The past couple of years has truly been a resurgence for Wilson Golf, noticeably after the release of the Dynapower driver and fairway woods at the beginning of 2023. The brand has made a serious effort to once again establish itself as a major player in the equipment space and shows no signs of slowing down with the release of the Staff Model ZM wedges.
I have tested some brilliant wedges released this year, including the likes of the Titleist Vokey SM10 and Ping S159, both of which are already considered some of the best wedges on the market and the Staff Model ZM wedges look every bit as good on the eye. These wedges boast a real classic-looking profile and the detailing on the back is fairly simplistic, which is to my preference. The eagle-eyed amongst you will notice the iconic Wilson shield logo has been refined and stripped back to where it doesn’t have any text - a really nice change that makes it look and feel more premium.
I’m a huge fan of how this wedge looks down behind the ball. The leading edge is on the straighter end of the spectrum, but there is enough curve to it to inspire a touch of confidence to those who may be seeking it and helped me when testing and finding myself in smelly lies around the green. I would say this wedge is aimed at the better player though with its slightly more compact head design and so those less confident may look more towards some of the most forgiving wedges.
The head itself is made from 8620 forged steel and has gone through garnet face blasting and ZM precision milling to create more friction and increase traction and performance, particularly in wetter conditions. It did take me slightly off guard with how firm the face felt through impact - some may want something that feels like the ball stays on the face for a little longer. The spin produced on the Staff Model ZM wedge was generous but nothing to write home about. I saw good reception on the greens from pitch shots and fuller wedge shots, yet not quite as much spin when hitting shorter shots within five to ten paces of the green.
One of the cool options offered by Wilson with these Staff Model ZM wedges is the high toe and full-face groove offering in the 56° to 60° wedges. This is technology we have seen from the likes of the TaylorMade High-Toe wedge and offered in the Callaway Jaws line up. I tested the 54° model which had 8° of bounce - a couple less than I was used to, although I did enjoy how this wedge glided through the turf and made it really easy to hit high, floating wedge shots into slightly more tucked away pin locations. There are three bounce options available with the Staff Model ZM wedges, high, medium and low.
Overall I would say this is a really good looking wedge with decent performance to match. It didn’t perhaps feel as soft as I would have liked through impact but it’s worth noting this is very much personal preference. The Wilson Staff Model ZM wedges will come to retail at $149/£145.
