges we thought designer Roger Cleveland had pulled out all the stops.
So to beat that, it's no surprise that Callaway is saying the next generation Mack Daddy 3 Milled Wedges are the most complete line they've ever created, boasting a line up of grind, loft and groove combinations to match every condition, golf swing and golf shot.
The Mack Daddy 3 Milled wedges are built around a choice of three different grinds, the C-Grind for firmer turf and sand, the universal S-Grind, and for the first time the W-Grind, featuring a wider sole for softer conditions.
Callaway Mack Daddy 3 Milled W-Grind Wedge
The new W-Grind fills a gap designer Roger Cleveland felt was previously missing from their wedge offerings, a wider sole grind. This design makes it ideal for softer or wet turf and sand conditions or for players who naturally attack the ball from a steeper angle. The W-Grind will help players who fit this bill as the extra width on the sole will add effective bounce to the wedge, helping them to execute their shots.
Callaway Mack Daddy 3 Milled C-Grind Wedge
The C-Grind sits at the opposite end of the spectrum and is suitable for firmer conditions, both from turf or sand, giving the ability to play all types of shots around the greens. The Mack Daddy 3 Milled C-Grind has a slightly wider sole from front to back than in the Mack Daddy 2 and Tour Grind wedges, but Callaway has retained the relief of the heel and toe. This allows players to open the face without adding too much bounce, keeping the leading edge close to the ground to get under the ball whilst maintaining the extra loft required for the shot.
Callaway Mack Daddy 3 Milled S-Grind Wedge
The S-Grind is the most versatile, all purpose grind, fitting a wide variety of conditions and individual swing types. Cleveland says this version of the S-grind is a little wider than the S-grind found in previous generations of Mack Daddy wedges, giving the ability to play all types of wedge shots.
The loft of the Mack Daddy 3 Milled wedges sees the introduction of a 46 degree wedge for the first time, and from there models are available all the way up to 60 degrees in increments of two degrees. This, combined with the different sole grinds and bounce options, has created a greater number of solutions for players to fit to their individual short games.
The S Grind range has been updated in June 2016 with the introduction of a Gold Nickel finish to complement the existing Matte Black and Satin Chrome models.
Another feature first seen in the Mack Daddy 2 wedges was Progressive Groove Optimisation, and this has been taken to the next level in the design of the Mack Daddy 3 Milled range.
Roger Cleveland designed the Mack Daddy 3 grooves to ensure that the spin characteristics blend in seamlessly with the rest of the iron set, delivering the most spin and control as the loft increases and is needed most.
This is achieved by progressively opening up the wall angle of the groove down the set from 5 degrees in the lob wedge, to 20 in the sand wedge lofts, and finally 30 in the gap and pitching wedges. As a result the wedges help players control both the spin and trajectory of the shots that match up with the wedge they have selected for the job.
As the addition of 'Milled' to the name of the wedge suggests, the Mack Daddy 3 have been engineered with milled Mack Daddy grooves and laser micro grooving on the face of the wedge to create a further level of control. The milling pattern found on the MD3 is new for this club and has been designed to create the most effective performance within the current USGA/R&A limits on face milling.
The Mack Daddy 3 head shape, available in either Satin Chrome or a new Matte Black finish, is a result of the feedback from Tour players that Cleveland has received during his years of design and is a combination of the best of the X-Tour and Tour Grind, resulting in a wedge that looks friendly and sits comfortably behind the ball.