Callaway MD4 Wedges - What's the Verdict?

BearQ · December 18, 2018

Is it just me or do they seem like a really big head? Everytime I pick one up they seem oversized...

You aren’t alone. I liked my md3s but passed on these pretty easily. Added offset was a turn off too

Maximilian · December 19, 2018

I LOVE my MD4 S-Grind wedges! I'm currently playing a 46* bent to 45*, a 50* and a 54* bent to 55*. The stock shafts work great for me as well, but I have them half an inch longer and all bent one degree upright. I have a different 60* lob wedge though.

Figuring out what wedges and what grinds/soles suit your game can be difficult, but it's very pleasant once you find something that just leads to great contact shot after shot with out having to manipulate anything. These do just that for me. Very predictable distance, spin and trajectory for me.

Maximilian · December 19, 2018

I don’t understand why anyone would buy an S Grind. Jack of all trades, master of none.

I can see the benefits of the W, the C and the X. The S is just a compromise.

Most people don't need a wedge to do several different kind of shots, most people just need a wedge with the right width of sole and right degree of bounce for their swing, and they will be able to make good contact and that's enough.

Apart from chipping, which I enjoy with these wedges, and the rare long bunker shot, which these wedges do fine too, I really only have three different shots (which are all basically the same) that I use with my 45*, 50* and 55* wedges.

1. A neutral pitch, I have the ball placed in a neutral position and end with my hands mid-height.

2. Lower ball flight, place the ball slightly back and end with my hands lower.

3. And a higher ball flight, I place the ball slightly further forward and end with my hand high.

I don't need any more versatility from these wedges, the standard S-Grind works perfect for me and I would not benefit from more relief anywhere on the sole, very much the opposite is true.

Now I personally do like having more options for my lob wedge, but it's not like a standard grind wedge is incapable of manipulating at all, it just doesn't do it to the same degree as others. Even lot's of professional golfers prefer very standard grinds on their wedges.

odshot68 · December 19, 2018

Can someone compare the C grind in this wedge to the SM7 M grind?

Akman200 · January 15, 2019

I am not a fan of these with the stock shaft......Too light for me, but i always play a 130 gram shaft in irons......Anxious to try these with heavier shaft.

Akman200 · January 15, 2019

I am not a fan of these with the stock shaft......Too light for me, but i always play a 130 gram shaft in irons......Anxious to try these with heavier shaft.

Did u get a heavier shaft? How did it perform?

LaymanM · January 15, 2019

Is it just me or do they seem like a really big head? Everytime I pick one up they seem oversized...

You aren’t alone. I liked my md3s but passed on these pretty easily. Added offset was a turn off too

I am very fond of the Mack Daddy Forged in Slate. Hoping they come out with a new version. Same shape and straight leading edge. I really like the R grind too.

Akman200 · January 16, 2019

I added two MD4 Raw wedges to replace some wedges while I wait for artisan to start offering to the general public. I had these built with the Nippon Modus Pro 125 Wedge shaft. I have not weighed them but they feel very heavy which i like. So far so good for me really like them out of the sand. I went c grind in the 54 degree and have a 50 degree as well. I also just went to the PM grind 60 and can't recomend that enough feels like cheating out of the sand.

How is your trajectory and spin with the 50 on full swings with the modus shaft? I’m wanting to swap out the stock 115g s200 cos it’s too light and I think it’s making me spin the ball higher more

Akman200 · January 16, 2019

Now that I have a couple more rounds with these in the bag, I am finding that with full swings on these wedges I am spinning the ball more than I can ever remember spinning it.
I am wondering if this is due more to the lighter stock S200 shafts. But wow, I am really getting a ton of spin.

I am the same as you, full shots with my 50 really hang in the air a lot, have u tried a different heavier shaft? I am thinking about swapping it for an iron shaft with a higher kickpoint and stiffer tip

Akman200 · January 16, 2019

Spin is off the charts, like literally off the charts. This quickly became an issue for me in full shots. I’ll admit that it was nice around the green as I’ve longed for the green side spin that I used to get as a teenager playing balata balls. However, I have gaps that I like and wind up hitting full shots with my wedges fairly often. With the MD4’s I was literally 3/4 of a club to a full club shorter than normal. It’s certainly a testament to the micro-groove technology but unfortunately it didn’t fit my game/swing.
I agree that the spin is off the charts. However, I have actually been carrying the ball farther than my last wedges (Cleveland RTX 3), but they spin a TON. Often, I am shocked by the amount of spin. After a couple of months of using these wedges, I had to admit that it was just too much and too unpredictable. I also have had some problems hitting a lower, penetrating shot with these wedges.
So, I swapped shafts. I put in the KBS Tour V wedge shaft, the same one that Callaway uses in the PM Grind wedges. This made all the difference. Not only can I flight the ball lower, I am not spinning the ball off of the green.
It is pretty clear to me that the S200 shafts that come stock in these clubs were lighter and more flexible and just put a ton of spin on these. I am very happy with these heads with the KBS shafts in them. Great feel and much more reasonable spin.

I am having the exact same problem, I have a 50gap and full shots are hanging in the air and falling out the sky - I also want to change the whippy shaft, do you think a 130g s300 could produce the same effect as the tourV wedge shaft? My local fitters don’t seems to have any kbs shafts for me to try and they say they have to order it. How much distance did you make up when you changed the shaft?