TaylorMade Hi-Toe 4 wedges

Gear: TaylorMade Hi-Toe 4 wedges
Price: $179.99 each with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue 115 shafts and Lamkin Crossline 360 grips
Specs: Cast and milled 8620 carbon steel body with raw-steel hitting area, five sole grinds, and lofts from 50 to 60 degrees
Available: Sept. 6

Who it’s for: Golfers who want more spin and more versatility on greenside shots.

What you should know: TaylorMade is now offering its high-toe wedges in five sole grinds, so golfers who like the copper finish and the idea of a larger hitting area on open-face shots can also find a sole grind that matches the conditions they typically confront.

The Deep Dive: There was a time when a wedge with an extra-high toe section raised eyebrows and was seen as a novelty, but those days are long gone. Over the last several seasons, many of the game’s elite players have added a high-toe wedge (or two) to their bags to handle unique conditions, and recreational golfers have accepted high-toe wedges too.

TaylorMade debuted its first Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges back in 2018 and has updated them regularly. With the release of the fourth generation of Hi-Toe wedges, the Carlsbad, California-based equipment maker is now coupling the design benefits of high-toe wedges with more sole grinds than ever before.

TaylorMade Hi-Toe 4 wedges have grooves across the entire hitting area. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

The advantage and appeal of a high-toe wedge for many golfers is the ability to open the face and slide the leading edge under the ball while having an extra portion of the hitting area available. It’s confidence-inspiring, and with a hitting area covered from heel to toe by 20 grooves, TaylorMade feels it can give players of every level more options and shots around the green.

Each Hi-Toe 4 wedge is cast using soft 8620 carbon steel and given an aged copper finish that will mature and patina over time. However, the hitting area is un-chromed and unfinished, so the raw steel is exposed. Over time and with exposure to water and air, the face will rust and create a natural anti-glare coloring that many golfers love. The grooves extend over the entire hitting area in the 56, 58 and 60-degree wedges, but to make the hitting area appear more iron-like in the 50 and 52-degree gap wedges, the grooves do not extend to the end of the heel and toe areas.

Between the grooves in the raw steel face are Spin Trend microgrooves that help get water off the hitting area (David Dusek/Golfweek)

Between the main…