Bettinardi are renowned for their putters that are milled from a single block of forged steel and their wedge for 2018 continues this fine tradition.
Following on from the H2, the Bettinardi H2 303 SS wedge continues with the High Helix name that comes from the machine tool they use to mill the faces, so this is what the H2 stands for.
The 303 SS in the name comes from the 303 Stainless Steel that the head is created from, so it is what it says.
In the H2 303 SS wedge, the milling process removes material quicker to give a rougher surface and then Bettinardi adds its patented honeycomb face milling pattern between the grooves to give as much grip as possible.
The H2 303 SS is a thing of beauty with a polished chrome finish and smooth lines to go with the designs on the face.
There are six lofts from 50° to 60° with one bounce per loft and a simple C-grind sole with relief in the toe and heel.
This gives it a classy look and makes opening or closing the face easier for greater versatility.
At address the H2 303 SS looks a little more compact than most wedges so this means that it will probably suit lower handicaps more. It sits very well and the rounded leading edge helps get under the ball more easily.
I tried them in two lofts and the 50° loft with 8° bounce played beautifully with just the right amount of bounce to engage with the turf and provide a consistent sound and performance on full shots.
The 56° loft 12° sand iron seemed to play a little lower than its bounce number and could have done with a couple of extra degrees to match the feedback of the 50°.
This was more noticeable in the sand, but you can open the face to increase the effective bounce if required. However the C grind did mean that it was more versatile around the green, so if you want a 'one size fits all' wedge then the Bettinardi could be an option.
The grip from grass and sand was very good and the sound and feel was everything you would expect from a forged blade wedge with great levels of feedback.
Special mention must go to the Lamkin Crossline Ace 3Gen Corded grip which felt nice and tacky to give you excellent control, especially if you like to chip without a glove.
Overall the Bettinardi H2 303 SS wedge is a very playable, beautiful looking wedge that will suit better players and is competitively priced too. There isn't the variation in grinds and bounces that you may get from other manufacturers, but if what is on offer suits you game then the H2 303 SS is going to get you up and down from anywhere.