TaylorMade Milled Grind 2 Wedge Review

TaylorMade Milled Grind 2 Wedge Review - Joel Tadman assesses the unique concept of the MG2 wedge with its raw face that will rust over time

Overall rating:

TaylorMade Milled Grind 2 Wedge

Pros:

A very clever concept, well executed. Overall these wedges produced good spin, a soft feel and the rusty look that appears on the face over time reduces sun glare.

Cons:

No conclusive evidence to suggest the face when rusty generates more spin. Not everyone will enjoy the rusty look.

Manufacturer:

TaylorMade

Price as reviewed:

£149.00

TaylorMade Milled Grind 2 Wedge Review

With its patented Raw Face technology, you could certainly make a case for the Milled Grind 2 wedge being one of TaylorMade’s most innovative products in recent years.

This out-of-the-box thinking is said to offer all the benefits of a raw rusty face, which TaylorMade say there are plenty, while the rest of the head maintains either its satin chrome or matte black finish.

It was a theory we were keen to test out so we hit the wedge with the brand new face, having just removed the airtight sticker, and then tested it again after the face had rusted.

The Foresight Sports GCQuad launch monitor couldn’t provide any conclusive evidence to suggest the rusty face produced more spin than the brand new face. In fact, on a 50-yard pitch and full shot, it generated less spin and launched the ball higher, suggesting there was less friction stopping the ball riding up the face at impact.

That said, when testing on the course there was some shots that seemed to fly lower and check up more than shots hit with a plated wedge. It just goes to show that there are so many variables when it comes to strike, especially with wedge shots, it can be difficult to accurately ascertain genuine performance differences.

Looks will play a big part here too though. Some golfers won’t like the look of a rusty wedge, feeling it makes it look worn out and older than it is, while others will. The rusty section does frame the ball nicely and the wear pattern that will appear over time provides a narrowed focus over the ball.

It does also significantly reduce glare from the sun although if you have a darker shade of brown sand in your bunkers, it could make alignment more difficult.

Differences in sound and feel were also tricky to distinguish although if we had to choose, the rusty-faced version arguably did feel a touch softer. The two sole grind options should provide enough versatility for the majority of players and the overall playability of the wedge was impressive, especially when it came to the clean turf interaction from tight lies.

Golfers now have the option to personalise MG2 wedges via the MyMG2 programme, with multiple colour details and stamping options to choose from.

Verdict

A clever offering from TaylorMade that will certainly appeal to the majority, although some will be put off by the look of the rust that forms on the face. We couldn’t prove with any certainty that the rusty face generated more spin or felt softer, but you might have more success if you give them a try and every other area of performance was second to none.