The Callaway Mack Daddy CB wedges are designed for forgiveness and to help you take the guess work out of your short game. Over the last handful of years, wedges have become more robust with grind options and sole designs.

Outside of the Cleveland CBX there have not been too many mainstream offerings that bring more forgiveness, while still allowing for the versatility wanted for the touch shots around the green. Callaway has decided to enter that space with the Mack Daddy CB.
If you are asking yourself about the market and if there is one for this style wedge, the answer is yes. According to the latest market share data, the rise of forgiving wedges continues. There are two points that are frequently discussed when it comes to wedges of this style. First, the obvious, that most golfers play cavity back irons, therefore the natural transition to a more forgiving wedge is seamless. The second, as lofts have strengthened and golfers are hitting wedges with full swings, having the forgiveness only helps.

The Mack Daddy CB wedges feature a slightly larger overall club head, which matches up well transitioning from game improvement irons. Combining that with a thicker top line and deep cavity back, the club is confidence inspiring.
There are two different sole grinds being offered by Callaway here. Both are engineered with consistency in mind. First is the full sole, which is available in the lower lofts, which makes sense considering how they are used. Moderate bounce and the perfect transition from irons. The second is a modified W grind for those that know Callaway wedges. The W enhances the bounce, which works well for bunkers and thicker rough. This grind also has a low leading edge to add versatility in opening up the face.

Last year Callaway brought back their proprietary JAWS groove with the launch of the MD5 lineup. This adds a level of precision in the groove edge sharpness to bring high levels of spin from all lies by channeling away grass and sand (and moisture). The Mack Daddy CB wedges are complimented with JAWS and on the higher lofts, the grooves extend across the entire face. Extremely helpful when manipulating the face open for that sand or splash type of shot out of the deeper grass.

The Mack Daddy CB wedge is complimented with premium components, both of which are brought in from KBS. The steel offering is the Hi-Rev 2.0 105 shaft, which is slightly lighter version of one of the most popular wedge shafts out there. The graphite option is a brand new shaft called KBS Hi-Rev G, which will be available in both 60 and 80 grams. We have tested both the steel and graphite (in 80g) and both compliment the club head rather well.
Unlike some offerings, the grip is not an afterthought here. Callaway and Golf Pride are teaming up to launch an all new short game grip called the SG-1. At 11.5″ it is longer than normal and will allow you to manipulate your hands a bit more when you want to choke down on the club for some distance control or touch shots.

The Details
In Stores: 9/24/20
Cost: $130
Dexterity: RH or LH
Lofts: 46, 48, 50, 52 – Full and 54, 56, 58, 60 – W Grind
That’ll be interesting. We need @Canadan to test that perimeter weighting though. We know he likes the sweet spot but think of others. Lol
Considering the consistency he saw across the board in his initial testing, it’ll be fun to see side by side comparisons vs blade offerings.
I’d love to try it in the 54° slot, compare it against my MD5. I wouldn’t even bother in the 58°, nothing is going to dethrone my PM Grind in that spot!
The JAWS grooves are great, I’m very curious about the SG-1 grip though.
Curious to try this one out.
The grip feels thin to me, kind of like a 580 or less Lamkin Crossline black and longer.
I would agree here that grip feels thin. I had the max amount of wraps put on and it still feels thin.
It’s handy, I’ll say that, almost to the point were I may choke down too much or too often.
TBH having played them for several rounds, I’m struggle with the delicate shot with these that I didn’t with the CBX2s.
Now I know there is a learning and adjustment period, so that’s why I grabbed them for October golf, when the scoring means a little less.
On full shot, I can pretty much stick a ball close, it’s the shorties that I have troubles with. Think the lightness is playing an issue.
Good call Iceman. The MD CB’s have been cool at times and some difficulties. But, it’s very early. Quite often it takes months to adopt to a new club. I am also overdoing the choking down and use on shorties. Time to think clearly on the right club selection depending on lie and distance. I have to be honest, I pulled out an old chipper club recently and I am loving it.
I’ve always felt Cally wedges were lighter than other OEMs
Interesting, I normally play midsize – if they offer a midsize version I’d go with it even to test
I don’t think they do in this longer grip, that is why I added the wraps.
I think that a heavier & longer grip (Midsize instead of the current version) might mess up the swing weight.
I like the midsize used to do extra wraps now just midsize- as for SW there are things you can do to get it where you want
These are listed at D4, which is light-ish for a wedge IMO. Have you thought about putting some lead tape on it to see if that helps? I’m not necessarily in the market for this one, but like seeing more options for sure.
The Lead Tape King has spoken!!!
I might have to give that a try…
I think that is changing a bit as others are as well.
ZipCore comes in at D4 or D5 depending on loft.
MD5 comes in at D4 for most lofts.
Vokey comes in at D5
So all three of the top sellers are with in 1 swing weight point of each other currently.
Would definitely help you get the SW up. I usually keep my irons at D3/4 so I go a little heavier in wedges.
Oh sure. I was speaking to personal preference. I like my clubs a little more head heavy.
I know I’m still adjusting however I think the CBX2 and CBX2 FF are better wedges for my game.
Not sure if the swing weight is the same however I just feel like the MDCB wedges are lighter.
I thankfully kept the CBX2 just in case. (I’ve gotten smarter and not gotten rid of older clubs until I know the new ones work)
I might keep the 54* in play and put the FF 60* back in the bag.
Have you ever tried full face grooves? I actually liked them on my PM grind wedge. You might be surprised by your reaction the first time you hit one out of the crap, look down and realize your ball nearly missed the clubface but you still got grooves on it
Other than a fitting bay no. If I get a chance to hit one a few times on a course I’ll come back. It’s nothing against Callaway, I didn’t like the Cleveland full face or the Taylormade Hi-Toe and I did test those on a course…same reason. I will try and find a Callaway to test.
They play a little light for me however if I can slow my swing down to feel the club – they are deadly accurate.
The Dome had two baskets to chip to, one about 25 yards and another 40ish.
Using the 58* I hit both baskets within 5 balls of trying – I hit one so early in the session that the person in the next station said to me "Well, I guess you’re done for the day"
The results that stand out to me is the consistency across the face. I can hit them almost anywhere on the face and I get the same distance.
Maybe not the same accuracy as centered strike but same distance.
I have yet to see a single one on course outside of one friend, even though they’re sold just about everywhere here
The weight is the one thing that worries me. They do feel super light in hand. I like the shape of the head tho.
Adjusting can be done. If buying off the rack, start with lead tape, find swing weight you would like.
I typically go from a set AW to a 56, which leaves about a 20-25 yard distance gap with my Apex 21s. I’m fine with that gap and can usually take some off the AW with ease, but I decided to try and fill it for shorter courses. Ordered the 52 CB with the same shaft I have in my irons. LOVE it. Head definitely looks bigger at address than the Jaws wedges. Really liked chipping with it, but full swings is where it shined. I was all over the 100 yard sign all afternoon. I’d estimate I hit 20 balls with it. One thin and one shank, but 18 shots that looked nearly identical. I’m definitely putting this wedge in the bag for tomorrow’s round.
the online pics make the hosel to face transition look kinda weird. did you find it to look a lot different than the regular md5 jaws wedge?
Here are some side-by-sides:
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52 was star of the show today. 2 chips: made one and left one just 6 inches short. Never had it into a green, but used it to layup or get back into position. Automatic 100-105 club for me.
that hosel transition bothers me
Go see it in person. It’s not like the PM, for example.
P.S. Clunkiness is a highly sophisticated technical term that I just made up.
Looks – it’s got a little junk in the trunk compared to blades, but they carry the weight well. I can’t tell anything’s different at address. I didn’t see a big difference between these and the Cleveland CBX wedge I had a brief stint with.
Numbers – launch was a within my normal range and spin was high 9k+ rpm. I had no problems in the launch monitor getting the ball to spin and stop or come back. Half wedges still gave me 8500+ rpm depending on the ball and strike. Forgiveness was there when I hit a few off the toe, costing me half a club at most.
Real World – I like to have a bit of fun with my wedges and hit flop shots when I don’t need to. The extra help doesn’t get in the way of hitting Mickelsonesque flops that get up high quick and land soft. Creativity won’t be impacted a bit. I’ve added a low spinny chip and pitch with my 56 and 52. It’s a shot I’ve always wanted to have and now I do. I full swing my wedges. Distance has been what I’d expect with some slight variations based on contact, but much better than I have been. I’ve been sticking the ball close to the pitch mark or sucking it back. That’s a new thing.
Bottom line – I’m not always hitting bullseyes, but either my short game has improved from not practicing for 3 years or these clubs are doing their jobs well. I wanted to give these wedges a shot since if our resident Iron Byron can benefit from CB wedges, I can only imagine how much better they’d work for a weekend hacker. Overall I’m impressed with them.
Love the chatter.
After a short stint with the CBX, what made you change? And what made you try a similar style club again?
I think it was more of a new release coming out rather than anything negative with the CBX. I liked the CBX, I just liked trying new clubs more. The video with Canadan kind of reminded me that CB wedges exist and they can help. I also got a bit tired of telling myself that I had to be better with a wedge in hand. I still say it, just not as often.
I didn’t have a chance to do anything with it today other than unbox it and put it in the bag, but I’ll be taking it out on the course tomorrow. Looking forward to trying it out, new equipment is always fun!
Before the MD5s, I played Cleveland RTX 588 CBs for a couple years and they just felt dead to me – I had no touch with them and couldn’t feel where the strike was on the face. The MD CB feels much better – the impact feels solid and a good strike sounds good. I’m a lot more confident with it on full swings than I was with the MD5, and won’t hesitate to pull it when the yardage calls for it rather than trying to baby a partial AW. Same with around the green – I still use (and love!) the 58° PM Grind for the short touch shots, but for anything longer than that I quickly developed a feel for the MD CB and felt confident with it. The course we were playing was Bermuda and I used it from a variety of lies from tight/bare to fluffy – the grind and bounce combination handled them all well. Glad I took a chance with the MD CB, it’s a keeper in the bag!
If your golf season is winding down, there’s no harm in waiting. But it’s also a good club and the THPer in me says get one now. No wrong choice.
It seems to be a buyers market right now, so I got everything at reasonable prices.
I looked at buying new but there are still significant wait times…
I just went with the stock steel shaft that was in it (KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 105). I don’t have a lot of experience messing around with aftermarket shafts, and I’ve always gotten along pretty well with Callaway’s shaft offerings. Without going and doing a fitting, I’d just waste a lot of money on trial and error. One round is a pretty small sample size, but I didn’t notice anything objectionable about the KBS.