Who's your daddy?
When it comes to Callaway wedges, Roger Cleveland is the daddy. The daddy of design. Since joining Callaway in 2006, Cleveland has applied his craft in the research and development of many of Callaway's latest and greatest products. His latest creation is the Mack Daddy 2 wedge.
Set to hit shops July 12th, the new wedge features Callaway's Mack Daddy Grooves and comes in two different finishes, three different sole grinds and seven different lofts.
You may remember the original Mack Daddy grooves, originally introduced in the Callaway X-Tour wedges in 2006. The grooves featured an aggressive design aimed at producing the maximum levels of spin, trajectory and distance control.
"The original Mack Daddy grooves we created wouldn’t have conformed to the rules we have now, but with Mack Daddy 2 we have gone right to the limit of what’s possible (and legal) and have brought back almost all of the spin we had with the original Mack Daddy groove."
The new Mack Daddy 2 grooves feature a 5V groove pattern that provides 39% larger grooves. More surface roughness has been created using laser milling and a Micro Groove Pattern that result in a wedge that creates 25% more spin than the previous model.
Interestingly the micro groove design and pattern on the face is designed in a way that will see it wear off fairly quickly. However, the surface roughness created through the laser milling will remain, meaning more friction and increased spin.
Creating the right amount of spin in a wedge can be a difficult task. Create too little spin and players will struggle to control their ball around the green. Too much spin and full shots will zip back off the green and away from the pin.
"It is always a fine balance." Roger Cleveland says. "We’ve put a lot of work into this part of the Mack Daddy 2 performance and we think we’ve got the spin rate calibration just right throughout the range."
Higher lofter models of the Mack Daddy 2 wedge (56 degrees and higher) feature more aggressive groove designs with 5-degree sidewalls, whilst lower lofted models feature 20-degree sidewalls for less spin but more consistently and control.
When it comes to sole grinds, Cleveland says he "would always recommend golfers be fitted for a wedge (and grind) that matches their specific swing characteristics." Therefore, the new Mack Daddy 2 wedges is available in three different sole grinds: Standard, C-Grind and a U-Grind.
The Standard Grind (right above) will feature a straight leading edge and some moderate toe/heef relief with more bounce. It is predominantly suited to "steep swinging golfers".
The C Grind (left above) is geared towards players who play the majority of their golf in soft conditions with soft sand in the bunkers. It features more heel and toe relief allowing players to lay the face open whilst reducing the bounce angle.
Lastly, the U Grind (centre above), inspired by Phil Mickleson, features a dynamic bounce angle that alters when the ball is struck, catering to more aggressive short game shots.
As with previous Callaway wedges, the Mack Daddy 2 will be available in either a traditional chrome finish or a slate "just emerged from the workshop" finish.
At launch, there will be 52, 56, 58 and 60 degree options available. A second wave of options will follow in November, including a 47, 50, 54 and 64 degree options, and additional sole grind offerings for the 56-degree wedge.
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