English edition. Prices are in Japanese yen from Japanese online stores, and most shops ship within Japan only. Links marked JP open pages in Japanese. Buying from outside Japan? Rakuten's own forwarding service, Rakuten Global Express, ships Rakuten Ichiba orders to more than 80 countries and regions. Odd-shaped boxes such as golf clubs can cost extra to pack. Check their shipping quote before you order. New to it? See our step-by-step guide to buying from Rakuten Japan.

Disclosure: this page contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Home › Guides › New Wedges 2026

Wedges

New Wedges 2026A gear nerd averaging 72 compares eight models by material and process and picks one

Updated: Oct 5, 2026Contains affiliate links

With wedges, I look at material and process before a reputation for feel. It's a club you bend to fit loft and lie after you buy it. If you skip this, you'll be in trouble later. If I, averaging 72, pick one from the eight new 2026 wedges, it's the Titleist Vokey SM11 (¥29,700). There are 27 combinations of loft and sole shape. With that many, you can find the bounce (the sole's bulge) that suits you. This year, "forged soft iron," made by hammering soft iron, increased all at once. I list them newest release first, from the SM11 in February to the Bridgestone BITING SPIN 2, TaylorMade Hi-Toe 5 and Cleveland RTZ 2 in September.

The Gear Nerd's Pick

Titleist Vokey Design SM11 (¥29,700) Six sole shapes across 44 to 60°, 27 combinations in all. What I weigh most heavily in choosing a wedge is whether I can pick bounce that matches my swing and the turf. The maker says the center of gravity is matched across sole shapes at the same loft.

Where to buy this product

Titleist Vokey SM11

Image: Rakuten Ichiba

Tsuruya Golf (specialty store)RecommendedSM11 Tour Chrome (Dynamic Gold)Tsuruya product page
Rakuten IchibaRakuten product page
Rakuten Ichiba (used)Used product page
AmazonAmazon product page
Yahoo! ShoppingYahoo! Shopping product page

Buying from outside Japan? Sign up free for Rakuten Global Express (Rakuten's official forwarding service) and check out with its Japan warehouse address → full guide

Ad. Links go to each store's product page ("Search ..." links go to search results). Price, shipping, stock and specs such as loft, shaft and number of clubs differ by store. Check the product page before you buy.

Product images of the newest 2026 wedges (Titleist Vokey SM11, Cleveland RTZ 2, PING s259)

Header image product photos: Rakuten Ichiba (ad) | Titleist Vokey SM11, Cleveland RTZ 2, PING s259

For golfers who want spin in the rain or morning dew

Cleveland RTZ 2 (¥27,500) 46 to 64°. For each loft and sole shape, it changes the ceramic pin inside and the thickness at the back to match the center of gravity. The "588" sole is new this time.

If you choose by sole options

PING s259 (¥33,000) 6 sole types from 46° to 62°. Designed so spin doesn't drop off when wet, with a grip about 3/4 in. longer than standard so the feel is the same when you choke down.

In this article

Bottom line
2026 wedges (newest release first)
The gear nerd's take: how to read material, process and grooves
How to choose bounce (using the Vokey SM11 as an example)
About the writer and sources
FAQ

Bottom line

The Gear Nerd's Pick is the Titleist Vokey SM11 (¥29,700). There are 27 combinations of loft and sole shape, so you can choose bounce that fits you.
In 2026, new forged soft-iron wedges kept coming: the Callaway X FORGED (S15C), Cleveland RT i-FORGED (S15C), Bridgestone BITING SPIN 2 (S20C) and TaylorMade Hi-Toe 5 (8620). Soft iron's advantage is that a workshop can bend loft and lie to fit.
Prices run ¥25,300 to ¥37,400 per club.

2026 wedges (newest release first)

This table scrolls sidewaysSwipe right →

Model	Release date	Price (1 club, incl. tax)	Loft	Material and process	Features (from the manufacturers' descriptions)
Cleveland RTZ 2	Sep 12, 2026	¥27,500	46–64°	Z-ALLOY (proprietary alloy)	Matches center of gravity across sole shapes. Adds the 588 sole
Bridgestone BITING SPIN 2	Sep 4, 2026	From ¥26,400 (figure reported by media)	48–60°	Soft iron S20C, forged, made in Japan	Grooves go from 15 to 19. Spin retention on wet turf 81% to 93%
TaylorMade Hi-Toe 5	Sep 4, 2026	¥31,900	56 to 60°	Soft iron 8620, forged, plus a ceramic core	First forged Hi-Toe. Grooves across the whole face
Fourteen FR-3	Apr 17, 2026	¥30,800	46–58°	S20C soft iron, forged	Two-level sole: low bounce at the front, high bounce at the rear
Callaway X FORGED	Apr 10, 2026	¥34,100	48–60°	Soft iron S15C, forged	From the previous S20C to the softer S15C
Cleveland RT i-FORGED	Apr 4, 2026	From ¥28,600	48–60°	Soft iron S15C, condensed forging	A forging method that keeps neck strength with the soft S15C
Callaway OPUS SP+ (limited distribution)	Mar 20, 2026	¥37,400	54 to 60°	Soft iron body plus a stainless face	A larger cavity in the sole for a low-launching ball that stops
Titleist Vokey SM11	Feb 20, 2026	¥29,700	44–60°	Soft iron, cast, made in Japan	27 combinations across 6 soles. Groove volume up 5% over the previous model
PING s259	Feb 5, 2026	¥33,000	46–62°	8620 carbon steel	6 soles. A long grip lets you choke down
TaylorMade MG5 (released 2025, current)	Sep 5, 2025	¥29,700	46–60°	Soft iron S25C, forged	Changed from the MG4's casting to forging
Mizuno T-1 / T-3 (released 2025, current)	Mar 7, 2025	¥25,300	50 to 58°	Soft iron S25CM, forged, made in Japan	The T-1 is for golfers who hit down, the T-3 for sweepers

Source: each maker's official site and news releases, plus Minna no Golf Digest and GDO (Callaway and BITING SPIN 2 prices). I couldn't read the body text of Callaway's official site, so the values for the three Callaway models are figures from media. The BITING SPIN 2 price differs at the low end between media (from ¥26,400) and the official page, so check before you buy. Checked Sep 15, 2026.

The gear nerd's take: how to read material, process and grooves

1. The numbers in S15C, S20C and S25C are the carbon content

The "S15C," "S20C" and "S25C" of soft iron are a guide to the carbon in the iron, and the smaller the number, the less carbon and the softer the iron. In 2026, the Callaway X FORGED went from the previous S20C to S15C, and the Cleveland RT i-FORGED also uses S15C.

Seen as a gear nerd, the biggest thing isn't feel but that it's "easy to bend and adjust." Wedges are clubs where you often add or take away 1 to 2° of loft or match the lie, and soft iron makes that work easier. On the other hand, being soft, the neck moves with use and loft and lie drift, so having a workshop measure it once a year is reassuring.

2. Forged isn't above cast, or the reverse

The Vokey SM11 is cast (poured into a mold), and the BITING SPIN 2 and X FORGED are forged (hammered). Forging is said to feel soft, but feel changes a lot not just with material but with how head thickness is distributed, the ball and where you hit it.

Casting has the advantage of making it easy to vary weight distribution finely by sole shape and loft. The SM11's "same loft, different sole, same center of gravity" is what casting does well.

3. Grooves are consumables

Wedge grooves are worn down little by little by sand and balls, and spin drops. In 2026, the Vokey SM11 added a high-frequency heat treatment at the groove edges for durability, and the BITING SPIN 2 increased grooves from 15 to 19.

Media report that the BITING SPIN 2 raised spin on wet turf from 81% to 93% of the dry level (a 58°, 40-yard robot test). That's a comparison under the maker's conditions, and the number varies by golfer.

In my view, the more someone keeps using a wedge with worn grooves, the more the gain from simply "switching to fresh grooves" outweighs any new model's groove tricks. Which model to choose can come after that.

Where to buy the Titleist Vokey SM11

Tsuruya Golf (specialty store)RecommendedSM11 Tour Chrome (Dynamic Gold)Tsuruya product page
Rakuten IchibaRakuten product page
Rakuten Ichiba (used)Used product page
AmazonAmazon product page
Yahoo! ShoppingYahoo! Shopping product page

Buying from outside Japan? Sign up free for Rakuten Global Express (Rakuten's official forwarding service) and check out with its Japan warehouse address → full guide

Ad. Links go to each store’s product page. Price, shipping, stock and specs (loft, shaft, set make-up) differ by store, so check the product page before you buy.

How to choose bounce (using the Vokey SM11 as an example)

Bounce is the angle of the sole's bulge. The bigger it is, the less the club digs into sand or turf, and the smaller it is, the easier it is to open the face. Here are the SM11's combinations by loft.

This table scrolls sidewaysSwipe right →

Loft	Sole shapes and bounce available
44°, 46°, 48°	F 10°
50°, 52°	F 8° / F 12°
54°, 56°	S 10° / D 12° / F 14° / M 8°
58°, 60°	S 10° / D 12° / K 12° / T 4° / M 8°

Source: Titleist news release and GDO gear catalog (bounce by loft). Checked Sep 15, 2026.

As a guide, golfers who hit down and courses with a lot of soft sand take bigger bounce; sweepers and courses with hard ground take smaller. If unsure, starting at around 10 to 12° on a 56° is safe. For golfers who hit a lot of fat shots, how to choose is in Fat chips and bounce, which calculates the bounce that remains. How many wedges to carry is in How many wedges to carry.

About the writer and sources

Written by a gear nerd who studies golf equipment, averages a 72, and plays about 150 rounds a year.

I re-read the numbers against the sources below on Oct 5, 2026. Last updated Oct 5, 2026.

FAQ

What's the newest wedge as of Sep 2026?

The Cleveland RTZ 2 (¥27,500), released Sep 12. The Bridgestone BITING SPIN 2 and TaylorMade Hi-Toe 5 also came out Sep 4. How to choose between the Hi-Toe 5 and TaylorMade's MG5 is in Hi-Toe 5 vs MG5 (loft, weight and price compared).

How does the Vokey SM11 differ from the previous SM10?

By the maker's description, groove volume is 5% larger, K-sole bounce changes from 14° to 12°, and a 44° is added. The price is ¥29,700. I compare them in detail in Vokey SM11 vs SM10.

Can a beginner use forged soft-iron wedges?

Yes. What matters more than the process is whether loft and bounce fit you. Soft iron makes loft and lie easy to adjust but also easy to drift, so having a workshop measure it from time to time is reassuring.

What are Mizuno's new wedges for 2026?

As of Sep 15, I see no new 2026 Mizuno wedges. The latest is the Mizuno Pro T-1 / T-3 (¥25,300), released Mar 2025.

Ready to choose? Start here

Sources for this article

Last updated: Sep 15, 2026

Specs and prices are the figures published on manufacturers' official websites and in press releases, and by media outlets (checked Sep 15, 2026). They were not measured by this site.

Women's models are ranked separately

Women's clubs differ in both weight and loft, so I ranked them separately using each maker's official specs.

Best Women's Wedges 2026

Most read on this site

How to Choose a Hybrid

Which Srixon Iron Are You? ZXi5 vs. ZXi7

SPEEDER BOOST BLACK vs. the standard version