Martin Hopley
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They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and therefore we should just come out and say that the TaylorMade Milled Grind Hi-Toe seems to be influenced by the Callaway Mack Daddy PM Grind Wedge, which in turn could be said to be inspired by the iconic Ping Eye 2 sand iron.

TaylorMade Milled Grind Hi-Toe Wedge

Not that I am sure my friends at TaylorMade will necessarily agree and I will aim to point out that there are specific differences, but let's not split hairs here because the reason that they have done this unique shape of wedge is because it is really good for bunkers and those shots around the green where you need to go vertical.

The defining characteristic is the higher toe than the standard Milled Grind wedge that gives it a unique look, but maybe not as pronounced as the Callaway, so there's one difference for you.

TaylorMade Milled Grind Hi-Toe Wedge

The idea is that when you open the face then the ball has more face and grooves to travel over which means more margin for error and more chance to get spin on the ball.

TaylorMade Milled Grind Hi-Toe Wedge

With more weight higher up, the sole needs to have some taken out of it to balance the club and therefore there are three cavities in the back of the sole and this brings the swing weight to D5.

TaylorMade Milled Grind Hi-Toe Wedge

What gives the TaylorMade Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedge its versatility is the concave grind on the sole.

TaylorMade Milled Grind Hi-Toe Wedge

This reduces the bounce of the centre section of the sole and allows what TaylorMade call the ski-slope leading edge to sit closer to the round and therefore get under the ball more easily.

TaylorMade Milled Grind Hi-Toe Wedge

There is also a decent amount of heel and toe grind so that gives the Hi-Toe a large amount of versatility in the types of shot you can play.

TaylorMade Milled Grind Hi-Toe Wedge

As you can see the lines on the sole come from the milling process whereby machines create the sole without any hand polishing for consistency and it is all topped off by a copper look that will wear over time from use and I think it looks pretty good.

TaylorMade Milled Grind Hi-Toe Wedge

TaylorMade wedges seem to play with less bounce than the number states and this seems to have filtered through to the Hi-Toe as well. Not that they give anything away as there is no bounce number shown and TaylorMade say that the ATV grind has different bounces depending on how you play it, but for me it is a mid to low bounce sole.

Play it straight and the Hi-Toe is a good wedge from the grass and easy to pick the ball off the tightest lies. From softer lies and sand it was better to open up the face a little so that you increase the effective bounce and give yourself a bit more margin for error.

The versatility was very good and if you have TaylorMade Milled Grind wedges then replacing your lob wedge with one of the 58°, 60° or 64° Hi-Toe lofts would be a good call, providing it has enough bounce for you.

TaylorMade Milled Grind Hi-Toe Wedge

The best way to determine this is to take a Hi-Toe and a regular wedge out to grass range and sand bunker and see which one gives you the best and most consistent results.

In 2018 TaylorMade expanded the range by introducing versions of the Hi-Toe that went down to 50° loft.

TaylorMade Milled Grind Hi-Toe Wedge

This added a couple more grinds with the 56° having a 4 way sole grind and the 50° to 54° having a more standard sole

TaylorMade Milled Grind Hi-Toe Wedge

The standard sole wedges also have a more traditional face where the grooves don't go right to the edge like they do on 56° lofts and upwards, which is a bit of a shame, but these are lofts that are unlikely to be used in bunkers.

TaylorMade Milled Grind Hi-Toe Wedge

The main difference is that the Hi-Toe versions not only offer a different look to the standard chrome TaylorMade Milled Grind wedge, but they also have a slightly different grind with a little more heel relief and in my testing I was finding that it played with a little lower bounce than the Milled Grind.

TaylorMade Milled Grind Hi-Toe Wedge

TaylorMade Milled Grind Hi-Toe Wedge

Therefore the choice is going to be more about whether that bounce suits your game better as the higher toe is probably less relevant on the lower lofts as you are less likely to be playing outing of heavy rough with them than the lob wedges.

Whilst the Hi-Toe principally looks like it has been designed for their Tour players, it is actually quite a forgiving wedge too thanks to the more rounded leading edge, so if you struggle with getting the right contact with those short shorts then it would be worth giving it a go.

The TaylorMade Hi-Toe is less extreme in its shape than the Callaway, has a different finish, seems to have less effective bounce and costs a bit more, so there are plenty of differences between the two in the end.

As ever, the choice is yours.

Golfalot Rating: 4 stars
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TaylorMade Milled Grind Hi-Toe Wedge

TaylorMade Milled Grind Hi-Toe Wedge - Product Details

UK Launch02 March 2018
UK Launch RRP£139
USA Launch02 March 2018
USA Launch RRP$169.99
European Launch02 March 2018
European Launch RRP€179
Handicap Range
Low
High
GolferMens
Hand AvailabilityLeft, Right
Left Handed Lofts52°, 54°, 56°, 58°, 60°
Right Handed Lofts50°, 52°, 54°, 56°, 58°, 60°, 64°
ManufactureCast
MaterialSteel
FinishOil Can
Lie64°
Club Length35 inches
Swing WeightD5
Shaft NameKBS Hi-REV 2.0
Shaft TypesSteel
Shaft FlexWedge
Shaft Weight115g
GripGolf Pride Tour Velvet Burgundy 360 GEC
Manufacturer's WebsiteTaylorMade Website

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