Looks, feel, and spin? Wilson Staff Model ZM Wedge Review
Last updated:
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At a glance
- TG Rating
- Owner Rating
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Pros
- The head shapes have dramatically improved over the previous model.
- There's a good selection of loft, bounce, and high-toe options.
- A wedge-specific shaft is an excellent addition.
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Cons
- So long as you're not brand-led the ZM's are incredibly difficult to fault.
What we say...
The Wilson Staff Model ZM wedge is designed to fit all golfers and turf conditions. My review finds out how they perform against the stiffest of competition.
It’s really easy to spot brands that take the wedge game seriously. Very simply they’re the ones who offer golfers multiple sole grind, bounce, and finish options, and never rely on selling all golfers matching 52°, 56°, and 60° wedge sets. Thanks to a major revamp in how they approach the market Wilson hopes the new Wilson Staff Model ZM wedge will put them firmly back on the map for golfers searching for the best wedges in 2024.
Making more options has always meant investing in expensive tooling. Very often for models that are likely to sell in much smaller numbers. Titleist, Cleveland, Ping, and TaylorMade do because experience says it’s the best way to dial golfers into the equipment that best suits their game. A move which in turn optimizes their up-and-down potential. If you’re serious about the game and looking to shave shots from your short game in 2024 and beyond, the new Wilson Staff Model ZM wedges are well worth exploring. Here’s why.
Everything you need to know about the Wilson Staff ZM wedge
Have a blast
Ultimate backspin is absolutely key to wedge manufacturers as irrespective of ability all golfers want the capability to spin, control, and stop shots closer to their target. But where a few years ago golfers obsessed over identifying the highest spinning wedges available, today the focus has switched much more to bigging up spin consistency. The idea improves predictability on the golf course which will ultimately lead to lower scores.
The Staff Model ZM wedges have already built up quite a reputation on tour during their initial testing and prototype phase. Padraig Harrington is a massive fan, and others are warming up to using Wilson wedges for the first time. A new garnet face blast and more optimally shaped grooves maximize spin but also minimize spin difference from wet to dry conditions, and moving from fairway to rough. The face is also CNC Milled for accuracy and consistency.
The new thinking boosts distance and trajectory control, as shots stay in contact with the face for longer no matter what the conditions.
A ton of options
It doesn’t matter whether you play most on a wet parkland layout or bone dry links course. Or if you chop down or sweep wedge shots away cleanly, Wilson has a Staff Model ZM option for you. The ZM comes in Low Bounce (6°), Mid Bounce (8° – 10°), and High Bounce (12°) options. There’s also a further wider soled HT (High Toe with full face grooves) set-up too. See my guide below to identify which will best complement your game.
Essentially no matter how you hit wedge shots or what level your short-game confidence is at, there’s a full wedge family solution for everyone from tour pros to club players within the ZM line-up.
Tour-inspired
The best way for any brand to get clubs played by tour ambassadors is to involve their finest players in the design process. Only by getting under their skin do they get a true understanding of what players are actually looking for. The move often pays dividends in terms of tour usage. Which is exactly why Wilson says their players’ DNA is stamped all over the new model.
Unlike lots of modern wedges like the Titleist Vokey Design SM9, TaylorMade MG4, and Cleveland RTX6 ZipCore the Staff Model ZM head is forged from 8620 carbon steel. Golfers should expect a similar feel to the brand’s Staff Model Blade, Staff Model CB and Dynapower Forged irons. For this generation, there’s also a new straighter leading-edge shape. Personally, I much prefer it and believe most decent players will really enjoy it too.
Spin that shaft
Wilson’s design brief listed maximum spin consistency as one of the company’s major goals for any new wedge model. Their engineers have looked much deeper than just the ZM’s face and grooves as a way of creating additional spin.
A True Temper Dynamic Gold Spinner wedge shaft comes installed as standard. The model is known for having a longer, more active tip section which heightens spin, on the shortest shots. Golfers should expect a benefit of up to 700+ RPM more spin than a conventional wedge shaft.
Explained: The Wilson Staff Model ZM Wedge bounce options
To enhance and not hinder your short game it’s vitally important to get the right sole grind shape and bounce to suit how you play. And, don’t forget the turf type you most often play from. Here’s Wilson’s advice on how to choose which best suits your game.
Low Bounce (6°)
For golfers who like to hit a variety of shots from high flop shots to 50-yard open face low spinners. A good choice for firmer drier turf. Only available on 58° and 60° lofts.
Mid Bounce (8° – 10°)
The set-up that will suit the most amount of golfers. An ideal choice if you regularly play from different types of turf. Also a good choice for golfers who play 90% of their wedge shots in the same way with a square club face aimed at the target. Expect a full family of loft options from 50° – 60°.
High Bounce (12°)
A solid choice for golfers who typically tend to play from softer conditions. Those who need help in bunkers, and golfers prone to hitting short game shots heavy. If you take big divots and want forgiveness in your wedge play higher bounce wedges are a great place to start.
Details: Wilson Staff Model ZM wedge
RRP: £145
Lofts: 50° / 52° / 54° / 56° / 58° / 60° (with an additional 46° and 48° in the USA)
Sole grind options: Low, Mid, and High Bounce
Stock shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold Spinner
Stock grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Video: How does the Wilson Staff Model ZM compare to other leading 2024 wedges?
Verdict: Wilson Staff Model ZM wedge
Wilson Staff is effectively turning back the clock and going all heritage and timeless classic with their Staff Model franchise, and judging by the expanding line-up the move is reaping some serious rewards.
Our test pro thought the Staff Model ZM sat really nicely at address likening the profile to almost having a Mizuno T-type compact high toe shape about it. Wilson were adamant when I spoke to them that the new ZM grooves turned this new model into a serious spin machine, although they didn’t offer any reasoning on why the ZM grooves were so effective. Unfortunately, the statement wasn’t quite supported by our test results.
As lovely, attractive, and desirable as the ZM’s are there’s no covering up the model struggled to better our test averages for any single metric. In my eyes that need not be a deal breaker as buying wedges is all about feel, reliability, and confidence, and the ZM certainly gave our test team those traits in abundance.
My gut feeling is as nice as the Staff Model wedges are they are going to be sought out predominantly by Wilson fans and the owners of Wilson forged irons, much more so than golfers just looking for new wedges in 2024. If that’s you I don’t reckon you’ll be disappointed, hence why the model features among my top 10 wedges of 2024.
Data comparison: How does the Wilson Staff Model ZM compare to competitor wedges in 2024?
| Model | Loft | Ball Speed | Launch Angle | Backspin | Backspin Drop Off | Height | Descent Angle | Carry Distance | Carry Distance Drop Off | Shot Area |
| Vega VWX | 52° | 78.8 MPH | 24.6° | 8974 RPM (1) | 1212 RPM | 18 YDS | 43.4° | 94 YDS | 11 YDS | 62.7 SQ YDS |
| Ram Tour Grind | 52° | 78.4 MPH | 24.2° | 8402 RPM (2) | 1746 RPM | 17 YDS | 42.3° | 94 YDS | 15 YDS | 64.5 SQ YDS |
| TaylorMade MG4 | 52° | 78.3 MPH | 25.8° | 8003 RPM (3) | 1092 RPM | 19 YDS | 43.9° | 94 YDS | 8 YDS | 60.8 SQ YDS |
| Mizuno S23 | 52° | 81 MPH | 26.1° | 7987 RPM | 1289 RPM | 20 YDS | 45.2° | 99 YDS | 6 YDS (T1) | 23.4 SQ YDS (1) |
| Tour Edge Wingman | 52° | 80.5 MPH | 25.1° | 7982 RPM | 1382 RPM | 19 YDS | 43.9° | 98 YDS | 12 YDS | 100.8 SQ YDS |
| Ping s159 | 52° | 77.5 MPH | 24.9° | 7974 RPM | 791 (1) | 18 YDS | 42.5° | 93 YDS | 12 YDS | 68.4 SQ YDS |
| Cleveland RTX 6 | 52° | 77.4 MPH | 26° | 7911 RPM | 1791 RPM | 18 YDS | 43.7° | 93 YDS | 9 YDS | 44.1 SQ YDS |
| Sub 70 286 Forged Raw | 52° | 77.9 MPH | 25.5° | 7820 RPM | 2339 RPM | 18 YDS | 43.3° | 94 YDS | 7 YDS | 58.8 SQ YDS |
| Cleveland CBX 4 | 52° | 78.4 MPH | 26.5° | 7800 RPM | 949 RPM (3) | 19 YDS | 44.6° | 95 YDS | 9 YDS | 53.1 SQ YDS |
| Bettinardi HLX 5.0 | 52° | 78.5 MPH | 24.3° | 7797 RPM | 2109 RPM | 17 YDS | 42.1° | 95 YDS | 10 YDS | 45 SQ YDS |
| PXG 0311 Sugar Daddy II | 52° | 79.2 MPH | 25.7° | 7741 RPM | 2240 RPM | 19 YDS | 44° | 96 YDS | 10 YDS | 44 SQ YDS |
| Titleist Vokey Design SM10 | 52° | 78.2 MPH | 26° | 7653 RPM | 1926 RPM | 19 YDS | 43.9° | 95 YDS | 15 YDS | 139.5 SQ YDS |
| Vega Alcor | 52° | 79.9 MPH | 25.7° | 7633 RPM | 2006 RPM | 19 YDS | 44.1° | 97 YDS | 9 YDS | 64.8 SQ YDS |
| More MOD 1 | 52° | 79.2 MPH | 25.4° | 7512 RPM | 894 RPM (2) | 19 YDS | 43.4° | 96 YDS | 6 YDS (T1) | 28.8 SQ YDS (2) |
| Callaway Jaws Raw | 52° | 78.9 MPH | 26.3° | 7408 RPM | 2805 RPM | 19 YDS | 44.3° | 96 YDS | 7 YDS | 30.1 SQ YDS (3) |
| Ping Glide Forged Pro | 52° | 78.8 MPH | 26.2° | 7165 RPM | 2246 RPM | 19 YDS | 44° | 96 YDS | 11 YDS | 119.9 SQ YDS |
| Mizuno T24 | 52° | 76.3 MPH | 26.2° | 7059 RPM | 2131 RPM | 18 YDS | 43.1° | 92 YDS | 6 YDS (T1) | 44.4 SQ YDS |
| Wilson Staff Model ZM | 52° | 77.8 MPH | 26.4° | 7003 RPM | 1963 RPM | 19 YDS | 43.8° | 95 YDS | 13 YDS | 81.9 SQ YDS |
| Callaway CB | 52° | 78.9 MPH | 26.1° | 6856 RPM | 1672 RPM | 19 YDS | 43.7° | 96 YDS | 11 YDS | 90.2 SQ YDS |
| Inesis 900 | 52° | 78.8 MPH | 27.6° | 6685 RPM | 2168 RPM | 20 YDS | 45.2° | 97 YDS | 16 YDS | 172.8 SQ YDS |
| Average | 78.6 MPH | 25.7° | 7668 RPM | 1738 RPM | 18.7 YDS | 43.7° | 95.3 YDS | 10.2 YDS | 69.9 SQ YDS |
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About the author
Simon Daddow – Today’s Golfer Equipment Editor
Simon Daddow is the Equipment Editor for Today’s Golfer. Having tested and played more than 10,000 clubs in his life, what he doesn’t know about golf clubs isn’t worth knowing.
He joined EMAP Active (now Bauer Media) as Equipment Editor in 2006 and has worked for both Today’s Golfer and Golf World. Working alongside our test pro Neil Wain, Simon has made todays-golfer.com the most reliable source for golf club testing.
Despite his youthful looks, Simon has played golf for more than 40 years and plays to a handicap of 10. A lack of club speed means he’s short off the tee, but very handy from 125 yards and in.
Simon’s job means he plays regularly around the world, and rates Kingsbarns as his favorite course. He uses a PXG 0311 GEN6 XF driver, TaylorMade Stealth 2 HL (15º), Ping G400 (20.5º), PXG 0317 X Gen2 hybrid, PXG 0311 GEN6 P irons (6–PW), Cleveland CBX2 wedges (52°, 58°), Ping 21 Fetch putter and a TaylorMade Tour Response golf ball.
You can contact Simon via email and follow him on Twitter for loads more golf equipment insight.
Product Information
Wilson Staff Model ZM wedge
RRP: £145
Lofts: 50° / 52° / 54° / 56° / 58° / 60° (with an additional 46° and 48° in the USA)
Sole grind options: Low, Mid, and High Bounce
Stock shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold Spinner
Stock grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Visit the Wilson website here
