FIRST LOOK: TaylorMade’s Hi-Toe 3 is a versatile shot-saving wedge
Ryan Barath/GOLF
With TaylorMade’s new Hi-Toe 3 wedges, versatility is the name of the game. With more grind and bounce options than ever before, along with spin-enhancing technologies, the equipment manufacturer has worked tirelessly to ensure you to have the right wedge for the right shot — every single time.
Since the introduction of the original Milled Grind series wedges in 2017, TaylorMade has been building one of golf’s biggest selections of short game offerings for golfers of all skill levels. The new Hi-Toe 3 series brings together the now familiar Hi-Toe shaping with more options and improved technology to complete the package.
TaylorMade Hi-Toe 3 Wedges
The looks
We have to start with the look. The head shape is one of the biggest pieces of TaylorMade’s short-game puzzle — to the point where they even influenced the club’s name. TaylorMade named the line the “Hi-Toe 3s” for the taller and sharper toe profile.
This wedge profile isn’t new to golf and TaylorMade isn’t claiming to have invented it, but they are offering more loft and bounce options in this category than any other manufacturer, which speaks to their full commitment to the design.
The Technology
Unlike professionals, less skilled players tend to miss in a larger area of the face. The larger face profile of the Hi-Toe series creates extra forgiveness, which increases spin and spin consistency, leading to better distance control.
Compared to a traditional profile wedge, Hi-Toe offerings have the same head weight, but it’s what the engineers do with that weight within the shape of the wedge that makes all the difference.
By adjusting the amount of mass removed from the area behind the sole — also known as the flange — more mass is positioned in a weight pad towards the toe area of the club head. This thick-thin design is the same principle used in the MG3 but over a larger surface area to create the best trajectory control possible. More mass behind the hitting area, even when it’s positioned higher on the face, helps transfer more energy that wound traditionally be lost on this type of face strike.
The other elements of technology brought from the MG3 wedges are the raw face and raised micro-ribs between each groove, which help increase friction and maintain spin on partial and lower speed shots.
I would like to note that raw and or rusted faces don’t increase spin on their own, instead by remaining unplated, engineers can push manufacturing tolerances to the limit since they don’t have to account for the extra plating layer. As a side benefit, the raw face reduces glare so you don’t get a face full of sunlight when hitting an open-faced shot on a sunny day.
Last but not least, each and every Hi-Toe 3 wedge sole is CNC milled to ensure the grind geometry is consistent club after club.
Options, specs, and pricing
The new TaylorMade Hi-Toe 3 wedges come in a total of 10 lofts and three bounces options:
Low: 58, 60 degrees, both with 7° of bounce.
Standard: 50, 52 degrees with 9° of bounce, and 54, 56, 58, 60 degrees with 10°.
High Bounce: 58, 60 degrees, with 13° of bounce.
Full face grooves are offered on all of the lofts except for the 50 and 52-degree gap wedges, which feature a standard groove configuration. Full face grooves on the 54-degree sand wedge are also a new addition this year.
The standard shaft option is the KBS Hi Rev 2.0 115g wedge shaft, and the grip is a Lamkin Crossline Genesis.
You will be able to find these at retail locations starting September 9, 2022.
Hi-Toe 3 wedges are priced at $179 each in their stock configuration.
But wait, there’s more: MyHi Toe 3
If you are a golfer that has enjoyed the My Stealth or My Spider in the past, you’re going to love the MyHi Toe custom program.
Through MyHi-Toe 3 you can make each one of your wedges entirely your own. You can choose from four different finishes, including the classic brushed copper, chrome, black and raw, as well as stamping, logos, and paint fill to create a unique design.
TaylorMade’s MyHi-Toe 3 wedges are available for order now at www.taylormadegolf.com for $229.00.
Taylormade MG3 TW Grind
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