With dozens of wedges on the market, many golfers are narrowing down their options by choosing designs like the high-toe wedge. These wedges are often touted for their forgiveness, higher launch, versatility and enhanced spin control. We took an in-depth look at our 2024 wedge testing results to see how high-toe and full-face wedges compare to the competition when it comes to spin. We hope these spin results will help you draw some conclusions about whether you should try a high-toe or full-face wedge.
Claim: High-toe wedges retain spin in wet conditions (True)
Part of our 2024 testing included testing wedge spin in wet conditions. We found that high-toe and full-face wedges retained 90.02 percent of their spin when moving from dry to wet conditions on a 50-yard shot.
Spin rates changed from 6,436 rpm dry to 5,794 wet.
The high-toe style wedge will be worth considering if you struggle to maintain spin when hitting out of wet rough or playing in dewy conditions.
Claim: Spin performance is strong even on full swings (True)
The highest spin rate recorded in our testing measured on a full swing shot was 9,229 rpm. The high-toe wedges, on average, were around 8,832. The numbers put the high-toe wedges among some of the highest-performing wedges for a spin on full-swing shots.
Claim: Increased consistency in spin on shorter shots (True)
The high-toe/full-face wedges did well from the wet grass but also performed on the 50-yard dry shots. Remember, the rates for dry shots from 50 yards are 6,436 rpm for the high-toe wedges and the highest spin recorded in the test was 6,620, just a little less than 200 rpm higher.
Overall, the high-toe wedges produce predictable spin rates for partial shots which are critical for scoring.
Claim: High-toe wedges are the most forgiving (Not always true)
When we did our 2024 Best Golf Wedge test, we looked at spin rates, accuracy and consistency. The consistency we measure focuses mostly on carry distance and dispersion. For accuracy, we look at Strokes Gained.
If you need more forgiveness from your wedges, consistency and accuracy would be good performance features to look for. You’ll see accuracy is not a strong point in most of these high-toe and full-face wedges but consistency and spin were great for some.
Here’s how the high-toe and full-face wedges performed in the 2024 test.
| Wedge Model | Overall Rank | Accuracy Rank | Consistency Rank | Spin Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland RTX Full-Face 2 | 19 | 23 | 22 | 2 |
| PXG Sugar Daddy III | 8 | 12 | 8 | 8 |
| TaylorMade MG4 Hi-Toe 4 | 20 | 20 | 10 | 19 |
| Wilson Staff Model HT | 14 | 15 | 9 | 13 |
| Vice VGW01 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 25 |
Claim: Designed for specialty shots (Partially true)
While the data does not directly measure specialty shots like flop shots or open-face chips, two data points suggest the high-toe/full-face wedges are good for specialty shot control.
First, the average spin rate of 6,436 rpm for 50-yard dry shots indicates these wedges have strong stopping power. Combine that with strong spin retention (90.02 percent) in wet conditions and you could argue that the high-toe wedges are well-suited for high-spin specialty shots where control is important.
Claim: High-toe wedges are built for versatility and control (True)
When you look at the overall performance on full swings, 50-yard dry and 50-yard wet shots, the high-toe/full-face wedges offer good versatility. Here’s a recap of how they compare.
- Full Swings:
- Average Spin: 8,832 rpm
- Highest Spin: 9,229 rpm
- 50-Yard Dry Shots:
- Average Spin: 6,436 rpm
- Highest Spin: 6,620 rpm
- 50-Yard Wet Shots:
- Average Spin: 5,794 rpm
- Spin Retention: 90.02% (compared to dry conditions)
Claim: The overall design and look increase confidence (Not necessarily true)
The high-toe/full-face wedges were not always preferred by our testers in terms of look and overall design. This one really comes down to personal preference so you’ll want to see it before you buy it.
Final thoughts
When analyzing the performance of the high-toe/full-face wedges in 2024, we saw the best performances from the partial wedge shots. The high-toe could benefit you if you struggle to stop the ball on the greens from 50 yards out on a half-swing wedge shot. As we always suggest, get fitted for new golf wedges to learn what works best for your game.
The post Should You Try a High-Toe Wedge? What Our Testing Revealed appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
