In many ways, the new TaylorMade Hi-Toe 4 wedges released today are typical of the overall high-toe wedge genre.
There’s very little middle ground in the high-toe wedge category. You either like the look or you don’t. You either find the large face confidence-inspiring or you don’t. What can’t be argued, however, is that high-toe wedges are, at least in the higher lofts, the most versatile wedges you can game.
You want to open it up and play all kinds of creative shots around the green? High-toe gives you options. You want wide soles and unique grinds? You got it. Do you want to really open it and be a flop shot wizard? High-toe has you covered.
If nothing else, the high-toe genre is a fascinating study in club design and job-specific utility. Let’s dive deeper into the new TaylorMade Hi-Toe wedges and see if they deserve a spot in your bag.
Do you need a high-toe wedge?
High-toe wedges are like multiple-sole grinds. If you want to be taken seriously in the wedge game, you must offer both. Unless, of course, your name is Vokey. If your name is Vokey, you can do as you damn well please.
Putting the old PING Eye 2 wedge aside for the moment, Callaway started the whole high-toe thing in 2015 with the Mack Daddy PM Grind, the progeny of Phil’s Franken-Wedge. Then, as now, the two main pillars of high-toe wedgery are a higher center of gravity and a large, confidence-inspiring face.
When talking about irons, particularly player’s distance and game-improvement irons, we talk about low center of gravity. The idea is to help golfers launch the ball higher and with less spin. That’s the recipe for distance. With wedges, however, we want the opposite: lower launch and higher spin.
“The higher center of gravity helps you drive trajectory and launch angle down while still getting a high spin rate,” TaylorMade Product Creation Director Matt Bovee tells MyGolfSpy. “That’s how you become a consistent wedge player.”
OEMs strive to move the CG higher with every new, normal-toe wedge release. High-toe wedges simply give designers more real estate to get the CG even higher.
That extra real estate also makes room for full-face grooves. The next time you open up the face and hit a flop shot, check where the impact happens. Chances are it’s high and well towards the toe. That’s just the geometry of the shot. The idea behind full-face grooves is if you’re going to hit it out there, there might as well be grooves out there, too.
TaylorMade Hi-Toe 4 wedges: What’s new?
TaylorMade’s MG (Milled Grind) 4 was crowned MyGolfSpy’s Best Wedge for 2023. It was an unprecedented third win in a row for TaylorMade’s MG franchise. Lost to history, however, is the fact that TaylorMade’s Hi-Toe 3 finished third overall. It placed high for consistency and accuracy but middle of the pack for overall spin and spin retention when wet. To improve that performance, TaylorMade is adding what it calls Spin Tread Technology to Hi-Toe 4.
As with previous models, the face of Hi-Toe 4 is raw. The lack of plating tends to have a positive impact on spin. (Rust doesn’t. Let’s not start that again.) Spin Tread Technology is an additional laser milling on the face designed to channel away more moisture to help retain spin.
High CG is the other element of spin. In its earliest editions, TaylorMade moved the CG up largely by milling out large cavities low. While effective, the look was, shall we say, polarizing. We could also say silly, distracting or unusual. For this iteration, TaylorMade has softened the look and minimized the cavities. There’s one smallish cavity on the toe side of the sole, which moves the CG more toward the center, and then a more pronounced toe pad to bring the CG up. When combined with HI-Toe’s signature copper finish, it has a much cleaner look and still moves the CG high.
As with the previous generation, the new TaylorMade Hi-Toe 4 wedges will come in 50- through 60-degree lofts, in two-degree increments. The higher-lofted models (54 through 56) will feature full-face grooves, as those are the models most golfers are more likely to manipulate. The 50- and 52-degree models, used for full, straight-on shots, will feature standard score lines.
A new grind story
Wide soles are part of the high-toe playbook, and TaylorMade is going all in with five distinct sole grinds for Hi-Toe 4.
“We know the benefits of a slightly wider sole for higher handicap players,” says TaylorMade’s Chief Wedge Designer Greg Cesario. “There are plenty of Tour players who use wider sole wedges now, too.”
Cesario’s sole grinds all carry an “all-terrain” theme. First is the ATS, or All Terrain Standard, and is available on the entire line. It’s the grind you get when you don’t know what grind to get. It’s suitable for all swing types and turf conditions.
ATV is All Terrain Versatility. It’s for golfers with a shallow angle of attack on tight lies and firm turf. The asymmetric bounce and concave sole increases bounce when you open the face. It’s available in the 56-, 58- and 60-degree models.
ATX, or All Terrain XTRA, is an entirely new grind. It mid-bounce with a sort of triple sole. The leading edge prevents digging, the midsole ensures stability and aggressive trailing-edge relief cuts through the turf. TaylorMade says ATX is good for all conditions and works best with steep swingers. It’s available in the 56- through 60-degree models.
All Terrain C (ATC) is the lowest bounce and is your classic C-grind. It’s available in only the 58- and 60-degree lofts. The aggressive heel-and-toe relief makes it a good choice for firm conditions and golfers with a shallow angle of attack.
Finally, there’s the ATW or All Terrain Wide. It’s the widest and most forgiving sole in the lineup. The high effective bounce keeps the leading edge from digging. It’s designed for steep swingers, soft, wet conditions and sand shots. It’s available in the 56- through 60-degree lofts.
How do you pick the right grind?
The short answer is fitting. The long answer is also fitting.
“There’s an art to wedge fitting,” says Cesario. “Sometimes a wedge grind just speaks to a player as he’s interacting with the ground. The problem is you can’t put that into an algorithm.”
While angle of attack is important and is a big part of any online fitting system, there is more to it than just that.
“Not too many people talk about the exit off the club out of the turf,” Cesario explains. “Take Rory. He’s always been a player that likes some extra bounce even though he’s not a super-steep player.”
The best way to find the right wedge style and grind is under the watchful eye of a skilled fitter, outdoors and on grass. That, however, isn’t always possible.
“Consumers can do a bit of homework before going into a store,” says Bovee. “We’re upping online tools for golfers to educate themselves on what types of wedges and grinds they should be looking for.”
TaylorMade, like other OEMs, will have plenty of in-store signage and online tools to help you along.
Does Hi-Toe fit into your bag?
TaylorMade has a surprising amount of data on the subject.
“A lot of better players will combo a Hi-Tie wedge with the MG line,” says Bovee. “They have the skill set, the hands and the technical proficiency to think about their wedges as individual tools. They may want a specific grind for their highest-lofted wedge and look to a Hi-Toe for that solution.”
Middle-of-the-pack players, the 10- to 20-handicappers, are most likely to play a full set of Hi-Toe wedges. “They’re looking for a product that gives them more confidence,” says Bovee. “The larger face does that.”
While spin matters to all players TaylorMade surveyed, the company did find the raw face mattered more to better players than to any other group.
Does a high-toe wedge belong in your bag? That’s going to depend on what you’re after. For better players, having one as your highest-lofted wedge is most common. As mentioned, it’s a specific tool for a specific job. As handicap goes up, the decision depends on your confidence level on certain types of shots. You can argue that, on full shots, the high toe benefit is minimal. If, however, you like the sole width and grind and if the size and shape give you confidence, you don’t have to explain yourself to anyone.
TaylorMade Hi-Toe 4 wedges: Specs, price and availability
As mentioned, TaylorMade Hi-Toe 4 wedges are available in lofts ranging from 50 to 60 degrees in two-degree increments with five different milled sole grinds. They’re cast from 8620 carbon steel and come in the line’s signature aged copper finish.
The entire line will be available for lefties and righties, although left-handed 58-degree models in each grind will be available through custom order only. The 54-degree ATS grind for lefties will also be custom only.
True Temper’s Dynamic Golf Tour Issue 115 is the stock shaft. A black-and-copper Lamkin Crossline 360 is the stock grip.
The TaylorMade Hi-Toe 4 wedges are available for presale online and in stores starting today. They’ll retail for $179.99.
If you want a finish other than aged copper, you can customize your wedge through TaylorMade’s online My Hi-Toe 4 program. You can choose from fully raw, chrome or black finishes.
For more information, visit TaylorMadeGolf.com.
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