Cheap Vs Expensive Wedge Test - £30 Inesis Vs £149 Callaway

How much does price affect performance?

Cheap Vs Expensive Wedge Test - £30 Inesis Vs £149 Callaway
(Image credit: Neil Tappin GoPro)
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We tested the £30 Inesis wedge up against a premium offering from Callaway at Bishops Gate International Junior Golf Academy in Florida

Cheap Vs Expensive Wedge Test - £30 Inesis Vs £149 Callaway

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Cheap Vs Expensive Wedge Test - £30 Inesis Vs £149 Callaway

How much does the price you pay affect the performance you get?

We bought an Inesis wedge from a Decathlon store for £29.99 and wanted to see how it compared with a premium model, so we put it up against a Callaway Jaws MD5 wedge that would set you back around £149.

So around £120 price difference, and if you are in the market for wedges you're probably going to be buying more than one.

The question is, if you were to go for a wedge for just £30, what would you be giving up on?

Watch the video above or read below for our thoughts on the £29.99 Inesis.

Looks

If you're going to be spending £150 on a wedge then you certainly want it to look good and the truth is that the Callaway MD5 does indeed look stunning.

We loved the way it looked behind the ball and the chrome finish is superb.

It also looks fantastic in the bag.

The Inesis wedge looks incredibly simple and we thought that is a really good thing.

There is nothing to put you off this wedge.

It has a slightly duller grey finish as well as a noticeably thicker top line and a more generous hitting area, the sort of thing a beginner golfer or higher handicap will appreciate.

It is definitely a more confidence-inspiring look.

Left - Inesis, Right - Callaway

But generally speaking, it's not quite as eye-catching as the Callaway but is it offensive? No, it looks really simple, really classic and anybody could play it.

  • Related: The Best Wedges 2020

Feel

The feel from the Callaway is ultra-soft and smooth and you know you're going to get plenty of spin if you strike it out of the middle.

It's just beautiful, really soft and silky through the impact.

It's exactly what we'd expect from a premium wedge but how does the Inesis compare?

It feels a little heavier but through the ball there isn't a huge amount of difference.

Indoors on a launch monitor we found it slightly louder and firmer but that was less noticeable when out on the course.

If we were choosing one for feel, we'd go for the Callaway but the Inesis is pretty good.

You're only paying £30 for it and it's good to know that it doesn't feel terrible through the ball - nice and smooth and feels like there's spin on offer.

On course test

We hit both wedges from the 70 yard range and we found both to be very similar from this distance.

The two closest shots were with the Callaway but the Inesis more than held its own.

We noticed that the Inesis seemed to be spinning just as much as the Callaway MD5.

Related: 12 Things you didn't know about Callaway

Performance

Having tested both wedges indoors and outdoors, we were very impressed with the Inesis' performance.

As you can see in the numbers above on 100 yard shots, they're very similar with the Callaway, as you'd expect, spinning a little bit more.

However, on the 50 yard shots we noticed more of a difference between the two with the spin rate gaps increasing.

It's perhaps not a huge difference but it is there and goes to show that when you're hitting shorter shots you are giving up a little bit on spin control.

You'd expect to be giving up something if you're putting a £30 wedge into play and this is what that would be, however it is certainly not vast and we thought that was really good to see.

We would say that the performance we got from the Inesis on the launch monitor, using premium Pro V1 golf balls, was pretty good.

Verdict

Over the years we've tested an awful lot of golf equipment and this was definitely one of the most enjoyable ones we've done.

This one has been really revealing because Inesis, we think, have done a great job.

Cheap Vs Expensive Wedge Test - £30 Inesis Vs £149 Callaway

The Callaway was also brilliant, it is absolutely a premium wedge in terms of the way that it both looks and performs, how it feels, how it spins around the green.

It's an excellent wedge and if you are looking for great looking wedges that perform brilliantly, then investing in the MD5s will not disappoint.

However, at no point did we really feel that we were giving up on something whilst hitting the Inesis.

The full shots spun up nicely, it performed well on the launch monitor, it felt good and the simple look is good too.

What the designers have done is not try to re-invent the wheel but just create a wedge that won't put people off.

They've done a great job, we like the grey, dull look to it and it's a very impressive product.

The only downside is that the face was slightly worn after a long day of testing, much more so than with the Callaway.

Cheap Vs Expensive Wedge Test - £30 Inesis Vs £149 Callaway

Left - Callaway, Right - Inesis

The Inesis was starting to scuff up a bit on the face.

What the means in the long term we don't know, perhaps you'll be giving up a little bit of spin a bit sooner than you would in its lifespan.

But, let's not forget you're only paying £30.

The grip is fine, it's not brilliant but it's fine, the feel is really good, it has that generous hitting area and slightly thicker topline that higher handicaps will like.

Full marks to Inesis for producing a product that a lot of golfers could put into play.

Would you put the Inesis wedge in the bag? Let us know on social media

For more equipment tests and all the latest golf news, check the Golf Monthly website and follow our social media channels @golfmonthlymagazine on Facebook and @golfmonthly on Twitter and Instagram

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