Callaway Opus Wedges

By now most of the world knows that the Opus wedges are on their way from Callaway and no doubt most of you have seen the pictures. However, there is more than meets the eye to this release, and once again, many of the self-appointed internet sleuths whiffed on a few key details, don’t worry though, THP is here with the full rundown. 

The Callaway Opus Wedges Story

This release marks a big departure for Callaway in their wedges as far as both visual aesthetics and naming goes. Gone are the flange weight ports as well as the JAWS name. While we know that could be quite the emotional change for long time Callaway wedge users, sometimes a departure is needed, and that is precisely why they are running with the tagline, “Where Art Meets Science”. 

You see, there is a dance that occurs when designing a wedge, and art meeting science describes that perfectly. That is where the name “Opus” comes in, as the word itself has an elegance to it, and calls back to yesteryear when composers created their “magnum opus”.  Contrary to the internet wannabe news breakers out there, the name does not have anything to do with Roger Cleveland, so it’s time to let that theory go, sorry to burst that bubble. 

However, the story here gets much deeper than just that. What if we were to tell you that these new Opus wedges already have two Major victories under their belt? You might say that is impossible, as these would have been noticed in both Xander Schauffele and Yuka Saso’s bags, right? Indeed they would have, if not for some clever camouflage. 

For over a year now, Callaway has been working with their Tour players to develop this wedge and while all companies do that, usually it is the manufacturer bringing a designed club to their staff, with Opus they were literally designed withtheir players. That is why a JAWS Raw look was used as a sort of camouflage. All the time, they were re-shaping, altering, and innovating with their players, making this the company’s most Tour validated wedge design ever before it even releases. That is pretty cool. 

Callaway Opus Wedges

This is the sixth shape of the Opus wedges, showing even more the iteration work that went into the new designs. Along with that refinement, there is more than meets the eye. First, the most aggressive grooves in golf, as Callaway refers to them, are back and while they still feature the angled micro-grooves based on loft options, now there are even more grooves. To achieve that, they had to narrow the distance between them, adding two more grooves in the 60’s we got in hand compared to JAWS Raw. 

That change was part of the equation for lowering the launch compared to previous wedges. Additionally, gone now is the raw face, as according to Callaway, they don’t need it anymore thanks to some new techniques in creating surface roughness. By moving to a fully chrome/plated face and blasting it with quartz which actually penetrates into the face and creates roughness without breaking the finish, you now get more grab and durability versus raw. 

In Callaway’s real-world testing, the Opus design generated 500+ RPM more from the rough, and 1200+ from wet conditions than the JAWS Raw did. Not to mention, it also launched 5-degrees lower from the rough and 6-degrees lower in wet conditions. All this means more spin from every situation as well as a flatter and more controlled flight consistency to boot. 

Beyond visuals, there is another place it will be interesting to see the reactions when it comes to the new Opus wedges, and that is with grind options. This time around there will be T (58-60), C (58-60), S (48-60), and W (50-60) grinds available. Yes, you read that right, no X grind at release, and no word as to if we see its return down the road either, but we can hope. They will be available in Brushed Chrome, Black Shadow, and Tour Raw (Callaway Custom’s only). 

But wait, there is more. Callaway’s CEO, Chip Brewer, further challenged their design team by asking them, as good as the Opus tested, what could they accomplish if there were no financial constraints? The result of that is the Opus Platinum. 

This is a very unique release option, and a limited one as well with only 54, 56, 58, and 60 degree options available. The reason for that is in the technology, as they have a significantly higher CG than the standard Opus release does, and that lends well to higher lofted wedges to create even more trajectory control, but isn’t needed in the pitch or gap areas. 

All the technology in the Opus is present in Opus Platinum, the big change is with the application of 17 grams of Tungsten into the topline region of the wedges. To do this, Callaway has used MiM (Metal Injection Molding) construction to bond the tungsten with the body of the design. They are also adamant that while others have used MiM in the past, this specific proprietary mix of materials in this application has not been used in the industry. Not only does this mean better control, the dampening aspect of it also makes the feel even better. 

The Opus Platinum will be offered in Platinum Chrome as well as a stellar looking Platinum Blue finish, and the wedges also feature some additional flange milling as well as subtle visual differentiation to showcase the Tungsten. As mentioned, this is a SW and LW offering only, and there will also only be two grinds available in 54-60, the classic S, as well as the Z. 

The Details

Pre-Sale for the new Callaway Opus wedges will begin on 7/19/24 with Product at Retail dates of 7/26/24 for the Opus, and 8/16/24 for Opus Platinum. Both versions will come standard with UST Mamiya Dart HDC 65 (50 in women’s) and the True Temper DG Mid 115 in steel (gunmetal finish in the Platinum). Price point on the Opus will be $179.99 and Opus Platinum will come in at $229.99. 

Stay tuned to the THP Forum for more as we not only have these wedges in hand for formal testing, but there may also be a wider opportunity on the horizon. 

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