]The Mizuno Pro T-1 and T-3 wedges might be the most under-appreciated wedges on the market.
As part of my trip out to The Foundry, Mizuno’s R&D facility outside of Atlanta, I got to spend some time with Mizuno director of golf Chris Voshall to hit some balls and talk about the wedge lineup. I already played a set of Mizuno Pro wedges with a T-3 in my gap loft and T-1 wedges in the sand and lob lofts for about a year with stellar results, so it was fun to revisit the wedges and their performance.
What I love most about the Mizuno Pro wedges (and many of their predecessors) is the shape. They have a more compact shape than most other wedges, and there’s something about a smaller wedge head that just feels confidence-inspiring. It feels like I have no choice but to clip the ball nicely, particularly with the sand wedge loft on something like an 85-yard pitch that I want to get saucy with.
The compact shape also has a reasonable leading-edge design; it’s not sharp or edgy but also doesn’t bulge too much. There’s a great transition from the hosel into the edge with no sharp convergence point when you’re standing over the ball at address, which is something I get picky about. The hosel gets into the leading edge cleanly without any visual disruption, and each wedge has what I would consider to be a “meaningful” offset look. There is a touch of offset in the wedges but it’s done well, and provides some performance benefits when trying to flight the ball down, too.
Because these wedges are still using Mizuno’s Grain Flow Forged HD process, they feel terrific, and they’ve got the copper underlay to even further enhance the feel. They feel buttery off the face without veering into marshmallow territory. I still want my wedges to have a little bit of a click to them, and Mizuno accomplishes that. You can feel the compression of the ball and the cover getting ripped, but you still hear a nice solid sound at impact that inspires confidence. We all know that feel and sound when you clip a wedge — and Mizuno’s dialed it in.
You’ll also notice that the face has some interesting groove technology. They’ve got a bit tighter spacing on their Quad Cut Grooves, and they’ve added Hydroflow micro-grooves that help to repel moisture. All of this is great for maintaining spin performance not only on mishits but in all conditions. The clubs also have a progressive face design; the lower lofted options are built for spin consistency and ideal launch windows while the higher lofted options are built for maximum green-side usage and spin performance.
The T-3 underdog
I use two different Mizuno wedges in what would be my “gamer” set of Mizuno wedges. This is a feature of the lineup that I think needs to be talked about more. Mizuno has always had two congruent wedge shapes. Before T-1 and T-3, it was the T24 and the S23 wedges. With the latest Mizuno Pro series, though, the wedges have never been more similar. At address, it’s hard to tell which is which.
The T-1 has more grind options, but the T-3 does the exact job it was meant for: It provides just a touch more ball speed and forgiveness across the face on mishits, and it’s generally easier to get through the turf a bit more cleanly thanks to its more forgiving sole designs.
All of this makes the T-3 a wonderful companion in the lower lofted wedges, in particular, which is why I have my 50º in the T-3 instead of the T-1. I am taking 95% full shots with that club, and having a bit more forgiving platform with a touch more ball speed allows me to feel more confident in the full-swing performance. It also helps the gap wedge distance get a touch closer to my set pitching wedge, which creates nicer yardage gaps and more confidence out on the course.
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If you’re looking for a new set of wedges, I’d highly recommend giving the Mizuno Pro T-1 and T-3 wedges a try. They have a handful of grind and bounce options to choose from as well as a few finishes so you’re sure to find something you like. Players who want something a bit more compact that feels great, sounds great and perform as well as anything else out there are going to find one that fits their bag.
