The Callaway Mack Daddy 4 builds on the success of the Mack Daddy 3 wedge with a new type of groove pattern and an additional grind.
The big news on the face is the introduction of what Callaway are calling 'Groove-in-Groove Technology' which just about counts as a three word tech in my book.
For some time now, wedge makers have roughed up the surface of the face between the actual grooves on the face in order to increase the amount of spin.
This has been done through milling patterns as Callaway did on the MD3, or creating micro grooves between the real ones. There are rules on how much you can do this of course, and Callaway has worked within these to take the limits of the micro grooves and make them 'Micro Positive' so instead of the grooves being recessed into the head they are turned inside out and protrude from the surface.
This of course creates a more prominent rough surface between the actual grooves and enables the face to get stuck into the cover of the ball at impact to create more spin. Callaway say that it effectively increases the number of grooves from 16 to 84, but the difference is of course the smaller grooves in between the larger ones.
The face also features the 'Nip It' groove at the bottom of the face that comes over from the Mack Daddy Forged wedge is there to improve spin on strikes that are a little on the thin side.
Callaway wedges and blade irons have always been very good for spin control and the Mack Daddy 4 continues this and Callaway claim an extra 1000 rpm on full shots in all conditions and certainly the grip seemed good to me.
The lower lofts from 52° down to 46° have Callaway's 20D grooves that are narrower and thinner and similar to those found on their irons as these wedges are likely to be used more for full shots.
The higher lofts from 54° up to 64° have the wider 5D grooves that impact more grip on shorter swings as they channel more dirt and moisture away so the face can get to the ball.
The fairly rounded style of the head shape sits very well at address with a very classic look that is based on the Mack Daddy Tour Grind shape.
This is enhanced by the four circular holes that are there to remove weight from the bottom of the head in order to position the CG higher up the face, so they are deeper in the higher lofted heads.
The new grind on the Mack Daddy 4 is the X Grind that is an aggressive C Grind with 12° of bounce where there is more heel and toe relief.
The centre section is a little flatter than the C grind below, with less camber and quite a straight leading edge.
This has 8° of bounce and is really for highly skilled players who are good ball strikers and like to lift the heel or toe up to create shots as it was a very versatile wedge.
The Mack Daddy C grind continues this playability and felt relatively low bounce for the number on the sole.
It was very easy to open up and skip the head under the ball to pop it up, so again will suit those who want to be versatile, but need a little more forgiveness than the X grind gives.
The excellent W grind is the widest sole shape and it is great to see this in a wide variety of lofts from 50° to 60°.
It has 12° of bounce spread over a wider area so it offers plenty of forgiveness and if you struggle with your short game then the W grind in the higher lofts around the green should help.
For the rest of your shots, and for most other players, the S grind is your go to grind for an all-round performer.
The 10° of bounce is there to help and the slight trailing edge and heel relief gives you the option to open the face a little if you want to.
All the Callaway Mack Daddy 4 wedges comes with the True Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue S200 shaft that is a little lighter than usual at 115g in order to fit in with the trend towards lighter shafts in iron sets and I like this change.
Under your hands is a red Lamkin grip to match the red accents on the head, which as you can see, you can get in a chrome or matte black finish.
The chrome option is more polished than the matte chrome of the Mack Daddy 3 and together with the red accents looks very good.
Overall the Mack Daddy 4 is another classic wedge from the hands of the master, Roger Cleveland, and with the addition of the new grooves you get more spin and control.
The key is to try and get a wedge fitting where you can try all the grinds from rough, short grass and sand and see which one gives you the best results for the loft gaps that you need.
The addition of the X grind might be more for their elite players who might have gone for the C in the past. However, amateurs of all levels should get a combo of S and W grinds as they offer a bit more margin for error and the performance will be hard to beat.