CLEVELAND Niblick Putter

The fastest way to improve your game is to improve your play around the greens. When you miss getting to the green in regulation, you still can get up and down for par if you can get the ball in one-putt distance.

Cleveland aims to make this easier by introducing the Niblick utility iron. It combines the sole of a wedge with 8° bounce (to prevent fat shots), with the leading edge of an iron for a more natural address position. It’s longer from heel to toe, like a hybrid and has increased perimeter weighting and lower center of gravity than a typical wedge. Finally, the shaft length is that of a typical putter. The whole package has been designed to

I have a club similar to this from the mad scientist of golf design, Ralph Maltby. It works well, and I expect this one will, too.

Sand Blaster Wedge

If you have a lot of trouble getting out of the sand, you should perhaps consider a “trick” club like this Sand Blaster from Hireko Golf. Hireko says that the Dual Sole on this unique design acts like skis in the water, gliding across the sand or rough. The hollow 2 piece construction allows the sole width to be increased dramatically to make it ultra forgiving in either soft or firm sand, and even chipping and pitching around the green. It also features a negative offset or face-forward feature which will help those who may have a tendency to pick or sweep the ball and makes this club virtually shank-proof.

I have a lob wedge of virtually the same design, and can tell you that it works like a charm.

CLEVELAND 588 RS Wedge with Steel Shaft

Cleveland Golf is justifiably famous for its line of wedges. Every golfer I know has at one time or another had a Cleveland wedge in their bag.

The 588 RS Wedge is a wide sole model, designed to offer a low center of gravity, for a high and soft launch angle. A back cavity is supposed to reduce vibration, while enabling Cleveland engineers to move more weight away from the face. The Cleveland 588 RS Wedge is one of the most popular wedge face profiles in golf and insures confidence at address disguising the large recovery sole.

Cleveland CG14 Chrome Men’s Wedge

Cleveland Golf is justifiably famous for it’s wedges, which for years have been a favorite of Tour players and amateurs alike.

The new CG 14 wedges offer Zip grooves, which is supposed to improve ball stopping ability. The sole was sculpted to provide consistent impact, while the “tour designed offset” is supposed to help control ball flight on full shots.

They also offer a multi-material approach, with a “Gelback” insert designed to soften the feel.

I find it interesting how club companies combine a variety of materials into their products. There are clubs with different types of metals, carbon fiber crowns, elastomer, surlyn, and many other substances. I’m waiting for the one that combines ceramics.

Odyssey Golf Marxman X-Act Putting Wedge

Designed to help your short game, the Odyssey Gof Marxman X-Act is a chipper—a club that looks like a putter with an angled face. The idea is that when you get to those tricky, just off the green shots, you can use this club with a relatively straightforward and safe putter stroke. The angled face will pop the ball up and then quickly get it rolling toward the hole.

In addition to the putter length and the angled face, the X-Act has a wide sole to help eliminate stubbing, and a two-stripe alignment system. A polymer insert like other Odyssey putters has no grooves and is supposed to limit backspin, allowing the ball to roll more true.

I had the opportunity to try one of these and really liked it.  The only question would be which club you would remove from your bag to put this one in. I’d actually suggest the driver, since most higher handicappers—the ones who most need a chipper—should be teeing off with a three wood anyway. But if you really can’t give up the big dog, you could get rid of that lob wedge you can’t consistently use.