There have been plenty of new golf club releases that have been making big waves so far this year, but not many have been as highly anticipated as the latest TaylorMade arrival — the 2023 MG4 Wedge.

Never one to shy away from taking the latest gear for a spin, ARN presenter and former Golf Digest Middle East editor Robbie Greenfield put the club through its paces in a review for eGolf TV at Trump International Dubai’s TaylorMade Performance Studio.

“The club I’m holding in my hand is one that’s creating a lot of buzz in the market for 2023,” he says. “I have to say, it’s a beautiful looking club. 

“Let’s start with an overview of the TaylorMade MG4 Wedge. It’s fourth generation, which means there were three preceding it. And the story really started with inspiration and insight from, for my money at least, the greatest short-game exponent of all time, the legendary Tiger Woods. 

“It was he who really inspired this ‘Milled Grind’ design and a lot of his input, a lot of his insight was instrumental in developing the quality wedge.

“It has been taken on by today’s great players: Collin Morikawa is one of the key testers for this wedge, Rory McIlroy has so much faith in it that it’s gone straight in his bag. 

“It’s packed full of great technology. It’s a serious wedge in this market.” 

Robbie is quick to point out that the familiar TaylorMade technology is present on the face of the MG4.

“The raw face technology which we found in the MG3 is back,” he adds. “It’s got that almost-rough, almost-sandpaper quality to it. It’s something you notice straight away with this club. When you remove the sticker brand new out of the shop, it begins to oxidise. And that raw face technology is extremely effective at getting spin rates up regardless of whether that’s around the green or with full shots as well. It’s a very noticeable aspect to this club and it’s going to appeal to a lot of players who are looking to generate spin. 

“What is new for the MG4 is laser-etching technology. Think of it, if you like to dumb it down a little bit, as a groove within a groove. It’s a channel which allows more water, more fluid, to escape when conditions are wet, when it’s wet underfoot. Now, you might be thinking: ‘We’re in the Middle East here. It barely ever rains. Surely this isn’t relevant.’ I cannot tell you the amount of times I’ve teed off early in the morning. It’s very dewy. The clubs do get very wet and of course that’s going to affect spin rates. And what we’re trying to achieve is consistency across the board, no matter the conditions with our spin rates. 

“Now, sure, there will be a slight drop-off when it’s wet underfoot, but this laser-etching technology is very effective at bridging the gap between those spin rates from dry conditions to wet conditions.” 

Robbie also finds the MG4 very pleasing to the eye.

“The changes are subtle, but they’re there nonetheless,” he says. “And what you’re looking at really is a smoother profile, a slightly softer, more tour-inspired head shape here. And this works just for when you lay the club open flat to play one of those high, lofted flop shots or if you’re playing a standard shot with a nice square face at address, it looks great. And it comes in two different finishes, a satin chrome and a matte black. 

There are loads of different bounce and grind options. And of course, when you go for your fitting at eGolf Megastore, you can tailor specifically the wedges in your bag to best suit your game. That is important, but the key thing is you’ve got the options here with the TaylorMade MG4.

“Immediate things that I notice having hit a few shots down in the bay to a flag of around 80 yards, the spin is impressive. The ball is stopping, it’s grabbing, which is what we want to see when we’re hitting a wedge. I was getting over 10,000 rpm on the TrackMan, which are great numbers for me, very happy about that. And the other thing is the flight, obviously we want to keep the ball down. We want it to fly a little bit lower, a little bit more penetrating and consistent with a wedge. And I was really happy with what I was seeing here. Some really good trajectory on these wedges. Couple that with some good spin and that’s a winning combination. 

“So all in all, both off the mat of course, which is much easier and off the much more difficult turf. I’m getting a really nice response from the MG4 wedges. 

“It is another impressive launch by the company for 2023 and as with any club but specifically wedges, it’s really important for you to head down to the eGolf Megastore and get fitted when it is when it comes to choosing the different grind options, choosing the different bounce options. Everyone has different specifications that’s going to get the best out of their game. And a fitting is essential when it comes to purchasing a new wedge.”

Wise words, Robbie. Wise words.

Images: Supplied