Adams Tom Watson Performance Wedges Review

Let’s face it, when it comes to forgiveness you are more inclined to think of 460cc driver heads, and irons with an extremely thick topline and a very low centre of gravity.

But Adams have – with the help of eight-time Major winner Tom Watson – developed a new wedge range that features a lower, and deeper centre of gravity to help golfers who struggle to get the ball consistently airborne. Adams also say that the wedge offers greater playability too, so we were eager to see just how it worked.

I’ve used Mizuno and Ping wedges in recent years, and while I’m a big fan of the Adams hybrid range, I wouldn’t naturally be drawn to their short-game sticks. That was until I had dabbled with this Performance Wedge.

I would have to back up the claim of the manufacturer that it is highly playable – it was easy enough to open the face up and I never got the feeling I was about to ‘knife’ the ball.

There was a slightly odd sound at impact; it felt firmer than some wedges I’ve used.

However this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing because it gave confidence when it came to getting the distance control right. Obviously you want to have plenty of feel with a wedge, but I don’t want to feel like I have to really hit the ball to make it travel the required distance.

My only slight criticism comes with the copper-coloured face. It’s a unique look that some will enjoy using, but I can’t help think it was a bit distracting, especially at first. It resembles how an iron looks when you have tape on it at a fitting.

I did get used to it, and the performance was excellent but I still think this will be a marmite feature for lots of golfers. Finally, it’s worth pointing out that Adams offer it all the way up to 64˚, which I loved using.

Adams Golf is huge in the American golf market, but now has its sights set firmly on the UK. The Texas-based company is best-known for its array of hybrids, but having enlisted the help of Open legend Tom Watson, they have released stunning new wedges featuring a unique copper face.

They have been engineered to look different to conventional wedges which feature the same coloured face, and also to offer more feel. With Watson’s input, you'd expect lots of versatility – and you wouldn't be disappointed, with lofts running from 50° to 60° in 2° increments, with a 64° also available.

It’s common for club manufacturers to talk about a lower and deeper centre of gravity in their irons and woods, but it’s not a story often told with wedges. But Adams are doing so with this model, suggesting it makes them more playable from a greater variety of lies.

The sole grind also gives golfers the confidence to open the face up without fear of digging into the turf, in order to play the sort of shots stars like Watson perform regularly.

It’s an exciting time for Adams Golf, with the brand being acquired by market leaders TaylorMade-adidas. “The proposed combination of Adams Golf and TaylorMade-adidas brings together two highly complementary golf brands, combining Adams’ focus on game-improvement as well as senior and women golfers with TaylorMadeadidas’ focus on the younger and the low-to-mid handicap golfer,” explained adidas Group CEO Herbert Hainer.

Price (RRP): £99 each.
Loft: 50°, 52°, 54°, 56°, 58°, 60°, 64°.

See first hit video of this wedge at todaysgolfer.co.uk/watsonwedge