TaylorMade MG5 wedge review

TaylorMade's first fully forged Milled Grind wedge adds saw-milled grooves to its raw spin face. Testers love the feel and stopping power, and it undercuts Vokey and Ping here.

The TaylorMade Milled Grind 5, usually shortened to MG5, is the first fully forged wedge in TaylorMade's MG line. It keeps the raw, rust-prone face that made earlier MG wedges known for spin, and adds a softer carbon steel head and sharper grooves. Independent reviewers praise its feel and stopping power, and at $263.95 it is cheaper at Drummond Golf than the Vokey SM11 or Ping s259, though it still demands a decent strike.

How we put this review together: we haven't hit this club ourselves. This review brings together the maker's specs, Australian pricing and what independent testers have published, with links so you can check them.

At a glance

  • Australian price: $263.95 per wedge (Chrome, steel shaft) at Drummond Golf
  • Lofts: 46° to 60°, with grinds including SB, SC, SX, HB and LB in Drummond's listing; reviewers report six grinds in total, including Tiger Woods' TW grind
  • Finishes: Chrome and a new Charcoal finish, with a raw face on both
  • Adjustability: none; choose loft, bounce and grind to suit your swing and course
  • Release year: 2025 (Golf Monthly reported an on-sale date of 7 August 2025)
  • Best for: mid and low handicappers who want soft feel and high spin, especially in the scoring wedges

What's new

TaylorMade's description, shown on the Drummond Golf product page, says the MG5 is the first MG wedge with aggressive saw-milled grooves, cut with steeper walls and sharper edges to get closer to the legal limits of groove design. A continuous Spin Tread pattern on the raw face is meant to channel water away like a tyre tread. TaylorMade claims the MG5 keeps 13% more spin than the MG4 in wet conditions; that is a maker's figure, not an independent test.

The bigger change is construction. National Club Golfer explains that the head is now forged from soft 1025 carbon steel. Golf Monthly notes that the leading edge and topline are more rounded than on the MG4, which makes the face easier to open.

Golfalot lists six grinds by Greg Cesario: LB for shallow swings and firm turf, SC for greenside versatility, SB as the all-rounder, a new wide-soled SX, a high-bounce HB for steep swings and soft turf, and the TW grind.

What independent testers found

Golf Monthly called the MG5 one of the best-looking and best-feeling wedges of the past year. On a launch monitor, its reviewer recorded consistently high spin on 50-yard pitches with a 54° wedge and saw little drop-off in spin from rough and bunkers. The reservation was that the stronger lofts did not feel especially powerful, and Golf Monthly suggested mid to high handicappers might prefer a more forgiving 50° or 52°.

National Club Golfer reported some of the spinniest shots its reviewer had hit, including backspin on firm greens, plus a softer and more connected feel than the MG4. NCG noted it sits at the higher end of the price range.

GolfMagic tested it from a mid handicapper's point of view and was impressed by how much more stopping power the MG5 gave than the reviewer's previous wedges. It found the forged feel clearly sweeter than a cast comparison wedge. Its cautions were that the raw face will look weathered over time, and that the leading edge could catch out less consistent players on fuller shots.

Golfalot found the feel improved over the MG4 but not quite as buttery as expected, and saw high spin even in slightly damp conditions. That contrasts with GolfMagic, which saw spin drop noticeably from dewy grass with brand-new wedges. Wet-weather spin is the area where reports differ most.

Who it suits

  • Mid and low handicappers who want a soft, forged feel at a lower price than some rivals
  • Golfers on firm, fast greens who want the ball to stop quickly
  • Players happy for a raw face to rust with use

Who should look elsewhere

If you struggle with heavy or thin contact, Golf Monthly and GolfMagic both point you towards something more forgiving. The Cleveland CBZ is a cavity-back designed for that job. If you want the widest choice of grinds and a fitting process many reviewers rate highly, the Titleist Vokey SM11 is the obvious alternative.

Buying it in Australia

Drummond Golf lists the MG5 in Chrome at $263.95 per wedge, in right and left-handed versions with a steel shaft, and also carries a Charcoal version. A set of three costs about $790, noticeably less than the Vokey SM11 or Ping s259 there. The bounce options matter in Australia, where you can play firm, sandy coastal courses one day and soft parkland the next, so ask a fitter or your club professional which grind matches your swing and home course.

Visitors are usually best bringing their own wedges; hire sets are easy to find if you travel without clubs.

The verdict

On the strength of the published reviews, the MG5 is a very strong premium wedge with standout spin and a softer feel than earlier MG models, and its Australian price undercuts its main rivals. The raw face and bladed shape mean it rewards a good strike, and reports on wet-weather spin are mixed. For a confident striker who wants forged feel without the top price, the research makes a good case for it.

Sources

Photo: Peserta Turnamen golf melakukan sand wedge di hole ketiga saat ia menyelesaikan dengan keunggulan dua pukulan dengan satu grup tersisa untuk bermain di hole ketiga selama putaran turnamen golf di Lapangan Bukit Darmo Golf Surabaya by Patrik Cahyo Lumintu, CC BY-SA 4.0 (licence), via Wikimedia Commons.