Callaway JAWS Wedge Review | Honest Review for Everyday Golfers in 2024

 Looking for a definitive Callaway Jaws wedge review? Look no further.

The JAWS Raw wedge is the latest Callaway wedge on the market. This is a change in direction from Callaway’s previous flagship wedge offering: the Mack Daddy (MD5).

So what does JAWS mean? 

Fortunately, nothing to do with sharks or a man with questionable dental work biting Roger Moore.

In a nutshell, JAWS groove technology means that Callaway has added mini grooves between the regular grooves of the wedge. This puts JAWS wedges right on the legal limit in terms of groove depth and dimension. It means golfers get optimum spin, even in wet conditions.

The big question is– does this make a real difference for the everyday golfer? And how does it stack up against offerings from Titliest, PING, PXG and TaylorMade? When you are paying top dollar for equipment, it is important to have considered all the information available before making a purchase.

The objective of this article is to provide an honest, and in-depth review. As always, we will aim to decrypt jargon and technical terms so the content is digestible for beginner and intermediate golfers.

Overview- What are we going to cover?

Let’s take a quick look at what we will specifically cover in this wedge review.

• Do Callaway JAWS wedges actually generate more spin?
• What lofts do Callaway JAWS wedges come in?
• Are JAWS wedges forgiving?
• What are the different grinds on Callaway Jaws wedges?
• Which professionals use Callaway Jaws?
• Are Jaws wedges forged or cast?

For those skim readers among you who are just looking for a brief summary giving the bottom line: see below. After that, we will get into the questions above.

Do I recommend the Callaway JAWS Wedge?

Yes, although it completely depends on your budget and preferences.

Callaway’s Chief Wedge Designer is Roger Cleveland: the man behind some of the most sought-after wedges in golf. When you combine this heritage with the latest in groove technology and weighting, you can expect to pay top dollar.

The addition of Tungsten weights for ultimate forgiveness and ‘groove in groove’ tech for insane levels of spin (we explain this below) make this a market leader.

You can buy perfectly good wedges for half the price, so if you are looking to efficiently allocate your money, then perhaps invest it in other parts of your bag.

If you are a more advanced player, or you just like having the best in class equipment and turning heads when you go to work around the green, then this is one of the finest short game options on the market.

Callaway JAWS Wedge Snapshot: Key data

Callaway JAWS Wedge: Pros and Cons

We will go into more depth later, but below are the main pros and cons of JAWS wedges.

Pros

• Grip on second bounce
• Ideal launch angle
• Beautiful aesthetic

Cons

• High price
• Looks so good your friends might steal it

Callaway JAWS Wedge: Key Questions Answered

Let’s look at the main factors you should consider if you are thinking about making the JAWS Raw your next wedge.

Do Callaway JAWS wedges actually generate more spin?

Yes. These are market leading wedges, and the bite you get on the second bounce is undeniably noticeable.

Callaway actually changes the blades on its groove cutting machine every 15 wedges so that each wedge is crafted for optimum spin. This obviously increases production costs, which is reflected in the price point, but you are getting the very most spin possible out of a wedge.

The razor sharp grooves mean you can expect strong spin when you hit this wedge from the center. The ‘groove in groove’ technology also means that you still get a great amount of spin on mis-hits as well.

This is supplemented by the new raw face. By removing the plating from the face of the previous model, the more direct contact between ball and grooves generates more spin and allows for rusting.

What lofts do Callaway Jaws wedges come in?

Jaws wedges are available in lofts between 48° – 60°, going up in 2°increments between clubs.

But which lofts do you need? and what do most golfers carry in their bag?

There is an element of dependency on your ability level. A general rule of thumb is that the higher the loft, the harder wedges are to hit. Hitting a Callaway Jaws 60 degree wedge leaves a lot of margin for chunking shots. To get the required distance you need to commit to a greater degree of back lift, which around greens can be a treacherous business.

With this said, most golfers will have:

• Pitching wedge (48°)
• Sand wedge (54°)
• Lob wedge (60°)

Typically you want to minimize the gaps in lofts between wedges so you have to take on less ‘in-between’ shots where you need to add or take off distance from your regular swing. It is not uncommon for more advanced golfers to have four wedges in their bag.

Are JAWS Wedges forgiving?

Yes.

A major headline is that the sexy circular pins on the back of the wedge are not just there for aesthetics.

For the first time Callaway has inserted Tungsten weights into the club head that are designed to optimize center of gravity, feel and trajectory. These were not on the previous Mack Daddy models.

How does this work in practice?

Tungsten is a very dense, heavy metal where little mass can add a lot of weight. By back weighting the club it increases MOI.

But what is MOI?

MOI, or moment of inertia is essentially a measure of your club’s resistance to turning when the ball is struck NOT on the sweet spot. So in effect, the higher the “MOI”, the less your club will twist when you hit the heel or toe, and therefore the straighter your ball will be on a mis-hit.

Added MOI breeds confidence: allowing golfers to play a variety of shots.

This tech makes JAWS Raw wedges a great option for beginners and intermediate players.

What are the different grinds on Callaway Jaws wedges?

When selecting a wedge, golfers need to consider the grind options available to them. Getting to the bottom of this can send down the internet rabbit-hole.

Fortunately, we have summarised it all for you.

A wedge’s grind is determined by the amount of material that has been removed from the sole of the club. The idea is that you get improved contact with turf, depending on what kind of shots you like and tend to play.

The type of grind you choose is determined by what sort of conditions you most play in, how you hit the ball and the level of bounce you want.

Stick with me. 

Bounce is a fairly technical idea to get your head around, so let’s simplify it.

This is NOT to be confused with the angle of loft on the club.

Bounce is the angle created between the leading edge and sole of your club when it rests on the ground. It is the leading edge that travels through or on top of the turf (depending on how big your divots tend to be) and has a big impact on how cleanly you strike the ball.

There are three general types of bounce.

Low bounce: Wedges with 4 – 6° of bounce. These are best for firm turf conditions where the club will skip off the ground on its own. Taking conditions out of it, If your style focuses on clean contact and you tend to strike the ball at a shallow angle and not take out big divots, this will work for you. The objective is to create maximum friction with the ground below.

Mid bounce: Wedges with 7 – 12°of bounce. This will be the best option for most golfers, giving versatile playability across conditions and swing types.

High bounce: Wedges with over 12° of bounce. If you’re a golfer that tends to take larger divots or regularly plays on soft ground, then the higher bounce angle will help offset this, and prevent the club digging so sharply into the turf. High bounce wedges give optimal spin.

It is important to caveat that your decision here will not make or break your ability to play wedge shots. Technique is far more important than which combination of loft and grind you choose– Callaway offers a total of 23 bounce combinations, so don’t sweat this too much. Seeing C grind, X grind, and every other letter in the alphabet can be confusing. We have broken down the options for the JAWS RAW below.

S-Grind

This should suit that majority of players, so if you do not have a specific idea of the exact grind you want to pick, this is your best option. If you play a range of conditions: wet, dry, firm, soft etc then this will cover all bases. You will get a mid level of bounce (10°).

Bottom line, if you don’t want to read any more about grinds, angles and bounce– go for this version. You can buy all the types of wedges (pitching, gap, sand and lob) in the S-Grind.

Z-Grind

Now we’re getting more into situational golf where players who have specific requirements can make incremental gains.

Z-Grind has low bounce (8°) and essentially is designed to skid off the turf. If you regularly play on medium or firm ground and tend to play high flop shots then it will work well for you. You can get the Z-Grind for high lofted sand wedges (58°) or a lob wedge (60°).

X-Grind

Think of the X-Grind as the Z-Grind for golfers that tend to take larger divots. It has a higher bounce edge (12°) meaning that the club will not dig into the turf as much. Again, you can get the X-Grind for high lofted sand wedges (58°) or a lob wedge (60°).

W-Grind

This is the most forgiving version of the JAWS Raw wedge. If you regularly find yourself playing in wet conditions, and taking huge divots out of the ground, the W-Grind could help you out. The 12° bounce edge and extra wide sole means this club should skip off the ground.

Which tour professionals use Callaway Jaws Raw?

Callaway wedges have always been popular on the PGA Tour. Current pros that use the wedge are:

• Kevin Kisner
• Danny Willet
• Xander Schauffele

Expect the users to increase as pros transition from the MD5.

Are Jaws Raw wedges forged or cast?

Jaws Raw are cast, though you can buy a forged version.

Quite simply, forged irons are carved from one block of metal. Cast irons are made in a mold. The reality is that there is little difference (that most golfers would notice) between the two outside of the method of production.

Forged irons and wedges are more expensive to make and tend to have more prestige attached, as this is how clubs were traditionally made.

Pricing Breakdown

You can expect to pay top dollar.

In the US, it retails at $179.

In the UK you are looking at the £179 mark.

If you pick up a pitching, sand and lob wedge– this can add up very quickly. For those who like a more unique feel: Callaway customs allow you to customize the colors, design and engrave your initials for an extra fee.

Comparison

Comparing golf equipment is always difficult.

If you are really into the detail side of things, there are sites that run tests where they compare fairway woods across the board. Their data ranks clubs by ball spin and launch angle around the greens.

But how does this help? Do I just select the club that has the best test results?

The short answer is no.

Test results are a great indication, but it should not be forgotten that often it is just one golfer hitting these clubs. It might be a controlled environment, but we all know that sometimes you just hit good and bad shots. Sometimes it’s up to the club, sometimes it’s you. This is very hard to quantify.

So how can we compare JAWS to its peers?

Ultimately, the best we can really do is generalize which types of clubs suit different brackets of golfers.

Starting with the essentials, hopefully the below table gives you a hard and fast breakdown of what is available on the wider market.

Perhaps more helpfully, we have listed below what we believe is the best option for each bracket of golfer.

Best Overall: Callaway JAWS RAW

Best for Beginners: PING Glide 4.0

The Best for Intermediates: TaylorMade Hi-Toe 3

Best for Advanced: Callaway JAWS RAW

Best Budget Option: Cleveland RTX 3

I hope you found our review useful!