CROMWELL, Conn. — It has been almost two years since TaylorMade released the Milled Grind 3 (MG3) wedges, so it should not be a surprise that the Carlsbad, California-based equipment maker is ready to come out with new short-game tools for staff players like Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa, Nelly Korda and Tommy Fleetwood.
Tuesday in the practice area at TPC River Highlands, site of this week’s Travelers Championship, Golfweek spotted Morikawa hard at work with several TaylorMade PGA Tour reps. When the two-time major winner wasn’t testing with Stealth 2 driver heads, he was trying new Milled Grind 4 (MG4) wedges that TaylorMade has brought to the PGA Tour for the first time.
TaylorMade representatives are not sharing details about the wedges yet, but in-hand photos and observations reveal a few things.
At least three sole grinds.Golfweek saw wedges marked S, LB and HB, which typically stands for standard, low bounce and high bounce.
New surface roughening. The MG3 wedges were designed with a series of raised micro-ribs in the raw steel hitting area, but the MG4 wedges do not have them. Instead, there are microgrooves running at a 45-degree angle to the main grooves. If a golfer opens the face of the MG4 wedges, the microgrooves square to the target line and likely provide extra friction for added spin.
Lots of milling. As the name implies, the MG4 wedges have a milled sole from the toe to the heel. Milling requires a computer to direct a fast-spinning bit to pass back and forth across the club, shaving off tiny pieces of material to create the exact shape that designers request. It is the most-precise method of manufacturing and helps TaylorMade ensure that the sole configurations are the same on every club.
Below are in-hand images of TaylorMade’s yet-to-be-released Milled Grind 4 wedges:
Collin Morikawa
Collin Morikawa inspected and tested TaylorMade’s MG4 wedges in the practice area at TPC River Highlands…
Collin Morikawa inspected and tested TaylorMade’s MG4 wedges in the practice area at TPC River Highlands Tuesday. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
TaylorMade MG4 wedges
There appear to be three different sole configurations in the MG4 family, standard, low-bounce and high…
There appear to be three different sole configurations in the MG4 family, standard, low-bounce and high bounce. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
TaylorMade MG4 wedges LB
The sole of each MG4 wedge is milled. The milling process creates the tiny lines you…
The sole of each MG4 wedge is milled. The milling process creates the tiny lines you can see on the bottom of the club. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
TaylorMade MG4 wedges
Instead of raised micro-ribs found in the MG3 wedges, the MG4 wedges appear to have angled…
Instead of raised micro-ribs found in the MG3 wedges, the MG4 wedges appear to have angled micro grooves. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
TaylorMade MG4 wedges
There is a small amount of extra material designed behind the topline that could elevate the…
There is a small amount of extra material designed behind the topline that could elevate the center of gravity location in the MG3 wedges. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
TaylorMade MG4 wedges
The MG4 wedge labeled SB (standard bounce?) appears to have a straight sole, without significant heel…
The MG4 wedge labeled SB (standard bounce?) appears to have a straight sole, without significant heel or toe relief. (David Dusek)
TaylorMad MG4 Low Bounce
TaylorMad MG4 Low Bounce has significant heel and toe relief and what appears to be two…
TaylorMad MG4 Low Bounce has significant heel and toe relief and what appears to be two different bounce areas. One is directly behind the leading edge, and the second is further back. The overall sole configuration is very similar to the TW grind.(David Dusek)
TaylorMad MG4 High Bounce
The high-bounce version of the MG4 wedges has some heel and toe relief, along with extra…
The high-bounce version of the MG4 wedges has some heel and toe relief, along with extra bounce in the back of the sole. (David Dusek)