Callaway Golf CB Wedge Review

If golf was a cakewalk we'd all be flying private jets, living in beach homes with elevators, and driving cars with their own websites.  But just because golf isn't easy, that doesn't also mean it has to be hard.

 

Say hello to the new Callaway Golf CB wedges, designed to make the game more fun by making it easier to hit better shots.  I've played multiple rounds now with the CB wedges and above all else you're just not punished on mishits with these like you are with blade style wedges. 

You can read all about the technology and design of the CB wedges here on the Callaway website.  But I can tell you from a playing standpoint there are really three things about the new CB wedges that make them stand out compared to performance of traditional wedges.  The CB wedges are more forgiving on mishits.  The CB also have a larger sweet spot (and not in the traditional location closer to the heel).  And there's a feel and balance to these CB wedges that makes them play differently with the exact same kind of swings.  We'll touch on all of this in order. 

 

A lot of the Callaway CB wedge forgiveness comes from the larger shape compared to say the Callaway JAWS Raw wedges (JAWS Raw are the wedges I used to draw comparisons, similarities, and differences for the purpose of this review).  CB have a wider topline, wider sole, bigger head, and more face area than JAWS Raw.  CB also have a more rounded toe. 

 

 

The Callaway CB wedge wider sole helps get the ball up higher, faster, and easier than the JAWS Raw.  And it's really as simple as that.  I did a little test taking quarter swings with both the CB and JAWS Raw and mishits low with the JAWS Raw barely gets off the ground (like a kind of unintentional bump and run height).  With the CB wedges however those same low mishits are almost as good as pure strikes.  They still get up on the air and that means you're landing shots softly on the green instead of blading balls over them (we've all done it). 

 

On full shots with my CB 56 and 60 degree wedges the ball does launch higher and reach higher peak heights than JAWS Raw.  However they're not ballooning out there or getting so high you lose control on windy days.  The CB wedges have a wider topline as I mentioned earlier, and I'm thinking this weight up top has to be one of the reasons why balls don't balloon.  CB are perimeter-weighted for forgiveness but there's clearly also a weight design aspect to satisfy better players who crave trajectory control. 

 

Next up is the Callaway CB wedge bigger sweet spot.  And you'd probably expect that given CB is a larger head than JAWS Raw.  Just a few notables before getting into performance differences.  You don't really notice the CB wider topline at address (it looks similar to JAWS Raw) but you do notice CB is a larger head.  And despite CB being a larger head than JAWS Raw, the CB actually feels slightly lighter during the swing (particularly down into impact). You still feel head with CB it’s just not as pronounced as with JAWS Raw. 

 

In terms of performance JAWS Raw performs better on shots closer to the heel (which is where the CG is located).  But on every other other kind of miss, up, down, out towards toe the CB wedge plays more like center strikes.  If the sweet spot with JAWS Raw is say the size of a dime, I'd say the sweet spot of CB is the size of a silver dollar.  And that means you're getting better direction and spin retention on mishits over a larger area of the face with CB. 

 

 

Speaking of spin the Callaway CB wedges use the same JAWS grooves as JAWS Raw.  And to my eye spin is identical between the two.  It didn't matter if I was hitting from the bunkers or rough or fairways, shots with CB bit, stuck, and spun back almost exactly the same way on shots I hit from the same locations with JAWS Raw.  And in fact I'd say spin is more efficient with the CB wedges on those mishits low.

 

 

A few miscellaneous notes before getting to the Callaway CB wedge feel and balance during the swing.  First, sound is almost identical between CB and JAWS Raw.  Second, feel at impact is very similar with CB feeling a tad less dense.  And third, the CB leading edge is slightly rounder compared to the straighter leading edge JAWS Raw.  This also gives CB a little more forgiveness by decreasing resistance into and through the turf. 

 

Interestingly the CB leading edge doesn't sit as flat as JAWS Raw but CB's cambered sole still gives you a lot of playability to lay it open and hit touch shots.  About one-third of the CB sole is cambered front to back so you're getting the versatility to hit most shots you'll ever need to hit along with the forgiveness that comes from weight low in a wider sole.  And in my opinion this takes the CB performance from incredible to extraordinary. 

 

 

Last but not least is the feel and stability of the Callaway CB wedge.  And this is something that's going to appeal to a lot of players, and a lot of skilled players at that.  One of the most common misses when we have a wedge in our hand is the pull left (for right-handed golfers).  And I noticed on full swings with the CB that the face doesn't turn over or close as much as JAWS Raw.  It stays more stable into and through impact. 

 

 

There are two sides to this coin of course in that on the one hand you're not getting the easier workability of a smaller head like JAWS Raw.  But on the other hand you are getting more of a point and shoot feel and balance that most amateur's will take in a heartbeat.  CB does an exceptional job of keeping the face and head square. 

 

 

So what wedge is best for you, the traditional JAWS Raw style or the cavity back CB?  The biggest advantage to JAWS Raw is more and easier workability that comes with the smaller head.  You also have more precise grind options that will offer the most versatility possible.  And players who use their hands a lot and to get creative will likely stick to a JAWS Raw. 

 

But for almost everyone else new Callaway CB does it all and does it easier.  Mishits all over the face are punished less and you get consistently better shots.  Spin is every bit as good as JAWS Raw and on those low mishits even better.  And CB are much more resistant to digging and still pop the ball up when you impact is lower than ideal. 

 

In other words the new Callaway CB wedges won't transform you into a short game magician, but you will hit shots that make you look like one.