Unofficial Forum Review - Callaway Sure Out Wedge

[Kenny B]

Callaway Sure Out Wedge review by Kenny B

 

First, a little about me and my golf game…  I will be 71 next month.  I've been playing golf since I gave up softball, volleyball, and basketball in the early 1990's.  I needed something to play that didn't hurt my ever-aching body.  Well, golf isn't quite it, but it's probably better for me than gin rummy, shuffleboard, and naps.  Like most people that take up golf, I sliced, then sliced some more.  After a couple of years, I made the decision to learn to hit the ball straight or give up the game.  I took lessons (should have done that in the beginning); single plane swing lessons.  My swing got better and so did my handicap, dropping from 20-something to low teens.  What was holding me up then was my short game.  I had “hands of stone” according to my club pro.  Stabbing at chips and poor speed control with the putter.  So, I spent a LOT of time around the practice green.  My putting improved first, since the more time I spent on the greens, the more comfortable I felt stroking a putt.  About 3 years ago I started looking at the hole when putting, and I went from a decent putter to a good putter (at least in my mind, but that's another story).

 

While my putting improved several years ago, good wedge play was more difficult.  On the green every putt has the same lie and it's just a matter of getting the correct line and the correct speed (heard someone on the Golf Channel say that once; he's correct by the way!).  Around the green, chipping is very different; good lies, bad lies, tight lies, short rough, long rough, uphill, downhill, sidehill, etc.  I didn't have much confidence; I knew I wasn't a good chipper, and I usually didn't disappoint myself.  Enter my SCOR wedges… for some reason the SCORs seem to work better for me than any other wedge I had tried.  My brand new Vokeys went to the garage.  About that same time I moved to a more upscale muni that has a good practice area, I retired from my job, and I spent a lot of time working on my short game.  Maybe it was the SCORs, maybe it was just more practice time, but probably a little of both but my short game improved.

 

OK, let's get to the sand wedge.  My old golf course had no bunkers, so no practice there.  When I traveled to other courses, I struggled in the sand.  Even though I play “bunker avoidance”, it was inevitable that I would be in one.  My current course has many bunkers on the course, and a practice geenside bunker.  In the past two years I have worn out my SCOR 54* in those bunkers, and honestly, I am not much better out of the sand now then I was before I joined.  So, I started looking for an alternative sand wedge.

 

We have all seen the big bounce wedges on GC commercials; XE-1, C3i, and in stores my favorite was always the Cleveland Smart Sole.  Last year, Callaway came out with the Sure Out wedge, a takeoff of the Ben Hogan Sure Out.  Callaway worked with Hank Haney in the design of this new wedge.  On a trip to Portland, Oregon in February, I stopped at Dick's Sporting Goods because I had an old gift card and decided to give the Callaway Sure Out a try.  The Sure Out comes in 56*, 58*, 60* and 64*.  Dick's only had the 58* and 64* in stock.  I bought the 58*.

I have played with this club for about 6 weeks now with a lot of sand practice.  All pictures shown in this review were taken last week, and the wear is very reasonable for the number of shots.  The shine has worn off.

 

 

Test Results

 

Before I took the Sure Out onto the course, I spent a couple of hours hitting the wedge out of various lies around and in the practice bunker.  The first thing I noticed was the Sure Out has grooves all the way across the face of the club, similar to the Callaway PM Grind wedge.  It also has some relief in the hosel area which should make it less likely to hit sh@nks.  

 

 

The second thing I noticed was the Sure Out is heavier and shorter with a more upright lie angle than my SCORs, which is understandable since I ordered my SCORS 1” long and 2* flat.  I didn't have a problem; I'm just stood closer to the ball which might be a good thing.  

 

The third thing I noticed was the ball flies higher and shorter with the same swing.  My 58* SCOR has a more penetrating flight than the 58* Sure Out.  I probably should have ordered the 56* Sure Out, since I want to use this wedge to replace my 54* SCOR.  I will NOT be replacing my 58* SCOR with this wedge; I love my SCOR, but this Sure Out has some great features.

 

I can hit the Sure Out from any lie around the green, even tight lies.  I was a little concerned about the big bounce not working on our hard turf, but as long as the attack angle is steep, it will do the job.  However, I would always use my SCOR for that shot anyway.  In rough the Sure Out is amazing, so effortless to dig the ball out.  I would use this wedge for rough over my SCOR.

 

 

Well, what about the sand??  Being a muni, the sand at my course is not what you would find at a resort or private club.  The Sure Out worked well for any sand shot I attempted. Like they say in the C3i wedge commercial, “Not one of them stayed in the bunker.  They all came out.”  I like this club!!  

 

I took my 54* SCOR out of the bag, mainly because I didn't want to use it while I was testing the Sure Out but also because I need my 58* SCOR for many shots around the green.  Since the Sure Out is now the club that goes the shortest distance, I have a yardage gap between my 58* SCOR and my 50* SCOR, but I have been able to manage it by varying shots with my 50*.  I rarely ever use my 54* SCOR for full shots anyway.  

 

Tips for playing this type of wedge are correct when they say to play square to the ball.  I tried setting up open like for a regular wedge, and the ball goes in the direction of setup.  Just setup square and make a swing.  It doesn't get any easier than that.  Play the ball back in your stance and the shot is lower and carries further; play the ball forward in your stance and the ball flies higher and shorter.

 

 

I won't say that this club will be great for everyone.  If you are good with traditional wedges, I wouldn't bother with any of these big flanged wedges.  They are a specialty club.  However, if you struggle to get out of bunkers, you should seriously consider getting one of these types of wedges… or take a bunch of bunker lessons!!  Oh BTW, I haven't hit a sh@nk with it… yet!

 

I will keep this Callaway Sure Out in my bag for now.  I may look at replacing it with a 56* in the future.  I certainly don't need any higher lofted wedge; this 58* goes plenty high for all the shots I need.  

 

If you have any questions, I will be happy to try to answer them.

 

[GolfJunkie302]

Great review. Looks like a wedge a lot of us could use!

 

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[MaxEntropy]

Thanks for the review! I may have to give one of these a try. I consider myself a decent bunker player when there is nice sand, but I see value in something that I can trust in varying lies around the green.

[deejaid]

Nice review Kenny. I'm kind of in the same boat as you. I don't want to replace my 56 SW for around the green, but my sand game is just not where it need to be. I might need to try one of these large sole wedges.

 

 

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[Kenny B]

Nice review Kenny. I'm kind of in the same boat as you. I don't want to replace my 56 SW for around the green, but my sand game is just not where it need to be. I might need to try one of these large sole wedges.

 

 

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I never really used my 54* SCOR for much of anything around the green except for bunker shots.  The Callaway Sure Out can do everything I did with my 54* much better.  My only concern is that a full shot distance doesn't come close to even my 58* SCOR, but I never really used my 54* for full shots anyway, and I rarely do for my 58* SCOR.  

 

I figure the Sure Out is worth about 1-2 shots a round to my score depending on where I hit my approach shots.  Last week, I did make a sandy birdie with it; first one ever.

[Miboy62]

Great review thanks,

In our Sunday golf group one of the guys bought one of these, from the golf show.

Our 1st round this year, he was getting out of the sand with ease.

[HardcoreLooper]

Kenny B - Awesome review. I'm another convert to wide-soled wedges. Keep spreading the good word.

[revkev]

When you say shorter and higher might it be a candidate to replace my SCOR 60 which is worn out?

 

Also as I recall you were quite good out of the sand when we played. But that could have been because our sand and your sand game meshed. We changed sand early last winter and I had huge issues. It was like a childhood sand box. I could get the ball out at all not matter how hard I swing. Apparently I wasn't alone as we've switched back.

 

So back to the original question. I'm thinking of trying an equalizer 60 to replace my SCOR. Could the Sure Out 58 also be in the mix?

 

 

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[MattF]

Nice review Kenny. As you may know, I got the Cleveland Smart Sole S for bunkers before I went to Florida and it was probably the best golf purchase I've made to date...the only way to get out of a bunker easier is to pick up the ball and throw it.

[Kenny B]

Nice review Kenny. As you may know, I got the Cleveland Smart Sole S for bunkers before I went to Florida and it was probably the best golf purchase I've made to date...the only way to get out of a bunker easier is to pick up the ball and throw it.

Good choice!  I like the Cleveland Smart Sole S.  I might have gotten it instead of the Callaway Sure Out, but the Dick's I went to didn't have one.  I wouldn't say that one has an advantage over the other, but I would say that any wide soled wedge is probably better out of sand and rough than traditional wedges... for people that struggle with that shot.

[Kenny B]

When you say shorter and higher might it be a candidate to replace my SCOR 60 which is worn out?

 

Also as I recall you were quite good out of the sand when we played. But that could have been because our sand and your sand game meshed. We changed sand early last winter and I had huge issues. It was like a childhood sand box. I could get the ball out at all not matter how hard I swing. Apparently I wasn't alone as we've switched back.

 

So back to the original question. I'm thinking of trying an equalizer 60 to replace my SCOR. Could the Sure Out 58 also be in the mix?

Kind words about my bunker game.  I remember a few of the shots I had at Bayou, and I think I was lucky.  I do agree with you about the sand.  I would love to have the sand at Bayou on my course.  Our bunkers vary quite a bit from sandbox sand to thin, hard surface.  The wind around here blows the sand out of the bunkers.  We usually get a couple of dump truck loads a year.  

 

Depending on the shaft, I would think the Equalizer would play similar to our SCORs.  An FYI... last year I replaced the graphite shaft in my SCORs with an 84g Nippon Zelos 8 steel shaft.  That is the same shaft as in my Bridgestone JGR Forged Hybrid irons.  Love that shaft!

 

I would suggest that if you want to consider the Sure Out or the Cleveland Smart Sole S, find someone with that wedge and give it a try.  I actually think that it would be a good club in Florida out of bunkers, rough, and even the Bermuda fairway.  Your turf is much softer than that in my area.  If you are using a 60* for full shots, I doubt that the Sure Out will travel the same distance, but that might be the shaft.  The club is heavy and the shaft is stiff IMO, which is why it works well out of sand and rough.  I likely will at some time replace the shaft with the Nippon shaft.  It might then be more versatile for the shots I need.  I won't be replacing my SCOR 58* anytime soon!!