Maltby Wedges

Affordable Wedges That Can Elevate Any Golfer’s Short Game

For many golfers, the wedge game is a source of constant frustration. Between stubbed chips, bladed bunker shots, and inconsistent distance control, the short game can quickly unravel a solid round. Having the right wedges in your bag is crucial for scoring well and saving strokes around the green. While premium wedge brands carry hefty price tags, there is an affordable forged option that can elevate any golfer’s wedge play – the Maltby wedge.

Maltby wedges are designed to give golfers the buttery feel and versatility of a forged wedge, without breaking the bank. Maltby is the house brand of GolfWorks, an Ohio-based golf equipment company with over 30 years in the business. While Maltby may not have the brand recognition of Cleveland or Vokey, their wedges have earned rave reviews for providing a forged wedge experience at an accessible price point.

Forged Feel Meets Game Improvement

One of the standout features of Maltby wedges is that they are forged from soft carbon steel, just like premium wedges. The forging process compresses and aligns the steel’s grain structure, creating a uniquely soft and solid feel at impact. While many similarly priced wedges use cheaper cast stainless steel, Maltby wedges provide forged feel to enhance shotmaking and feedback.

Despite their forged construction, Maltby wedges are designed with game improvement in mind. They have moderate sole widths, bounce angles, and offset to promote versatility and forgiveness for golfers across handicap levels. The classic head shapes and moderate footprints make them suitable options even for wedge shot novices. Maltby wedges aim to blend enhanced shotmaking ability with easy launch and forgiveness.

Loft, Grind & Bounce Options

One of the benefits of Maltby wedges is the ability to customize and optimize your wedge setup without the premium price tag. Maltby offers their wedges in lofts ranging from 50° to 60° in 2° increments, plus a 64° option as well. This allows golfers to properly gap their wedges based on their yardage gaps and preferred trajectories.

In terms of bounce, Maltby wedges come in low, medium, and high options to accommodate different swing types and course conditions. More bounce is beneficial in soft conditions or for steep angles of attack, while less bounce suits firm turf and shallow swings. Maltby also offers a variety of sole grinds – from the versatile GE grind to the precision of the SE grind for specialty shots.

Premium Materials & Advanced Construction

Maltby wedges utilize premium materials and construction methods to optimize feel and performance. The heads are forged from soft 1020 carbon steel and CNC milled to precise tolerances. This soft, ductile steel offers enhanced feel through the bump-and-run motions inherent to wedge shots.

Maltby wedges are put through specialized heat treatment to optimize durability and feel. They utilize high-density tungsten toe inserts which reposition weight to the perimeter for added forgiveness. The wedges feature precisely CNC milled face and grooves to provide consistent spin and control. Premium shaft options from KBS, Nippon, and Project X are available as well.

Optimized Spin Characteristics

One of the most important factors in a quality wedge is its ability to generate spin for enhanced shot control. Maltby wedges utilize all the advanced technologies – from CNC milled grooves to customized sole grinds – to enable proper spin rates across various conditions.

The CNC milled grooves have a sharp, consistent geometry that penetrates the ball’s cover and imparts backspin. Groove volume is optimized based on loft, with deeper grooves in higher lofts for maximum spin. Sole grinds are designed to interact optimally through the turf and effective bounce ensures clean contact to maximize wedge spin potential.

While they may not offer the same ultra-high spin as some premium wedges, Maltby wedges provide very good spin properties in their price range. Their spin characteristics make them suitable for executing a full range of scoring shots with precision.

Performance Compared to Premium Wedges

It’s natural for golfers to compare Maltby wedges to premium options from Cleveland, Vokey, and other leading brands. In terms of feel and versatility, Maltby wedges stack up nicely – especially considering their fraction-of-the-price cost. The forged carbon steel heads provide soft, solid feel and the variety of grinds allow golfers to match their wedge setup to their swing.

In terms of raw spin generation, premium wedges do have an advantage, especially on partial and specialty shots. However, for the majority of full and three quarter swings, Maltby wedges achieve very good spin rates. Combined with their enhanced forgiveness features, most golfers will find their wedge performance much improved with Maltby.

While they can’t match the ultra-premium price tags, Maltby wedges compete strongly on performance and feel. The differences will mainly show up on finesse shots around the green, where premium wedges excel. But for full-swing wedge shots and versatility, Maltby is an excellent forged wedge option.

Perfect for Golfers Looking to Upgrade Their Wedge Game

Maltby wedges are ideally suited for a wide range of golfers looking to upgrade their wedge performance without breaking the bank. Beginners will appreciate the moderate bounce, sole width, and offset which make the wedges forgiving and easy to get airborne from various lies. The classic head shape frames the ball nicely at address to inspire confidence.

Mid and high-handicappers will benefit greatly from the optimized spin and versatility Maltby wedges provide. Their forged feel gives important feedback on wedge shots while the forgiveness features help mask mishits and promote consistency. Golfers can finally experience that forged wedge feel at a price they can afford.

Even accomplished players and low handicappers can consider Maltby wedges for filling yardage gaps or as specialty-shot weapons if they don’t require ultra-premium spin performance. The precision-milled grooves, soft carbon steel, and grind options make Maltby wedges suitable for elite golfers as well.

Affordable Customization Options

A major perk of Maltby wedges is the ability to customize and upgrade components at a reasonable cost. Golfers can select the loft, lie angle, shaft flex, grip, and even ferrule style to create their ideal wedge setup. Maltby wedges can be seamlessly integrated with your existing clubs.

Advanced customization options are also available through GolfWorks for the performance obsessed. Wedges can be ordered to exact specs by altering bounce, sole grinds, offset, and other attributes. Although customization does come with an upcharge, it is significantly less than premium brands.

Where to Buy Maltby Wedges

Maltby wedges are currently only available for purchase directly through GolfWorks, the parent company of the Maltby brand. GolfWorks is an Ohio-based golf equipment company with over 30 years of experience fitting and building clubs for golfers. Purchasing directly gives customers access to all the available customization options.

GolfWorks offers an easy online fitting form to help match your swing attributes and game profile to the optimal Maltby wedge selections. Builds and specs can be customized before adding to cart for straightforward ordering. GolfWorks also has top-notch customer service available by phone for any questions on dialing in your Maltby wedges.

Once ordered, Maltby wedges usually ship out in 5-7 business days from their production facility. GolfWorks does charge a shipping fee, as Maltby wedges are only available direct-to-consumer through their site. Their expertise and customization options make GolfWorks the go-to destination for getting fit for your ideal set of Maltby wedges.

The Verdict: Serious Wedges at a Value Price

It’s clear from their construction, technology, and performance that Maltby wedges are serious golf clubs – not just discounted alternatives. The forged carbon steel heads provide the soft, solid feel that better players desire, while game-improvement traits make them forgiving and versatile options for mid to high-handicappers as well.

The variety of loft, bounce, and sole grind options allow golfers to customize a set of Maltby wedges perfectly suited to their game. While they can’t match the ultra-premium price tags, Maltby wedges compete strongly on versatility, feel, and forgiveness. Considering their reasonable price point, Maltby wedges are pound-for-pound one of the best values in golf for elevating your short game.

So next time your wedge game has you fuming, consider Maltby wedges as an affordable way to upgrade your firepower around the greens. With proper gapping, dialed-in bounce, and forged feel, Maltby wedges have everything needed to take your scoring and consistency to the next level.