Callaway JAWS Wedge Review (MD5 Version)

Your wedges are known as your “scoring clubs” because they are so useful from 100 yards and in.

They are also very versatile clubs that can be used for short approach shots, chipping, flop shots, getting out of a bunker, and any other shot around the green.

The Callaway JAWS MD5 are some of the best wedges on the market. After just a quick glance at these wedges you can see the quality of construction and sleekness of the design.

The following is a Callaway JAWS Wedge Review (the MD5 version) that both describes and rates these wedges and will help you decide whether or not they are the right wedges to carry in your bag.

Things to Consider Before Buying The Callaway JAWS MD5 Wedge

Callaway advertises the JAWS MD 5 as having “the most aggressive grooves in golf.” That is quite a statement, and while we can neither confirm or deny its truth, we can say that the backspin you can create with these wedges is incredible.

The groove-in-groove technology coupled with milled ridges in between the groove give you a consistently high back spin rate and great feel around the green. The shape and depth of the grooves are also catalysts for extra backspin.

In addition to the spin they produce, they also cut through any lie or terrain with a leading edge that helps you to make solid contact consistently.

On top of that, these are really good full shot wedges with progressive face technology that weights and designs each club face to provide optimal results for each loft.

They excel at providing extra spin on bump and runs, open face bunker and rough play, and spinning the ball back towards the hole when needed.

They look almost as good as they perform as they are some of the most aesthetically pleasing wedges on the market. 

Pros

• The feel and spin provided by these clubs set them apart.
• The spin rates are some of the highest in any wedge.
• A lot of combinations of sole grinds and lofts from which to choose.
• A very precise and tight design that looks great at setup.
• JAW groove design combines with the groove-in-groove technology to produce top notch friction and back spin on full shots and chips alike.
• The blue circles on the back of the club are both aesthetically pleasing and can help with alignment.
• The spin and distance comes effortlessly.
• Good for full wedge shots and chips/pitches alike.
• The larger face gives you a fraction of a second of extra contact between ball and face which helps with both control and spin.

Cons

•  Not as forgiving as some of the other wedges on this list.
• Some difficulties with alignment.

Features and Benefits of Buying Callaway JAWS MD5 Wedge

Construction (4.5 out of 5)

Club Head

The optimized head progression is a key component to the JAWS MD5 wedges.

The head shapes of these wedges progress from a traditionally shaped lob and sand wedge to a compact player preferred design in the gap and pitching wedges for a seamless transition into an iron set.

They are precisely shaped from 8620 mild carbon steel which gives them great aesthetics and very soft feel.

Grind Options

There are 5 distinct grind options available as follows:

• S-Grind: A medium width sole with moderate heel relief that keeps the leading edge low through impact. 10-degrees of bounce.
• C-Grind: Increased relief in the heel and toe area make this grind slightly easier to hit and better for high handicappers. 8-degreess.
• “Low Bounce” W-Grind: A very low bound option that is tapered from the heel to the toe which means the sole is slightly wider in the mid-section.
• X-Grind: A narrow, high bounce crescent shaped sole with the low point of the club toward the front. 12-degrees of bounce and found in the higher lofted clubs.
• W-Grind: A wide center and toe area and increasing bounce. Provides moderate heel relief and the front-to-back camber prevents digging.

Shaft Options

You cannot have good golf clubs without good shafts, and the JAWS MD5 have some really good stock options. There are 3 men’s options available as follows:

• Men’s: True Temper Tour Issue 115 (steel) and Project X Catalyst 80 (graphite); Lamkin UTX grip in blue/black. 
• Women’s: UST Recoil Wedge shaft (graphite): Lamkin Comfort grip in black/blue.

All of the shafts listed above are high in quality and there are enough options to.

Grooves

This is where these clubs really shine. The groove technology is a combination of the JAWS design and the groove-in-groove technology that make these some of the highest spinning wedges on the market.

Callaway refers to the groove technology on these clubs as “the most aggressive grooves in golf” and it is hard to argue with this statement.

Club Specs

There are 23 options (46 to 64 degrees) from which to choose that includes 5 sole grinds and 3 finishes. The club specs for each of these options is included below:

Model	Loft	Lie	Length	Bounce/Grind	Swing Weight
PW	46°	64°	35.75″	10° (S)	D3 (STL) | D2 (GRH)
PW	48°	64°	35.75″	10° (S)	D3 (STL) | D2 (GRH)
Gap	50°	64°	35.50″	10° (S) | 12° (W)	D3 (STL) | D2 (GRH)
Gap	52°	64°	35.50″	10° (S) | 12° (W)	D3 (STL) | D2 (GRH)
SW	54°	64°	35.25″	8° (C) | 10° (S) | 12° (W)	D4 (STL) | D3 (GRH)
SW	56°	64°	35.25″	8° (C) | 10° (S) | 12° (W)	D4 (STL) | D3 (GRH)
Lob	58°	64°	35.00″	8° (C, W) | 10° (S) | 12° (W, X)	D4 (STL) | D3 (GRH)
Lob	60°	64°	35.00″	8° (C, W) | 10° (S) | 12° (W, X)	D4 (STL) | D3 (GRH)
Lob	64°	64°	35.00″	10° (S)	D4 (STL) | D3 (GRH)

Performance (5 out of 5)

Forgiveness

This feature is growing in both popularity and importance for wedges of all lofts. In the past, forgiveness meant little to nothing when it came to wedges, but that is no longer the case.

With some of the top wedge makers in America focusing some time on cavity-back wedges, forgiveness is more important than ever.

These wedges are actually built more for lower handicap golfers, and as such forgiveness is a secondary feature.

However, the large surface area of the face, the bigger and deeper grooves, and the higher toe all make this a pretty forgiving players wedge.

Control/Shot Shaping

Control is vital when it comes to wedge play. How the club feels in your hand, the ease of alignment, the quality of the shafts, and the consistency and quality of construction all work together to give you the control features that you are looking for in your wedges.

The MD5 has all of this and more. The confidence that these clubs inspire standing over the ball is one of the best things about them, and that confidence comes from the control that these wedges give you. 

Spin

These wedges can increase your spin rate around the greens by a lot. The groove system that has been explained previously is one of the best on the market and it can help you spin your ball right at the target. If you want increased backspin without changing a lot about your swing, consider changing to the MD5.

Distance

These wedges are easy to hit and they help you put the ball right on the money no matter what type of swing you are taking. Increased distance is what you are looking for in your driver and fairway woods, but for the purpose of a wedge, you want consistency and precision, and that is what these wedges provide.

Looks/Sound/Feel (5 out of 5)

These are some of the best looking wedges out there, and have the more traditional look that many golfers like.

The angles are sharp, the colors work well, and the 2 different finishing choices both look great and offer some variety.

The ultra soft mild carbon steel and forged design give you superb feel around the green and the sound that you get with solid contact is second to none.

Cost (4 out of 5)

You definitely pay for the quality of these wedges, but they are also not the most expensive wedges on the market.

For the features offered, quality, and great looks of these clubs, they are actually a good value for the price.

Alternatives Of Buying Callaway JAWS MD5 Wedge

JAWS MD4 

The MD4 featured 21 loft and bounce combinations which is 2 less than the MD5 and the second most Callaway has ever offered.

One of the main differences in the MD4 and MD5 is that, with the MD5, as the lofts drop below 54-degrees, Callaway transitions to a more compact head to be visually more in line with irons.

This makes sense as the higher lofted wedges will have a shape more like the rest of your irons so that there is not as much difference in the look and feel.

Another major difference is that there is an additional grind option in the MD5 that was not available in the MD4.

Also, in dry testing, the MD5 wedges saw an increase in spin of about 500 rpm. The MD4 grooves are more the traditional looking groove with about a 5-degree sidewall, almost a round lip.

In contrast, the MD5 has a 37-degree sidewall with a very sharp radius that is both more consistent and more effective.

That is a lot of extra backspin, and it is one of the reasons that Callaway calls them “the most aggressive grooves in golf.”

Pros

• 21 combinations of bounce and loft combinations from which to choose.
• A very precise and tight design that looks great at setup.
• The groove-in-groove technology produces top notch friction and back spin on full shots and chips alike.
• The blue circles on the back of the club are both aesthetically pleasing and can help with alignment.
• The spin and distance comes effortlessly.
• Good for full wedge shots and chips/pitches alike.
• The larger face gives you a fraction of a second of extra contact between ball and face which helps with both control and spin.
• 2 premium finishes available for the club head.

Cons

• There are enough improvements in the MD5 to make it a much more desirable option.
• The cost is high.
• Not many options for women and lefties.

Callaway PM Grind

Watching Phil Mickelson hit a ball out of a greenside bunker is a thing of beauty. He is one of the best wedge players, with some of the softest hands around the green, that we have seen on tour.

Mickelson helped design the PM Grind and plays these wedges (the PM stands for Phil Mickelson) on tour.

The increased offset and higher toe make it a very hittable wedge while the groove-in-groove technology, the same found in the JAWS MD5, help provide one of the highest spin rates on the market.

The JAWS groove design provide a little extra spin than these, but the PM Grind do have some desirable features as well. These clubs were designed by a golfer with the features that low handicappers desire.

Pros

• The higher toe design gives you more hitting surface.
• The leading edge of the club interacts with the sand as well as any.
• The premium grips look great and promote greater feel.
• The four holes, while they look great, were actually placed there to reduce weight and increase swing speed and control.
• Immediate feedback.
• Very soft feel around the greens.
• Groove-in-groove technology produces a lot of backspin.
• Designed by Phil Mickelson.
• Different features than the JAWS MD5 but for the same price.

Cons

• Performs better around the green than as a full swing club.
• Tour quality clubs not built for higher handicap players, and these are definitely tour quality wedges.
• The higher toe looks differently at address and may turn some players off.

Final Thoughts on the Callaway JAWS Wedge Review (MD5 Version) – (4.5 out of 5)

Callaway continues to move up the list of wedge manufacturers, and the MD5 is a good example of that.

The spin rates of these clubs are unmatched while the other quality and functionality features found on them make them very desirable wedges. The groove system really sets these wedges apart and produce some of the best backspin you will find.

We would highly recommend these wedges to anyone who is looking to upgrade.