It’s 2025 and that means many beginners or mid-to-high handicappers (and even some single-digit players) have largely adopted game improvement irons. But most of those players are still using the same blade wedges that Tour players use.
Game-improvement or cavity-backed wedges have often been thought of as taboo to use, but Callaway sees that there’s clearly a market for a premium game-improvment wedge, so the company is launching the new CB 12 wedges to fill the void.
Keep reading below for 3 things to know about the new Callaway CB 12 wedges.
1. Forgiveness is in the name
The CB 12 name is derived from the 12 grams of perimeter weighting Callaway has built into this wedge. Perimeter weighting is nothing new in golf equipment as it has been a big part of the advancement of golf club design from small-headed persimmon drivers and blades of the 1970s to 460 cc clubheads and cavity-backed irons of today.
But for the most part, perimeter weighting has only been applied to wedges in a handful of instances.
Not only does the CB 12 wedge have a large cavity, but even further enhancing the perimeter weighting is the use of Callaway’s urethane microspheres to fill the hollow body of the club.
“Moving the weight around in the topline helps where the CG position is to create spin,” said Brian Herr, Callaway’s R&D wedge manager.
Not only will the perimeter weighting boost spin for more control, but it will also boost forgiveness, which is just as important around the greens as it is from 150 yards out in the fairway.
“Especially on those off-speed shots like gap wedges or sand wedges, sometimes it’s easy to decel,” said Senior Product Manager Zack Oakley. “Hit it a little ‘toey’ and on those types of shots it helps where if you do catch it off-center or slow down a little bit, you’re still getting that forgiveness from the perimeter weighting.”
Also like game-improvement irons, the CB 12 wedges feature a larger shape with a thicker topline and slightly more offset (certainly not an egregious amount) to inspire confidence.
2. Tri-sole versatility
While all six lofts offered in the CB 12 (50˚ to 60˚) have either 12˚ or 14˚ of stated bounce, they all have a similar wide tri-level sole grind.
“Our tri-sole is really forgiving for players who typically hit behind the ball a little bit,” Herr said. “The sole glides through the turf nice and easy, and you lose less ball speed on your shots when your sole glides through the turf.”
A tri-sole design is something more commonly found in custom wedge grinds and it allows designers to add bounce to the leading edge of the wedge while adding trail relief, giving players the ability to manipulate the face despite the wide sole. The tri-sole design should also give players more forgiveness out of the bunkers, encouraging the club to glide through the sand.
3. Opus-level spin
To help increase spin, Callaway is using the same grooves as its player-focused Opus wedges.
“It’s a tighter pitch groove with 37° wall angle, and this creates more spin around the green,” Herr said. “Any shot from 15 to 50 yards this is going to help create more spin.”
Price, specs and availability
Callaway CB12 Custom Wedge
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ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore, Callaway
The Callaway CB 12 wedge will be available at retail starting on July 18 and cost $179.99 for steel or $189.99 for graphite.
It will be available in loft/bounce options of 50/12, 52/12, 54/14, 56/14, 58/12 and 60/12 with stock shaft offerings being the KBS High Rev 3.0 115, Project X Denali Green 90 Wedge and Women’s UST Recoil.
Want to find the right wedge for your game in 2025? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.
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