TaylorMade’s Hi-Toe wedge has always been about giving golfers creativity around the greens. With the new Hi-Toe 5, TaylorMade has taken that idea further, combining a completely forged construction, a striking new look and five distinct grind options designed to handle different swings, lies and course conditions.
We headed to TaylorMade’s Kingdom in California to put the new Hi-Toe 5 through its paces. Jack was joined by one of the engineers behind the product to break down not only what has changed, but something that can be far more important when choosing a wedge: which grind should you actually be playing?
The Big Story: Forged Feel
The first thing that separates Hi-Toe 5 is feel.
TaylorMade has moved to a fully forged construction using soft carbon steel, with precision geometry designed to produce premium feel and feedback from a variety of lies and conditions.
That forged construction is something you notice quickly when you start hitting different shots around the green. There is a softness and responsiveness at impact that gives Hi-Toe 5 a much more premium sensation, particularly on the partial shots where feedback becomes so important.
Combine that with the new visual package and TaylorMade has produced a wedge that looks every bit as premium as it feels. The larger overall profile, expanded toe area and full-face grooves are designed to inspire confidence when you start manipulating the face around the greens. TaylorMade has also pushed the center of gravity higher to help create a lower, more penetrating flight while maintaining high spin and control.
Spin When Conditions Aren’t Perfect
Of course, feel is only part of the equation.
Hi-Toe 5 uses aggressive saw-milled grooves manufactured to extremely tight tolerances. TaylorMade says the steeper groove walls and sharp radii are designed to maximize spin from different lies.
The RAW face is also paired with TaylorMade’s Spin Tread Technology. Laser-etched channels help move moisture away from the face and increase friction at impact, with the goal of retaining more spin when you’re playing from wet grass or less-than-perfect conditions.
But the really interesting part of Hi-Toe 5 may be underneath the club.
Five Grinds and Five Different Jobs
TaylorMade offers Hi-Toe 5 in five grinds: ATS, ATV, ATW, ATX and ATC. The idea is to cover a wide range of playing conditions and swing types while giving golfers different combinations of versatility and forgiveness.
This was one of the most valuable parts of our testing at The Kingdom. Rather than simply hitting each wedge from the same spot, Jack was able to work through the different grinds with the engineer who helped design them, changing lies, conditions and shot types to understand where each option fits.
Jack’s Standouts: ATV and ATX
Two grinds really stood out to Jack during testing: ATV and ATX.
The reason was versatility.
What impressed us wasn’t simply a number on the sole. It was the range of shots these grinds allowed Jack to play as the lie and situation changed.
For the golfer who wants to manipulate the face, change trajectory and use one wedge for a variety of shots around the green, these were two of the most interesting options in the lineup.
And that gets to the bigger point with Hi-Toe 5: choosing a wedge shouldn’t simply be about choosing a loft.
How you deliver the club, the turf you normally play from, the type of sand at your course and the shots you like to hit can all influence which grind makes the most sense.
Struggle from Bunkers? Pay Attention to the ATW
If there was one option that could potentially make an immediate difference for a huge number of recreational golfers, though, it was the ATW.
The ATW is the highest listed bounce in the Hi-Toe 5 family.
During our bunker testing, this thing was impressive.
For golfers who struggle with traditional bunker technique, the ATW could be a really interesting option. Rather than feeling like you need to manufacture the perfect splash shot every time, Jack found he could make something much closer to a normal golf swing and let the wedge help get the ball out.
That is a big deal.
There are plenty of golfers who lose shots simply because they don’t have the time or technique to become great bunker players. A wedge that gives them more margin for error could potentially take a lot of stress out of that part of the game.
The ATW won’t be the right answer for everybody, and that’s exactly why TaylorMade has five grinds. But for the golfer whose immediate reaction when the ball enters a bunker is concern rather than confidence, the ATW deserves some serious attention.
Which Hi-Toe 5 Grind Should You Play?
That’s ultimately the question we wanted to answer at The Kingdom.
The Hi-Toe 5 story starts with the premium forged feel and the fantastic new visual, but the real opportunity for golfers comes from matching the right sole to the way they actually play.
For Jack, the ATV and ATX stood out for their versatility, while the ATW was arguably the biggest eye-opener of the test, particularly for golfers who need more help from the sand.
But there isn’t one grind that’s automatically best.
There is a grind that’s best for you.
That’s why we’d recommend watching our full test from TaylorMade’s Kingdom in California, where Jack works through the different Hi-Toe 5 options with the engineer behind the product. You’ll see how the different grinds react from different lies and conditions, and get a much clearer understanding of which one could suit your game.